10 sailors missing 5 injured collided with a merchant ship.
Should have more news by morning.
[h=2]Ten sailors are missing after USS John S. McCain collides with even bigger oil tanker: Destroyer crashes near Singapore - just two months after USS Fitzgerald crashed into Filipino cargo ship[/h]
Ten sailors are missing and five have been reported injured after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with an oil tanker east of Singapore on Monday, the Navy confirmed. The collision between the US guided-missile destroyer and merchant vessel Alnic MC was reported at 5.24am local time. The John McCain was underway east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, on its way to a routine port visit in Singapore. The ship sustained damage to its port side aft, or the left rear, although it is still unclear exactly how the collision happened. The 600ft Alnic MC is an oil and chemical tanker that sails under a Liberian flag, while the John S. McCain is 505ft long guided-missile destroyer. After the collision the navy ship sailed under its own power to port at Changi Naval Base. The crew reportedly fought flooding in two crew berthings and an area of the ship known as the 'shaft alley'. It is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan.
[h=1]Ten sailors missing after USS John S. McCain collides with even bigger oil tanker: Destroyer crashes near Singapore - just two months after USS Fitzgerald crashed into Filipino cargo ship[/h]
- Ten sailors are missing and five are injured after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with a 600-foot oil tanker on Monday morning
- The US guided-missile destroyer collided with merchant vessel Alnic MC at 5.24am east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca
- The Alnic MC, an oil tanker, is 600feet long and the John McCain is 505feet long
- After collision, the John McCain sailed under its own power and headed to port
- Crew reportedly fought flooding in two crew berthings and the 'shaft alley'
- John McCain sustained damage to port side aft, or the left rear, of the ship
- This is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months
- The USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan in June
Ten sailors are missing and five were injured after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with a 600-foot oil tanker on Monday morning, the Navy has said.
The collision between the US guided-missile destroyer and merchant vessel Alnic MC was reported at 5.24am local time.
The John McCain was underway east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, on its way to a routine port visit in Singapore after conducting a sensitive freedom of navigation operation last week by sailing near one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea.
Four of the injured sailors were medically evacuated. They were airlifted in a Singapore Navy helicopter to a hospital in Singapore with non-life threatening injuries.
The fifth sailor did not need further medical attention.
After the collision, the John McCain sailed under its own power and headed to port at Changi Naval Base.
+16
Ten sailors are missing and five were injured after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with a 600-foot oil tanker on Monday morning, the Navy said. A picture of the US guided-missile destroyer after the collision shows the ship riding low in the water with a hole in its side near its waterline (pictured)
The crew reportedly fought flooding in two crew berthings and an area of the ship known as the 'shaft alley' after the ship sustained damage to its port side aft, or the left rear.
The Singapore government said no crew were injured on the Liberian-flagged Alnic, which sustained damage to a compartment at the front of the ship some 23 feet above its waterline.
The Alnic MC is an oil and chemical tanker that is 600feet long and has a gross tonnage of 30,000.
That makes it more than three times larger than the McCain, which is 505feet long and only has a gross tonnage of 8,300.
A ship tracking website showed that the Alnic was 'ballasting', or not loaded full of oil for cargo.
A picture of the John McCain after the collision shows the ship riding low in the water with a hole in its side near its waterline.
The collision between the US guided-missile destroyer and merchant vessel Alnic MC was reported at 5.24am local time.
The John McCain was underway east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, on its way to a routine port visit in Singapore after conducting a sensitive freedom of navigation operation last week by sailing near one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea.
Four of the injured sailors were medically evacuated. They were airlifted in a Singapore Navy helicopter to a hospital in Singapore with non-life threatening injuries.
The fifth sailor did not need further medical attention.
After the collision, the John McCain sailed under its own power and headed to port at Changi Naval Base.
+16
Ten sailors are missing and five were injured after the USS John S McCain was involved in a collision with a 600-foot oil tanker on Monday morning, the Navy said. A picture of the US guided-missile destroyer after the collision shows the ship riding low in the water with a hole in its side near its waterline (pictured)
The crew reportedly fought flooding in two crew berthings and an area of the ship known as the 'shaft alley' after the ship sustained damage to its port side aft, or the left rear.
The Singapore government said no crew were injured on the Liberian-flagged Alnic, which sustained damage to a compartment at the front of the ship some 23 feet above its waterline.
The Alnic MC is an oil and chemical tanker that is 600feet long and has a gross tonnage of 30,000.
