Two Injured as USN Destroyer and Supply Ship Collide During Resupply

U.S. Southern Command is confirming media reports that a U.S. Navy destroyer and a USNS supply vessel collided during a replenishment-at-sea maneuver. It said two personnel reported minor injuries but did not say if they were from the destroyer or the supply ship.

The Wall Street Journal broke the story on Wednesday, February 11. The USS Truxtun, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, and the USNS Supply collided in the Caribbean near South America during the resupply operation earlier in the day. Few additional details were released, other than both vessels remained seaworthy and were reported sailing safely.

Replenishment-at-sea, when fuel and other vital supplies such as food or equipment are transferred between ships, is one of the most challenging operations for the Navy as the vessels attempt to sail alongside, matching speed and course. It is unclear at what point during the operation the two vessels collided or what the weather conditions were at the time.

USS Truxtun, commissioned in 2009, is a 9,200-ton displacement warship. It is 580 feet (160 meters) in length with a normal complement of up to 380. Reports are that the vessel had recently deployed on February 3 from Naval Station Norfolk. It was deployed to the Caribbean as part of the ongoing operation off Venezuela and the South American coast.

The USNS Supply is reported to have been operating this winter, supporting the Caribbean deployment. It is a 48,800-ton displacement vessel commissioned in 1994 and operated by the U.S. Military Sealift Command. It is 755 feet (230 meters) in length.

It is believed that the U.S. Navy has at least a dozen ships currently deployed in the Caribbean, including the USS Gerald F. Ford carrier group. SOUTHCOM provided no additional details on yesterday’s incident other than to say it would be fully investigated.