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 Iran Ajr, 1986 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Iran | |
| Name | Iran Ajr |
| Builder | Teraoka Shipyard - Minamiawaji, Japan[1] |
| Christened | Arya Rakhsh[1] |
| Acquired | by purchase, 1978 |
| Renamed | Iran Ajr (1980) |
| Identification | IMO number: 7807196 |
| Fate | Seized and scuttled by U.S. Navy, 26 September 1987 |
| Notes | Originally acquired byImperial Iranian Navy as part of pre-1979 Revolution defense build-up. Was intended to be the first of a class of four. |
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Type | Landing ship/Minelayer |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 53.85 m (176 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 10.81 m (35 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion | 2 × diesel engines, 2 screws |
| Speed | 11knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Complement | 30 |
| Armament |
|
Iran Ajr (Persian:ایران اجر,lit. 'Iran Gift'), formerly known as theArya Rakhsh, was a Japanese-builtlanding craft used byIran to laynaval mines during theIran–Iraq War.[3] Built in 1978, the 614-ton, 54-meter ship was powered by twodiesel engines and featured a bow ramp for unloading cargo. She wasscuttled in 1987.
On 21 September 1987, U.S. forces involved inOperation Prime Chance – the covert part ofOperation Earnest Will, the mission to protect U.S.-flaggedpetroleum-carrying ships in thePersian Gulf – trackedIran Ajr and dispatchedUnited States Army helicopters from theUnited States Navyguided-missile frigateUSS Jarrett (FFG-33) to shadow her. When the aviators reported that people aboardIran Ajr were layingmines, the U.S. commander in the Persian Gulf ordered the pilots to "stop the mining." The helicopters fired on the ship, killing some of the crewmen and chasing others into the water.[citation needed] A team ofUnited States Navy SEALcommandos later boarded the ship, confirmed the presence of mines, and detained the 26 surviving Iranians.[4]
Rear AdmiralHarold Bernsen said later that the detainees "were given the opportunity to seekpolitical asylum. I think that was stated in Washington." Bernsen was "not actually present" when the offers were made by "an officer on my staff," whom he refused to identify. There were no State Department personnel present at the time, he said, but it was within his authority to make the offer in conformity with the policies of theUS Department of State. "I think it was done very simply, and very generously."[4]
On 26 September,EOD MU5 Detachment 5scuttled the ship ininternational waters.
When the U.S. Navy guided-missile frigateUSS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck a mine in the Persian Gulf in April 1988, U.S. Navy explosive ordnance specialists matched the serial numbers of nearby unexploded mines to the ones aboardIran Ajr. This evidence of Iranian involvement in the mining ofSamuel B. Roberts led to the biggest surface-warfare naval battle sinceWorld War II, the retribution campaign of 18 April 1988 calledOperation Praying Mantis.[3]
The capturedcolors ofIran Ajr are in theU.S. Navy Museum.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1987 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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