U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Collides With Merchant Ship Near Port Said, Probe On

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the US Navy, collided with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M on February 12, 2025, at about 11:46 p.m. local time while operating near Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Navy officials, no one was injured, there was no flooding aboard the carrier, and its propulsion systems remain fully operational.

When the collision occurred, the Besiktas-M, a bulk carrier sailing under the Panamanian flag, was on its way from Aqaba, Jordan, to Constanta, Romania.

A defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that no injuries were reported among the merchant ship’s crew.

The Navy has launched an investigation into the incident, with more details expected to emerge as the inquiry progresses.

The USS Harry S. Truman is stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, and has been deployed to the Mediterranean and the Middle East since September. The carrier had just completed a port call at Souda Bay, Greece, before the incident.

It has been actively engaged in U.S. military operations under Central Command since December 14, particularly in missions fighting Houthi forces in Yemen.

The carrier launched several defence attacks against the forces to protect commercial vessels under threat, and it was also attacked multiple times by Houthis using drones and missiles.

The Truman Strike Group consists of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, and two destroyers. It has been carrying out military operations, with its nine embarked aviation squadrons playing a crucial role in regional security efforts.

This is the first known collision involving a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in recent years. The Navy has maintained a strong safety record following serious collisions in 2017, which led to many changes in training and operational protocols.

In June 2017, the USS Fitzgerald collided with the container ship ACX Crystal off Japan, causing severe hull damage and the deaths of seven sailors.

Later that year, in August, the USS John S. McCain struck the oil tanker Alnic MC near Singapore, killing ten people. Investigations into both the accidents found they were preventable, resulting in leadership changes within the Navy’s Seventh Fleet and a fleet-wide safety review.

Historically, fatal Navy collisions have been rare but not unheard of. In 2004, the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy struck a small Arab sailing vessel in the Persian Gulf, sinking the boat and resulting in the presumed deaths of all aboard.

In 2001, the USS Greeneville, a Los Angeles-class submarine, collided with the Japanese fishing boat Ehime Maru off Hawaii, killing nine people, including four high school students.

The collision near Port Said is the second major incident involving the Truman during its current deployment. On December 22, two F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets operating from the carrier were mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg, one of the warships accompanying the carrier.

The aircraft was lost during an aerial refuelling operation, and this raised questions about the coordination within the strike group.

Reference: US Navy, NY Times

Source: Maritime Shipping News