What? U.S. Aircraft Carrier Harry S. Truman Collides with Merchant Ship off the Coast of Egypt
You may be wondering how an aircraft carrier can possibly run into a merchant ship.
On Wednesday February 12 the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Egypt. U.S. Naval Institute News has the story: USS Harry S. Truman Collides with Merchant Vessel in Mediterranean Sea:
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, collided with M/V Besiktas-M on Wednesday evening near Port Said, Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Navy said Thursday.
The carrier did not experience flooding and the crew did not report injuries, Cmdr. Tim Gorman, the spokesperson for U.S. 6th Fleet, said in a statement.
Truman‘s propulsion plants are unaffected. The collision, which occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday, is under investigation. The damage is above the waterline of the carrier, a Navy official told USNI News. No aircraft aboard the deck were damaged, another Navy official said.
The Harry S. Truman CSG deployed in September 2024 from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. After exercising in the North Sea, the strike group entered U.S. Central Command in December.
Truman and destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) made a port call to U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Greece last week.
Port Said, Egypt, is at the northern tip of the Suez Canal, where it meets the Mediterranean Sea. The position of Truman suggests the carrier was returning to the Red Sea after a port visit to Souda Bay, Greece. It’s unclear whether Jason Dunham was sailing with the carrier at the time of the collision.
Based on AIS data, Besiktas-M had just transited the Suez Canal and was bound for the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania. Besiktas-M, a bulk carrier, is more than 550 feet long with a deadweight of 53,000 tons. It’s unclear who owns and manages the ship.
The merchant vessel previously collided with M/V Common Spirit in August 2016 in the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong, according to the ship tracking site Vessel Tracker.
The last known collision between a carrier and a merchant ship was on July 22, 2004, when the former USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) collided with a small dhow in the Persian Gulf during night helicopter operations. The commander of the carrier was relieved after an initial investigation.
Here are a couple pictures of the damage suffered by the Truman and the Besiktas:
First shot I've come across of the damage to the USS Harry S. Truman from its collision yesterday (photo credit: US Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Cody Beam) pic.twitter.com/T6sxOkjBNA
— Alex Hollings (@AlexHollings52) February 14, 2025
Images have now been released of the damage to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) after it was involved last night in a collision with the Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel, M/V BESIKTAS-M. The second image shows the damage to the Panamanian-flagged… pic.twitter.com/YPqtti3lPH
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 14, 2025
You may be wondering how an aircraft carrier can possibly run into a merchant ship, but as the end of the USNI News article suggests, these types of incidents are not impossible.
And that is correct. In fact, mishaps at sea happen a lot more than you might suspect.
For example, here is a picture of USS San Francisco (SNN-711) after she ran aground in January 2005:
And here is a video of the damage after USS John McCain collided with a Liberian-flagged tanker off the coast of Singapore in August 2017 (note: the hole in the side of the ship isn’t supposed to be there):
First video shows extensive damage to USS John McCain. pic.twitter.com/8Kyurztsfg
— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) August 21, 2017
And here is a fun one involving a sub and a surface ship:
#OTD in 2009: 688i boat USS Hartford (SSN 768) pulling into Bahrain after colliding with amphibious transport dock ship New Orleans (LPD-18) in the Strait of Hormuz. $120 million to straighten that up. pic.twitter.com/BfMeUSr9Yx
—
𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿
(@USN_Submariner) March 21, 2024
And it’s not only U.S. military vessels that have issues…who can forget about the explosion aboard the Russian submarine Kursk that resulted in the loss of all hands in August 2000:
On this day August 12 2000 the Russian project 949A (NATO Oscar II) submarine K141 Kursk sank with the loss of all 118 onboard
Read more here
https://t.co/1lCclpv86X#History pic.twitter.com/zcVXLEfkzt
—
The_Sub_Hunter
(@TheSubHunter1) August 12, 2023
And there have been several collisions between U.S. military vessels and Russian units:
#OTD in 1976, the Soviet Echo II-class submarine K-22 collided with the frigate USS Voge (FF 1047) near Greece. The Soviet captain attempted to avoid the collision by ordering an emergency dive but rammed Voge's port quarter. Both vessels suffered severe damage. pic.twitter.com/P9GFafxEB5
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) August 28, 2024
#OTD in 1993, Sturgeon-class submarine USS Grayling (SSN 646) got into a fender bender with Delta IV class SSBN RFS Novomoskovsk (K-407) in the Barents Sea. The #ColdWar had already ended, so it was just a coincidence that they were in the same location
#SilentService pic.twitter.com/IxgCRTLr8o
—
So how did the Truman collide with the merchant ship Besiktas? Well, for one thing, as you can see from the above photos, operating any military vessel at sea is an inherently hazardous undertaking.
