Ship Fire Could Hinder US Pacific Fleet For Years

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A massive blaze aboard a billion-dollar US Navy warship has been extinguished after raging for four days — but its effect might be felt across America’s Pacific Fleet for years.

Navy officials said the fire aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship undergoing maintenance and upgrades at a port in San Diego, was put out last Thursday. Reaching temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 650 degrees Celsius), it melted aluminum and incinerated wiring, plastics and combustibles like drywall, bedding and office supplies, while filling the 850-foot (260-meter) vessel with thick smoke.
The true extent of the damage, however, remains unknown. Engineers will need to get into the ship to assess the destruction once the spaces inside cool down, officials said.
The Navy’s top officer, Adm. Mike Gilday, said Friday there would be a thorough investigation of the fire’s cause.

Either way, the long-term impacts are significant. The Bonhomme Richard, which resembles a baby aircraft carrier, was being upgraded to accommodate some of the newest and most sophisticated warplanes in the US arsenal, Marine Corps F-35Bs.

It was to be one of only four ships in the US fleet with the ability to handle the F-35Bs — meaning its absence will be felt.

Read more at CNN.

{Matzav.com}


3 COMMENTS

  1. An obvious exaggeration designed to sell headlines.
    The US naval fleet is large enough to perform perfectly with one ship out. Can you imagine what would happen in a real war if the destruction of just one vessel would have such a tremendous impact as this article would have us believe? The US wouldn’t be a world power! Rather, we would be laughed at silly.

  2. Ah yes, how will we hold off the rest of the world’s 11 (way smaller, mostly non-nuclear) aircraft carriers with only our 12 Nuclear carriers (plus 1 being built and 2 on order) and the only 7 Amphibious Assault ships (these carry helicopters and vertical takeoff aircraft) that we have left?

    Oh and keep in mind of those carriers that do not belong to the US, only 3 belong to our enemies. China has 2 that allegedly work, and Russia is not even trying to pretend that theirs (which is powered by a heavy fuel called Mazut which produces thick black smoke visible for miles,) still works. In fact, I don’t think that Russia’s one aircraft carrier has ever had a cruise without significant issues since it launched in the 90s.

    Enough with the fearmongering.

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