USS Harry Truman Carrier Collides With Merchant Vessel at Sea

USS Harry Truman was supporting the Navy’s defensive operations against the Iranian-backed Houthis near Yemen.

It has certainly not been the best week for the U.S. Navy. On Wednesday morning, an EA-18G Growler crashed into the San Diego Bay. This 4.5-generation fighter contains the most sophisticated technology in airborne electronic attack, according to the Navy, and is a derivation of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Thankfully, both pilots were able to safely eject prior to the crash. But just hours later, another mishap would shake the service. The USS Harry S. Truman was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel while operating in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday evening. According to officials, no injuries or flooding resulted from the incident and a full investigation is ongoing.

In the aftermath of the USS Harry Truman mishap, Navy 6th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Gorman detailed that the Nimitz-class carrier was not endangered by the collision. Gorman added that “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 carrier reportedly struck the merchant vessel Besiktas-M near Port Said, Egypt. The carrier entered the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of command in December, alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109). USS Harry Truman supported the service’s many defensive operations against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels near Yemen. Additionally, the carrier supported airstrikes targeting ISIS-Somalia assets earlier this month.

As the eighth Nimitz-class carrier of the Navy, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is named to honor the thirty-third president of the United States. The massive warship was initially launched in the late 1990s by Newport News Shipbuilding and has served the Navy ever since. Truman, along with its sister Nimitz ships, has remained the cornerstone of the Navy’s sea power. These nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are powered by pressurized water reactors, unlike their predecessors which used diesel-electric systems or gas turbines to sail. The top speed of the Nimitz ships is classified, but the boats can at least travel at speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Due to the Nimitz’s advanced attributes, each ship in this class can carry 90 percent more aviation fuel and 50 percent more ordnance than its predecessors. These carriers can also lug more aircraft than their counterparts. Every Nimitz warship can carry roughly sixty airframes, including a combination of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft with up to ninety types. In terms of armament power, the Nimitz class ships can pack a punch. The more recently constructed ships are equipped with three Raytheon GMLS mk29 eight-cell launchers for NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles. As detailed by Naval Technology, these ships are also fitted with the Raytheon RAM (rolling airframe missile).

Although the Nimitz ships are widely respected as formidable carriers, the Navy’s incoming Ford-class ships incorporate even newer technologies. The lead ship of the class, USS Gerald R. Ford, is the only Ford in service while two additional carriers are under construction.

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