U.S. Navy: Japanese Tug Loses Propulsion, Collides with Destroyer

FILE PHOTO: People tour the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) at Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka’s annual Friendship Day celebration, Aug. 5, 2017. U.S. Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) – A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, USS Benfold,, sustained slight damage when a Japanese tug drifted into it during a towing exercise off central Japan on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said.

“No one was injured on either vessel and Benfold sustained minimal damage, including scrapes on its side, pending a full damage assessment,” a statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet said.

“Benfold remains at sea under her own power. The Japanese commercial tug is being towed by another vessel to a port in Yokosuka. The incident will be investigated,” it said.

The incident was the latest mishap involving a U.S. warship in Asia.

The U.S. Navy announced a series of reforms this month aimed at restoring basic naval skills and alertness at sea after a review of deadly ship collisions in the Asia-Pacific region showed sailors were under-trained and over-worked.

Seventeen sailors have been killed this year in two collisions with commercial vessels involving guided-missile destroyers, the Fitzgerald in June off Japan and then the John S. McCain in August as it approached Singapore. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Andrew Bolton)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017.

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