Two U.S. Navy Ships Collide During At-Sea Replenishment in Caribbean
USS Truxtun and USNS Supply collided during a replenishment-at-sea on Feb. 11, 2026, leaving two sailors with minor injuries, officials said.
Overview
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) collided during a replenishment-at-sea in the Caribbean on Feb. 11, 2026, and two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition, U.S. Southern Command said.
The collision occurred while the destroyer was taking on supplies alongside the supply ship as part of a 12-ship U.S. naval presence assembled to counter narcotics, and the Truxtun had departed Naval Station Norfolk on Feb. 6, 2026, a Navy official said.
Col. Emmanuel Ortiz, a U.S. Southern Command spokesman, said both ships were sailing safely after the incident and that the collision is under investigation, while a separate U.S. official said a damage assessment will determine whether either ship returns to port.
The Navy’s recent string of accidents included a Feb. 12, 2025, collision involving the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and a merchant vessel, and investigators will examine whether procedural, training or equipment failures contributed to the Truxtun-Supply mishap, records show.
Naval investigators will complete damage and operational assessments in the coming days to decide impacts on deployments and whether the ships require repairs or crew changes, officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the collision as symptomatic of a risky, administration-driven naval buildup by emphasizing context — terms like “massive military buildup” and “largest…in generations” — and foregrounding recent Navy mishaps. Editorial choices link operational strain to policy, prioritizing systemic context over treating the incident as an isolated technical accident.
Sources (9)
FAQ
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) collided during replenishment-at-sea.
Two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition following the collision.
Both ships have reported sailing safely, and the collision is under investigation with a damage assessment ongoing.
USS Truxtun departed Naval Station Norfolk on February 6, 2026, as part of a 12-ship U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean to counter narcotics trafficking in Operation Southern Spear.
Yes, on February 12, 2025, the USS Harry S. Truman collided with a merchant vessel, attributed to high speed and inadequate navigational response.
History
4 sources