Two U.S. Navy personnel suffered minor injuries after the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the fast combat support ship USNS Supply collided in the Caribbean during an at-sea replenishment operation, U.S. military officials said.
A spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command said the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Truxtun (DDG 103) and the Supply-class vessel Supply (T-AOE 6) collided on Wednesday afternoon while conducting a replenishment-at-sea, a maneuver in which ships transfer fuel and supplies while underway.
The spokesperson said two personnel reported minor injuries and were in stable condition. Both ships were reported to be sailing safely following the incident.
Navy ship collision occurred during ship-to-ship refueling
The collision happened during an operation that requires ships to travel side-by-side at close distance while moving, raising the risk of contact if timing, speed, or positioning changes unexpectedly.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation, Southern Command said.
Ships were operating under U.S. Southern Command
The incident occurred within U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility, according to officials.
The Truxtun recently deployed from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, while the Supply was operating in the region, according to published reports.
Part of a larger U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean
The ships involved have been operating amid an expanded U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean tied to the Trump administration’s stated efforts to counter drug trafficking in the region, according to reporting.
Officials have not released further details about damage to either ship, and the Navy has not publicly identified the injured personnel.