Iranian Civilian Aircraft Missile Shot by US Warship (Iran Air - 655)

 The Iran Air Flight 655 tragedy was the shooting down of an Iranian civilian commercial airliner by the United States warship USS Vincennes over the Persian Gulf on July 3, 1988. This tragic incident killed all 290 passengers and crew, including 66 children and infants.

illustration

Brief Chronology of Events

Flight Route: The Iran Air Airbus A300 took off from Bandar Abbas, Iran, bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Gulf Conflict: At the time, the Persian Gulf situation was tense due to the Iran-Iraq War. The USS Vincennes was engaged in a firefight with Iranian military speedboats.

Mistaken Identification: The USS Vincennes crew detected the aircraft through its Aegis radar system but mistakenly identified it as an Iranian F-14 Tomcat fighter jet preparing to attack.

USS Vincennes

Missile Execution: The captain of the USS Vincennes, William Chapel Roger III (Capt. Will Rogers), ordered the missile launch. A US warship fired two RIM-66 Standard MR (SM-1MR) surface-to-air missiles, instantly destroying the aircraft in mid-air over the Strait of Hormuz.

 RIM-66 Standard MR (SM-1MR) surface-to-air missiles

Impact and Aftermath

Losses: A total of 290 people died, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history.

The majority of victims were Iranian citizens (254), followed by citizens of the United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Yugoslavia, and Italy.

Debris of Iran Air Flight 655

United States Position: The US government expressed deep regret for the loss of civilian life, but never issued a formal apology for the military action.

Compensation: Through a 1996 settlement at the International Court of Justice, the US agreed to pay $61.8 million in compensation to the families of the Iranian victims.

The sinking of HMS Sheffield (D80)

 The sinking of HMS Sheffield (D80) on May 4, 1982, was one of the most shocking moments of the Falklands War, marking the first time a British warship had been sunk by enemy attack since World War II.

On the morning of May 4, two Argentine Super Étendard fighter jets detected the British task force. They flew low to avoid radar and fired two AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles from a range of approximately 20 miles.

One of the missiles struck HMS Sheffield amidships just above the waterline. The missile's explosion (or its remaining fuel) created a large hole and ignited a massive fire that quickly spread across the deck.

The impact damaged the water main, preventing the crew from effectively fighting the fire. Thick, black smoke enveloped the ship, forcing Captain James "Sam" Salt to give the order to abandon ship after four hours of battling the blaze.

A total of 20 crew members were killed in the initial attack, most of them in the galley and computer rooms, while 26 others were injured.

While awaiting evacuation by the HMS Arrow, the surviving crew members legendaryly sang "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from the Monty Python film to boost their morale.

Although they survived for several days, the HMS Sheffield ultimately sank on May 10, 1982, in a storm while being towed by the HMS Yarmouth to South Georgia.

This loss forced Britain to change its air defense tactics and recognize the serious threat posed by Argentina's French-made Exocet missiles.

These missiles also sank the British logistics ship Atlantic Conveyor on May 25, 1982, during the Falklands War.

The sinking of HMS Coventry (D118)

 The sinking of HMS Coventry (D118) on May 25, 1982, was one of the most dramatic events of the Falklands War. The Type 42 destroyer sank in just 20 minutes after being attacked by Argentine fighter jets.

Here is the chronology and details of the incident:

Decoy Mission: HMS Coventry was stationed north of Falkland Sound alongside the frigate HMS Broadsword to act as early detection and decoy aircraft to draw Argentine aircraft away from the main fleet in San Carlos Bay.

Air Attack: On the afternoon of May 25—Argentina's national day—two waves of A-4 Skyhawk jets attacked from the mainland. Flying very low over the ground, the ships' radars had difficulty locking on to their targets with their Sea Dart missiles.

A-4 Skyhawk Argentina

Technical Problems: During the second wave, HMS Broadsword had a chance to lock on to its target with its Sea Wolf system, but the maneuvering HMS Coventry suddenly found itself directly in the line of fire, causing the Broadsword's system to lose target lock.

illustration

Bomb Hit: Three 1,000-pound bombs struck the ship's port side. Two of the bombs exploded, destroying the forward operating and engine rooms, causing massive, uncontrolled flooding.

Sinking: As a result of the catastrophic damage, the ship immediately listed and capsized. Nineteen crew members were killed (some sources say 20-21) and 30 others were injured.

Evacuation: Approximately 280 crew members were rescued by HMS Broadsword and helicopters in the freezing waters of the South Atlantic.

The loss of HMS Coventry occurred on the same day as the Atlantic Conveyor, known as "Black Tuesday" in the Royal Navy.

The world's first aircraft carriers

 The world's first aircraft carriers can be categorized based on their evolving functions, ranging from modified versions of other ships to ships designed specifically to carry aircraft.

Here are some milestones in the history of the world's first aircraft carriers:

Hōshō (Japan): The world's first ship designed and built specifically from the outset as an aircraft carrier (not a modified version), and was successfully commissioned in December 1922. Although the British began construction on a similar ship earlier, the Japanese completed it faster.

HMS Argus (England): The first aircraft carrier to feature a full-length flat deck, allowing aircraft to take off and land freely. This ship entered service in September 1918, but was modified from an unfinished merchant ship.

HMS Hermes (England): The first ship designed specifically as an aircraft carrier from scratch (its keel was laid in 1918), but due to various tests and budget constraints, it was not officially commissioned until 1924, after Hōshō.

USS Langley (United States): The US Navy's first aircraft carrier, commissioned in March 1922. It was converted from a coal carrier called the USS Jupiter.

The carrier was sunk in the waters around Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia, by Japanese bombers on February 27, 1942.

The Zumwalt-class destroyers are the most advanced and expensive warships

 The Zumwalt-class destroyers are the most advanced and expensive warships ever built by the United States, specifically for destroyers.

Stealth design: These ships have a unique shape with sharp angles and a tumblehome hull designed to reflect radar. To enemy radar, these giant ships appear as small as fishing boats.

Armament: Currently, the Zumwalt-class destroyers are undergoing a major upgrade to install hypersonic missile launchers (missiles that travel at 5x the speed of sound) after the original gun system was deemed too expensive to operate.

Only 3 built: Due to the cost escalating to an estimated $8-$9 billion per ship, the US Navy has cut production from an initial plan of 32 to just 3.

The three ships in this class are:

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000)

USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001)

USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002)

Giant Dimensions: Although called a destroyer, it is much larger than a standard Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, measuring 185 meters in length.

Development and Production Phases:

1. Development Phase (1990s – 2000s)

Initial Concept (1990s): Began as the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st Century) program, which later evolved into the DD(X) project to create a next-generation destroyer with a focus on land attack and stealth technology.

Budget Approval (2005): The DD(X) program received funding approval to enter the construction phase.

Official Naming (2006): The U.S. Navy officially named this class of ship the Zumwalt (DDG-1000).

2. Production and Construction Phase

Production takes place at General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine:

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000): Construction commenced (keel laid) in February 2009, launched in October 2013, and commissioned on October 15, 2016.

USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001): Construction commenced in September 2009, launched in May 2014, and commissioned in January 2019.

USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002): Construction commenced in April 2012 and completed in November 2021.

3. Modernization Phase (current)

Although in production, these ships continue to undergo functional changes. Starting in 2023, the U.S. Navy began dismantling their outdated gun systems to replace them with hypersonic missile launcher tubes, which are scheduled to begin sea trials in 2027 or 2028.

Send feedback