The U.S. Navy’s top officer has called for a one day operational pause, hours after the guided missile destroyer the USS John McCain collided with an oil tanker.
Meanwhile, the Navy and others continue their search for 10 missing U.S. sailors near Singapore in the South China Sea. An investigation is underway to find out why it happened.
This marks the second time a U.S. Naval destroyer crashed with another vessel in the Pacific in the past two months.
“This trend demands more forceful action, as such I’ve directed an operational pause be taken in all of our fleets around the world,” said Admiral John Richardson. “We want our fleet commanders to get together with their leaders and their commands to ensure we are taking all appropriate immediate actions to ensure safe and effective operations around the world.”
Sources tell CBN News, the pause is a one-day safety stand-down that would be done over the course of a couple weeks and at the discretion of individual commands.
Admiral Richardson has also ordered a “comprehensive review of all potential factors contributing to the series of incidents.”
He says, “I will examine the process on which we train and certify forces that are forward deployed in Japan to make sure we are doing everything we can to make them ready for operations and war fighting.”
In the latest incident, around 5:24 a.m. Singapore time, the Navy destroyer rammed into the 30,000 ton Alnic MC in a busy shipping lane in the South China Sea. The crew’s sleeping quarters among the compartments flooded.
Four sailors were airlifted to a Singapore hospital but it’s the 10 missing sailors that are the greatest concern.
With a crew of just over 300, the USS McCain bears the name of Senator John McCain’s father and grandfather.
Back in June, seven sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald died after the it collided with a much larger cargo ship. The Fitzgerald’s commanding officer and several others were relieved of their duty after an investigation found fault in the crew’s actions.
Navy top brass tell CBN News if it’s a training issue or something else, they will get it fixed. The problem could get worse as the Navy embarks on a plan to grow its fleet. President Donald Trump pledged to increase the Navy fleet from its current 274 ships to as many as 350 ships.
