A US Navy officer could be confronted with questions during a collision of Norwegian frigates

The US Navy expects one of its officers to be questioned in the investigation of the collision of a Norwegian warship and a commercial tanker this month in one of the fjords of the Scandinavian nation.

The US officer, who was not identified, was on board the Norwegian Navy frigate as part of an exchange of military personnel, according to US and Norwegian officials. The role of the sailor on the ship remains unclear.

The November 8 incident finally sank the 439-foot Norwegian warship and injured several others.

Norwegian naval officers were stranded on the ship – KNM Helge Ingstad – in an attempt to save him, but the frigate sank five days later after the cables were broken in place. The tanker he hit, the Sola TS, was almost twice his size, at 820 feet. He suffered only minor damage.

"The US Navy has assigned an officer to the Personnel Exchange Program (PEP) with Norway on KNM Helge Ingstad's crew," said Cmdr. Kyle Raines, a spokesman for the US 6th Fleet, said in a statement. "This program exchanges personnel from various military components to foreign countries to improve interoperability with the navies and partner services. The concept grew out of the need for partners and allies to share ideas and build relationships. "

Raines refused to identify the US officer by name, citing privacy interests. He said the US Navy supported the Norwegian investigation.

Traditionally, investigators interview all officers on board military ships involved in collisions. The US Navy is waiting for the US officer to be questioned, officials said.

Ann Kristin Salbuvik, head of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, confirmed the presence of an American officer aboard the ship, but declined to specify his duties.

"The exchange program has been set up to share experiences and create a foundation for good cooperation between our navies," Salbuvik said. "In the event of an incident or situation involving personnel in exchange, it is the duty, in accordance with the agreement in force, to inform the military authorities of the State of". dispatch and to ensure that the competent authorities are put in touch with competent national authorities. "

Salbuvik said the Norwegian authorities had informed their US counterparts but refused to give details.

KNM Helge Ingstad was involved in a major naval exercise last month – Trident Juncture 2018 – in which the US Navy sent an aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, north of the Arctic Circle, to the first time in decades. Exercise has been widely regarded as a message to Russia.

The Navy traditionally welcomes Norwegian military personnel and embarkes its own personnel on board foreign ships as part of exchange programs. Participants usually make two-year visits as a full member of the navy of the host country.

US service personnel participating in such programs must obey all orders of host commanders and remain subject to the rules and regulations of the US Army.

"Anyone who commits a breach of the host service's Discipline Code during the Exchange Mission may be removed from this assignment", in accordance with the March 2018 Program Ordinance. offense committed by US Navy exchange personnel against the host service code is also an offense against the [Uniform Code of Military Justice], disciplinary action may be taken against the person by the US Navy authorities. "

The incident comes at a critical juncture for the US Navy following two fatal collisions of guided missile destroyers in the Pacific that killed 17 sailors.

Seven sailors died off the south coast of Japan in June 2017 when the USS Fitzgerald struck a much larger container ship. Ten sailors died two months later when the USS John S. McCain collided with another ship off the coast of Singapore.

A naval survey of these disasters found that they could be avoided and caused by "multiple failures" among members of the military services who monitored the night of accidents. Since then, the service has forced some staff members involved in a retired retirement and sued other parties for court martial.