A still unidentified U.S. submarine on Tuesday sank an Iranian frigate, identified as the IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka as part of Operation Epic Fury. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said it was the first incident of an American submarine sinking an enemy vessel since the end of World War II.
The U.S. has not formally identified the submarine that sank the Iranian warship, other than to call it a “Fast Attack” submarine. That would indicate it wasn’t an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine.
Sources said the submarine used a Mark 48 torpedo that reportedly broke the frigate’s hull in half. More than 80 Iranian sailors were reportedly killed in the attack, with dozens reported missing, according to reports.
It was only the fourth time a submarine sank a surface warship since the end of World War II.
On Dec. 9, 1971, a Pakistani submarine, the PNS Hangor, sank an Indian frigate, the INS Khukri, during the Indo-Pakistani War. There were 194 casualties in what was the first sinking of a warship by a submarine since World War II.
On May 2, 1982, the HMS Conqueror launched a torpedo against an Argentine cruiser, the ARA General Belgrano, during the Falklands War. The 323 fatalities who were aboard the warship accounted for nearly half of all Argentine deaths during the entire conflict.
On May 26, 2010, a North Korean minisub sank the ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean cruiser, during the ongoing tensions between both countries. An international investigation, including by the U.S., confirmed the attack’s details. Pyongyang has deputed those findings, however.
