A sailor stands watch on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as the ship departs Laem Chabang, Thailand, Jan. 31, 2025. (Nathan Jordan/U.S. Navy)
The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group recently steamed out of Thailand, where two of the aircraft carrier’s escorts scraped hulls.
Prior to their departure, the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence and the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton were involved in an allision — meaning the struck vessel was not moving — according to U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. J.g. Sarah Merrill.
The incident occurred Jan. 27, the same day the carrier strike group pulled into Laem Chabang, Thailand, she said by email Monday.
“No injuries occurred, and a full analysis of the damage is in progress,” Merrill wrote. “We are unable to provide further details at this time due to the ongoing investigation.”
The William P. Lawrence struck the Princeton, USNI News reported Friday.
Both ships appeared to depart Friday with the Carl Vinson and a third escort, the guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett, USNI reported.
The guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence, seen here sailing alongside the USS Carl Vinson on Feb. 2, 2025, was involved in an allision with the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton on Jan. 27, 2025. (Isaiah Goessl/U.S. Navy)
The strike group’s five-day stopover primarily included cultural exchanges, community relations events and tours intended to “enhance cultural understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” according to a Friday news release from Carrier Strike Group One.
“Port visits like this are a testament to the vital importance of the U.S.-Thailand Alliance and Partnership that contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, the carrier strike group commander, said in the release.
Wosje and Capt. Matthew Thomas, the Carl Vinson’s skipper, met Jan. 26 aboard the aircraft carrier at sea with U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert Godec and Phumtham Wechayachai, Thailand’s deputy prime minister and minister of defense, according to photos posted online by the ship Jan. 27.
Additional guests included Thailand’s Defense Forces chief, Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee, and the commandant of the Thai marine corps, Rear Adm. Nirat Tagoodruar, Carl Vinson spokesman Lt. j.g. Jack Scypinski said by email Monday.
The allision was not mentioned in the news release.
After leaving Thailand, the strike group sailed to the South China Sea, where it was conducting “routine operations” as of Sunday, according to a series of photos posted that day to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
The William P. Lawrence was sailing alongside the Carl Vinson in the South China Sea on Sunday, according to two of the photos.
Once at sea, the Carl Vinson on Saturday began a series of routine flight operations by F-18 Super Hornet fighters, MH-60S Seahawk helicopters and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early-warning and control aircraft, according to the photos.
“While underway in the South China Sea, USS Carl Vinson conducts flight operations on a routine basis to promote U.S. dedication to regional stability, highlight the U.S. Navy’s enduring power projection capability, and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region for all nations,” Scypinski wrote.
The following day, the carrier was replenished at sea by the dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear.
Scypinski declined to comment on future operations for the strike group, citing security concerns.
