U.S. Navy ship collides with oil tanker in Gulf
The U.S. Navy says one of its guided-missile destroyers collided with an oil tanker early Aug. 12 but that no one was injured in the accident.
The collision involving the USS Porter and the Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan occurred at approximately 1 a.m. local time, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
The damage to the Porter is being evaluated and the incident is under investigation, the Navy added.
The Norfolk, Va.-based USS Porter is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.
The Strait of Hormuz, located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, is where one-fifth of the world’s oil is routed. Tensions have risen there over Iran’s threats to block tanker traffic in retaliation for tighter sanctions by the West. AP
Sub commander accused of faking own death
A submarine commander who was relieved of his duties last week reportedly tried to fake his own death to end an extramarital affair.
The Day of New London reports Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II is accused by a 23-year-old Chesapeake, Va., woman of getting her pregnant, then sending her an email in July that indicated he had died.
The 43-year-old Ward was relieved as commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh July 10 based on “allegations of personal misconduct.”
Ward and the Navy declined to comment on the report, which was based on an interview with the woman, as well as copies of emails and text messages she provided the newspaper.
The Navy says it will not release details of its investigation until it is complete. AP
Army steps closer to destroying Colorado chem weapons
The Army says using explosives to destroy leaking chemical weapons at a Colorado storage site would cause no significant environmental impacts.
The finding was released Aug. 13. It brings the Army one step closer to destroying an estimated 780,000 shells containing 2,600 tons of mustard agent stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot outside Pueblo, Colo.
The U.S. is destroying all its chemical weapons under an international treaty. A plant under construction at the Pueblo facility would use robotic technology to dismantle the shells and then chemically neutralize the mustard agent.
The explosives technology would be used for shells that are leaking. It would also be used to destroy explosive components of the dismantled shells
The Army said this year it could take until 2019 to complete the effort. AP
