The US Naval Institute recalls the incident of the killing of 37 American military personnel and the wounding of others by an Iraqi air strike targeting their frigate as it was sailing in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987, during the Iran-Iraq war.
The institute posted a picture of the targeted frigate in a Twitter account on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the incident, saying, "In 1987, the Stark frigate was hit by two (French-made) Exhaust missiles fired by an Iraqi fighter, killing 37 American sailors and wounding 21 others. Iraq said the pilot had He made a mistake in the frigate, believing it was an Iranian carrier. "
#OTD in 1987, USS Stark (FFG-31) was hit by two Exocet missiles fired by an Iraqi fighter. 37 sailors were killed and another 21 were wounded. Iraq claimed the pilot mistook the frigate for an Iranian tanker. The crew's valiant damage control efforts saved the ship from sinking. pic.twitter.com/qrKkfGzr1j - US Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) May 17, 2020 |
The American General Staff then asked the Iraqi Air Force to interview the Iraqi pilot to demonstrate how he managed to deliver a devastating blow to the armored frigate, but the Iraqi government refused and was satisfied with compensation of $ 250 million.
The frigate was subsequently repaired in America and remained in the service of the US Navy until 2006, when it graduated from service.