US Navy ships in Eastern Mediterranean intercept Iranian missiles

A high-ranking military official disclosed to reporters on Sunday that the USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) successfully intercepted between four to six ballistic missiles launched by Iran when the ships were underway in the eastern Mediterranean sea.

Both the USS Carney and USS Arleigh Burke are equipped with ballistic missile defense systems and are armed with Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors. However, it remains uncertain whether the SM-3 interceptors were employed during the interception of the Iranian missiles.

The presence of the USS Arleigh Burke in the Mediterranean is part of the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defense. Additionally, the U.S. has bolstered its defense capabilities with two Aegis Ashore batteries in Poland and Romania, aimed at intercepting ballistic missiles.