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THE US Navy submarine and a Navy amphibious ship that collided in the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran are back in Bahrain to be assessed for damage.
The submarine USS Hartford and amphibious ship USS New Orleans arrived at the weekend in Mina Salman 'to further assess and evaluate the damage that resulted from their collision at sea', the service said in a written statement.
Fifteen sailors were slightly hurt aboard the Hartford in the collision, which occurred early last Friday morning. Navy officials in Washington said that there was significant damage to the sail, or tower-like structure on the topside of the submarine and later said there was no damage to the submarine's propulsion unit.
No injuries were reported aboard the New Orleans. The ship's fuel tank ruptured, spilling 25,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Aerial searches of the area where the fuel spill occurred were conducted and revealed no indication of any remaining fuel on the ocean's surface," the Navy said. "The quick dissipation of the fuel is likely due to the type of fuel, and various environmental factors to include air and water temperatures, winds and seas."
When the collision occurred, both vessels were headed to ports in the Gulf to stock up on provisions and allow for some recreation, Navy spokesman Lt Nate Christensen said.
He added that there were about 200 sailors in the sub and 1,000 sailors and marines aboard the ship.
The Strait of Hormuz is located between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, linking the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf.
It is heavily used by oil tankers.
Both vessels are on regularly scheduled deployments to the US Navy Central Command area of responsibility, and conduct maritime security operations.
