The US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has been involved in a collision with a merchant vessel while deployed to the Mediterranean, with images released by the US Department of Defense clearly showing damage to the vessel’s starboard aft sponson and stern.
In a 13 February release, the US Navy stated that USS Harry S. Truman sustained the damage during a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M at approximately 11:46pm local time on 12 February while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea.
“The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as there are no reports of flooding or injuries. The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition. The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” the US Navy statement read.
Released images show the extent of the impact, with the rearmost starboard sponson located around halfway up (~25ft) the ship’s hull buckled, having sustained significant damage. The section has no equipment installed on it in terms of weapons or sensors and serves to provide external access to the gangway that runs around the carrier’s flight deck.
Additional pictures show damage further aft on the starboard side, with an approximate 15m-long section buckled and a 5m tear in the ship’s hull. None of the damage visible in the images is near the ship’s waterline.
The USS Harry S. Truman subsequently sailed to Souda Bay, site of a US Navy base, for apparent assessment and repairs. It is not known how long any repairs to the vessel might take.
Maritime tracking website VesselFinder lists the Besiktas-M bulk carrier as being 188m long, with a width of 32m, and a gross tonnage of over 29,000t. It is not known what damage the bulk carrier sustained in the collision.
The 100,000 tonne, 317m-long USS Harry S Truman is among the largest warships at sea, only matched by its sister Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and the new 110,000 tonne Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers.
