The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) collided with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M near Port Said, Egypt, at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time on February 12, the U.S. Navy has confirmed.
“The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as there are no reports of flooding or injuries. The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition ,” according to the Navy.
Reports indicate the merchant ship involved is the MV Besiktas-M, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, which had just transited the Suez Canal.
The incident occurred as the carrier was operating in the Mediterranean Sea following recent combat operations. Prior to the collision, the Truman and its strike group had conducted operations in the Red Sea, where they supported multiple self-defense strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen.
The carrier had recently made a port visit to U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on February 6, accompanied by the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham.
Naval authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
In 2017, the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, were involved in two separate but similarly catastrophic collisions with merchant ships, resulting in the deaths of 17 Navy sailors. The incidents led to major investigations by the U.S. Navy, which uncovered systemic failures in training, leadership, and operational readiness.
