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 U.S. Navy has released the first photo of damage sustained in a collision between the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and Panamanian-flagged M/V Besiktas-M.
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The incident occurred at 11:46 p.m. local time on February 12th near Port Said, Egypt, at the northern end of the Suez Canal. The bulk of visible damage occurred on the starboard side aft of elevator 3, damaging the underside of a sponson with a .50 caliber machine gun. The aircraft elevator adjacent to the damaged portion appears undamaged. According to the U.S. Navy, the incident did not cause any flooding or injuries onboard the Truman.
The Truman Carrier Strike Group has been participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian and recently wrapped up its 50 day milestone of operations in the Red Sea. It conducted several rounds of strikes on Houthi targets in self-defense, alongside a series of strikes on ISIS-Somalia on February 1st.
The Truman was also subjected to several attacks by Houthi rebels with one-way attack drones and cruise missiles throughout its two month deployment to the CENTCOM AO, including one attack which the Houthi rebel group claimed lasted nine hours. The U.S. Navy did not confirm if the claims were accurate.
Truman was the fourth carrier deployed to the Red Sea in support of operations against the Houthis, replacing USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 71).
A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during routine operations, Jan. 7, 2025. The Super Hornets, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, are assigned to the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the CENTCOM AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gerald R. Willis)
Towards the end of its time in the Red Sea, the Yemen-based Houthi rebel group paused its attacks on Red Sea shipping after the ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas. The group has claimed it will not attack targets so long as the ceasefire agreement is not violated, though forces participating in Prosperity Guardian continue to escort shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The damage sustained to the Truman is superficial and will not impact carrier operations if the ship is needed in the Red Sea. For now, the ship is docked at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay for a scheduled working port visit to maintain the ship and replenish munitions.
It is not immediately clear if the Truman will return to the Red Sea after its working port visit in Greece. The carrier deployed on September 23rd, 2024 after an extended COMPUTEX workup phase through July 2024, making it four months into the Truman‘s current deployment. Naval News has reached out to Navy Public Affairs for a comment.
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