Reenlistments on the destroyer USS Kearney spiked after the ship first engaged with drones launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen, a senior Navy official said, according to Military Times.
The Carney, along with other guided-missile destroyers, shot down dozens of drones and missiles in the Red Sea in recent months protecting international shipping from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. When Carney shot down a missile believed to have been fired by the Houthis toward Israel in October, the urgency and importance of her warship's mission seemed to resonate with her crew. Kearny Captain Jeremy Robertson reportedly told Vice Admiral Brendan McClain, who once commanded the warship and is now the head of the Navy's surface forces: according to To military news.
“[Robertson] “Two days after the first engagement, he told me there were 15 reenlistment contracts on his desk,” McClain told Military Times. “I think this has something to do with the investments we’ve made.” [weapons tactics instructors], and the investments we have made in developing a fighting culture. ” (Related: Navy is on pace to miss recruiting targets despite encouraging December)
“Our nation's Sailors are incredibly energized by seeing their weapons systems operate as intended and succeed,” he added.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have attempted, and sometimes succeeded, to attack commercial ships. Missiles and drones have also been directed at U.S. Navy ships. The Houthis say they are targeting Israeli-linked vessels in response to the country's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but so far the attacks appear to be indiscriminate.
According to Military Times, experts and officers agree that the Navy's surface fleet is learning from the type and volume of engagements it is engaged in at a pace unprecedented in modern history. Destroyers have not participated in a major firefight since their support mission during the Vietnam War, said Jan Van Tol, a former forward-deployed warship commander and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. .
McClain did not say how the incident affected tactics or ongoing training, but added that the fleet was monitoring developments “very closely,” the newspaper reported. Ta.
The real battle continues. I will send BZ to both teams who played well. 🤝Until next year.
USS Carney (DDG 64) Hi!💥💥💥#GoNavy! #Always move forward#ArmyNavyGames2023 pic.twitter.com/zNrLqtN8TJ
— United States Navy (@USNavy) December 9, 2023
“War tactics instructors are involved in analyzing data from tapes from Kearney and other ships,” he said. “And we are looking very carefully at what we have to do in terms of profiles and radar adjustments. Do I have to?”
The fleet also struggles with the cost difference between expensive systems on destroyers that can shoot down cheaper drones and crude Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
“This is a combination we haven't seen before, and it certainly represents a new wrinkle,” says retired Vice. Admiral Robert Mallett, director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, told Military Times.
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