USS Stark
USS Stark (FFG-31) was a frigate missile launcher of the US Navy of the class Oliver Hazard Perry . In 1987, it was touched by 2 Iraqi missiles Exocet the May 17th 1987 during the Guerre Iran-Iraq, killing 37 sailors.
This frigate was the only American ship named in the honor of the admiral Harold Rainsford Stark (1880-1972).
Ordered to the building sites Todd with San Pedro in California on January 23rd, 1978 like element of the program of financial year 78, the Stark was launched on May 30th, 1980 and brought into service on October 23rd, 1982. Disarmed on May 7th, 1999, the Stark was stored on standby service with the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility with Philadelphia before being reinforced by the Subway Corp Machine. of Philadelphia the October 7th 2005.
The Stark was deployed within the American force of the the Middle East in 1984 and 1987. The ship was touched the May 17th 1987, by 2 missiles anti-ship Exocet fired by a Mirage F1 Iraqi during the Guerre Iran-Iraq. The hunter had taken off of the base of Shaibah to 20:00 and had stolen towards the south in the Persian Gulf. Little time after, in a routine way, being detected by the frigate in the neighborhoods of 22:10, the hunter fired two Exocet missiles. The frigate did not detect the missiles and was thus struck by both per surprise. The first penetrated the hull by port side. Its load did not explode but the missile spread fuel ignited on its passage. The second missile penetrated about at the same place, left a notch of 4 meters out of 3 in the hull then exploded in the districts of crew. Thirty seven sailors were killed and 21 wounded.
In spite of fire, the taken again crew the situation under control during the night. The ship turned over to Bahrain then to its home port to Mayport to Florida, by its own means. The ship was repaired at the building sites naval Ingalls in the the Mississippi for 142 million dollars.
It was the most fatal event of US Navy in times of peace before the explosion of a turret of shooting on USS Iowa.
As the United States and Iraq were not in war, this attack was not authorized. According to Iraqi authorities, the pilot who attacked the Stark was not punished. Certain official American believes that it was carried out but the journalist Robert Fisk, in his book the Great War for civilization questioned old ordering Iraqi air forces which indicated to him that the pilot was always in life.
The Stark was then integrated into the fleet of the Atlantic in 1990 before turning over in the Middle East in 1991. It was attached to the UNITAS in 1993 and taken share with the operation Support Democracy and the operation Able Vigil in 1994. In 1995, it still turned over within the Naval force of the Middle East before being used again in the Atlantic in 1997 and 1998.
The Stark was disarmed the May 7th 1999.
External bonds
- Photographs of the '' Stark '' damaged
- Host page for pdf version off carryforward: Inquire into the circumstances of the attack of the USS Stark in 1987
- US Navy' S Damage Control Museum page into the USS Stark
- navsource.org: USS '' Stark '' (FFG-31)
- Information on the operation Earnest Will
- MaritimeQuest USS Stark FFG-31 page