That makes it more than three times larger than the McCain, which is 505feet long and only has a gross tonnage of 8,300.
A ship tracking website showed that the Alnic was 'ballasting', or not loaded full of oil for cargo.
A picture of the John McCain after the collision shows the ship riding low in the water with a hole in its side near its waterline.
+16
The John McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC (pictured Monday). The Singapore government said no crew were injured on the Liberian-flagged Alnic, which sustained damage to a compartment at the front of the ship some 23 feet above its waterline
+16
This is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan
There was no immediate explanation for the collision and the Navy said an investigation would be conducted.
There was some speculation by people on Twitter that because the damage to the John McCain was at the rear of the ship, it wasn't at the fault of the US destroyer, but there have been no official details to confirm what caused the collision.
Singapore, a city-state at the southernmost tip of Malaysia, is one of the world's busiest ports and a US ally, with its naval base regularly visited by American warships.
Search and rescue crews from Singapore and Malaysia went to the area to help look for the missing sailors.
This is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months.
Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan.
The Fitzgerald's captain was relieved of command and other sailors would be punished after the Navy found poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to the collision, the Navy announced last week.
An investigation into how and why the Fitzgerald collided with the other ship was not finished, but enough details were known to take those actions, the Navy said.
+16
After the collision, the John McCain (pictured in the background to the right) sailed under its own power and headed to port at Changi Naval Base
+16
Four of the injured sailors were medically evacuated, the Navy said. They were airlifted in a Singapore Navy helicopter to a hospital in Singapore with non-life threatening injuries. The fifth sailor did not need further medical attention
+16
Search and rescue crews from Malaysia and Singapore are helped to look for the ten missing American sailors
+16
Malaysia's navy chief Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin tweeted that two Malaysian naval ships were deployed to help
+16
'Malaysian Navy, Airforce and Maritime vessels and aircrafts deployed for #USSJohnSMcCain SAR. Pse pray for their safety,' Badaruddin tweeted Monday
Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan.
The Fitzgerald's captain was relieved of command and other sailors would be punished after the Navy found poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to the collision, the Navy announced last week.
An investigation into how and why the Fitzgerald collided with the other ship was not finished, but enough details were known to take those actions, the Navy said.
+16
After the collision, the John McCain (pictured in the background to the right) sailed under its own power and headed to port at Changi Naval Base
+16
Four of the injured sailors were medically evacuated, the Navy said. They were airlifted in a Singapore Navy helicopter to a hospital in Singapore with non-life threatening injuries. The fifth sailor did not need further medical attention
+16
Search and rescue crews from Malaysia and Singapore are helped to look for the ten missing American sailors
+16
Malaysia's navy chief Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin tweeted that two Malaysian naval ships were deployed to help
+16
'Malaysian Navy, Airforce and Maritime vessels and aircrafts deployed for #USSJohnSMcCain SAR. Pse pray for their safety,' Badaruddin tweeted Monday
+16
Pictured is a map of the area where the collision happened posted to Twitter by Malaysia's navy chief
The Japan-based 7th Fleet said the McCain was heading to Singapore for a routine port visit.
The ship is based at the fleet's homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. It was commissioned in 1994 and has a crew of 23 officers, 24 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted sailors, according the Navy's website.
The US destroyer is named after John S McCain, Sr and John S McCain, Jr, who were both Admirals in the US Navy.
Republican Arizona senator John McCain, the grandson and son of the ship's namesakes tweeted about the incident.
He said: 'Cindy & I are keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight - appreciate the work of search & rescue crews'.
President Donald Trump also made a comment about the incident after he returned to Washington on Sunday night from his New Jersey golf club.
When reporters shouted questions to him about the McCain, he responded, 'That's too bad.'
About two hours later, Trump tweeted that 'thoughts and prayers' are with the McCain's sailors.
He wrote: 'Thoughts & prayers are w/ our @USNavy sailors aboard the #USSJohnSMcCain where search & rescue efforts are underway.'
