On 2th October 1992, 11 minutes past midnight, during the NATO’s Display Determination ’92 naval exercise, two Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles fired accidentally from the aircraft carrier CV-60 USS Saratoga, hit the bridge of the Turkish destroyer DM-357 TCG Muavenet. 5 sailors[1] including the commander of the ship were killed instantly and 15 badly hurt. A fire broke out on board. At the time of the incident two ships were 3 miles apart and were streaming north in the Aegean. The damage to the old ship was extensive. She was not useable anymore therefore she was decommissioned right away. Later US gave Knox class FFG-1093 USS Capodanno as compensation.
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After this article was published at mavi Boncuk two US Sailors add comments.
"I was a sailor on BNS Westdiep in 1992 and on duty on the night the Muavenet got hit by the Sea Sparrows. As a signalman I was assigned to the rescue-party. We set out in a RIB to Muavenet with three people: the doctor, the boatsman of the RIB and myself. We were the first to reach Muavenet, way before the Americans. The doc and myself got on the rear deck of Muavenet and were astounded by the sight of things. We transported one hurt Turkish sailor to our ship (WESTDIEP) from where he was transported to the Saratoga for further care. I will never forget what happened that night. We were on duty on the bridge when we heard two loud bangs and saw two missiles light up the sky. I remember our CO cursing. I hope the wounded sailors were able to recover."
"I was stationed on the USS Saratoga in Va-35 and was standing on the flight deck that night when the missiles were fired. It's still seems ridiculous that it was even possible.Horrible tragedy."
[1] Commander Kudret Güngör, Ensign Alertunga Akan, Petty Officer 3th Class Serkan Aktepe, Sergant Mustafa Kılınç, Private Recep Akan.
See also: Lest We Forget: DM-357 TCG Muavenet
Mavi Boncuk | TCG Muavenet Incident
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During the fall of 1992, the United States, Turkey, and several other NATO members participated in "Exercise Display Determination 1992," a combined forces naval exercise under the overall command of Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda of the United States Navy. The forces of participating nations were assigned to either of two multinational teams. Vice Admiral T. Joseph Lopez of the United States Navy led the "Brown Forces," which included Saratoga. The opposing "Green Forces," including the Turkish destroyer minelayer TCG Muavenet (DM-357), former USS Gwin (DM-33), were under the direct control of Admiral Kroon of the Netherlands.
During the "enhanced tactical" phase of the training exercises, the Brown Forces were to attempt an amphibious landing at Saros Bay in the Aegean Sea against the resistance offered by the Green Forces. Admiral Boorda ordered the units comprising each force to actively seek and "destroy" each other. Both task force commanders had full authority to engage the enemy when and where they deemed appropriate and to use all warfare assets at their disposal to achieve victory. Needless to say, all confrontations were intended to be simulated attacks.
On 1 October 1992 the Combat Direction Center Officer aboard Saratoga decided to launch a simulated attack on nearby opposition forces utilizing the Sea Sparrow missile system. After securing the approval of Saratoga's Commanding Officer and the Battle Group Commander, Rear Admiral Philip Dur, the Combat Direction Center Officer implemented the simulated assault plan. Without providing prior notice, officers on Saratoga woke the enlisted Sea Sparrow missile team and directed them to conduct the simulated attack. Certain members of the missile firing team were not told that the exercise was a drill, rather than an actual event.
As the drill progressed, the missile system operator used language to indicate he was preparing to fire a live missile, but due to the absence of standard terminology, the responsible officers failed to appreciate the significance of the terms used and the requests made. Specifically, the Target Acquisition System operator issued the command "arm and tune," terminology the console operators understood to require arming of the missiles in preparation for actual firing. The officers supervising the drill did not realize that "arm and tune" signified a live firing. As a result, shortly after midnight on the morning of 2 October, Saratoga fired two live Sea Sparrow missiles at Muavenet. The missiles struck Muavenet in the bridge, destroying it and the Combat Information Center, killing and injuring most of the Turkish ship's officers and scrapped. Navy officials have recommended that the captain of the aircraft carrier Saratoga and seven other officers and sailors be disciplined for the missile firing that killed five Turkish sailors.
