Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea fired a dozen missiles Tuesday to help Israel defend itself from an Iranian barrage, but no San Diego-based ships were involved in the fighting.
The independent U.S. Naval Institute reported that the Norfolk-based USS Bulkeley and Rota, Spain-based USS Cole launched the missiles.
Navy officials did not say what types of missiles were used, but the destroyers are armed with a variety of interceptors stored in vertical launch tubes below the warships’ decks.
Two San Diego-based destroyers — the USS Spruance and USS Stockdale — were in the Red Sea, and the ships of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group were in the Gulf of Oman during the Iranian attack, the Naval Institute reported.
Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state in retaliation for Israel’s decimation of the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon in recent days. Early reports are that all incoming missiles were destroyed or were allowed to strike safe areas.
“During the attack, the U.S. military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary.
Initial indications, Ryder said, are that there was minimal damage on the ground and Israel was able to defend itself against the Iranian attack successfully.
“Israel has very significant air defense capabilities, and the U.S., of course, played a role in helping on that front as well,” he said.
Ryder also said that no U.S. personnel were injured or harmed during the Iranian missile attack.
