Three senior officers aboard the US naval ship USS Fitzgerald, which collided with a containership off Japan in June, are to be relieved of duty.
US Navy admiral Bill Moran, deputy chief of naval operations, said the ship’s commander, executive officer and master chief petty officer would be removed.
Moran added that the discipline will include probable career-ending actions against the ship’s captain and his second-in-command.
The captain was relieved “ due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead” Moran said.
The three men are among twelve sailors from the US warship that will face administrative punishment over the collision with the 2,858-teu ACX Crystal (built 2008).
The early morning collision on 17 June 2017 killed seven crew members aboard the US destroyer.
“The determinations were made following a thorough review of the facts and circumstances leading up to the collision,” the US Navy said in a statement.
“The collision was avoidable and both ships demonstrated poor seamanship,” it added.
Last week TradeWinds reported that Japan had suspended its safety investigation into the collision between the two ships after the US Navy and Coastguard declined to pass on critical evidence.
It suspended the investigation after the US failed to pass on crew testimony and evidence about the course the USS Fitzgerald travelled leading up to the collision.
