Navy dismisses 7th Fleet commander after warship accidents

Published 7:45 am Thursday, August 24, 2017

TOKYO  — The U.S. Navy dismissed the commander of the Asia-based 7th Fleet on Wednesday after a series of warship accidents raised questions about its operations in the Pacific.

A two-sentence statement said Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, had relieved Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

The move follows four Navy accidents in the Pacific since late January, including two collisions that left sailors dead and missing.

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“While each of these four incidents is unique, they cannot be viewed in isolation,” Swift said earlier.

He said the Navy will carry out a “deliberate re-set” of all its ships in the Pacific, focused on navigation, mechanical systems and bridge resource management. It will include training and an expert assessment of each ship.