USS Truxtun Collides With USNS Supply During Replenishment at Sea in Caribbean

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun, homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, collided Thursday with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply during a replenishment-at-sea operation in the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command said.

Two personnel sustained minor injuries and are in stable condition, according to Southern Command. Both ships are sailing safely. The incident is under investigation.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the collision occurred during a refueling evolution in which USNS Supply was transferring fuel to the cruiser USS Gettysburg on one side while Truxtun approached from the opposite side, according to a U.S. official familiar with the incident who spoke on condition of anonymity because the mishap remains under investigation.

During replenishment-at-sea operations, vessels typically steam parallel at close distance while fuel and supplies are transferred via hoses and cables — a maneuver requiring precise navigation and coordination.

Truxtun recently deployed from Norfolk as part of the expanding U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean. The destroyer initially departed Feb. 3, returned briefly to port for what the Navy described as an “emergent equipment repair,” and ultimately departed again on Feb. 6.

The Navy’s most recent collision prior to Thursday’s incident occurred in February 2025 when the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman struck a merchant vessel near Port Said, Egypt, just outside the Suez Canal. That incident resulted in minor damage and no injuries. A subsequent investigation found the carrier had been operating at an unsafe speed and failed to take sufficient corrective action.

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