Amid the turbulent regional situation in the Middle East, the United States Navy (US Navy) is deployed in the Red Sea as part of its maritime security operations and in response to the escalation involving Iran and Israel. In recent hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) confirmed that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Cole (DDG 67) and USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) of the Sixth Fleet intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles over the Eastern Mediterranean.
This incident, which occurred on the first day of October, is part of a series of attacks targeting U.S. and allied fleets in the region as the conflict in Israel continues and ground operations take place against southern Lebanon. The affected ships are independently deployed and have been in the area since early in the week as part of the European and African forces aimed at deterring attacks and providing security to maritime routes.
According to the statement, the destroyers used a combination of systems and weapons, including the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) ballistic missile defense system, in response to the launch of 200 ballistic missiles by Iran. It has not yet been confirmed if unmanned aerial vehicles or cruise missiles were also involved. Additionally, the U.S. Navy released two videos as part of the incident’s audiovisual material, showing the launch and interception of missiles from the USS Bulkeley.
Lastly, since Monday, it has been confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is operating in the Gulf of Oman to support ongoing operations as part of the strengthening of U.S. military presence in the region. The vessel, under orders from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, is to remain in the Middle East until further notice to reinforce the country’s presence, despite its usual area of operations being the Western Pacific. In addition to the aircraft carriers, an amphibious group composed of three Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, carrying the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean in case a non-combatant evacuation from Lebanon is needed, according to defense officials who spoke to USNI News.
You may also like: The first flight of a U.S. Navy F-35C equipped with the new stealth AGM-158C missiles is recorded
