US Navy resupply ship damaged during Middle East operation, official says

(CNN) – A US Navy supply ship damaged while operating in the Middle East is under investigation, a Navy official said.

USNS Big Horn was damaged as the ship refueled and refueled naval vessels operating in the area, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers. The navy official did not say where the incident took place or what kind of damage the refueling tanker sustained.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has been operating in and around the Gulf of Oman in an attempt to send a message of deterrence to Iran.

USNS Big Horn is now being towed to a nearby port so that the damage can be further examined and repaired, the official said.

“It is too early to speculate on the details or cause of the damage,” the official said. All crew members on board are safe and the US Fifth Fleet, which controls naval operations in the Middle East, is assessing the situation, the official added.

Replenishment ships such as the USNS Big Horn provide fuel to Navy ships during deployments. The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and does not require refueling, but the other ships in the strike group and the aircraft aboard Lincoln require fossil fuels to operate during long overseas deployments.

Navy officials said the USNS Big Horn was the only ship operating in the area. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier will currently refuel and resupply in port rather than at sea.