Top US Navy admiral orders fleetwide investigation following latest collision

Damage to the portside is visible as the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain steers towards Changi Naval Base in Singapore. Photo / US Navy

The US Navy's top admiral ordered a fleetwide review of seamanship and training in the Pacific after the service's fourth major accident at sea this year, a collision of the USS John S. McCain off Singapore that left 10 sailors missing.

The accident, which occurred east of the Strait of Malacca with an oil tanker three times the size of the guided-missile destroyer, could be the US Navy's second deadly ship collision in about two months. On June 17, the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided off the coast of Japan with a much heavier container ship, drowning seven sailors after a berthing compartment inside the ship flooded in less than a minute.

In addition, the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing vessel on May 9 off the Korean Peninsula and the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground January 31 in Tokyo Bay, near its home port of Yokosuka, Japan.

Navy Admiral John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, told reporters today that he was "devastated and heartbroken" by the disaster. The ship is now moored at Changi naval base in Singapore, with the amphibious assault ship USS America arriving to provide support and assistance to the McCain's crew.

Richardson said the series of accidents in the Pacific "demands more-forceful action," adding that there is "great cause for concern that there is something we are not getting at." He ordered Navy fleets across the world to take a day or two within the next week to review their procedures and training to make sure they are operating safely.

More significantly, Richardson ordered a separate investigation into how the Navy prepares its forces to operate in the Pacific.

"This will include, but not be limited to, looking at operational tempo, trends in personnel, materiel, maintenance and equipment," Richardson said. "It also will include a review of how we train and certify our surface warfare community, including tactical and navigational proficiency."

Richardson said he wanted a broad and diverse team reviewing operations as part of the investigation, with the US Navy inspector general's office, the Navy Safety Centre and outside experts all assisting. The probe will be led by Admiral Philip Davidson, who leads Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia.

"This review will be on a very tight timeline," Richardson said. "I want to get frequent updates. This requires urgent action. We need to get to it and take corrective action." He added that he wants it concluded "in the few-months time frame."

Richardson said the investigation of the collision will review all possibilities, including some that are seen as less likely by experts, such as an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. He also said there is "no indication" that anyone aboard either crew deliberately caused the collision.

Richardson's comments came as the Navy continued a search for the missing sailors that included searches of the route the McCain had taken and an effort to explore flooded areas of the ship.

Photos of the disabled ship arriving in port showed a large hole on its left, or port, side at the waterline. More than 18 hours after the collision, the navy had not disclosed any progress on the hunt for the missing sailors, but a search of flooded areas of the ship was expected to commence again after daybreak in Singapore.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority said that the tanker, which was carrying 12,000 tons of fuel oil, suffered damage 6m above the waterline but that none of its contents had leaked.