[h=3]ALNIC MC[/h]Flag: Liberia
Built in 2008
Ship type: Chemical/Oil Tanker
Gross Tonnage: 30,040
Net Tonnage: 13,312
Deadweight: 50,760
Size: 600 feet long by 104 feet wide
Source: Vessel Finder
Built in 2008
Ship type: Chemical/Oil Tanker
Gross Tonnage: 30,040
Net Tonnage: 13,312
Deadweight: 50,760
Size: 600 feet long by 104 feet wide
Source: Vessel Finder
[h=3]USS JOHN S. MCCAIN[/h] Armaments:
Home port: Yokosuka, Japan
Commissioned in 1994
Specifications:
- One 29 cell and one 61 cell Mark 41 vertical launching systems - a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats
- 90 RIM-156 SM-2, BGM-109 Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-ASROC missiles
- Two Mark 141 Harpoon Missile Launcher SSM (surface-to-surface missile)
- One Mark 45 5/54 inch (127/54 mm) lightweight gun
- Two 25 mm chain guns
- Four .50 caliber (12.7 mm) guns
- Two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (an advanced radar-controlled gun system)
- Two Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes
Home port: Yokosuka, Japan
Commissioned in 1994
Specifications:
- 9,000 tons
- 505 feet long
- 66 feet wide
- Top speed: 30 knots
- Range: 4,400 nautical miles
- Crew:
- 23 officers
- 24 chief petty officers
- 291 enlisted sailors
- Propulsion: 4 General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, two shafts, 100,000 total shaft horsepower
+16
There was no immediate explanation for the collision and the Navy said an investigation would be conducted. The Japan-based 7th Fleet said the McCain (pictured in June) was heading to Singapore for a routine port visit
The Alnic MC (file photo) is an oil and chemical tanker that sails under the Liberain flag. It is 600feet long and has a gross tonnage of 30,000. The John McCain is 505feet long
+16
A map shows the location where the Alnic MC came to a halt after a collision with the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain east of Singapore
An early news release from the Navy said: 'Initial reports indicate John S. McCain sustained damage to her port side aft.
'Search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with local authorities.
'In addition to tug boats out of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant (97), RSN helicopters and Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark (55) are currently in the area to render assistance,' the release from the Navy said.
'MV-22s and SH-60s from USS America are also responding.'
Malaysia has sent two naval ships to join the search and rescue efforts.
Malaysia's navy chief Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin tweeted that two Malaysian naval ships were deployed to help look for the missing US sailors.
Badaruddin wrote: 'Malaysian Navy, Airforce and Maritime vessels and aircrafts deployed for #USSJohnSMcCain SAR. Pse pray for their safety'.
+16
The collision between the US guided-missile destroyer, the John McCain (pictured in 2013) and merchant vessel Alnic MC was reported at 5.24am local time east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca
+16
The crew of the John McCain (pictured in 2010) reportedly fought flooding in two crew berthings and an area of the ship known as the 'shaft alley'. The ship sustained damage to its port side aft, or the left rear
The Navy said Osprey aircraft and Seahawk helicopters from the USS America were assisting.
It also said tugboats and Singaporean naval and coast guard vessels were in the area to render assistance.
The damage and personnel injuries are being determined. The incident will be investigated, the Navy said.
An Emergency Family Assistance Center has been set up for family members.
Besides the John McCain and the Fitzgerald, another US Navy ship was involved in a collision in May.
The cruiser USS Lake Champlain was engaging in training on May 9 when it collided with a 9.8-ton fishing boat off South Korea's east coast in the Sea of Japan.
An official at the time said the incident appears to be a minor collision and that no casualties have been reported involving the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser.
The fishing boat, named 502 Namyang, carried six crew members and it was heading back to port at Guryongpo, North Gyeongsang Province, after the crash.
+16
Damage pictured on the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald off the Shimoda coast, after it collided with a Philippine-flagged container ship on June 17
+16
Close up look at the damage to the ACX Crystal after it crashed with the USS Fitzgerald
+16
Seven US Navy sailors were killed in the Fitzgerald collision in June. They are (top row, left to right) Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, CA; Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, VA; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, CT; and Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, CA. Bottom row (left to right Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., from Elyria, OH; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, MD; and Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, TX
Read more:
- Vessel details for: ALNIC MC (Oil/Chemical Tanker) - IMO 9396725, MMSI 636017930, Call Sign D5NJ9 Registered in Liberia | AIS Marine Traffic
- David B Larter on Twitter: "BREAKING: The crew of the destroyer John S. McCain is fighting flooding in two crew berthings and in what's called "shaft alley.""
- www.vesselfinder
The Latest on the collision between the USS John S. McCain guided missile destroyer and an oil tanker east of Singapore (all times local):
10:15 p.m.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirms that the Navy will conduct a broad investigation into the collision in Southeast Asia between the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker, and other recent Navy accidents at sea.
