Several media outlets reported that the US Southern Command confirmed on Thursday (February 12th) that a US warship and a Navy supply ship collided on Wednesday (February 11th) afternoon during a refueling operation at sea, resulting in two minor injuries.
According to a statement from Colonel Emmanuel Ortiz, a spokesperson for the US Southern Command, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided while conducting a replenishment at sea. The Southern Command is responsible for Central and South America and the Caribbean region.
The statement did not specify the location of the accident.
Ortiz added that two personnel sustained minor injuries, and their condition is currently stable.
It is reported that an investigation into the incident is ongoing, and both vessels are safely navigating.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the incident, stating that the collision occurred near South America, with the cause of the accident still unclear.
The USS Truxtun departed its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia on February 6th to begin its scheduled deployment. The USNS Supply has been operating in the Caribbean region.
According to reports, the replenishment operation at sea between the USS Truxtun and USNS Supply involved the transfer of food, supplies, and fuel between two ships sailing side by side. The USNS Supply and similar ships are owned by the Navy but primarily operated by civilian mariners.
Based on publicly available Navy information, the USS Truxtun (DDG 103) has approximately 300 sailors and an additional 26 members from the embarked air wing, assigned to the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 “Warlords”. The USS Truxtun is part of the US Second Fleet, which was reestablished in 2018 to address the evolving global security environment.
The fleet is responsible for developing and deploying maritime rapid response forces, conducting operations in multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic to ensure open passages, deter aggression, and defend the interests of the United States, allies, and partner nations.