The US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Harry S. Truman, was involved in a collision with a Panamanian-flagged merchant vessel, Besiktas-M, near the Suez Canal. The Navy has confirmed the incident, though the exact cause of the collision remains unclear.
According to a Navy spokesperson, the collision did not result in flooding aboard the Truman, and its nuclear propulsion systems were unaffected. No injuries were reported on either vessel. However, the Besiktas-M, a 617-foot bulk carrier, sustained some damage. The Navy has launched an investigation into the incident.
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The collision occurred in a heavily trafficked part of the Mediterranean Sea, near Port Said in Egypt. The Besiktas-M had recently exited the Suez Canal en route to Romania, while the Truman, a 1,100-foot-long Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, was headed toward the canal. The area was reported to be crowded with approximately 100 ships at the time.
Maritime experts, including Sal Mercogliano and former US Navy Captain Carl Schuster, have highlighted the complexities of navigating such a congested area. Both vessels would have required significant space to stop, and even a minor navigation error could have led to the collision.
The USS Harry S. Truman had recently completed combat operations in the Central Command region, including missions targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen and ISIS forces in Somalia. Before the incident, the carrier had docked in Souda Bay, Greece, for a working port visit.
Collisions involving US aircraft carriers and commercial vessels are rare, but the proximity to the Suez Canal increases the risk. This incident is the first of its kind involving a US carrier since 2004 when the USS John F. Kennedy collided with a dhow in the Persian Gulf.
