US Navy Destroyer Damaged Off Japan, Causes Oil Spill

A US Navy Aegis destroyer, named Antietam, has grounded off eastern Japan, resulting in an estimated 4,160 liters of hydraulic oil being spilled.

Antietam was deployed at the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base southwest of Tokyo. Due to the incident took place Tuesday, the destroyer suffered damage to its screw but returned to dock with the help of tugboats later part of the day, a US Navy official was quoted as saying by The Mainichi.

The official added that the extent of the damage and repair costs is still unknown. However they assured that they would be taking appropriate measures to minimize effects on the local environment.

Antietam is among 13 ships home ported at Yokosuka and one of at least seven equipped for intercepting ballistic missiles. The ships typically operate at a high tempo and considered as critical part of defense if North Korea ever launched ballistic missiles at the US or an ally.