The U.S. Navy has released the first photograph showing the damages sustained by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) following its collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M in the Mediterranean. The official disclosure aims to provide an operational status update of the carrier while also offering new details about the incident that occurred on February 12, though it was only reported by the U.S. Sixth Fleet yesterday.
As widely reported, on February 12 at 11:46 PM local time, the USS Harry S. Truman and the Besiktas-M collided in waters near the port of Said, Egypt. According to the U.S. Sixth Fleet, the damage caused by the collision was not severe and did not compromise the carrier’s propulsion systems. Additionally, no casualties or injuries were reported, as confirmed in the official statement issued on February 13.
In the aftermath, images shared by the crew of the Besiktas-M began circulating, revealing damage to the merchant vessel. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis highlighted that the mooring line spool was dislodged, and the coaming of the forward starboard hatch was damaged, as noted by maritime expert Sal Mercogliano on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
However, much of the interest from specialists focused on determining the extent of the damage suffered by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which was reportedly struck by the bow section of the Besiktas-M on its starboard side. This question was answered with the recent release of the first official photograph of the USS Harry S. Truman following the collision in the Mediterranean.
The caption accompanying the photograph states: “Exterior damage to the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) seen from a rigid-hulled inflatable boat following a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M on February 12 while operating near Port Said, Egypt. The USS Harry S. Truman, flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, supporting U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa to defend the interests of the United States, its allies, and partners.”
Regarding specific damage details, the collision appears to have impacted one of the observation platforms on the starboard side of the carrier, located just aft of an aircraft elevator used to transport planes and equipment to the flight deck. Through multiple statements, the U.S. Sixth Fleet has confirmed that the elevator itself remains undamaged, preventing any disruption to the carrier’s aircraft launch operations.
Additionally, an in-depth analysis suggests that the damage to the platform and the deck of the merchant vessel may indicate that, moments before the collision, the Besiktas-M‘s crew attempted to execute a sharp maneuver to avoid impact. However, all these assumptions remain under review by the official investigation board.
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