And we probably won’t know for a while what caused the Truman collision until the official Navy investigation is released, but I am going to go out on a limb and predict that the Commanding Officer of the Truman is likely to lose his job. I’m not saying that the Captain Dave Snowden is substandard in any way. On the contrary, he seems to be quite the experienced naval officer. But something happened that caused this collision, and it will likely not be explained by someone making a simple mistake…these things are usually a failure at the top of some sort.
And maybe even the admiral in charge of the Truman Strike Group will get fired, as the Truman collision comes on top of the recent shooting down of a Navy F/A-18 by one of the Truman Strike Group’s own ships:
It appears that Carrier Strike Group 8 includes the USS Harry S. Truman Nimitz-class carrier (which, per the below post, just had a collision with a freighter at sea), as well as the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser (which shot down one of the Truman's F/A-18s and nearly… https://t.co/lzDa8LP22G
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) February 13, 2025
For an example of when a senior officer got fired for a seemingly simple mistake, see the case of the USS San Francisco grounding (see picture of the damaged sub above), in which one sailor died and 98 were injured; initial reporting suggested that the sub had simply hit “an uncharted seamount.” Turns out that wasn’t the whole story – the bottom topography was shown more clearly on a chart that the sub had on board but failed to use. The Captain was fired and six other crewmen were reprimanded because “‘several critical navigational and voyage planning procedures’ were not being implemented” aboard the sub.
We’ll see. In any case, fortunately no one on Truman was hurt and the damage seems pretty minimal.
Stay sharp out there!
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Comments
“You may be wondering how an aircraft carrier can possibly run into a merchant ship.”
It’s either —
— the wonders of AA/DEI
or
— a perverse Festivus miracle
Probably more like an inexperienced Watch Officer compounded by some dumbass navigating/steering by the Merchant vessel and in a confined area in a compressed amount of time. The Navy seems to have had an ongoing issue with relatively minor issues cascading into bigger problems at sea due to a less rigorous training program for Officers standing watch. The only way to become proficient at any military leadership task is to do it. Sims and controlled training environments can only get you so far. Nothing prepares you to be in charge in a potential or actual crisis like being the poor SoB in charge when the crap hits the fan at just the wrong moment.
Is it definitely the fault of the carrier and not the other ship?
doesn’t matter who is at fault.
naval office is going to be riding a desk
Last night, it was looking like the aircraft carrier was in the wrong traffic lane, and the other ship was in his correct lane. All bets are off though, if the Truman was conducting air operations – which they shouldn’t have been. She and an escort were also running without their civilian transponders turned on. Absent more, esp exigent circumstances, I think it likely that the CO and others are likely out of jobs.
“But something happened that caused this collision, and it will likely not be explained by someone making a simple mistake…these things are usually a failure at the top of some sort.”
Happened at nearly midnight. Unless there was something unusual or exciting going on the Captain was probably in his rack asleep.
Doesn’t matter. Still his responsibility and if human error was a cause, he’s done.
I’m curious who the OOD was at the time, and how qualified they were; but everyone knows the important question here in the navy that Biden Built: Did the OOD use the correct pronouns when addressing other members of the crew?
Pete’s reforms will take years to really straighten out the soup sandwich that is the modern US Navy…I hope he’s hitting the ground running.
What’s Going on with Shipping … YouTube…Best site
“USS Harry S Truman Hull Pierced | Heading to Port for Damage Assessment | What May Have Happened?”
‘Tis but a scratch. My advice to the next ship in the way of an aircraft carrier: Move.
I’m a retired Navy Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and I’ve sailed aircraft carriers through the Suez Canal about 10 times. This Youtube video gives an view of the Marine traffic at the Port Said anchorage at approximately the time of the incident: https://youtu.be/OqRe-ouavjw
The important thing to know here is that the USS Truman was in the anchorage with all the other vessels that were preparing to enter the canal going south. The northbound convoy of ships were underway and exiting. This suggest that the USS Truman was at anchor (which is the normal procedure until the exiting convoy clears the canal) at the time of the collision, making it is extremely probable that the USS Truman was accordingly not at fault.
I have a serious question. Why do we even let any other ship that close to one of our warships? It would seem an unnecessary danger to let unknown craft that close. I mean all it takes is a couple of crazies and some explosives and then it’s a whole different situation.
If CV60 is right, it was parked, and some other ship blundered into it like a Student Driver hitting your car while parked at Wal-Mart. Of course, we’ll still make fun of it. There’s too much humor potential in the navy playing bumper-cars with other ships.
Navy: We have the most well-defended carriers in the worl– *THUMP* Damit.
Thanks for the informed opinion. Like everyone I was ready to jump on the blame-train. Now I’ll wait to find out what actually happened like I should have from the start.
Please let us know if you learn more,
I have asked several of my Navy friends if they are willing to retrain as pilots (ship/boat) or whatever the hell they are called, becasue the Navy needs some damned help.
