Is Someone Hacking Our 7th Fleet? Navy To Investigate After USS John S McCain Collision

Are the recent U.S. Navy 7^th Fleet ship collisions due to our Navy ships being hacked by an adversary? Russia? China? North Korea? Iran?

Or are the collisions simply due to an eight-year degrade of military standards, where Obama’s top policy leaders were far more interested in forcing social change than warfighting, and sailors attended far more sensitivity and other social-awareness training than ship handling training? We shall see.

Edmund DeMarche at foxnews.com offers a piece on the U.S. Navy looking to a possible cyber-attack and other reasons for the collision.

A top U.S. Navy admiral on Monday called for a swift and thorough investigation into Monday's collision of the USS John S. McCain into an oil tanker near Singapore-- marking the second deadly mishap that occurred in the Pacific in the past three months.

Adm. John Richardson ordered an operational pause in all the fleets around the world while the Navy works to determine the factors behind the collision. Richardson tweeted that the Navy will conduct a wide investigation, including a review into the possibility of "cyber intrusion or sabotage."

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a video news clip via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/22/is-someone-hacking-our-7th-fleet-navy-to-investigate-after-uss-john-s-mccain-collision.html 

Note: The above U.S. Navy photo shows the damaged USS John S. McCain. 

U.S. Navy Identifies 7 Deceased Fitzgerald Sailors

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Public Affairs released the below information:

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The remains of seven Sailors previously reported missing were located in flooded berthing compartments, after divers gained access to the spaces, June 18, that were damaged when USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) was involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal.

The deceased are:

- Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia

- Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, California

- Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut

- Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas

- Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California

- Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland

- Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio

The incident is currently under investigation.

U.S.- Japan SAR Efforts Continue For 7 Missing Fitzgerald Sailors

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Public Affairs released the above and below photos and the below report:

PHILIPPINE SEA (NNS) -- Search and rescue efforts continue by U.S. and Japanese aircraft and surface vessels in the hopes of recovering seven USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) Sailors.

Fitzgerald was involved in a collision with the Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, June 17, while operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.

Shortly after the collision the U.S. made a request for support from the Japanese Coast Guard, which first arrived on scene and continues to be lead for finding the seven missing Sailors. The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships JS Ohnami, JS Hamagiri, and JS Enshu have joined the JCG ships Izanami and Kano and USS Dewey (DDG 105). A U.S. P-8 Poseidon aircraft is working in concert with two JMSDF Helicopters and a JMSDF P-3 Orion aircraft to search the area. Names of the missing Sailors are being withheld until the families have been notified.

The collision effected Fitzgerald's forward starboard side above and below the water line, causing significant damage and associated flooding to two berthing spaces, a machinery space, and the radio room, which damage control teams quickly began dewatering.

While those efforts helped stabilize the flooding, it remains uncertain how long it will take to gain access to the spaces pier side in Yokosuka to methodically continue the search for the missing and to inspect the damage and develop a plan for repairs and inspection of the spaces.

As of this time, there have been three patients requiring medical evacuation. One was Cmdr. Bryce Benson, Fitzgerald's commanding officer, who was transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka by a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter. All three Sailors are awake and will remain under observation at the hospital until further notice. Two additional personnel have been medevac'd from Fitzgerald to USNH-Yokosuka by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 (HSC-12) for lacerations and bruises. Other injured are being assessed aboard the ship.

The USS Fitzgerald Emergency Family Assistance Center will remain open for chaplain and counselor care indefinitely, 24/7, on the Command Readiness Center's 4th Floor (across from the commissary) - in the same classroom where the Area Orientation Brief (AOB) is hosted.

Interested family should call DSN at: 315-243-1728, 1729, 1730, 1731, 1731, 1732, 1733, 1734, 1735 or Commercial at: +81-46-816-1728, 1729, 1730, 1731, 1731, 1732, 1733, 1734, 1735

Note: You can click on the above photos to enlarge.