The Norfolk-based USS Truman is expected to continue its mission in the Middle East after colliding with a commercial freighter as the ship prepared to enter the Suez Canal last Wednesday.
Crews from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard are already in Souda Bay, Greece to assess the damage and help with repairs. The assessment team includes structural engineers and naval architects.
The damage includes a small slash that penetrated the hull high above the waterline. The ship's crew is expected to be able to complete most of the repairs, according to a Navy official.
“While the ship is fully mission capable and the ship conducted flight operations following the collision, pulling into port for emergent repairs will enable the ship to continue deployment as scheduled,” said Capt. Dave Snowden, USS Harry S. Truman’s commanding officer.
The Truman also sustained damage to a line handling space, the fantail and a platform above one of the storage spaces. No injuries were reported. The carrier’s propulsion system and flight deck were not damaged. The ship can still launch aircraft. Pictures released by the Navy show F/A-18s taking off from the carrier, after the collision.
“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group units remain operational across geographic regions in support of their component commanders,” said Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the carrier strike group. “Our mission has not changed and we remain committed to responding to any challenge in this dynamic and global security environment.”
The carrier strike group includes Virginia Beach-based Carrier Air Wing, the Norfolk-based Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Gettysburg and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Stout of Norfolk, USS The Sullivans and USS Jason Dunham.
The accident is still under investigation. The carrier was at the mouth of the Suez Canal off the coast of Egypt preparing to return to the Red Sea when it was struck by the M/V Besiktas-M, which was leaving the area of the canal.
The Navy hasn’t released whether the carrier was moving at the time of collision late Thursday, but the area around the opening to the canal is typically crowded, according to a Navy official.
