The videos featuring Capt Owen Honors were apparently made in 2006 and 2007 The US Navy is to relieve an aircraft carrier captain of his command over the production of lewd videos aboard the ship, US defence officials say.
The videos featuring Capt Owen Honors were apparently made in 2006 and 2007. One has gay slurs, women in the shower together and simulated masturbation.
Officials said the Navy had chosen a commander to replace Capt Honors on the nuclear-powered ship USS Enterprise.
The formal announcement of the dismissal is expected later on Tuesday.
Former Top Gun pilot Capt Honors, 49, was the carrier’s executive officer – second-in-command – when the videos were made.
The existence of the videos was reported by the Virginian-Pilot newspaper last week, but it is unclear why they have surfaced.
Publication of the videos comes just weeks after the US Congress and President Barack Obama did away with an uneasy compromise on gay men and women serving in the US military.
The BBC’s Jonny Dymond, in Washington, says that some will have been outraged that such attitudes not only exist in the military but are tolerated at – even broadcast by – the highest levels.
“Over the years I’ve gotten several complaints about inappropriate material during these videos, never to me personally but, gutlessly, through other channels,” Capt Honors says in the introduction to one video.
In the film the officer introduces a scene where two female sailors pretend to bathe together, saying “chicks in the shower” is his “favourite topic”.
In another scene, male sailors dressed in drag mimic masturbation. Other clips in the video show a man in drag and a mock rectal examination.
Navy Cmdr Chris Sims was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the videos “were not acceptable then and are not acceptable in today’s Navy”.
Executive officers “are charged to lead by example and are held accountable for setting the proper tone and upholding the standards of honour, courage and commitment that we expect sailors to exemplify,” he said.
The USS Enterprise is scheduled to deploy to the Middle East this month.
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