US warship suffers large hole after colliding with oil tanker off Singapore

USS John S McCain suffered a hole in its port stern, just below the torpedo tube cluster, after colliding with the tanker Alnic MC.

Damage on the port side of the US destroyer.

The US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Alnic MC early this morning off the coast of Singapore, near the Strait of Malacca, injuring five sailors and leaving 10 missing, BBC reported.

According to initial reports, the John S. McCain suffered damage to its port stern. Photos from the scene showed a large hole in the hull at sea level, just below the Mk 32 torpedo tube cluster and Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher. The hole was large enough to clearly see the equipment inside the ship’s hold. Part of the deck railing was also broken after the collision.

Despite the continuous operation of the drainage pump, the USSJohn S. McCain appears to be in no danger of sinking, nor is its superstructure, which houses the most important systems in the Aegis combat system, damaged. The US warship has a displacement of 8,900 tons, while the tankerAlnic MC has a capacity of up to 30,000 tons.

The collision occurred just two months after the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine cargo ship in the Sea of ​​Japan, killing seven sailors. Two consecutive accidents in a short period of time involving the most modern destroyers of the US Navy raised serious questions about the safety of this country's military ships operating on busy international shipping routes, and raised doubts about the combat and operational capabilities of warships equipped with advanced technology and radar.

Hole in the hull of the USS John S. McCain. Photo: Reuters.

No one has yet been able to give a definitive answer as to why such advanced warships with such powerful sensors could be hit by giant oil tankers. Investigations by the US Navy and related agencies could take months before a final conclusion is made. However, the leading cause is identified by experts as human error.

According to VNE