The Attack Of The Iranian Navy Lst, Iran Ajr:  21 September 1987
Mission #3:  
September 21. The Iran Ajr has been detected laying mines. Locate and 
destroy the Iranian vessel.

Background:  The USS Guadalcanal and Jarret were deployed to an area 
nearby the Iran Ajr. The Iranian vessel was laying mines at a location 
north of Qatar and about 50 miles northeast of Bahrain. The U.S. had 
tracked the vessel to this point and sent in two U.S. ships. OH-6 light 
attack helicopters were being used in the tracking. They were equipped 
with forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) and passive light intensification 
devices. The Jarret had dispatched two OH-6s to move in closer. From a 
distance of about 500 meters, the helicopters visually confirmed that the 
Iran Ajr was still laying mines. The OH-6 pilots were given permission to 
attack. They opened up on the Iran Ajr with their 2.75 inch rockets and 
their 7.62 mm guns. Five crewmen died and the ship was in shambles soon 
after firing began. Twenty-six prisoners were taken from the Iranian 
vessel by U.S. Navy SEAL teams sent from the Guadalcanal. The Iran Ajr was
blown up the next day.
