The U.S. Navy has released an image showing damage to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman following the collision with the cargo ship M/V Besiktas-M off the coast of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday. Readers can first get up to speed on what had previously been known about the incident in our initial report here.
The official caption for the picture is as follows:
“Exterior damage of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) viewed from a ship’s rigid-hull inflatable boat following a collision with merchant vessel Besiktas-M, Feb. 12, while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt. USS Harry S. Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations supporting U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa to defend U.S., Allied and partner interests.”
The picture, a full uncropped version of which is seen below, shows multiple large tears through a sponson on the starboard side of the stern end of the ship near one of the aircraft elevators. Whether there is damage elsewhere on the ship is unknown.
The Navy has not released details about the estimated cost of or timeline for repairs, or about whether the damage in any way impedes the ship’s ability to operate. Warships, especially supercarriers, are designed to withstand combat damage, but it is unclear whether Truman will head to port for repairs or continue on as planned. The carrier and its strike group have supported ongoing operations against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen and ISIS-affiliated terrorists in Somalia in the past few months. Any substantial time in port for repairs now would have a major operational impact.
The Navy did say previously that the collision had caused unspecified damage above the waterline, but had not caused any flooding, damage to aircraft on the deck, or injuries to members of the crew. The service also stressed that the ship’s nuclear reactors were safe following the incident.
A picture had already emerged yesterday appearing to show damage on the bow end of the starboard side of the Besiktas-M. Further details about the condition of the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship and its crew remain limited.
The collision, which occurred as the Truman was preparing to transit through the Suez Canal, remains under investigation. With the Navy now at least having done some initial damage assessment, more details may begin to emerge.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com