A U.S. Navy destroyer and a supply ship collided during a replenishment operation, causing two minor injuries among the crew.
“Yesterday afternoon, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG103) and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) collided during a replenishment-at-sea,” U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs Specialist Paul Cook told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
“Two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition,” he said. “Both ships have reported sailing safely. The incident is currently under investigation.”
Replenishment-at-sea operations involve ships sailing side-by-side to restock food, equipment, fuel, and other naval necessities. Such operations are essential to maintain long deployments at sea without ships having to return to port.
While the crash seems to be minor, collisions between warships at sea can be deadly. In 2017, 17 U.S. sailors died in two separate collisions in the Pacific.
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Other accidents have accompanied the extensive buildup in the Caribbean for operations against Venezuela and drug traffickers. Last week, the Marine Corps announced the death of Lance. Cpl. Chukwuemeka Oforah, after falling overboard off the USS Iwo Jima. An unsuccessful three-day search and rescue operation followed his fall.
U.S. naval attention has shifted away from the Caribbean after the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and toward Iran, where President Donald Trump is contemplating extensive strikes against the faltering Islamic government.