Inexcusable. An aircraft carrier is supposed to have history ‘s most powerful (1) destroyer and frigate screen, and (2) defensive radar. No merchant vessel should ever get within five miles of a US aircraft carrier n the open seas.
While I agree with the general sentiment expressed, this was NOT the open sea. It was a harbor area near the mouth of the Suez Canal. I expect this means a high volume of shipping in a small area of water. Until we know more about the circumstances, we can only speculate whether or not crewmembers of the carrier were at fault.
I’m not sure how Navy regs balance defensive posture and being a good citizen of the sea-going community.
Whoopsie daisy.
I wonder if the Chinese bribed Quisling Joe destroy our navy with DEI in preparation for WW3?
Trump needs to cancel all these missions that export liberty to the third world.
Liberty, liberty, lib-er-ty,.
The carrier was not broadcasting its position in crowded traffic, which denied everybody a chance to see the conflict. Carrier’s fault.
Nothing but pinpoint running lights at night gives no great visual picture of the situation. Constant bearing means collision only works when everybody isn’t turning to work through traffic.
I believe that under maritime law, military vessels have a waiver to not broadcast their positions, (although their may have been a recently issued navy policy to use Automatic Identification System (AIS) in high traffic areas). Further, I believe the COLREGS/Nautical Rules of the Road do not require using AIS. We didn’t have such systems when I was on active duty, and did just fine. Also, the Suez canal opened in 1869, and so such systems have not been in use for the majority of time ships have been transiting through it. The fact is that with radar and proper navigation lights, combined with an expected level seamanship make such collisions impossible under normal environmental conditions. From the information provided thus far, there is no way a competently crewed, whould have failed to see a carrier. They are generally lit up like a Christmas tree at night, and if at anchor would certainly have been so. It also would have been very obvious on radar. My guess is that 1) assuming the TRUMAN was at anchor, the BESIKTAS-M either suffered a sudden loss of steering; or 3) incompetence or negligence on the part of the BESIKTAS-M’s crew.
Waiver or not, it was reckless for the carrier to operate in this congested area with its transponder turned off. With the transponder off, the carrier must be extra diligent to avoid all other ships. Besiktas-M had its AIS on. With all of the high tech gear on a US Navy ship it should be able to avoid other vessels. Or is my thinking wrong in some way?
Your thoughts regarding technology are very commonplace in the modern era. Modern technology has given us a false sense of security in its reliablity and accuracy. For many, instead of being a tool, technology becomes a crutch. Speaking as a SWO, the reliance on any technology at the exclusion of using your eyes and brain is a receipe for disaster. Consider: Many small craft, such as pleasure boats, dhows and harbor craft don’t have AIS. (Incidentally, these small craft also frequently don’t show up on radar until you are really close). So if you rely on AIS at the exclusion of your eyes, you are going to get someone killed. From my quick (and unverified) check of the weather, it appears it was clear, with a full moon, so visibility should have been good. Undoubtably, the TRUMAN had its navigation lights on, which, by Rule 22 of the COLREGS are visible from 3-6 nm (6000-12000 yards) distance. Bottom Line: It appears that 1) If the TRUMAN was anchored, and 2) absent a steering casualty on the merchant, then 3) the merchant crew was negligent in not maintaining a proper look out and/or manuvering recklessly through a crowded anchorage
What about the Truman’s freakin’ escorts????
You obviously have never steered a ship at night or you would know that they all have radar running 24/7 and a carrier would light up every screen on the bridge. If the carrier was at anchor, they will be cleared of any wrong doing.
We know the wagons are circling around super girl of chopper crash fame.
That will buff out…
Nope that one is gonna need a crap ton of Bondo and duct tape
So all the Houthis need to successfully attack a US Navy vessel is a stray merchant ship or two. I’ll bet they know where to find a few.
I’m just an ol’ country boy, but it seems to me that if the bulker MV Besiktas-M can “accidently” get close enough to the Truman to whack her such a good one, then it probably wouldn’t be that hard for a bad guy with malicious intent to get even closer and totally wreck one of our (CVN) carriers (N=11). This is why we can’t have nice things.
Let’s bust a few guys down and give ’em some brig time. Maybe they’ll begin to realize that they are not the hot sh_t ship drivers they think they are.
I love the military, and it pisses me off when they screw up. Screw up in the private sector and you’re out of a job and struggling to feed your family.!
I thought we learned our lesson with the USS Cole. But I guess not.
Whether this happened in the open sea or at anchor, it is a stunning breach of security.
I’m amazed that virtually noone is pointing out the most obvious cause (it was intentional), especially in light of a plethora of recent “incidents” involving Russian/Chinese associated merchant ships.
That carrier in the pic looks like a mountain of rust. A repaint was long overdue. Maybe the captain thought it was a way to have the paintjob paid by the insurance.