FoxtrotOscar
07-19-19, 11:18 AM
The Pentagon says that personnel on the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer knocked down an Iranian drone that came within a "threatening range" as the ship sailed through the volatile Strait of Hormuz (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/22577/iran-to-practice-blockading-strait-of-hormuz-as-saudis-say-mandeb-strait-is-no-longer-safe).
Subsequent reports said that a U.S. Marine Corps all-terrain vehicle with an anti-drone detection and jamming (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26067/uss-kearsarge-transits-the-suez-canal-with-anti-drone-buggies-keeping-watch-on-deck) system sitting on the ship's flight deck brought down the unmanned aircraft with an electronic warfare attack.
President Donald Trump was first to announce (https://news.usni.org/2019/07/18/uss-boxer-downs-iranian-drone-in-defensive-action) that Boxer had taken defensive action in the Strait of Hormuz during a press conference at the White House on July 18, 2019.
The Pentagon subsequently released a statement (https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1909776/statement-from-chief-pentagon-spokesperson-jonathan-hoffman-on-uss-boxer/) regarding the incident. The amphibious assault ship, which is carrying elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was sailing in a convoy at the time that also included a Harpers Ferry class (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpers_Ferry-class_dock_landing_ship) dock landing ship, an Arleigh Burke class (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/22138/the-navy-may-use-one-hull-design-to-replace-its-cruisers-and-some-destroyers) destroyer, and the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities), a highly specialized vessel the War Zone has profiled in-depth (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12402/the-navys-gargantuan-new-sea-base-is-on-its-way-to-the-middle-east) in the past. A Henry J. Kaiser class (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_J._Kaiser-class_replenishment_oiler) underway replenishment oiler was also present for at least a portion of the voyage.
The first-in-class USS Harpers Ferry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Harpers_Ferry_(LSD-49)) was likely the dock landing ship that was sailing with Boxer as that ship is presently assigned to the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (https://news.usni.org/2019/07/18/uss-boxer-downs-iranian-drone-in-defensive-action).
Puller, one of the Navy's main anti-mine warfare (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/10235/naval-mines-are-a-growing-threat-near-the-mandeb-strait) platforms, which is capable of supporting MH-53E Sea Dragon (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities) mine-sweeping helicopters, is permanently deployed (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities) to the Middle East region.
Subsequent reports said that a U.S. Marine Corps all-terrain vehicle with an anti-drone detection and jamming (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26067/uss-kearsarge-transits-the-suez-canal-with-anti-drone-buggies-keeping-watch-on-deck) system sitting on the ship's flight deck brought down the unmanned aircraft with an electronic warfare attack.
President Donald Trump was first to announce (https://news.usni.org/2019/07/18/uss-boxer-downs-iranian-drone-in-defensive-action) that Boxer had taken defensive action in the Strait of Hormuz during a press conference at the White House on July 18, 2019.
The Pentagon subsequently released a statement (https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1909776/statement-from-chief-pentagon-spokesperson-jonathan-hoffman-on-uss-boxer/) regarding the incident. The amphibious assault ship, which is carrying elements of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was sailing in a convoy at the time that also included a Harpers Ferry class (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpers_Ferry-class_dock_landing_ship) dock landing ship, an Arleigh Burke class (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/22138/the-navy-may-use-one-hull-design-to-replace-its-cruisers-and-some-destroyers) destroyer, and the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities), a highly specialized vessel the War Zone has profiled in-depth (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12402/the-navys-gargantuan-new-sea-base-is-on-its-way-to-the-middle-east) in the past. A Henry J. Kaiser class (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_J._Kaiser-class_replenishment_oiler) underway replenishment oiler was also present for at least a portion of the voyage.
The first-in-class USS Harpers Ferry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Harpers_Ferry_(LSD-49)) was likely the dock landing ship that was sailing with Boxer as that ship is presently assigned to the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (https://news.usni.org/2019/07/18/uss-boxer-downs-iranian-drone-in-defensive-action).
Puller, one of the Navy's main anti-mine warfare (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/10235/naval-mines-are-a-growing-threat-near-the-mandeb-strait) platforms, which is capable of supporting MH-53E Sea Dragon (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities) mine-sweeping helicopters, is permanently deployed (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19907/the-navys-giant-sea-base-is-in-the-middle-east-and-could-get-serious-medical-capabilities) to the Middle East region.