http://m.greenwichcitizen.com/technology/businessinsider/article/The-US-Navy-had-90-seconds-to-defend-itself-when-9970098.php
The US Navy had 90 seconds to defend itself when Iranian-backed
militants fired on them off Yemen
Alex Lockie, provided by
Published 4:54 pm, Thursday, October 13, 2016
Thomson Reuters
At about 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday in the Bab-al-Mandab Strait
between Yemen and Eritrea, the USS Mason, a guided missile destroyer,
detected an incoming missile.
The ship's Aegis Combat System, an advanced radar and fire control
system spotted the thread as it zoomed towards the ship.
“You have about 90 seconds from saying ‘yes, that’s a missile” to
launching an interceptor missile, one US official told Stars and
Stripes.
And that's exactly what the commanding officer of the Mason did.
“We actually saw an explosion,” an official involved with the
operation told Stars and Stripes.
However, the sight of massive US Navy destroyers equipped with the
powerful radar has always been enough to deter such attacks in the
past. The SM-2 interceptor missile fired by the Mason on Wednesday was
likely the first combat use seen by the US Navy ever.
That night, the US responded to the missile fire from
Houthi-controlled Yemen, and fired a salvo of Tomahawk cruise missiles
that obliterated the radar sites that had been active during the
attempt on the USS Mason.
The incident, while highly dangerous and destabilizing, proves that
the Navy can trust their systems, equipment, and commanders to make
the right choice.
Received on Fri Oct 14 2016 - 20:19:25 EDT