Two US Navy Ships Collide in Waters off South America - Newsweek
A U.S. warship and a Navy supply vessel collided during refueling, injuring two people on Wednesday, U.S. Southern Command told Newsweek.Wednesday's collision was in the Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean and some of the South Atlantic and South Pacific. No exact location was given for the incident but The Wall Street Journalreported that it took place off South America.
Steven McLoud, spokesperson for Southern Command said in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG103) and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) collided during a replenishment-at-sea.
Replenishments take place when supplies and fuel are transferred between two ships sailing side-by-side. Ships like the Supply are owned by the Navy but usually operated by civilian mariners.
USS Truxtun is seen during the naval exercise AMAN-23 in the Arabian Sea on Febr... | Photo by ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images.
"Two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition" the statement said. "Both ships have reported sailing safely. The incident is currently under investigation."
Collisions of U.S. Navy warships are relatively rare but can be fatal. On June 17, 2017, the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with MV ACXCrystal, a Philippine-flagged container ship, near Japan, killing seven sailors.
In August the same year, Liberian-flagged tanker Alnic MC struck the destroyer USS John S. McCain in the Strait of Malacca near Singapore, ripping a hole in the hull and drowning 10 sailors.
On February 12, 2025, near Port Said, Egypt the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided with a merchant vessel, although there were no fatalities.
The U.S. Navy had said this month that USS Truxtun had departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on February 3 for an independent deployment. The Supply has been operating in the Caribbean.
U.S. Southern Command has 12 warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Fordand its strike group.
Defense news outlet Army Recognition said the deployment of USS Truxton followed a rapid turnaround of only three months since its previous mission and comes amid sustained naval pressure across the Caribbean and Middle East.
U.S. Navy officials have not disclosed Truxtun's location for reasons of operational security but its deployment comes amid a broader concentration of surface combatants supporting U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Central Command, Army Recognition said.
These missions range from maritime security and counter-narcotics patrols in the Caribbean to deterrence in the Middle East, as President Donald Trump continues to warn of American intervention in Iran as he seeks a deal over its nuclear program and missiles.
