US carrier, merchant ship collide in Suez Canal prompting naval investigation

• An American aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman, and a Panamanian merchant ship, Besiktas-M, collided near Port Said, Egypt, at the northern tip of the Suez Canal. The U.S. Navy reported no injuries and only superficial damage to the carrier, with its nuclear reactors remaining safe.
• The USS Harry S. Truman was in the Suez Canal as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, having recently completed combat operations and a port call in Greece.
• This is not the first collision for the Besiktas-M, which previously collided with a Greek bulk carrier in 2016.

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An American aircraft carrier and a Panamanian merchant ship collided near Port Said, Egypt, located at the northern tip of the Suez Canal. The U.S. Navy reported no injuries on board the USS Harry S. Truman or the Besiktas-M on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

The carrier only sustained superficial damage above the waterline. Navy officials stressed that the ship’s nuclear reactors are safe following the impact. The Navy added that the merchant ship also sustained damage, but did not say to what extent.

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Recent photos show multiple tears on the starboard side on the stern end of the ship near one of the elevators. That elevator reportedly still functions properly.

Why was the USS Harry S. Truman in the Suez Canal?

The Truman is part of Operation Prosperity Guardian. The naval carrier deployed from Naval Station Norfolk in September of last year and had just completed a port call in Greece after two months of combat operations. Those operations include strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia.  

For now, the ship is docked at U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay.  It stands ready to set sail should the ship be needed in the Red Sea.  The collision is under investigation. Officials say this part of the Suez Canal is typically packed with ships.

Not the first collision

This is not the first collision for the Merchant Vessel. Back in 2016, the same ship collided with the Greek bulk carrier, Common Spirit. This occurred in the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong.

The last reported collision between a carrier and merchant ship was in July of 2004. The former USS John F. Kennedy collided with the smaller ship in the Persian Gulf during night helicopter operations.   The Arab sailing boat sank, leaving no survivors. There were no injuries on the Kennedy.

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The only damage to the Kennedy occurred when two planes slid together upon impact. Ultimately, the carrier’s commander was relieved from duty.