According to 7th Fleet Commander Clay Doss, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which was damaged in the deadly August run-in with an oil tanker east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, developed a four-inch-long crack on its starboard side while heading to the Yokosuka Naval Base. The cause of the crack is unknown.
In addition to the crack, bad weather conditions caused by Typhoon Lan, which recently struck Japan with dangerous winds, resulted in the McCain's detour to Subic Bay in the Philippines.
"Once pierside, experts will inspect the crack and determine if any additional repairs are needed before continuing to Yokosuka," Doss explained, military.com reported.
Earlier this month, the McCain's commanding officer, Commander Alfredo Sanchez, and its executive officer, Commander Jessie Sanchez, were relieved of their duties for exercising poor judgment and leadership in what the Navy claims was a preventable collision.
The McCain's sister ship, the USS Fitzgerald, which was involved in a different collision on June 17 with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan, is being sent to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for repairs.