Mattis tells reporters traveling with him in Jordan that he's sent condolences to families of sailors on the guided missile destroyer. It's the second crash involving a ship from U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months.
Ten sailors are missing and a search is underway.
Mattis says the Navy is putting together a "broader inquiry" that also looks at the USS Fitzgerald accident in waters off Japan in June. Seven sailors died in that accident.
———
9:50 p.m.
A U.S. defense official says the Navy's top officer is ordering a broad investigation into the performance and readiness of America's Pacific-based 7th Fleet — after two ship collisions in the past two months.
And there have been four ship crashes in the past two years.
The defense official says Navy Adm. John Richardson — who's the chief of naval operations — has directed Adm. Phil Davidson to lead the investigation. Davidson heads the Navy's Fleet Forces.
The official says Richardson wants to ensure there aren't bigger problems that may be masked by the high pace of ship operations in the Pacific region.
The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and therefore spoke on condition of anonymity.
—Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Muscat, Oman.
———
7:30 p.m.
The Navy says a U.S. ship has arrived in Singapore to help the USS John S. McCain, a destroyer that was damaged in a collision with an oil tanker that injured five sailors and left 10 others missing.
The Navy's 7th Fleet said the amphibious assault ship USS America will help with damage control efforts aboard the McCain and with the search for the missing sailors. It also will feed and house sailors from the stricken ship.
Monday's collision east of Singapore was the second involving a ship from the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. The Navy said "significant damage" to the McCain's hull caused flooding in adjacent compartments, including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms.
———
5:00 p.m.
The oil tanker involved in a collision with the USS John S. McCain destroyer in busy Southeast Asian waters had four deficiencies including navigation safety violations in its last port inspection.
An official database for ports in Asia shows the Alnic MC was inspected in the Chinese port of Dongying on July 29 and had one document deficiency, one fire safety deficiency and two safety of navigation problems.
The database doesn't go into details and the problems were apparently not serious enough for the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned vessel to be detained by the port authority.
There has been no explanation of the cause of the accident. The Navy has said it is investigating. Authorities in Singapore and Malaysia have refused to speculate on the cause.
Ten U.S. sailors are missing and four were hospitalized for injuries.
———
4:10 p.m.
The chief of Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency says the collision between an oil tanker and the USS John S. McCain guided missile destroyer early Monday occurred at the start of a designated sea lane for ships sailing into the Singapore Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Zulkifli Abu Bakar said the incident occurred 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 kilometers) from Malaysia's coast. He said a Malaysian warship was in the area monitoring the cleanup of an oil spill from an unrelated collision of two merchant ships and was contacted by the McCain.
Ten U.S. sailors are missing and four were hospitalized in Singapore with injuries.
Both Malaysia and Singapore say the accident happened in their waters, likely reflecting a dispute about ownership of some rocky outcrops in the area.
"It happened in Malaysian territorial waters, specifically in Teluk Ramunia waters," Zulkifli said. "For this moment, we shouldn't argue about whose waters. Most important thing is we focus on the search and rescue."
He refused to speculate on the cause of the collision.
———
3:17 p.m.
The U.S. Navy says the USS John S. McCain has arrived at Singapore's naval base with "significant damage" to its hull after a collision early Monday between it and an oil tanker.
The 7th Fleet says in a statement that damage to the guided missile destroyer's hull flooded nearby compartments including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms.
It says damage control efforts prevented further flooding.
Ten sailors are missing and four were hospitalized in Singapore with injuries after being evacuated by helicopter.
A multinational search and rescue effort involving Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the U.S. is underway.
10:15 p.m.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis confirms that the Navy will conduct a broad investigation into the collision in Southeast Asia between the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker, and other recent Navy accidents at sea.
Mattis tells reporters traveling with him in Jordan that he's sent condolences to families of sailors on the guided missile destroyer. It's the second crash involving a ship from U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months.
Ten sailors are missing and a search is underway.
Mattis says the Navy is putting together a "broader inquiry" that also looks at the USS Fitzgerald accident in waters off Japan in June. Seven sailors died in that accident.
———
9:50 p.m.
A U.S. defense official says the Navy's top officer is ordering a broad investigation into the performance and readiness of America's Pacific-based 7th Fleet — after two ship collisions in the past two months.
And there have been four ship crashes in the past two years.
