Frigate Reportedly Failed Exocet Test
A frigate of the Stark class failed a test last week to defend itself against sea-skimming missiles like the Exocet that damaged the Stark on May 17 and killed 37 sailors, Administration sources said Wednesday.
In an exercise involving several classes of ships in the Caribbean-Puerto Rican operations area, the frigate failed several times to detect and defend with complete success against drones simulating the Exocet missile, said the sources, who requested anonymity. The vessel, not identified, is in the frigate class that includes the Stark.
In last week’s simulated attack, the radars of other ships, including Spruance-class destroyers and Aegis-class cruisers, successfully spotted the drones and “defended” against them.
However, one source said that only the radar of the frigate’s rapid-fire Phalanx gun failed to detect the drones. He said that the frigate’s other radar detection systems spotted and tracked the drones but that overall, the frigate “did not do too well” compared to the other ships, the source said.
No comment could be obtained from the Navy.
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