Eight Months After Collision, USS Truman Hull Damage Remains Unrepaired

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman will not undergo full repairs for damage sustained in a February collision with the cargo ship M/V Besiktas-M until it enters a planned multi-year refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), the U.S. Navy confirmed.

The collision occurred off the coast of Port Said, Egypt, when the Truman was navigating in busy waters north of the port. The impact punctured a sponson on the starboard side near one of the aircraft elevators, tearing through exterior bulkheads of two storage rooms and a maintenance space.

Despite the damage, the carrier’s watertight integrity, systems, and nuclear reactors were unaffected, and the nearby aircraft elevator was not hit. The cargo ship Besiktas-M also suffered damage to its forecastle.

Following the incident, the Truman underwent temporary repairs in Souda Bay, Greece, where new bulkheads were installed to maintain weathertight integrity. The ship returned to routine operations in the Mediterranean about a week later after an Emergent Repair Availability (ERAV) and subsequent damage assessment.

Months later, in October 2025, the starboard damage remained visible, although it had been partially concealed with haze gray paint and a large Navy banner during a public event marking the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary.

President Donald Trump visited the carrier at Naval Station Norfolk for a rally and speech, during which the patched damage was in the background.

The Navy stated that the cosmetic hull repairs will be completed during the Truman’s upcoming RCOH at HII Newport News Shipbuilding. The overhaul, expected within the next twelve months, includes refueling the ship’s two nuclear reactors and conducting extensive repair, modernisation, and upgrade work.

The USS Truman, now 27 years old, nearly missed its midlife overhaul in 2019 when the first Trump administration proposed retiring the carrier in 2024 to save $3.4 billion annually.

After Congress opposed the plan, the Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) was reinstated. The current schedule will address all structural and cosmetic damages, including those from the February collision, during this major shipyard period.

Reference: TWZ

Source: Maritime Shipping News