US Navy replenishment ship in Mideast was damaged in an incident, officials say

By AP 24 September 2024, 4:27 pm

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This handout photo from the US Navy shows the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn sailing alongside the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 11, 2024, at an undisclosed location at sea in the Middle East. The Big Horn sustained damage in an incident which is under investigation, officials said Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (US Navy via AP)

A US Navy replenishment ship operating in the Middle East sustained damage in an incident which is under investigation, officials say.

The damage to the USNS Big Horn comes after the oiler supplied the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and remained in the region.

A US Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters yet to be made public, says the damage happened in the Mideast, but declined to elaborate on its location. A photo released by the US military dated Sept. 5 showed sailors aboard the Lincoln receiving supplies from the Big Horn. The Lincoln is patrolling the Arabian Sea.

The official said the Big Horn’s crew was safe and there was no sign of an oil leak from the vessel.

Another US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, says the vessel was being supported by private tugboats and an assessment was still ongoing.

Rumors about the Big Horn’s condition began circulating early today after images posted to a website tracking shipping called gCaptain showed flooding purportedly on board the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler. The website said the Big Horn as having “ran aground… and partially flooded off the coast of Oman.”