Earnest Will - Bridgeton Incident

DATE: 15/01/2025

TIME (GMT): 19:00

ERA: Cold War

MAP(S): Persian Gulf

TYPE: COOP

GAME: DCS

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Chewie

SLOTS: 15 / 20

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RATING: (1)

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On the very first escort mission, on 24 July 1987, the Kuwaiti oil tanker al-Rekkah, reflagged as the U.S. tanker MV Bridgeton and accompanied by US navy warships, struck an Iranian underwater mine planted some 20 miles (32 km) west of Farsi Island the night earlier by a Pasdaran special unit, damaging the ship, but causing no injuries. Bridgeton proceeded under her own power to Kuwait, with the U.S. Navy escorts following behind to avoid mines.

The operation was widely publicized, and American reporters aboard another ship in the convoy immediately issued reports about the incident, claiming it had "played into Iran's plan". Iran's Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi called it an "irreparable blow to America's political and military prestige", and said that it was the "invisible hands [of God]" that hit the US-flagged ship, and expressed hope that the U.S. Congress would put an immediate end to the Administration's plan. The Congress was critical of the re-flagging policy, but still didn't have a united position on the issue.

It was an unforeseen development. The commander of the task force admitted that in spite of intelligence warnings, no one had thought it necessary to check the route for naval mines, and it was soon brought out that not only did the U.S. not have any minesweepers in the Persian Gulf, it did not have any easily accessible minesweepers at all. The 555th Fighter Squadron was deployed to protect the MV Bridgeton while the minesweepers where deployed. The Pentagon would deploy Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) with eight minesweeping SeaStallion helicopters, five oceangoing minesweepers, and six small coastal minesweepers—dramatically increasing U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf, and increasing the probability of an Iran–U.S. confrontation. U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger indirectly provoked Iran to retaliate.

Expected enemy forces are:
- Aircrafts with Short Range and Long Range Capabilities;
- Anti-Air Units on Enemy Territory;
- Aircrafts with Anti-Ship Missiles;

Objetives:
- Defend and Escort the Navy.
- Protect MV Bridgeton at all costs.