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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 22 augusT 2017
Navy chief orders probe into Pacific fleet after collisions

By LOLITA C. BALDOR were evacuated by a Sin- insula, is one of the world’s guided missile destroyer or left rear, in the 5:24 a.m.
ANNABELLE LIANG gaporean navy helicopter busiest ports and a U.S. ally, and the 183-meter (600- collision about 4.5 nautical
STEPHEN WRIGHT to a hospital in the city- with its naval base regularly foot) Alnic MC ripped a miles (8.3 kilometers) from
Associated Press state for treatment of non- visited by American war- gaping hole in the destroy- Malaysia’s coast but was
SINGAPORE (AP) — The U.S. able to sail on to Singa-
Navy ordered a broad in- pore’s naval base. Malay-
vestigation Monday into sia’s Maritime Enforcement
the performance and Agency said the area is at
readiness of the Pacific- the start of a designated
based 7th Fleet after an sea lane for ships sailing
early morning collision be- into the Singapore Strait,
tween the USS John S. Mc- one of the world’s busiest.
Cain and an oil tanker in A photo tweeted by Malay-
Southeast Asian waters left sian navy chief Ahmad Ka-
10 U.S. sailors missing and marulzaman Ahmad Bada-
others injured. ruddin showed a large rup-
It was the second ma- ture in the McCain’s side
jor collision in the last two near the waterline. Janes,
months involving the Na- a defense industry publi-
vy’s 7th Fleet. Seven sailors cation, estimated the hull
died in June when the USS breach was 3 meters (10
Fitzgerald and a container feet) wide.
ship collided in waters off Another U.S. naval vessel,
Japan. the amphibious assault ship
Navy Adm. John Richard- USS America, arrived in Sin-
son, the chief of naval gapore and deployed Os-
operations, will call for a prey aircraft and Seahawk
pause in operations and helicopters. It was help-
seek a deeper look at how Damage to the portside is visible as the Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) ing with damage control
the Navy trains and certifies steers towards Changi naval base in Singapore following a collision with the merchant vessel on the McCain and with
its forces that are operat- Alnic MC Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. The USS John S. McCain was docked at Singapore’s naval base the search for the missing
ing around Japan, Defense with “significant damage” to its hull after an early morning collision with the Alnic MC as vessels sailors. It also will feed and
from several nations searched Monday for missing U.S. sailors.
Secretary Jim Mattis said. (Joshua Fulton/U.S. Navy photo/AP) house sailors from the strick-
“He has put together a en ship.
broader inquiry to look life threatening injuries, the ships. er’s hull. One of the injured sailors,
into these incidents,” Mat- Navy said. A fifth was taken The McCain had been The Navy’s 7th Fleet said Operations Specialist 2nd
tis said, referring to the two to the hospital by ambu- heading to Singapore “significant damage” to Class Navin Ramdhun, post-
recent collisions and other lance after the destroyer on a routine port visit af- the McCain’s hull resulted ed a Facebook message
accidents at sea. Mattis arrived in Singapore under ter conducting a sensitive in the flooding of adjacent telling family and friends he
spoke to reporters in Am- its own power, the Maritime freedom-of-navigation op- compartments includ- was OK and awaiting sur-
man, Jordan, where he is and Port Authority of Singa- eration last week by sailing ing crew berths, machin- gery for an arm injury.
traveling. pore said. near one of China’s man- ery and communications He told The Associated
Vessels and aircraft from There was no immediate made islands in the South rooms. A damage control Press in a message that
the U.S., Indonesia, Sin- explanation for the colli- China Sea. response prevented further he couldn’t say what hap-
gapore and Malaysia are sion. The collision east of Singa- flooding, it said. pened. “I was actually
searching for the missing Singapore, at the southern- pore between the 154-me- The destroyer was dam- sleeping at that time. Not
sailors. Four other sailors most tip of the Malay Pen- ter (505-foot) destroyer aged on its port side aft, entirely sure.”q

Putin appoints Antonov as new Russian ambassador to US

By V. ISACHENKOV Kremlin’s decision to sharp- of the ministry’s security
Associated Press ly cut the U.S. diplomatic and disarmament depart-
MOSCOW (AP) — A ca- personnel in Russia. ment in 2004. As part of his
reer Russian diplomat, who He succeeds Sergei Kislyak, job, he led negotiations on
gained the reputation of who found himself in the various international agree-
a hawk during his earlier center of controversy amid ments, including the 2010
tenure at the Defense Min- claims of Russia’s interfer- New START nuclear arms
istry, was named the new ence in the U.S. presiden- reduction treaty signed by
ambassador to the United tial vote. Kislyak’s contacts the United States and Rus-
States on Monday. with members of Trump’s sia.
The 62-year old Anatoly team have been part of In 2011, Antonov left the
Antonov was appointed to congressional and FBI in- Foreign Ministry to become
the job by President Vladi- vestigations into possible a deputy defense minister
mir Putin’s order, according collusion between Trump in charge of international
to the Kremlin. campaign and Russia. Rus- ties.
Antonov takes the job at a In this photo taken on Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, Russian Deputy sia has denied any interfer- The job raised Antonov’s
time when U.S.-Russia rela- Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov smiles at a briefing in the ence in the U.S. election. profile as he regularly de-
tions are badly strained fol- Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov, who has gained Antonov joined the Foreign livered the Russian military’s
lowing the approval of a the reputation of a hawk during his earlier tenure at the Defense Ministry in 1978 and gradu- statement to international
new wave of U.S. sanctions Ministry, was named the new Russian ambassador to the United ally rose through the ranks media and foreign military
States on Friday.
against Moscow and the (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) to take the job of the chief attaches.q