U.S. Navy Destroyer Collides With Merchant Ship Near Japan

[Boats]

U.S. Navy Destroyer Collides With Merchant Ship Near Japan
By DoD News, Defense Media Activity - 6-17-17

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2017 — The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant vessel in the Philippine Sea at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, June 17, while operating about 64 miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, according to U.S. 7th Fleet news releases.

(Photo of ship on site only)- The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald returns to Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, following a collision with a merchant vessel in the Philippine Sea while operating about 64 miles southwest of Yokosuka, June 17, 2017. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Burghart

The Fitzgerald, which collided with the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal, was able to return to its home port at Yokosuka under its own power aided by tug boats about 16 hours after the collision, according to an updated release.

Three Sailors Hospitalized, Seven Missing

Three sailors required medical evacuation from the damaged Fitzgerald, according to a release. One patient is Navy Cmdr. Bryce Benson, the Fitzgerald's commanding officer, who’s reportedly in stable condition. Benson and the two other injured sailors were transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka. Other injured sailors are being assessed.

Seven sailors are unaccounted for and the Japanese Coast Guard continues to search for them, a release said.

Navy Vice Adm. Joseph P. Aucoin, the 7th Fleet’s commander, and many family members were on the pier when the stricken Fitzgerald arrived in Yokosuka, according to a release.

"This has been a difficult day," Aucoin said in a release. "I am humbled by the bravery and tenacity of the Fitzgerald crew. Now that the ship is in Yokosuka, I ask that you help the families by maintaining their privacy as we continue the search for our shipmates."

"I want to highlight the extraordinary courage of the Fitzgerald sailors who contained the flooding, stabilized the ship and sailed her back to Yokosuka despite the exceptionally trying circumstances," Navy Rear Adm. Charles Williams, commander of Task Force 70, said in a release.

Japanese Vessels, Aircraft Provide Assistance

Shortly after the collision the U.S. made a request for support from the Japanese Coast Guard, which was the first on scene and continues to be the lead for search-and-rescue efforts, according to a release.

Several U.S. Navy aircraft, as well as Japanese Coast Guard and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters, ships and aircraft were deployed to render assistance to the Fitzgerald, a release said.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships JS Ohnami, JS Hamagiri and JS Enshu were sent to join the JCG ships Izanami and Kano, according to a release. The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey served as an escort for the Fitzgerald and has also returned to Yokosuka.

Search for Missing Sailors Continues

A U.S. P-8 Poseidon aircraft is working in concert with two Japanese military helicopters and a Japanese P-3 Orion aircraft to search the area, according to a release. Names of the missing sailors are being withheld until the families have been notified.

The collision affected the Fitzgerald's forward starboard, or right, side above and below the water line, causing significant damage and associated flooding to two berthing spaces, a machinery space and the radio room, which damage control teams quickly began dewatering, according to a release.

Though the Fitzgerald is back in Yokosuka, it remains uncertain as to how long it will take to gain access to the spaces in order to methodically continue the search for the missing, a release said.

Once the ship arrived in Yokosuka, divers began inspecting the damage and developing a plan for repairs and inspection of the spaces, a release said.

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Personal note: Someone will catch hell for this incident? Who was on watch and whose was scanning the ship lanes? These are rare but very costly. (Boats)

[Boats]

Follow UP:

Multiple Sailors Missing After US Destroyer Collides With Container Ship
By: Ryan Pickrell - China/Asia Pacific Reporter - 6-17-17 11: 29 AM
RE: http://dailycaller.com/2017/06/17/mu...ontainer-ship/

The U.S. Navy is searching for seven sailors after a destroyer collided with a merchant ship more than three times its size near Japan, according to the military.

The USS Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, collided with a much larger Philippine-flagged container ship 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan before dawn Saturday. The destroyer, which took a hard hit to its starboard side, experienced “significant damage,” causing flooding, inhibiting communications and limiting its operational capabilities. The ship was able to operate under its own power but with limited propulsion. It returned to port with assistance.

The container ship is docked in Tokyo Bay. None of the crew members were injured in the incident.

The guided-missile destroyer is now at Yokosuka Naval Base, where the damage is being evaluated. A massive search is underway for seven U.S. military personnel that went missing after the accident.

Three of the destroyer’s crew members, including Commander Bryce Benson, were medically evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka. Other injured persons were assessed and treated onboard the ship.

U.S. and Japanese ships continued searching well after dark for the missing sailors. The USS Dewey and several Navy aircraft will work with the Japanese Coast Guard to find the missing crew members.

“Right now we are focused on two things: the safety of the ship and the well-being of the sailors,” Admiral Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a statement. “We thank our Japanese partners for their assistance.”

It is unclear what caused the crash, and the incident is under investigation. Accidents are more likely in busy seaways. A U.S. naval vessel collided with a South Korean fishing ship in May.

President Donald Trump is aware of the incident.

The USS Fitzgerald received $21 million in upgrades in February. The destroyer was deployed to the Asia-Pacific region to provide additional stability through America’s persistent military presence. (It will be a hell of lot more now).