“60 Drones, 27 Attack Boats, and Hidden Submarines: The 12 Minutes That Nearly Sank U.S. Warships in the Strait of Hormuz.lh

Twelve sea-skimming projectiles streaked toward the American destroyers. Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) launched in response, intercepting most of the threats mid-flight.

One missile slipped closer than the rest—just 800 meters from its target—before being obliterated in a last-second burst from a Phalanx gun. Its warhead detonated harmlessly hundreds of meters away, though the shockwave rattled hull and crew alike.

Five minutes into the engagement, the surface and air assault was collapsing. Dozens of drones destroyed. Nearly all fast attack craft eliminated.

Then came the chilling report from sonar: “Torpedo in the water.”