Status: 12.12.2023, 11:58 a.m.
By: Jakob Koch
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Houthi rebels are taking on the pride of the U.S. Navy in the Red Sea: the USS Mason. The US warship has a special armament.
Washington – The situation in the Red Sea is currently tense. For days, the reports of attacked or hijacked merchant ships have not stopped. One of the world's most important shipping lanes runs along the coast of Yemen, leading to and from the Suez Canal in Egypt – and is therefore enormously important for global trade routes.
Now Houthi rebels have again directly attacked a tanker off the coast of Yemen. According to reports from the relevant regional command of the US military, the oil and chemical tanker "Strinda" was hit by a cruise missile. After the distress call of the "Strinda", the destroyer USS Mason rushed to help. The U.S. warship has state-of-the-art armament, such as special cannons that take their name from the Star Wars films.
| U.S. Warship: | USS Mason (DDG-87) |
| Ship class: | Arleigh Burke class |
| Commissioning: | April 9, 2002 |
| Eponym: | Ensign Newton Henry Mason (United States Navy officer) |
| Crew: | 32 officers, 350 enlisted men |
USS Mason in the fight against Houthi rebels: armament named after Star Wars films
Like the related USS Carney, which was also attacked by Houthi rebels, the guided-missile destroyer belongs to the so-called Arleigh Burke class. This is considered one of the most built classes of ships in the US Navy since World War II – the ships are the first US naval units to be designed according to the principles of stealth technology. They are mainly used in air defense, as is now the case in the Red Sea – but can also be used for attacks on land targets.
The main focus of the armament is on the so-called Phalanx MK 15 RAM short-range defense system. The automated cannon specializes in anti-ship missiles, air-to-surface missiles, aircraft, drones or small boats. Thanks to the characteristic barrel-shaped radar dome and automatic operation, U.S. Marines gave the system the nickname "R2D2" early on – a nod to the well-known droid from the Star Wars films. The system has been around in its basic form since the early 1970s. Other countries also use it – such as the British Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, as well as the military in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
The armament of the USS Mason in detail:
- Phalanx MK 15 RAM
- Vertical Launching System (VLS, 3x front, 8x rear)
- Torpedo Launching System (TLS) Mk 32 Mod 15
- 127 mm Naval-Lightweight-Gun L/62 Mk 45 Mod 4
- Machine Gun System (25 mm Autocannon Mk 38 Mod 1 Bushmaster)
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Warship USS Mason repeatedly in the focus of the Houthi rebels – several attacks
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have significantly expanded their arsenal of weapons in recent years. In the recent past, there have been repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea – and the US warships protecting them. It was not until the end of November that the USS Mason was in the crosshairs of the Houthis. Two missiles were fired from Yemen in the direction of the U.S. warship – but missed their target. The USS Mason had also come to the aid of an already hijacked tanker in this incident. A short time later, five armed men tried to break away with a speedboat. According to a CNN report, they have been pursued and arrested.
The USS Mason is located in the Red Sea. With its Star Wars cannons, the warship has a powerful weapon against the Houthi rebels on board. © IMAGO (2) / ZUMA Wire / agefotostock
Just recently, the U.S. Navy proudly announced that the USS Mason's sister ship, the USS Carney, had a 22-0 downstreak – referring to missiles and drones shot down in the style of a football game.