US Navy ship collides with oil tanker in Gulf

[gambit]

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On a civilian ship there are only one or two people on navigation bridge...On a Navy ship there is a hoard of "Trained professionals" keeping the navigational watch...
Combine that with "Le american technology borrowed from Optimus prime" and they could keep their ship safe..

This is no ordinary civilian ship. You speak as if all waterborne vessels, from a dinghy to an aircraft carrier, are alike on the water.

An oil tanker is usually on a fixed course and its headings are designed to deviate little for cost consideration. That does not mean it cannot maneuver. In fact...

Oil Tankers - MarineWiki

Good maneuvering characteristics are critical for all oil tankers. Most tankers are directionally unstable. In other words the center of lateral resistance in pure sway is forward of the center of rotation in yaw and they need active rudder movements to maintain their heading.This is a consequence of their relatively low length/beam ratios and high block coefficients. The twin skeg arrangements will improve course keeping as will a large rudder or any other fin at the aft end. Turning ability is the converse of course keeping and a poor course keeper will be a good turner. The tactical diameter of most tanker hulls is between 2.5 and 3.5 times their length comfortably within the IMO criterion of 5 times length. Dynamic positioning systems are standard for shuttle tankers which are often required to maintain station for extended periods of time.

This is not the same as agility. But it does mean that despite its mass, an oil tanker is fully capable of maneuvers, especially for collision avoidance.

Whenever there is such a collision at sea, details matter on the manner of collision because it tells the investigators who is truly at fault. Ships require a lot of room to maneuver and just like any moving objects, once in motion, it is difficult to impose deviations.

- Were there any other traffic in the area that compelled both ships to maneuver to avoid other potential collisions but unfortunately ended up in this one?

- Was it a broadside collision, or were their bows scraped together? If the latter, that could mean both ships were heading in the same direction and this would lead the investigation into how they mis-navigate.

- Was the weather a contributing factor?

Questions like these are often discarded when there is an overwhelming need to mock the US. This is to be expected.

[Era_923]

Sure it wasn't an iranian suicide tanker ?

With the stupid staff driving the destroyer,there isn't any need for an external attack

Its a Japanese made tanker, hence a stealth tanker. Japanese far ahead of us. And it wouldn't surprise me if the sailor was texting while sailing.

Since when a 350m stealth oil tanker can hide itself even from bare eyes?We should assume that no one has been on board of destroyer which is almost impossible.

[Wright]

When you have so many ships sailing the seas your probability of error increases, more things can go wrong because more things are happening. The only way we can really compare whether any other navy is "better at driving ships" is for them to have the same amount of navy vessels carrying out the same number and type of missions.

[Dreamreaper]

International collision avoidance rules at sea...state..

"15. Crossing situations
When two power-driven vessels are crossing, the vessel which has the other on the starboard side must give way and avoid crossing ahead of her. The saying is "If to starboard red appear, 'tis your duty to keep clear"

The oil tanker was the "stand on" vessel,and the US navy ship was the "give way" vessel.."

As evident by the pictures..The oil tanker collided on the starboard (green) side of navy ship...

May be their trainers forgot to teach them basic seamanship

[westtowel]

Get a life OP

[Thorough Pro]

Don't take such a simple view of this situation. We all know very well that US Navel personel are neither incompetent nor unaware of the sea navigation rules.

Because the incident happened in the strait of hormuz, I suspect that Americans must have confused that tanker with an Iranian tanker and purposely bumped in to it to blame it on Iran and get an excuse to beat the drums of war on Iran even louder.

and we all know where does cleve crow (SIANA KUWWA) ends up.

and here we go, invasion by indian slrp! troll squad in defence of their leash masters.

Get a life OP

[Dreamreaper]

Get a life OP

these formations are for wide open seas such as mid pacific..
not for closed water full of civilian ships...such as straits of Hormuz...

[Juice]

The tanker was probably going slow...not like that super-fast sandbar that ambushed the Chinese ship in the spratlys.

[Mercenary]

Ship collisions are pretty common.

If you guys think that this shows US Naval Weakness, then please start a Naval War with USA and we will see what happens next.

[Oscar]

I thought those Arliegh Burke's were fairly manouverable

4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines each generating 27,000 shp (20,000 kW);
coupled to two shafts, each driving a five-bladed reversible controllable pitch propeller;

Was it possible though.. that the Tanker was suspected of something and in the process of trying to get a closer look(the USS porter is a flight-II boat and cannot embark and aircraft for too long) the tanker drifted and the porter was not able to turn away in time.
its still a ship.. not a ferrari.

[Twain]

well whoever is at fault won't be known for a while, but it is safe to say that at least one captain's career is over. If a USN captain brings his ship home with a hole in it, it better be because 1. they were fired upon 2. something totally beyond their control caused it. Neither the USN or ship owners appreciate holes in their billion dollar ships.

[Dreamreaper]

A big fat insurance bill coming towards US navy.....as they failed to give way to a stand on vessel...
Or it looks like ... looking at the pictures..

Normally such a large navy ship does not go close to an oil tanker as they are prone to fire hazard being loaded with a highly combustible material...They send soldiers on boats

I thought those Arliegh Burke's were fairly manouverable



Was it possible though.. that the Tanker was suspected of something and in the process of trying to get a closer look(the USS porter is a flight-II boat and cannot embark and aircraft for too long) the tanker drifted and the porter was not able to turn away in time.
its still a ship.. not a ferrari.

Or a simple disregard of maritime rules of the road...
Can happen if one is feeling all powerful sat on a US Navy Missile ship which can destroy a country...
There have been similar incidents where American Forces deployed abroad don't abide by local laws out of their zeal...
This is a real possibility here...
we all remember this incident...dont we?

Anger After U.S. Sub Sinks Japanese Boat - ABC News

[bouncing betty]

I dive the wrecks off the coast of New Jersey and Long Island and you'd be surprised at how many of those wrecks are on the bottom because of collision. Even in these days.

[Oscar]

This is a real possibility here...
we all remember this incident...dont we?

Anger After U.S. Sub Sinks Japanese Boat - ABC News

that was a sub surfacing in a ballast blow.. thats like running out from behind a curtain.. You dont know what is up top.
I doubt this was a power trip.. this isnt the roman times where you would have the captian shout: "Ramming Speed".

[Wright]

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Get a life OP

Wow. Looks like the modern version of Spanish Armarda.