Navy Ships Near Iran Use Weapons Developed After USS Cole Attack 25 Years Ago

U.S. Navy destroyers enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports carry weapons that exist because of a devastating terrorist attack more than two decades ago. In October 2000, suicide bombers in a small boat attacked the USS Cole while it was refueling in Yemen's Aden Harbor, killing 17 American sailors and nearly sinking the destroyer.

The Cole attack exposed dangerous vulnerabilities in U.S. warship design. Modern destroyers used lighter construction materials to save money and improve fuel efficiency, but this made them more vulnerable to attacks. The high-tech ship's defenses were not designed to handle small, fast-moving threats like suicide boats.

After the Cole bombing, the Navy developed new close-in weapons systems specifically designed to defend against small boat attacks. These weapons are now standard equipment on the destroyers currently operating near Iranian waters.

A federal judge later found that Iran helped Al-Qaeda establish its Yemen network and supported the training that made the Cole attack possible. The connection adds significance to the fact that ships equipped with Cole-inspired defenses are now facing off against Iranian forces.