VIDEO: USS Thunderbolt Fired Warning Shots at Iranian Patrol Boat to Protect U.S. Guided-Missile Cruiser Vella Gulf

July 25, 2017 11:34 AM - Updated: July 25, 2017 3:15 PM
Iranian ship intercepts USS Thunderbolt (PC-12) on July 25, 2017. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated with a statement from U.S. 5th Fleet on the Tuesday incident.

A Cyclone-class patrol craft warded off an Iranian patrol boat that was approaching a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser on Tuesday in the Persian Gulf, a Navy official told USNI News.

USS Thunderbolt (PC-12) fired “multiple warning shots” after an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Nassar-class patrol boat came within 150 yards of the patrol craft and one nautical mile of nearby cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG-72). The incident occurred at about 10:20 A.M. local time, or about 3:20 A.M. EST, according to video of the encounter obtained by USNI News.

“We are operating in the Northern Arabian Gulf,” said a watch stander on the cruiser.
“We have zero one IRGCN Nassar WOP one nautical mile off our stern bearing one eight zero degrees relative. [General Quarters] one has been set.”

Thunderbolt was operating with two Coast Guard cutters and a U.S. Army logistics vessel in a screen around Vella Gulf as part of a U.S.-only exercise when the formation was approached by the Iranian PC, the official said.

“The Iranian vessel made a close approach to coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt (PC-12), getting within 150 yards. The Iranian vessel did not respond to repeated attempts to establish radio communications as it approached,” according to a statement from U.S. 5th Fleet provided to USNI News on Tuesday afternoon.
Thunderbolt then fired warning flares and sounded the internationally recognized danger signal of five short blasts on the ship’s whistle, but the Iranian vessel continued inbound. As the Iranian vessel proceeded toward the U.S. ship, Thunderbolt again sounded five short blasts prior to firing warning shots in front of the Iranian vessel. After the warning shots were fired, the Iranian vessel halted its unsafe approach… The Iranian vessel’s actions were not in accordance with the internationally recognized COLREGs ‘rules of the road’ nor internationally recognized maritime customs, creating a risk for collision.”

USS Thunderbolt (PC-12) recovers a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) during a trilateral exercise between the U.S., Kuwait and Iraq on March 15, 2017. US Navy Photo

Iraq and Kuwait navy assets were operating nearby but were not involved in the encounter. It’s unclear how close the incident came to two Iraqi offshore oil terminals, Khor Al Amaya and Al Başrah, a U.S. official told USNI News.

The incident follows a late-night encounter in June in which an Iranian Houdong-class guided-missile boat came within 800 yards of a formation of amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5), guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG-67) and dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11). The Iranian missile boat harassed the formation with a searchlight and a laser.

In March, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol boat stopped short in front of the surveillance ship USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24).

In January, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) fired three warning shots to ward off four armed IRGCN attack boats coming at the ship at high speed.

Separate from the regular Iranian Navy, the IRGCN answers directly to the sectarian leadership of Iran and often violates maritime laws and standards, according to both the U.S. and U.K. Since 2007 the group has controlled Iran’s coastal defense.

The following is the complete statement from U.S. 5th Fleet on the incident provided to USNI News.

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval vessel conducted an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a U.S. Navy ship during a coalition exercise in the international waters of the Arabian Gulf, July 25.

The Iranian vessel made a close approach to coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt (PC 12), getting within 150 yards. The Iranian vessel did not respond to repeated attempts to establish radio communications as it approached. Thunderbolt then fired warning flares and sounded the internationally recognized danger signal of five short blasts on the ship’s whistle, but the Iranian vessel continued inbound. As the Iranian vessel proceeded toward the U.S. ship, Thunderbolt again sounded five short blasts prior to firing warning shots in front of the Iranian vessel. After the warning shots were fired, the Iranian vessel halted its unsafe approach.

The Iranian vessel’s actions were not in accordance with the internationally recognized COLREGs “rules of the road” nor internationally recognized maritime customs, creating a risk for collision.

Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.
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