US 7th Fleet Commander Fired After Ship Collision Incident

Days after a collision between a US destroyer and a cargo ship, the US Navy announced the dismissal of the commander of the 7th Fleet of the Pacific Fleet.

US destroyer USS John S. McCain was severely damaged after the collision - Photo: Reuters

According to Reuters news agency, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, was fired on August 23 after a series of collisions with US warships in Asia.

The collision between the US destroyer USS John S. McCain and the cargo ship Alnic MC in the Strait of Malacca early on August 21 was the fourth major incident to occur in the US Pacific Fleet this year.

The US Navy press release stated that Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, personally went to Japan to announce the dismissal of the commander of the 7th Fleet, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, because he no longer had confidence in Mr. Aucoin's command ability.

Along with firing Mr. Aucoin, Mr. Swift also ordered the deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet, Mr. Phil Sawyer, to immediately take over management in Mr. Aucoin's position.

The US Navy's 7th Fleet is headquartered in Japan. It manages 70 ships, including US Navy aircraft carriers, and about 140 aircraft and 20,000 sailors.

The fleet also operates over an area of ​​about 124 million square kilometers with bases in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

According to tuoitre.vn