Three other ships of the Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri (the Turkish Navy) have been named TCG Muavenet. The name means "support"; the later ships were named in honor of the first.
* The first Muavenet was an Ottoman torpedo boat that sank the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Goliath during the Battle of Çanakkale of World War I.
* The second Muavenet was previously HMS Inconstant (H49), a destroyer ordered by Turkey to be built in England, but delayed in delivery by World War II.
* The most recent Muavenet (F-250) was previously USS Capodanno (FFG-1093), and was given to Turkey by the United States Navy as restitution for wrecking the previous Muavenet.
After this article was published at mavi Boncuk two US Sailors add comments.
"I was a sailor on BNS Westdiep in 1992 and on duty on the night the Muavenet got hit by the Sea Sparrows. As a signalman I was assigned to the rescue-party. We set out in a RIB to Muavenet with three people: the doctor, the boatsman of the RIB and myself. We were the first to reach Muavenet, way before the Americans. The doc and myself got on the rear deck of Muavenet and were astounded by the sight of things. We transported one hurt Turkish sailor to our ship (WESTDIEP) from where he was transported to the Saratoga for further care. I will never forget what happened that night. We were on duty on the bridge when we heard two loud bangs and saw two missiles light up the sky. I remember our CO cursing. I hope the wounded sailors were able to recover."
"I was stationed on the USS Saratoga in Va-35 and was standing on the flight deck that night when the missiles were fired. It's still seems ridiculous that it was even possible.Horrible tragedy."
[1] Commander Kudret Güngör, Ensign Alertunga Akan, Petty Officer 3th Class Serkan Aktepe, Sergant Mustafa Kılınç, Private Recep Akan.
See also: Lest We Forget: DM-357 TCG Muavenet
Mavi Boncuk | TCG Muavenet Incident
During the "enhanced tactical" phase of the training exercises, the Brown Forces were to attempt an amphibious landing at Saros Bay in the Aegean Sea against the resistance offered by the Green Forces. Admiral Boorda ordered the units comprising each force to actively seek and "destroy" each other. Both task force commanders had full authority to engage the enemy when and where they deemed appropriate and to use all warfare assets at their disposal to achieve victory. Needless to say, all confrontations were intended to be simulated attacks.
On 1 October 1992 the Combat Direction Center Officer aboard Saratoga decided to launch a simulated attack on nearby opposition forces utilizing the Sea Sparrow missile system. After securing the approval of Saratoga's Commanding Officer and the Battle Group Commander, Rear Admiral Philip Dur, the Combat Direction Center Officer implemented the simulated assault plan. Without providing prior notice, officers on Saratoga woke the enlisted Sea Sparrow missile team and directed them to conduct the simulated attack. Certain members of the missile firing team were not told that the exercise was a drill, rather than an actual event.
As the drill progressed, the missile system operator used language to indicate he was preparing to fire a live missile, but due to the absence of standard terminology, the responsible officers failed to appreciate the significance of the terms used and the requests made. Specifically, the Target Acquisition System operator issued the command "arm and tune," terminology the console operators understood to require arming of the missiles in preparation for actual firing. The officers supervising the drill did not realize that "arm and tune" signified a live firing. As a result, shortly after midnight on the morning of 2 October, Saratoga fired two live Sea Sparrow missiles at Muavenet. The missiles struck Muavenet in the bridge, destroying it and the Combat Information Center, killing and injuring most of the Turkish ship's officers and scrapped. Navy officials have recommended that the captain of the aircraft carrier Saratoga and seven other officers and sailors be disciplined for the missile firing that killed five Turkish sailors.
Three other ships of the Türk Deniz Kuvvetleri (the Turkish Navy) have been named TCG Muavenet. The name means "support"; the later ships were named in honor of the first.
* The first Muavenet was an Ottoman torpedo boat that sank the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Goliath during the Battle of Çanakkale of World War I.
* The second Muavenet was previously HMS Inconstant (H49), a destroyer ordered by Turkey to be built in England, but delayed in delivery by World War II.
* The most recent Muavenet (F-250) was previously USS Capodanno (FFG-1093), and was given to Turkey by the United States Navy as restitution for wrecking the previous Muavenet.