Reference Entry
USS STARK MISSILE ATTACK
On the evening of May 17th, 1987, the guided missile frigate USS Stark patrols the Persian Gulf during the long Iran–Iraq War, monitoring traffic in tense and crowded waters. An Iraqi aircraft approaches and launches two anti-ship missiles that strike the ship, causing fires and damage that kill dozens of sailors. In the chaos that follows, the crew fights to control the blaze, tend to the wounded, and keep the ship afloat in darkness and smoke.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
USS Stark missile attack
On the evening of May 17th, 1987, the guided missile frigate USS Stark patrols the Persian Gulf during the long Iran–Iraq War, monitoring traffic in tense and crowded waters. An Iraqi aircraft approaches and launches two anti-ship missiles that strike the ship, causing fires and damage that kill dozens of sailors. In the chaos that follows, the crew fights to control the blaze, tend to the wounded, and keep the ship afloat in darkness and smoke. The incident forces American leaders to examine rules of engagement, identification procedures, and the protection of surface ships against surprise air attack. It occurs in a period when the United States is steadily increasing its presence to safeguard neutral shipping and energy routes. The losses aboard the Stark on May 17th, 1987 remind policymakers and the public that even in conflicts where the United States is not a formal belligerent, its forces can suddenly find themselves under deadly fire.
Read the complete weekly DispatchTrackpads Source Register
