A U.S. Navy surveillance ship had a close encounter with an Iranian navy frigate in the Middle East, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
The frigate came within 150 yards of the USNS Invincible on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, just south of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The gulf separates Oman from southeastern Iran.
The encounter was deemed “unprofessional” but not unsafe because the frigate was on a parallel course with the Invincible at the point of closest approach.COMMENT: Described encounter would have an Iran Navy Alvand or Moudge class frigate responding to a Stalwart class tracking ship.
Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) frigates in the Persian Gulf operate from Bandar Abbas, IRIN 1st Region and HQ; while USNS Invincible currently operates from Bahrain, home of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
USNS Invincible is oufitted to perform surveillance activities, functioning as a “missile range instrumentation ship” capable of collecting ballistic missile launch data over 2000 km away. The vessel is equipped with a dual S- and X-band Gray Star radar which is tasked and serviced by USAF. The S-band acquires and tracks a potential target while the X-band collects signature data. [source: bellingcat].
During the week of the encounter, Iran had issued a NOTAM for the Semnan area and publicized test firing of a S-300PMU2 long range SAM system. Prior to that, IRIN had been involved in Velayat 95 naval exercises in the Persian Gulf.
File photos for vessel or vessel types are as follows:
USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24) Stalwart class tracking ship
Moudge class guided missile frigate (FFGH)
Iranian development of Alvand (Vosper Mark V) class
Foreground: Alvand (Vosper Mark V) class frigate (FFG)
Photos:
Tabatness
Mahdi Marizad at Fars News Agency
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