Bulk carrier collides with American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Egypt

The United States Navy announced on Thursday that an investigation was underway after the nuclear-powered USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier was involved in a collision with a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier in the Mediterranean Sea.

The accident happened late on Wednesday night near Egypt’s Port Said.

“The collision did not endanger the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) as there are no reports of flooding or injuries,” the US Sixth Fleet Public Affairs noted. “The propulsion plants are unaffected and in a safe and stable condition.”

However, the 2003-built supramax Besiktas-M, owned by Turkey’s Iskenderun and managed by Singapore’s Synergy, suffered damage to its bow, as evidenced by images circulating on social media (see below). The bulk carrier had just exited the Suez Canal when the accident happened.

The aircraft carrier has been used as one of the naval assets patrolling the Red Sea over the past year as the Houthis from Yemen targeted merchant shipping.