The defense official says Navy Adm. John Richardson — who's the chief of naval operations — has directed Adm. Phil Davidson to lead the investigation. Davidson heads the Navy's Fleet Forces.
The official says Richardson wants to ensure there aren't bigger problems that may be masked by the high pace of ship operations in the Pacific region.
The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and therefore spoke on condition of anonymity.
—Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Muscat, Oman.
———
7:30 p.m.
The Navy says a U.S. ship has arrived in Singapore to help the USS John S. McCain, a destroyer that was damaged in a collision with an oil tanker that injured five sailors and left 10 others missing.
The Navy's 7th Fleet said the amphibious assault ship USS America will help with damage control efforts aboard the McCain and with the search for the missing sailors. It also will feed and house sailors from the stricken ship.
Monday's collision east of Singapore was the second involving a ship from the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. The Navy said "significant damage" to the McCain's hull caused flooding in adjacent compartments, including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms.
———
5:00 p.m.
The oil tanker involved in a collision with the USS John S. McCain destroyer in busy Southeast Asian waters had four deficiencies including navigation safety violations in its last port inspection.
An official database for ports in Asia shows the Alnic MC was inspected in the Chinese port of Dongying on July 29 and had one document deficiency, one fire safety deficiency and two safety of navigation problems.
The database doesn't go into details and the problems were apparently not serious enough for the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned vessel to be detained by the port authority.
There has been no explanation of the cause of the accident. The Navy has said it is investigating. Authorities in Singapore and Malaysia have refused to speculate on the cause.
Ten U.S. sailors are missing and four were hospitalized for injuries.
———
4:10 p.m.
The chief of Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency says the collision between an oil tanker and the USS John S. McCain guided missile destroyer early Monday occurred at the start of a designated sea lane for ships sailing into the Singapore Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
Zulkifli Abu Bakar said the incident occurred 4.5 nautical miles (8.3 kilometers) from Malaysia's coast. He said a Malaysian warship was in the area monitoring the cleanup of an oil spill from an unrelated collision of two merchant ships and was contacted by the McCain.
Ten U.S. sailors are missing and four were hospitalized in Singapore with injuries.
Both Malaysia and Singapore say the accident happened in their waters, likely reflecting a dispute about ownership of some rocky outcrops in the area.
"It happened in Malaysian territorial waters, specifically in Teluk Ramunia waters," Zulkifli said. "For this moment, we shouldn't argue about whose waters. Most important thing is we focus on the search and rescue."
He refused to speculate on the cause of the collision.
———
3:17 p.m.
The U.S. Navy says the USS John S. McCain has arrived at Singapore's naval base with "significant damage" to its hull after a collision early Monday between it and an oil tanker.
The 7th Fleet says in a statement that damage to the guided missile destroyer's hull flooded nearby compartments including crew berths, machinery and communications rooms.
It says damage control efforts prevented further flooding.
Ten sailors are missing and four were hospitalized in Singapore with injuries after being evacuated by helicopter.
A multinational search and rescue effort involving Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the U.S. is underway.
Territorial dispute between Singapore and Malaysia:
(CNN)A collision involving a US navy ship Monday took place in waters that have been bitterly disputed between Malaysia and Singapore for decades.
The incident happened while the USS John McCain, a guided missile destroyer, was on its way to a port call in Singapore. Ten sailors are currently missing and five were injured.
Singaporean and Malaysian authorities have both said the incident happened in their territorial waters. Both sides said publicly that each were leading the search and rescue efforts and reiterated those claims when contacted by CNN for clarification.
"Singapore should have ... joined our search and rescue," Zulkifili Abu Bakar, the director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, told CNN. "This incident happened in Malaysian territorial waters."
Singapore deployed nearby assets to the Malacca Strait -- one of the world's most congested waterways -- to help, including divers to help in the search and tugboats. The small city-state also flew four people from the ship to a hospital on land (their injuries are not considered life-threatening.) The US Navy said Malaysian ships joined the search effort in the afternoon local time.
Claire Lim, a spokeswoman for the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority, said the crash happened in Singapore's waters but declined to comment further when asked about the competing Malaysian claim, instead directing CNN to a media relations email address.
Though the collision happened in disputed waters, Bakar said at a news conference earlier Monday that the search and rescue effort remains the top priority.
"I don't think we should ... argue about whose waters, because I think the most important thing is to focus on the search and rescue effort," he said. "The assets on the ground also, they are talking to each other. One thing is very clear is that we do not want to have another collision between the assets on the ground."
