Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyra Watson/US Navy
The USS John S. McCain achieved a major milestone Tuesday as it left dry dock 15 months after a fatal collision.
- The USS John S. McCain left dry dock Tuesday, a major milestone as its crew continues making repairs following a fatal collision at sea.
- In August 2017, the McCain collided with an oil tanker in the Strait of Malacca, which took the lives of 10 McCain crewmembers.
- While in dry dock, the ship saw repairs to its hull and berthing compartment and received a new thrust shaft.
- Now, the ship's crew will continue making repairs while the ship is moored to a pier in its homeport in Yokosuka, Japan.
The US Navy announced that 15 months after its tragic collision at sea, the USS John S. McCain achieved a major repair milestone as it left dry dock Tuesday
The ship is now moored to a pier in its homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. There, the ship's crew will continue making repairs, according to Cmdr. Micah Murphy, the ship's commanding officer.
"I'm proud of and thankful for every person who has worked together to move USS John S. McCain another step closer to both normalcy and sailing again with U.S. 7th Fleet," said Murphy.
The guided missile destroyer collided with an oil tanker in August 2017, resulting in the deaths of 10 sailors.
Read more: Deadly USS McCain crash not caused by cyberattack, just confused sailors
While at dry dock, the USS McCain saw repairs made to its hull and berthing compartment that were damaged in the collision, the Navy said. The destroyer also received a new thrust shaft, one of the two rotating shafts that turns the ship's propellors.
The US Navy press release did not say how much the repairs have cost to date.
A time-lapse video shows the ship leaving dry dock.