Video: U.S Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship USS Cleveland Collides With Tugboat During Launch

U.S. Navy confirmed that USS Cleveland came in contact with an assist tug during its launch. 

The incident sent a huge wave of water crashing over the relatively smaller tugboat employed to pull the Littoral Combat Ship into the water. 

It was on Friday that the US made an announcement about the christening and launch of the new Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship- the USS Cleveland.

Video Credits: Tristan Heitkemper / YouTube

The traditional method of side launch was used at the ceremony held at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin at 10 am, Saturday. The method uses a small tugboat to pull the ship into the water using gravity.

Many bystanders captured the dramatic video of the launch. It shows that USS Cleveland created a massive wave that washed the back deck and wheelhouse of the assist tug after it entered the water. The assist tug’s bow tilted upwards, and it was pushed across the channel. 

The U.S. Navy also mentioned that USS Cleveland suffered minor damage as a result of the impact; however, no injuries were reported. 

This incident has raised many questions about the safety protocols and the effectiveness of this method for launching huge vessels.

Reference: Independent, Newsweek