The USS John McCain was able to sail on its own Singapore's Changi Naval Base, where it is currently docked.
The dispute centers around a legal decision regarding a small piece of land in the middle of the ocean called Pedra Branca.
Malaysia and Singapore both claimed it as their own territory and took the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which decided in 2008 that the island belonged to Singapore. The issue of who has sovereignty over the nearby territorial waters, however, was kicked back to Malaysia and Singapore.
Earlier this summer, Malaysia asked the ICJ to revisit the issue of the surrounding waters, a request which Singapore called "puzzling." (Malaysia also applied for a revised judgment in the case in February, claiming it had new evidence.)
"The waters were supposed to be decided between Malaysia and Singapore as part of a joint committee," said Kevin Blackburn, a professor focusing on Malaysian and Singaporean history at Singapore's National Institute of Education. "The committee never really came to any firm conclusions."
The eagle, the lion and the dragon: Singapore's future in the age of Trump
Singapore has played a delicate balancing act in recent years, maintaining fruitful relationships with both China and the United States. The nearby South China Sea dispute has proven a sticking point in recent years, and the election of US President Donald Trump has also shaken things up.
But China's willingness to throw its weight around in the region has meant that both Singapore and Malaysia place a premium on their relationships with the US military.
Blackburn says those will likely mean that the territorial disputes will be temporarily pushed to the backburner.
"These two countries have had very close relations militarily with the US, and they would never damage those," Blackburn said. "There shouldn't be any problems given the strength of those relationships."
(CNN)A collision involving a US navy ship Monday took place in waters that have been bitterly disputed between Malaysia and Singapore for decades.
The incident happened while the USS John McCain, a guided missile destroyer, was on its way to a port call in Singapore. Ten sailors are currently missing and five were injured.
Singaporean and Malaysian authorities have both said the incident happened in their territorial waters. Both sides said publicly that each were leading the search and rescue efforts and reiterated those claims when contacted by CNN for clarification.
"Singapore should have ... joined our search and rescue," Zulkifili Abu Bakar, the director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, told CNN. "This incident happened in Malaysian territorial waters."
Singapore deployed nearby assets to the Malacca Strait -- one of the world's most congested waterways -- to help, including divers to help in the search and tugboats. The small city-state also flew four people from the ship to a hospital on land (their injuries are not considered life-threatening.) The US Navy said Malaysian ships joined the search effort in the afternoon local time.
Claire Lim, a spokeswoman for the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority, said the crash happened in Singapore's waters but declined to comment further when asked about the competing Malaysian claim, instead directing CNN to a media relations email address.
Though the collision happened in disputed waters, Bakar said at a news conference earlier Monday that the search and rescue effort remains the top priority.
"I don't think we should ... argue about whose waters, because I think the most important thing is to focus on the search and rescue effort," he said. "The assets on the ground also, they are talking to each other. One thing is very clear is that we do not want to have another collision between the assets on the ground."
The USS John McCain was able to sail on its own Singapore's Changi Naval Base, where it is currently docked.
The dispute centers around a legal decision regarding a small piece of land in the middle of the ocean called Pedra Branca.
Malaysia and Singapore both claimed it as their own territory and took the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which decided in 2008 that the island belonged to Singapore. The issue of who has sovereignty over the nearby territorial waters, however, was kicked back to Malaysia and Singapore.
Earlier this summer, Malaysia asked the ICJ to revisit the issue of the surrounding waters, a request which Singapore called "puzzling." (Malaysia also applied for a revised judgment in the case in February, claiming it had new evidence.)
"The waters were supposed to be decided between Malaysia and Singapore as part of a joint committee," said Kevin Blackburn, a professor focusing on Malaysian and Singaporean history at Singapore's National Institute of Education. "The committee never really came to any firm conclusions."
The eagle, the lion and the dragon: Singapore's future in the age of Trump
Singapore has played a delicate balancing act in recent years, maintaining fruitful relationships with both China and the United States. The nearby South China Sea dispute has proven a sticking point in recent years, and the election of US President Donald Trump has also shaken things up.
But China's willingness to throw its weight around in the region has meant that both Singapore and Malaysia place a premium on their relationships with the US military.
Blackburn says those will likely mean that the territorial disputes will be temporarily pushed to the backburner.
"These two countries have had very close relations militarily with the US, and they would never damage those," Blackburn said. "There shouldn't be any problems given the strength of those relationships."
Shush()*
