An unidentified US submarine torpedoed and sunk the IRIS Dena, an Iranian Navy frigate, off the coast of Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, a US Navy submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian Navy warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
This is the first such attack by a US submarine since World War II, highlighting the intensity of the conflict with Iran.
“Quiet Death”: Pentagon Celebrates Submarine Sinking
An unidentified US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka on Tuesday night.
According to Sri Lankan officials, nearly 80 Iranian sailors have been rescued from the sea, while approximately 100 remain missing. The Sri Lankan Navy responded to a distress call from the Iranian frigate and commenced a rescue operation.
The Iranian warship found itself abroad for exercises when Operation Epic Fury began. Overall, the Iranian Navy has taken a serious battering in the conflict, losing more than 10 vessels thus far.
The Pentagon has emphasized that one of Operation Epic Fury’s main objectives is the complete destruction of the Iranian Navy as a central objective of Operation Epic Fury. And apparently, there is no geographical restriction to that aim.
“Yesterday in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a news conference on Wednesday morning. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo—quiet death—the first sinking of an enemy ship by a [US] torpedo since World War II.”
Department of War 🇺🇸 on X: “https://t.co/Wc1e0B0um7” / X
The Department of Defense released unclassified footage showing the attack. The Mk 48 heavy torpedo struck the Iranian warship in the aft, lifting it in the air and causing catastrophic damage. The torpedo, however, did not detonate the ship’s magazine.
“Like in that war—back when we were still the War Department—we are fighting to win,” Hegseth said.
America’s Mk 48 Heavy Torpedo Did the Sinking
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine verified that the attack was carried out by an unnamed fast-attack submarine using an MK 48 heavy torpedo.
The Mk 48 is a heavyweight acoustic-homing torpedo designed to sink surface combatants, merchant vessels, and submarines. The torpedo packs a sophisticated sonar, an all-digital guidance and control system, a digital fusing system, and a robust propulsion system.
- Year Introduced: 1972
- Number Built: Unknown (likely thousands)
- Length: 19 ft (5.8 m)
- Weight: 3,700 lb (1,680 kg)
- Diameter: 21 in (530 mm)
- Engines: Swash-plate piston engine
- Top Speed: 65 mph (104.6 km/h)
- Range: Depends on speed; ~31 mi (50 km) at lower speeds
- Armaments: 650 lb (295 kg) high explosive warhead
Submarines Have Seen Other Action Since World War II
This might be the US Navy’s first sub kill since World War II, but not the first overall since the greatest war in history. There have been two other sub kills since 1945.
In May 1982, during the Falklands War, the Royal Navy nuclear submarine HMS Conqueror launched three Mark 8 torpedoes at ARA General Belgrano, an Argentine light cruiser, and the flagship of the Argentinian Navy. The ship sank, taking with it 323 of its 1,100-member crew.
Later, in 2010, a North Korean midget submarine sank the South Korean corvette ROKS Cheonan, killing 46 sailors.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
