US Navy replenishment ship sustains damage while operating in Middle East, official says

By Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — A US Navy replenishment ship sustained damage while operating in the Middle East in an incident that remains under investigation, according to a Navy official.

The USNS Big Horn was damaged after the ship refueled and replenished Navy vessels operating in the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers. The Navy official would not say where the incident occurred or what type of damage the replenishment oiler sustained.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been operating in and around the Gulf of Oman in an effort to send a message of deterrence to Iran.

The USNS Big Horn is now being towed to a nearby port so the damage can be investigated further and repairs can be carried out, the official said.

“It is too early to speculate on the specifics or cause of the damage,” said the official. All crew members on board the ship are safe, and US 5th Fleet, which controls Navy operations in the Middle East, is assessing the situation, the official added.

Replenishment oilers like the USNS Big Horn provide fuel to Navy vessels during deployments. The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and does not need refueling, but the other ships in the strike group and the aircraft on board the Lincoln require fossil fuels to operate for long deployments abroad.

The USNS Big Horn was the only vessel of its type operating in the region, the Navy officials said. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group will likely refuel and resupply at port instead of at sea for the time being.

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