Three U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers have fended off a multi-pronged Iranian attack in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command and President Donald Trump announced Thursday.
“Three world-class American destroyers just passed through the Strait of Hormuz very successfully, under fire. While the three destroyers were unharmed, the Iranian attackers suffered significant damage,” Trump said in a post.
President Trump said Iran tried to attack the three destroyers with a combination of drones, fast attack craft and missiles, but they were easily destroyed.
The three U.S. warships involved, USS Truxtan, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason, are Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and are part of an active fleet of more than 75 ships that are the Navy’s capital ships.
Arleigh Burke-class ships are just over 500 feet long, displace 8,200 to 9,700 tons, and are equipped with a variety of defensive weapons.
They carry multi-million dollar sophisticated standard missiles capable of dealing with incoming ballistic and cruise missiles. The Sea Sparrow missile system can also deal with short-range threats.
If an incoming target passes through these systems, the U.S. destroyer also carries the Phalanx close-in weapon system, a radar-guided 20 mm Gatling gun that can fire 4,500 rounds per minute and can be used as a last line of defense.
The destroyer is equipped with a 5-inch 127 mm gun in the bow, allowing it to engage surface targets such as Iranian fast attack craft.
The Central Communications Agency did not say what weapons were used to thwart Thursday’s attack on Iran. But President Trump gave a colorful explanation of how the missile and drone were shot down.
“A missile was fired at our destroyer and it was easily shot down. Similarly, a drone also flew in and was incinerated in the air. It fell into the sea very beautifully, like a butterfly falling into a grave!” he posted.
