Captain of US aircraft carrier pleads for COVID-19 action
The captain of the Nimitz-class USS Theodore Roosevelt has written to US Navy leaders demanding extra resources and assistance to deal with an onboard outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The aircraft carrier is docked in Guam due to the outbreak.
In a four-page letter obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, Captain Brett Crozier warned that due to the limitations of space aboard the vessel, the 4,000-strong crew are not able to effectively socially isolate.
‘The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating,’ Crozier wrote, adding: ‘Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed US nuclear aircraft carrier and isolating them for two weeks may seem like an extraordinary measure… This is a necessary risk.’
Initial reports that three crew members tested positive for the virus emerged on 24 March but it has since been revealed that the number has risen to at least 100.
In a TV interview with CNN, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly revealed on 31 March that most of the crew will be removed, while maintaining sufficient crew to continue onboard ‘critical functions’. He added: ‘It’s very methodical. We’re absolutely accelerating it as we go.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?]()
Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
-
![Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?]()
Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?
The USN is conducting a market search seeking additional sources capable of supplying 516 units of Over the Horizon – Weapons System Encanistered Missiles.
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
![US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027]()
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
