Operation Praying Mantis

The Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burns after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58). The ship was hit by three Harpoon missiles plus cluster bombs.

The original finding aid described this photograph as: Country: Unknown Scene Camera Operator: Unknown Release Status: Released to Public

A U.S. Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder from attack squadron VA-95 Green Lizards aircraft dropping CBU-59 cluster bombs over Iranian targets in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) on 18 April 1988. VA-95 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 5 January to 3 July 1988.

A U.S. Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder from attack squadron VA-95 Green Lizards aircraft drops CBU-59 cluster bombs over Iranian targets in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) on 18 April 1988. VA-95 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 5 January to 3 July 1988.

An armed U.S. Navy LTV A-7E Corsair II from Attack Squadron VA-94 Shrikes is launched from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) during "Operation Praying Mantis" on 18 April 1988 in the Persian Gulf. VA-94 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) aboard the Big E for a deployment to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 5 January to 3 July 1988.

An aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS SAHAND burning after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58) in the Persian Gulf

Map Praying Mantis

This file is from U.S Navy’s premier newscast, Navy News This Week. It was aired on 30 April 1988, two weeks after Operation Praying Mantis.

An aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burning on 18 April 1988 after being attacked by aircraft of U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 11 in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58)

Map of the Praying Mantis operation showing the location of the city of Bandar Abbas and Sassan and Sirri, two iranian oilrigs which were destroyed while Operation Praying Mantis on April 18, 1988

USS Bagley (FF-1069) - Combat Operation Patch

The main building of the Iranian Sassan oil platform burns after being hit by a BGM-71 Tube-launched, Optically-guided, Wire-guided (TOW) missile fired from a United States Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The U.S. attack was part of Operation Praying Mantis which was launched after the guided missile frigate USS Samual B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck an Iranian mine on April 14, 1988.