Key Points and Summary – The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman continues to operate with visible hull damage eight months after a February 2025 collision with a cargo ship near the Suez Canal.
-The incident, which led to the captain being relieved of command, will not be fully repaired until the ship’s scheduled Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) next year.
250923-N-FY193-1405 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 23, 2025) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) conducts carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean. Truman is currently underway carrying out routine operations that support the Navy’s commitment to readiness, innovation, and future fleet lethality. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mike Shen)
-Following the collision, the Truman suffered further reputational blows, losing two F/A-18s in separate incidents.
-In a striking visual, the damaged warship was recently put on display for the Navy’s 250th birthday, with the damaged area painted over and partially concealed by a banner.
Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Damage Report Update
Three decades prior to becoming the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman was a U.S. Army artillery officer in World War I, thus making him the only president to see combat action during the Great War.
The friendly interservice rivalry between the Army and the Navy notwithstanding, the latter service named an aircraft carrier in President Truman’s honor—just as it did for former Army officers turned Presidents George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower. (You could add Abraham Lincoln to that list, if you count his service as an Illinois Militia captain during the Black Hawk War.)
True to the fighting spirit of her namesake, the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and her crew have provided valiant service to the nation.
Unfortunately, the ship suffered an embarrassing and unfortunate collision earlier this year and will need some repairs.
USS Harry S. Truman Damage Backstory
At 11:46 p.m. on Feb. 12, while transiting near Port Said, Egypt, at the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Truman collided with the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier M/V Besiktas-M.
The bulk of visible damage affected the starboard side aft of elevator 3, damaging the underside of a sponson with one of the carrier’s .50-caliber machine guns.
External damage was also assessed at the line handling space, the fantail, and the platform above one of the storage spaces. Further damage afflicted the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space.
Fortunately, there were no deaths, injuries, or reports of flooding. However, her skipper, Capt. Dave Snowden, was relieved of command eight days later.
On Feb. 16, the Truman entered Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Greece for an Emergent Repair Availability assessment. During the next three months, she still carried out airstrikes against Houthis in Yemen. Alas, in the process, the ship suffered additional reputational blows by losing two of her F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
One of the jets fell overboard while the warship was executing a hard turn to avoid a Houthi missile strike; the other warbird was lost when arresting gear failed to catch the plane during landing.
Where Is the Aircraft Carrier Now? Damage Report/Repair Update
Progress on the repair work looks less than stellar.
According to Howard Altman of The War Zone, “‘The exterior cosmetic damage to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) sustained from the collision will get repaired during the ship’s upcoming Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding as planned,’ a Navy official said. ‘Immediately following the collision, while in Souda Bay, Greece, new bulkheads were installed inside each of the damaged spaces to establish weathertight integrity.’”
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman conducts high-speed turns during a rudder check. Truman is conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean.
The RCOH procedure is expected in the next twelve months, with the exact date yet to be announced.
The vessel was put on display in front of thousands (including U.S. President Donald Trump) in Norfolk, Virginia this past Monday as part of the Navy’s 250th birthday celebration. The ship’s damage was painted over and partially hidden from view by a huge Navy banner.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) Initial History in Brief
CVN-75 is the eighth ship out of 10 in the Nimitz-class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
As noted by the vessel’s official website, “Newport News Shipbuilding laid the keel for the $4.5 billion warship on Nov. 29, 1993. The ship’s sponsor, the late President’s daughter Margaret Truman Daniel, christened the ship on Sept. 7, 1996, and the ship was launched on Sept. 13, 1996.
“On July 25, 1998, President Bill Clinton commissioned the ship during a ceremony attended by an estimated 20,000 people at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.”
The Truman has collected an impressive list of accomplishments, such as:
-Setting a record in 2002 for most arrested landings in a single day, at 335.
-Deploying with Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3), which launched the first combat missions of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2003. Over the next 30 days, CVW-3 aircraft dropped more than 1.4 million pounds of ordnance on targets in Northern Iraq in direct support of U.S. ground forces.
-Deploying with CVW-7 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve to defeat the Islamic State. CVW-7 flew 2,054 combat missions that expended more than 1.3 million pounds of ordnance on ISIS targets.
-Launching the largest maritime strike in Navy aviation history in terms of bomb tonnage on Feb. 1, 2025. The strike targeted Islamic State operatives in Somalia.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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