Two destroyers based in Rota, Spain — USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) and USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) — have entered the Mediterranean, joining three others already in the region. Ship spotters confirmed the departure of Paul Ignatius from Rota on Tuesday.
USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) were operating in the Eastern Mediterranean as of Monday, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker. These vessels are equipped with Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors capable of defending against ballistic missile threats.
The deployment follows increased missile activity from Iran, which began launching strikes on Israel on 13 June under Operation Rising Lion. On Friday, Iranian missiles targeted the cities of Haifa and Beersheba, with further impacts reported in Tel Aviv, Azor, and other central locations.
The U.S. destroyers Paul Ignatius, Oscar Austin, and Arleigh Burke form part of the Navy’s forward-deployed forces in Rota and are included in the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) for missile defence. The EPAA was established to protect European allies from potential Iranian ballistic missile threats.
In addition to the ships in the Mediterranean, two more U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers — USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) and USS Truxtun (DDG-103) — are currently operating in the Red Sea. These deployments expand the U.S. Navy’s missile defence reach across key regional waterways.
The U.S. used the SM-3 system in combat for the first time last year, successfully intercepting an Iranian ballistic missile, USNI News reported at the time. Israeli media have now reported that a U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran in recent days.
In the same period, an Israel-based U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery also intercepted incoming threats. The combination of naval and land-based defences reflects growing U.S. efforts to protect Israel and regional partners against Iranian missile attacks.
Source: USNI News.
