The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was in a collision with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt, the Navy said Thursday. There were no reports of injuries or flooding after the collision, a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.
The collision happened late Wednesday night near Port Said, Egypt, according to a statement from Navy Cmdr. Timothy Gorman, a spokesperson for the 6th Fleet.
The collision is under investigation.
The Truman was approaching the Suez Canal to go from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, a Navy official told CBS News. There’s no assessment at this time which vessel was at fault, the official said.
The Truman sustained some damage above the waterline, the official said. It wasn’t clear if it will be going in for repairs. The ship remained in the Mediterranean.
The carrier’s propulsion wasn’t affected by the collision, the official said.
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The carrier’s strike group was in the eastern Mediterranean after about two months of combat operations in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, which includes parts of the Middle East, according to the 2nd Fleet.
The strike group carried out airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia on Feb. 1, according to U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Last Thursday, the carrier arrived in Greece for a working port visit.
“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains the most adaptable and lethal presence in theater,” Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, the strike group’s commander, said in a statement when the carrier arrived at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete. “This port visit provides the opportunity to reset and focus on maintenance for maximum readiness ahead of future operations.”
The Truman deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, in September, according to Fleet Forces Command. During its deployment, it’s made stops in Oslo, Norway, and Marseille, France.
contributed to this report.
