In the early hours of a seemingly routine day in the Southern Persian Gulf, a dramatic and dangerous confrontation unfolded that would test the mettle of the USS Nitsa, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
At 2:51 a.m., an Iranian anti-ship missile was launched from a civilian cargo vessel, disguised as a routine fishing boat, positioned 22 nautical miles south of the Iranian island of Abu Musa.
This unexpected attack marked a significant escalation in tactics employed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who had cleverly concealed their missile launch capability within the commercial shipping traffic of the Gulf.
The missile, identified as a C802, was airborne before American intelligence could classify the source as a threat, leaving the USS Nitsa with a narrow window of just 3 minutes and 40 seconds to respond.
The vessel that launched the missile had been operating in the area for 11 days, seamlessly blending into the background of commercial activity, broadcasting a commercial AIS identifier registered to a legitimate fishing company.
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This tactic of using a civilian vessel as a launch platform represented a fundamental shift in the threat landscape, complicating the intelligence picture for the U.S. Navy.
Traditionally, Iranian anti-ship missile threats had fixed locations, easily monitored by satellite and patrol aircraft.
However, the modified DAO, which displaced 400 tons and blended in with countless other small craft operating in the Gulf, was virtually invisible to U.S. sensors.
As the missile launched, it skimmed the surface of the water, making it difficult for radar systems to detect and classify it in time.
The USS Nitsa’s A/SPY-1D radar picked up the missile contact just 9 seconds after launch, confirming it as a missile at 2:51:31 a.m.
By then, the commanding officer had only 2 minutes and 45 seconds to prepare for an intercept.
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The fire control systems were already engaged, and the electronic warfare suite was activated to jam the missile’s radar seeker.
At 2:52:41 a.m., the SM-2 missile solution was complete, and the commanding officer authorized the launch of an SM-2 Standard missile, which successfully intercepted the incoming threat at 2:53:41 a.m., just 48 seconds after the missile had been launched from the DAO.
The debris from the intercepted missile scattered across the water, and fortunately, no fragments reached the USS Nitsa.
However, the commanding officer now faced a critical decision regarding the launch platform, which was still broadcasting its commercial fishing identifier and remained visible on radar.
Under the laws of armed conflict and standing rules of engagement, the DAO was a legitimate military target.
The commanding officer had the means to engage—his ship was equipped with a 5-inch Mark 45 deck gun capable of striking the vessel from 13 nautical miles away, and he also had Tomahawk cruise missiles available in his vertical launch system.
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Yet, the situation was complicated by the appearance of three fast-approaching IRGC boats that emerged from behind Abu Musa Island, potentially to extract the crew of the DAO or to provide covering fire.
Faced with this dilemma, the commanding officer had to weigh his options carefully.
Engaging the DAO immediately could risk escalation, as the fast boats would witness the strike and may retaliate against the USS Nitsa.
On the other hand, waiting for higher authorization while the fast boats extracted the crew could allow the DAO’s personnel to scuttle the vessel, destroying evidence of its modification.
The Fifth Fleet Duty Commander provided the commanding officer with self-defense authorization, leaving the decision to engage or hold fire up to him.
Ultimately, the commanding officer opted for immediate action, choosing to engage the DAO with the Mark 45 deck gun at maximum range.
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The first round missed due to range estimation challenges, but subsequent rounds struck the DAO, igniting a fire that engulfed the vessel within seconds.
By 2:56 a.m., a secondary explosion occurred, likely from residual missile components or fuel, causing the DAO to break apart and sink within minutes.
As the three IRGC fast boats arrived at the scene, they found only burning wreckage and an oil slick.
After holding their position for a brief moment, they turned north and retreated toward Abu Musa Island, leaving the USS Nitsa to monitor their movements until they were safely within Iranian waters.
The aftermath of this incident sparked one of the most complex diplomatic and legal reviews conducted by the Fifth Fleet in over a decade.
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The central issue revolved around the DAO’s use of a fraudulent AIS identifier, which had been cloned from a legitimate fishing vessel, complicating the narrative of an unprovoked attack on a civilian boat.
The intelligence assessment concluded that the IRGC had successfully adapted to U.S. surveillance methodologies by embedding their launch platforms within commercial traffic, making them virtually undetectable.
The post-incident review recommended updates to radar parameters to improve detection of low-altitude targets in the Gulf’s cluttered environment.
The commanding officer’s decision to engage the DAO was ultimately deemed legally and operationally sound, as it prevented the potential loss of forensic evidence and further escalation of the situation.
As the wreckage was surveyed by Navy divers, definitive evidence of the modified launch rail was recovered, supporting the U.S. Navy’s position during subsequent discussions at the UN Security Council.
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The commanding officer of the USS Nitsa was awarded the Legion of Merit at the conclusion of his command tour, reflecting the significance of his decisive actions during this tense encounter.
Meanwhile, the sonar technician who first classified the missile contact, Second Class James Park, received commendation for his quick thinking and innovative approach, which had saved precious seconds in a critical situation.
In the end, the DAO sank with its crew, and no survivors were found during search operations.
The incident served as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of maritime threats in the Persian Gulf, as the IRGC was assessed to be operating additional modified commercial platforms.
