WASHINGTON -- For the second time in four days, the guided missile destroyer USS Mason responded today to an incoming missile threat while conducting routine operations in international waters off the Red Sea coast of Yemen, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
At about 6 p.m. local time today -- 11 a.m. EDT -- the ship detected at least one missile that officials assess originated from Houthi-controlled territory near Hudaydah, Yemen, Cook said in a statement. The ship employed defensive countermeasures, and the missile did not reach USS Mason, he added.
No Damage, Crew Safe
“There was no damage to the ship or its crew,” Cook said. “USS Mason will continue its operations. Those who threaten our forces should know that U.S. commanders retain the right to defend their ships, and we will respond to this threat at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.”
Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, USS Mason is deployed as part of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.