USS John S. McCain Leaves Philippines Aboard Heavy Lift Ship After Month-Long Detour

SUBIC BAY, Philippines (Nov. 28, 2017) The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) departs Subic Bay, Philippines aboard heavy lift transport vessel MV Treasure, Nov. 28. U.S. Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer John S. McCain (DDG 56) departed Subic Bay, Philippines aboard the heavy lift vessel MV Treasure on Tuesday to continue its voyage to Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Japan.

The USS John S. McCain was diverted to Subic Bay on October 22 amid poor weather conditions and to repair new cracks in the ship’s hull discovered after the ship departed Singapore aboard MV Treasure.

While at anchor in Subic Bay, technicians inspected the cracks and determined the ship needed additional blocks under it to support and distribute its weight on the heavy lift vessel.

Upon arrival in Yokusuka, John S. McCain will be repaired at Ship Repair Facility-Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) before returning to service in U.S. Seventh Fleet.

“SRF is making preparations to begin remediation and repair efforts immediately once the ship is dockside,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sandra Wyman assigned to SRF-JRMC. “The project will be one of the largest SRF has undertaken.”

Elsewhere in the Seventh Fleet, the USS Fitzgerald, which was damaged in a major collision with the containership off Japan in June, had to return to Fleet Activities Yokosuka after it too sustained new damage during its loading on a similar heavy lift ship. 

John S. McCain was severely damaged in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on August 21.

Following the collision, the ship moored at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base where crew members, technicians and divers prepared the ship for the lift by patching damaged sections of the hull and placing systems in layup maintenance.

The Navy released findings from its investigation of the collision as part of the Comprehensive Review of Surface Force Incidents, published on November 2.

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