Following the death of seven sailors in the USS Fitzgerald destruction on June 17th, a collision between the USS John S. McCain and a tanker off the coast of Singapore in the Strait of Malacca has rendered ten people missing. Consequently, the US Navy has rendered an “operational pause” after the crash, marking this year as the most malignant since the destruction of the USS Iowa in 1989, the BBC reports. According to The Independent, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson stated that the Navy needed to “ensure we are taking all appropriate immediate measures to enhance the Navy’s safe and effective operation around the world.” While some theories for the damage include a possible hacking attack, preliminary official reports state that it was most likely a “steering casualty.” Rather than faulty technology, evidence suggests that there was mishandling on a much more local level, which has led to questions about the specific conditions sailors endure during their time on the sea.

Moreover, Sean Gallagher, a former naval officer and national security officer, suggests “flawed teamwork” as the primary source for the collision, which he says is reflective of larger dynamics in the workforce. Adm. Bill Moran, the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations states that “…clearly at some point, the bridge team lost situational awareness.” Gallagher further suggests that “collisions happen because watch crews don’t realize what they don’t know,” according to Ars Technica. Bridge crews must remain intensely focused at every moment, and must assess which threats are the most dangerous in a situation where the “relative motion of ships” may be deemed normal. However, bad weather conditions and a fluctuation of light may worsen the composite “situational awareness” of the group. If the threat of a collision remains concealed, tools such as a Global Positioning System and an Automated Identification System will not mitigate the possibility of destruction, especially since such transponders are purposely turned off in order to remain hidden. Gallagher also cites “operational tempo” and longer missions and hours as reasons for high levels of stress. The New York Times reports that the pause will administer a much needed review of “teamwork, safety, seamanship among the 277 Navy Vessels,” and will further dissect the systemic issues within the Navy’s Seventh Fleet, located in Japan and victim to four different collisions in that area during 2017.

The location of such incidents has complicated political implications; with geopolitical conflicts over naval control of the South China Sea and heightened tension between the navy and neighbouring powers, such as China. Such a pause may reduce the possibility of conflict, especially in the wake of provocative comments recently made by the U.S. Government concerning military action in the area.