The USS Vincennes 'Accident'

I am saddened to report that it appears that in a proper defensive action by the USS Vincennes this morning in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian airliner was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz." -- US President Ronald Reagan, July 3, 1988In early July 1988, Iran had nearly completed an underground bunker that put its Chinese-built Silkworm missiles within range of any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, the bunker also concealed Iranian weapons from American reconnaissance.

As a precaution, an Aegis class cruiser, the USS Vincennes -- the most advanced anti-missile weapon in the American fleet -- is stationed in the Persian Gulf. To many experts, the presence of the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf was a disaster waiting to happen because such a battleship was not designed to operate on a ''lake''. Read full story