Yes. I’m a bit surprised that a Nimitz class carrier can transit the Suez, and perhaps that it would given the current yin yangs in the region. A ship transiting the Suez or Panama Canals is a sitting duck. Not that there is anyone in Egypt who would want to do us harm ....
VLCC’s can’t use the Suez and it’s been reported that the big shipping companies have been rerouting ships to avoid the Red Sea entirely.
Collisions between large ships are rare but they do happen, typically in narrow shipping channels approaching ports or maneuvering for docking or an anchorage. It’s all a question of which ship had the right of way, or suffered a loss of steering. Large ships aren’t supposed to run into bridges either, but that didn’t stop a freighter from producing the most spectacular accident in years in Baltimore not long ago.
Odd how all reports say the Carrier hit the merchant ship...but I’m guessing it was the other way around...if the carrier was anchored there is not much they could do...question is why was the merchant ship that close?
It will take a few days to sort out, but I expect to see some pictures of the damage to the ships in the next few days...