SaR operations continue in Singapore to find missing sailors of USS John McCain
Multi-agency Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts led by Singapore continued today to locate the 10 unaccounted crew of USS JOHN S MCCAIN which was involved in a collision with tanker ALNIC MC in Singapore waters on 21 August 2017, MPA said in a press release.
On August 22, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) patrol vessels RSS GALLANT and RSS FEARLESS were deployed. Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) also deployed two vessels. To cover a wider search area, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) deployed one Fokker 50 and one C-130, and had one Super Puma on standby. Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), as the co-ordinating agency for the SAR efforts, has a craft on scene.
The search efforts are being coordinated with US, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. Singapore yesterday accepted an offer of assistance from Indonesia to search the northern coast line of Bintan island, and accepted Malaysia’s offer today to send four aircraft to join the expanded search area, including along Malaysia’s coast line. Indonesia has increased its deployment to two aircraft and three vessels. Australia has offered Singapore as the SAR lead, fixed wing assets to join the search. The US Navy also deployed assets from USS AMERICA. Diving operations by US Navy to access sealed compartments located in damaged parts of the ship are ongoing.
The search area covered by the Singapore-led SAR efforts has been expanded to cover 2620 km2, with Singapore and the US covering the centre of the identified search area while Malaysian and Indonesian assets are covering the north and south. Please refer to Annex 1.
In total, so far, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has deployed three patrol vessels, three fast craft, one frigate, two Super Pumas, one Chinook, one C-130 and one Fokker 50 while PCG deployed four patrol craft. MPA deployed two craft, three tugboats and a team of divers. In addition, MPA has been issuing hourly navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels of the incident and to request them to keep a lookout for any persons in the water.
USS JOHN S MCCAIN remains berthed at Changi Naval Base and ALNIC MC is now at Singapore’s eastern anchorage for inspections.
