US Ship Fired 3 Missiles to Defend from Yemen Missile Attack

USS Mason Fired 3 Missiles to Defend from Yemen Cruise Missiles Attack (excerpt)

(Source: US Naval Institute News; posted October 11, 2016

By Sam LaGrone

A US Navy destroyer similar to this one fired three missiles after being attacked Sunday night by two presumed cruise missiles fired from the Yemeni coast. One missile may have fallen into the sea and the second may have been shot down. (US Navy file photo)

The crew of a guided-missile destroyer fired three missiles to defend themselves and another ship after being attacked on Sunday in the Red Sea by two presumed cruise missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi-forces, USNI News has learned.

During the attack against USS Mason (DDG-87), the ship’s crew fired the missiles to defend the guided-missile destroyer and nearby USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) from two suspected cruise missiles fired from the Yemini shore, two defense officials told USNI News.

Mason launched two Standard Missile-2s (SM-2s) and a single Enhanced Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) to intercept the two missiles that were launched about 7 P.M. local time. In addition to the missiles, the ship used its Nulka anti-ship missile decoy, the sources confirmed. Mason was operating in international waters north of the strait of Bab el-Mandeb at the time of the attack.

According to a defense official on Monday, Mason “employed onboard defensive measures” against the first suspected cruise missile, “although it is unclear whether this led to the missile striking the water or whether it would have struck the water anyway.” The official did not specify that the defensive measure was a missile fired from the ship.

USNI News understands, as of Monday, the crew of the ship was uncertain if the suspected cruise missile was taken out by an SM-2 or went into the water on its own. In the Monday statement, the Pentagon said an investigation was ongoing.

The second missile launched from Yemen hit the water without being struck by a U.S. interceptor.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis would not confirm Mason launched missiles to USNI News on Monday. On Tuesday, Davis told reporters the missiles coming from Yemen might have been intended to strike Ponce and that the U.S. “will take action accordingly,” in response to the findings of the ongoing investigation. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the USNI website.

(ends)

Pentagon Threatens Retaliation for Failed Missile Attack on US Ships in Red Sea

(Source: Voice of America; issued Oct 11, 2016)

The Pentagon said it is evaluating a military response to failed missile attacks on U.S. naval ships in the Red Sea, warning Tuesday that nearby Yemen-based Houthi rebels thought responsible launched the missiles "at their own peril."

Officials say the two missiles, launched over a one-hour period, missed their targets - the USS Mason and the USS Ponce-- and landed harmlessly in the water Sunday. Authorities said the guided missile destroyer Mason used electronic countermeasures to foil the first attack, while the second missile targeting the amphibious assault ship Ponce failed on its own.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis confirmed to reporters Tuesday that the missiles came from Yemen territory controlled by Houthi fighters, who are seeking to topple the internationally recognized government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

Davis stopped short of directly linking the attacks to Iran-backed Houthis, but noted that the Silkworm anti-ship missiles believed used in the attacks are an active part of Iran's missile arsenal. He said that the U.S. will find out who fired the missiles and will "take action accordingly."

"It's no secret that Iran has been actively supplying [rebels] and giving them tools of war," Davis said.

The U.S. military has been providing intelligence and logistics to Saudi-led coalition warplanes who began targeting Houthi positions inside Yemen earlier this year.

-ends-

Let's block ads! (Why?)



from Defense Aerospace - Press releases http://ift.tt/2dkdpAL
via Defense
US Ship Fired 3 Missiles to Defend from Yemen Missile Attack US Ship Fired 3 Missiles to Defend from Yemen Missile Attack Reviewed by Unknown on 05:32:00 Rating: 5

No comments:

Defense Alert. Powered by Blogger.