The Red Sea has long been a strategic hub where global trade and regional politics intersect, but over the last year, it has taken on an even more dangerous mandate—a battlefield of real combat. When missile and drone attacks began targeting both warships and merchant ships, the U.S. Navy was dragged into one of the most intense sea battles in recent years. The climax of this tense environment was the USS Carney, a destroyer that would soon be a footnote in history.
The scope of the danger soon became apparent. There were over a hundred known cases of Red Sea and surrounding waters ships being attacked within a matter of months. More than sixty countries’ ships were affected, their cargoes and crews in jeopardy between the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. International shipping was severely affected. Container shipping was doubled in cost or higher, and most shipping firms steered clear of ships sailing around the southern extremity of Africa, weeks out of the way and tens of millions of dollars in fuel and operating expenses.
This was not usual piracy and harassment; this was a new age of war. For the first time in history, anti-ship ballistic missiles were being employed to attack not just military targets but also civilian ones. While most of the drones and missiles were lost or did not work, some of the ships were badly damaged, and worse, lives were lost. Even for those who were lucky enough not to be physically hurt, the threat of instant, high-tech attack made every journey tense and under strain.
When the USS Carney arrived in the region, the crew anticipated a standard deployment. That was broken on October 19, 2023, when the vessel was abruptly detonated by a vicious barrage. Cries of orders on the decks and on short notice, chaos erupted as the crew powered up their defense systems to save their lives and the ship with it. Within ten nail-biting hours, the Carney effectively took down fifteen drones and four cruise missiles. The Navy later referred to the battle as the most heated action the destroyer had seen in decades.
The crew’s professionalism and training were the watchwords. Under stress and adrenaline, they remained committed to safety and effectiveness. On the eve of deployment’s end, the Carney had spent over half a century at combat, intercepting drones, cruise missiles, and even ballistic threats before they could strike. The commanding officer spoke highly of the crew’s talent and resilience, attributing this to the record-breaking dependency that they had upon one another in such unfriendly conditions.
Carney’s task was a part of an even larger international effort to protect strategic sea lanes. Over two dozen nations sent ships into the region to blanket it with combined task groups. American Navy destroyers, aircraft carriers, and coalition warships worked together to detect and engage danger and, oftentimes, attack weapons sites ahead of them. This gigantic campaign shot down hundreds of enemy drones and missiles and required gargantuan logistics and ammunition support.
Engagement rules were modified as the operation wore on. Initially, the coalition focused on interdicting threats moving toward. Subsequent attacks on merchant vessels garnering international media attention heightened the coalition’s focus. Coalition forces targeted the enemy launch sites, supply points, and other weaknesses to dissuade further assault. The enemies responded with haste, however, modifying refueling operations and reallocating weapons.
Naval patrols seized deliveries of advanced missile components and drone pieces to reduce the likelihood of further attacks. The Yemen war remained in the background during these operations. Despite reduced ground fighting, however, the underlying regional imperatives for Red Sea attacks persisted. No peace talks were anticipated, but the humanitarian catastrophe still affected millions of Yemenis, with shortages of food crippling communities, and economic devastation putting them in difficult positions. To the men of Carney, this deployment was much more than they could have ever dreamed.
A few had enlisted in the belief that they would be kept busy with routine patrols, but found themselves firmly in the midsof a rmidst ofly expanding and vastly perilous war zone. Over time, though, they came to see that what they were doing was not simply guarding the ship itself, but guarding important avenues of trade and protecting thousands of lives in the process.
These lengthy operations were tiresome. The constant pace, together with the strain on crew and ship, necessitated rest, retraining, and maintenance. The crew sailed home tired but in good spirits after having survived ria storm previously experienced, which contributed to a new chapter in naval warfare in the modern age.
Ultimately, the Red Sea deployment was a reminder of an eternal truth: even in today’s world, the world’s most critical shipping lanes remain vulnerable, and their protection demands talent, adaptability, and perseverance. The mission tested all aspects of readiness to their limits, but with faith, training, and common purpose, the Carney’s crew emerged victorious. What they have learned will determine future sea operations for years to come, providing insight into countering new threats on the world’s seas.
