USS Stark Hit By Iraqi Exocets 17/18 May 1987

On the night of Sunday/Monday 17th/18th May 1987 the USS Stark, an American warship, was sailing in the Arabian Gulf northeast of Bahrain.
At around 10 pm it was hit by 2 Exocet missiles fired from an Iraqi aircraft. Thirty seven seamen died and twenty one were Injured.
In this video I tell the story from my perspective as an air traffic controller on duty at the time in the Bahrain Air Traffic Control Centre.

[@DJ-hn5yh]

My first cousins husband Randy was one of the 37 killed . It was horrific on his wife and our family . He left behind along with his wife a two year old daughter and a six month old baby boy he’d never met .

[@petercromarty]

I’m very sorry for your loss.

[@jg-kd5hy]

A ton.

[@jg-kd5hy]

I was on watch as AE.

[@jg-kd5hy]

Type me up. I was there and was on the USS Coontz DDG-40 and your story needs more detail.

[@LngThickHrd]

I was on the USS California CGN-36. The Stark relieved us from our mod and we proceeded too, then through the Suez.

[@danreed7889]

I wonder why the Iraqis would use a converted civilian aircraft?

[@petercromarty]

Hello Dan, my understanding is that the Mirage F1 didn’t have the range to reach targets at the far end of the Gulf, so the Iraqis had a Dassault Falcon converted to carry 2 Exocets. The Mirage only mounted 1.

[@danreed7889]

@@petercromarty thanks. Someone was thinking outside the box.

[@anthonykenneth.1780]

Coz they crazy just like that see how they messed their country.

[@danreed7889]

@@anthonykenneth.1780 Deep...