British and American naval forces came to the aid of a merchant ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz on June 4, after the vessel made a distress call claiming harassment by Iranian fast-attack boats.

The fast-attack boats were identified as belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.

At approximately 4:56 p.m. local time, the internationally flagged merchant vessel, sailing the narrow strait, reported an unsettling incident.

The civilian crew made a distress call, stating that three armed fast-attack crafts were closely following their vessel.

In response, the “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) and UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster (F 229) both received the distress call,” according to the press release. Acting on the distress call, HMS Lancaster launched a helicopter for surveillance, and the US 5th Fleet directed a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to keep watch over the unfolding situation.

An hour later, the situation started to deescalate when the merchant ship confirmed that the Iranian fast-attack crafts had left the area. Following the departure of the fast-attack crafts, the merchant’s vessel resumed its journey through the Strait of Hormuz without further ado.

This incident brings attention to the vital role that international naval forces play in maintaining safe and free navigation through global shipping lanes, in this case, the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz.

You can read more by clicking here.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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23 COMMENTS

      • Hi SB, I did suspect that maybe the USN weren’t publishing hi-res stills but the TI (Thermal imaging) systems I work on are HD quality.

        cheers
        Ian

        • I think it is a photo of the monitor too.

          That way there won’t be any embedded data or hints as to how it processed.

          I agree that thermal can be surprisingly good: in the right conditions.

        • Usually, the military has higher-spec digital imaging systems than what is being used in T.V post-production. It remains classified until they have higher resolutions to work with and then the technology is declassified and appears on the market.

          Currently, 16K ultra-wide (16320×2304-pixels) has come onto the market, so this will give you an idea of what might be available to them now!

          Years ago working for a post house in Germany, we had the first Silicon graphics Onyx computer installed which had to be cleared by the US to be used in Europe as they were concerned that the Russians would try to gain access to it (Steal) because of its processing speed (rendering).

          When we plugged it in for testing it had a virtual paper plane left behind in the software program which you could fly, an awe-inspiring 3D space station game, plus the ability to travel through a small town in a truck or fly over it and stop at will.

          If you think of planning to deliver a Tomahawk missile to a selected building as an example, you begin to get the picture of what this was being used for by the military.

          I spoke to a distributor from a company who shall remain nameless at a show (NAB) in Las Vagas three years ago who told me to double what we have now to get an idea!

    • Hmmm…intriguing how life is (loosely) imitating art (specifically, the novel ‘2034’) currently. The natives are becoming a little chippy in the Strait of Hormuz, while simultaneously, scum-sucking, slimeball ChiComs choose to play a game of chicken with a USN DDG in the Taiwan Strait, as well as buzzing a patrol a/c (possibly a P-8A) the previous week. Now I consider myself to be a fervent pacifist, up to a certain point. Live and let live, peaceful coexistence, and all that happy horses**t. But, there is also a point when it transforms into a wish that the opposition hangs a toe over the line, providing the perfect pretext to unload. Presume I would’ have made a less than ideal diplomat. 🤔😳😉

  2. I hope the Wildcat on HMS Lancaster has the full Martlett missile array and enough reloads to ruin the Iranian republican guards little piracy jaunts.

    • Do we know how many of the wildcats have been upgraded to support the wings for the martlett and associated gear to target and fire them?

      It would be interesting to know what went wrong with the concept to also add marlet to the ds30m guns of the various ships.

      • Umm…GB, time to chime in, definitely w/in your wheelhouse. Strictly a guess, nothing necessarily wrong, simply didn’t increase effective range to the degree desired. However, could be totally incorrect in assesment. 🤔

  3. So..my ten-penneth .

    Thermal imaging in the Gulf is an issue during the day. There are certain “windows” in the spectrum for TI to work in but these windows get degraded by water vapour, heat , haze and particulates . Currently its a balmy 35 Degs in the Gulf area where I am and there has been a lot of Haze and sand/dust in the air so TI pictures are understandably poor.

    Martlet on 30mm …I didnt hear anything but from a personal standpoint it probably didn’t deliver anything that wasnt already available on a T45/23. Rivers etc…maybe something extra.
    Medium range Guns at 8km will flatten and shred anything they engage
    Sea Ceptor anti surface capability was already proven in 2019( Though not really announced as such with a fleet wide software patch). So with T23 already having it, T45, T26 and T31 getting Sea Ceptor a med range anti Surface capability was/will be available. Wildcat can carry Martlet out to a far longer range and can avoid having to close the target being able to fly parallel. The 30mm is a 30mm but if its EO tracker , which is off mount, is directing a Martlet the EO tracker cannot do anything else. Martlet time of flight to max range would be 6-8 seconds ish plus locking it up, tracking and post hit assesment. The 30mm could mallet a lot more in that time.

    With 40mm and 57mm coming would it be worth the RN spending the extra cash for a capability that doesn’t bring that much to the table and what it does bring will be negated by 40/57mm guns.

    • Good assessment GB, most mil spec TI systems use the 8-12 micron range (Long wave infrared) as it has the best ability to “see” through the muck.
      cheers

      • Ian having just opened it on my work monitor (48” 8k) and not my phone, I suspect that was a higher altitude picture and “zoomed in”. Grainy doesn’t do the pixelation justice 😂

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