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| USS Stark incident | |
|---|---|
| Ship name | USS Stark (FFG-31) |
| Caption | USS Stark in 1983 |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States Navy |
| Operator | United States Navy |
| Builder | Bath Iron Works |
| Laid down | 27 March 1979 |
| Launched | 17 January 1981 |
| Commissioned | 18 September 1982 |
| Fate | Repaired and returned to service |
USS Stark incident The USS Stark incident was a 1987 attack on the United States Navy frigate USS Stark (FFG-31) by an Iraqi Air Force aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War. The engagement, which occurred in the Persian Gulf near Fujairah, resulted in significant damage, the deaths of 37 crew members, and international scrutiny involving the United States, Iraq, and regional actors. The event prompted inquiries within the Department of Defense and influenced subsequent United States Navy operational procedures and international maritime practice.
In the mid-1980s, the Iran–Iraq War transformed the Persian Gulf into a contested maritime zone involving the U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, and regional navies such as the Royal Saudi Navy and Kuwait Navy. The USS Stark (FFG-31) was deployed as part of United States Central Command operations supporting freedom of navigation near Strait of Hormuz and protecting merchant shipping during the Tanker War. The frigate, a Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, had participated in multinational exercises with forces including Carrier Battle Group, U.S. Sixth Fleet, and allied units from Australia, United Kingdom, and France. Rising incidents at sea, including attacks on merchant vessels and clashes involving Iraqi Air Force and Iranian Air Force aircraft, sharpened rules of engagement overseen by Commander, U.S. Central Command and Chief of Naval Operations.
On 17 May 1987, while on patrol approximately 120 nautical miles west of Fujairah and within the Persian Gulf but outside territorial waters, USS Stark was struck by two anti-ship missiles launched by an Iraqi Dassault Falcon-type aircraft operated by the Iraqi Air Force. The ordnance, identified as Exocet-style missiles or derivative MM-38 ordnance used by Iraq, impacted the starboard side amidships, penetrating the hull and igniting fuel and ordnance stores. The explosions damaged the flight deck, close-in weapon systems including Mk 29 Sea Sparrow launcher and Phalanx CIWS readiness, communication suites, and engineering spaces, leaving the vessel dead in the water until damage control teams restored limited power. Nearby assets, including USS Jarrett (FFG-33), USS Wainwright (CG-28), and allied surveillance platforms such as P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, vectored to the scene amid heightened tension involving CENTCOM and Naval Sea Systems Command.
The attack killed 37 sailors and wounded 21, creating a large-scale damage control and medical emergency aboard the frigate. Shipboard damage control parties implemented procedures learned from Damage Control Training and Navy Medicine protocols, using fire hoses, portable pumps, and emergency breathing apparatus while coordinating with embarked medical corpsmen and hospital ship contingency plans. Nearby U.S. Navy and allied units rendered assistance: helicopters from USS Independence (CV-62) and helicopter detachments aboard allied ships evacuated the seriously wounded to regional hospitals in Bahrain and Dubai. The United States Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force logistics elements supported aeromedical evacuation and materiel transfer. Salvage assessments were conducted by Naval Sea Systems Command and civilian contractors from Ingalls Shipbuilding and Sun Shipbuilding for repair planning.
A United States Navy board of inquiry convened under Judge Advocate General of the Navy procedures and coordinated with Department of Defense investigators to determine circumstances, identify failures, and assign accountability. The inquiry examined radar logs, action reports, tactical data from Link 11 networks, and witness testimony from embarked personnel and regional air traffic controllers. Findings cited lapses in situational awareness, constrained rules of engagement, and failures in identification of the approaching Iraqi aircraft by shipboard sensors and air controllers. Command-level responsibility resulted in nonjudicial actions and administrative reprimands for certain officers, while others were censured for deficiencies in watchstanding and tactical readiness. Iraqi government statements attributed the strike to misidentification amid active combat operations with Iran, leading to diplomatic exchanges mediated by U.S. Department of State and United Nations envoys.
The incident generated a diplomatic incident involving the United States, Iraq, and neighboring states, prompting demands for accountability and reparations. The United States Navy sought explanations and pursued compensation through bilateral channels; Iraq eventually offered an apology and indemnity measures. Congressional oversight hearings by the United States House Committee on Armed Services and United States Senate Committee on Armed Services examined rules of engagement and force protection, while international law questions engaged experts in Law of the Sea and UNCLOS interpretations regarding attacks on warships in international waters. The episode influenced U.S.–Iraq relations during the late 1980s and factored into broader Middle East diplomacy involving actors such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Iran.
In the aftermath, the United States Navy revised tactics, techniques, and procedures for force protection, including stricter sensor cross-cuing, enhanced identification friend or foe (IFF) protocols, and accelerated deployment of close-in weapon systems such as Phalanx CIWS and Sea Sparrow upgrades. Training programs at Naval War College, Surface Warfare Officers School, and Center for Naval Analyses incorporated lessons learned on threat recognition, damage control, and rules of engagement, influencing subsequent operations during Operation Earnest Will and Operation Praying Mantis. Changes also spurred procurement decisions affecting future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer systems and integration of Aegis Combat System capabilities across cruisers and destroyers to improve maritime domain awareness and defensive lethality.
Category:Incidents at sea Category:United States Navy