650 kilometers away, a direct hit! Iran claims to have destroyed a U.S. ship refueling, with both ships' decks on fire!
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed that they successfully launched a missile and hit a U.S. destroyer conducting refueling operations in the deep Indian Ocean, 650 kilometers from the coastline. Even more astonishing details are that at the time, the U.S. destroyer was connected alongside a supply ship, and the missile not only directly hit the target but also caused fires on the decks of both warships simultaneously.
If this news is true, it would be a milestone event in modern naval warfare; if it's just a "smokescreen," it would still be a highly psychologically impactful information warfare act.
This time, Iran specifically named the "Qader-380" missile. According to publicly available technical parameters analysis, its improved version indeed claims a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, and it emphasizes strong resistance to electronic interference. A strike distance of 650 kilometers—what does this mean in modern naval warfare? Generally speaking, the effective range of most subsonic anti-ship missiles is between 200 to 300 kilometers. To strike targets over 650 kilometers away, either supersonic ramjet engines are required or cruise missiles like the "Qader" with mid-course guidance and terminal maneuverability are needed.
More importantly, Iran claims the missile hit the U.S. ship "while it was refueling." Those familiar with naval operations know that horizontal refueling is one of the most vulnerable moments for a fleet. Two large ships sailing side by side, limited speed, almost no maneuverability, and fuel lines full of highly volatile fuel—once on fire, the consequences would be unimaginable.
If Iran truly has the capability to accurately identify and strike moving targets in such specific conditions at this distance, it indicates that their long-range reconnaissance system (possibly drones, satellites, or an embedded intelligence network) and data links have become quite mature.
But is the situation really as "definitive" as Iran claims? As far as we know, the U.S. Pentagon has not confirmed any warship in the Indian Ocean being attacked in this way, nor has it admitted to any ship catching fire or sustaining damage. Dao Ge thinks that if such an incident occurred, professional military media like the U.S. Naval Institute would immediately track and report on it. Such events cannot be concealed.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858705977208972/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.