The commanders of two US Navy ships involved in collisions that left 17 sailors dead face charges including negligent homicide and dereliction of duty, the Navy said on Tuesday.

The USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker in August 2017, killing 10 sailors, while the USS Fitzgerald smashed into a cargo ship in June, leaving seven dead.

"Courts-martial proceedings/Article 32 hearings are being convened to review evidence supporting possible criminal charges against Fitzgerald members," as well as the commander of the John S. McCain, the Navy said in a statement.

The commanding officer, two lieutenants and a lieutenant junior grade from the Fitzgerald and the commander of the John S. McCain face charges including "dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel, and negligent homicide," the Navy said.

The deadly collisions highlighted leadership failures and the stresses of frequent deployments across the Pacific region, but also shined a spotlight on sailors not paying proper attention in busy shipping lanes.

"Both of these accidents were preventable and the respective investigations found multiple failures by watch standers that contributed to the incidents," Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said in a report on the collisions.

Tweet

Duterte denies aide intervened in Philippines warship deal
Manila (AFP) Jan 16, 2018
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday denied reports his chief aide had improperly intervened in the acquisition of two new warships for $308 million, just weeks after the country's navy chief was sacked for jeopardising the deal. The fiery-tongued Duterte, who has long insisted he would fire any official at the slightest "whiff" of corruption, challenged the media to produce evide ... read more

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only