According to Iran's official media audiovisual organization, IRIB, the U.S. Navy's amphibious assault ship LHA-7 "Tripoli," with a crew of 3,000 sailors, was subjected to a rapid barrage of missile launches from Iran.
After the attack, the "Tripoli" was forced to retreat deep into the southern Indian Ocean.
The ship carries nearly 1,700 marines.
The report did not specify the missile model. If struck by an Iranian-made anti-ship missile, the "Abu Mahdi," in the ship’s midsection, the hangar could suffer a secondary explosion, destroying all aircraft onboard. If hit by 2–3 missiles, the entire vessel might be rendered inoperable.
Based on the reporting tone, it appears the missiles did not hit the "Tripoli," yet still caused the assault ship to withdraw. In the event of an emergency turn, aircraft on the deck might be thrown into the sea.
The withdrawal means aircraft taking off from the deck will have a greater operational radius. Combined with the destruction of one refueling aircraft after another by Iran, this severely diminishes U.S. combat capability.
The carrier-based aircraft aboard the "Tripoli" include:
MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft
F-35B Lightning II fighter jets
CH-53K Super Stallion helicopters
UH-1Y Venom helicopters
AH-1Z Viper helicopters
MH-60S Seahawk helicopters
Even if the missiles missed their target, the withdrawal of the amphibious assault ship carries substantial significance for Iran.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861726305854471/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.