U.S. Navy Shot at an Iranian Vessel That Got Too Close to a Supercarrier
A U.S. Navy surface combatant fired on an Iranian vessel that got too close to the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln this week, officials told CBS on Thursday.
According to two officials, the warship opened fire on an Iranian vessel using its Mark 45 deck gun, a weapon found aboard Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The crew missed the target multiple times with the five-inch gun, which has automated Aegis fire control and a rate of fire of up to 20 rounds per minute; a Navy helicopter joined the fight and struck the Iranian vessel with two Hellfire missiles.
No further information about the target vessel's civilian or military status, distance to the carrier, damage sustained, or potential casualties among the crew was reported. The Mark 45 cannon's effective range (13-20 nautical miles) indicates the target's proximity to the carrier strike group's escorts. U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the record.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
If the unspecified Iranian target was a naval vessel, the engagement would be unique for its proximity to a carrier, but otherwise part of the background pattern of the conflict. At least 90 U.S. strikes against Iranian targets have been reported since February 28. U.S. Central Command has sunk or damaged the majority of Iran's naval registry, from base ships to drone carriers to frigates, and is now systematically destroying small craft that Iran uses for coastal patrols and minelaying.
Iran and its proxies have repeatedly claimed to have attacked U.S. Navy carriers, without evidence. Early on Friday (local time), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that a missile and drone attack caused extensive damage to the carrier.
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
