Publicly disclosed information for this event

Index Number:

Title:

2013_003

Ship grounding in a protected area due to bad ENC - ship was finally decommissioned.

Day	Month	Year	Country	Activity	Incident Type
17	January	2013	United States	Defence	Human error

Summary

The ship was a mine countermeasures ship, part of the Avenger-class in the United States Navy, 68m long and 12m wide. She was built in the mid-1980s.

According to sources, in January 2013, after a port of call, the vessel ran aground on a protected reef in the Philippines during a transit. Discrepancies in Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) mislocated the reef, playing a significant role in the mishap.

The grounding of the ship on the reef had substantial implications. Due to challenges in recovery and risks of further reef damage, the ship was decommissioned a month post the incident. Measures to minimize environmental impact included segmenting the ship into pieces and removing it section by section. The incident led to the U.S. compensating the Philippines for reef damages and associated costs. The U.S. Navy ultimately decided to scrap the vessel, for an estimated cost of $277 million.

Victim

US Navy

Claimed/Reported Threat Actor

N/A

Origin

Undisclosed

Main impact

Availability

Recommendations to Defence to reduce Human error risks:

Provide comprehensive cybersecurity training for all employees to raise awareness.
Establish clear procedures and guidelines for handling sensitive data and information.
Implement access controls to limit the exposure of critical systems and data.
Regularly review and update security policies and procedures.
Encourage a culture of cybersecurity awareness and quick and efficient reporting of potential errors.

Files generated on Monday, 11th December 2023.
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