Editing Anti-ship missile (section)

====2016 attacks off the coast of Yemen====
On 9 October 2016, {{USS|Mason|DDG-87|2}}, operating near the [[Bab-el-Mandeb]] strait, was targeted by two missiles fired from Houthi-controlled territory. Both missiles fell short and crashed into the water.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/09/us-navy-ship-uss-mason-targeted-in-failed-missile-attack-from-yemen.html |title=US Navy ship targeted in failed missile attack from Yemen |website=CNBC|date=9 October 2016 |access-date=9 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-10/missiles-fired-from-yemen-target-u-s-navy-ship-in-failed-attack|title=Missiles Fired From Yemen Target U.S. Navy Ship in Failed Attack|publisher=Bloomberg|date=10 October 2016|access-date=10 October 2016}}</ref> The Houthi insurgency denied launching the attack on the warship.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/yemen-us-navy-targeted/|title=Yemen: Missiles target U.S. warship, Pentagon says|last1=Browne|first1=Ryan|last2=Crawford|first2=Jamie|date=10 October 2016|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=10 October 2016}}</ref> The [[United States Naval Institute]] reported that ''Mason'' fired two [[RIM-66 Standard|SM-2 Standard]] missiles and one [[RIM-162 ESSM]] missile to intercept the two missiles, and deployed her [[Nulka]] missile decoy. One of two U.S. defense officials cited anonymously added that it was not clear whether the incoming missiles had been shot down or crashed into the water on their own.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2016/10/11/uss-mason-fired-3-missiles-to-defend-from-yemen-cruise-missiles-attack|title=USS Mason Fired 3 Missiles to Defend From Yemen Cruise Missiles Attack|last=LaGrone|first=Sam|website=USNI News|publisher=U.S. Naval Institute|date=11 October 2016|access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> This marked the first recorded instance of ship-based [[anti-air]] missiles being fired from vertical launching cells in combat in response to an actual inbound missile threat.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Navy Successfully Thwarts Attack With First Engagement of Missile Defense System |url=http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/u-s-navy-successfully-thwarts-attack-with-first-engage-1787678550 |publisher=Foxtrot Alpha |date=11 October 2016 |access-date=13 October 2016}}</ref>

On 12 October 2016 {{USS|Mason|DDG-87|2}} was again targeted by missiles fired from Yemeni territory, while it was operating in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.<ref name="2nd attack">{{Cite web|url=https://news.usni.org/2016/10/12/pentagon-respond-appropriate-manner-new-missile-attack-uss-mason-yemen|title=Pentagon Pledges to Respond in 'Appropriate Manner' After New Yemen Missile Attack on USS Mason|last=LaGrone|first=Sam|date=12 October 2016|website=USNI News|publisher=U.S. Naval Institute|access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> ''Mason'' was not hit by the two missiles, which were fired from near the southern Yemen city of [[Al Hudaydah]].<ref name="2nd attack" /> While the Navy was not certain whether the first incoming missile was intercepted or instead just fell into the sea, officials said ''Mason'' successfully intercepted the second missile at a distance of about {{convert|8|mi}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/aegis-defense-system-helped-stop-missile-attack-on-uss-mason-1.433974|title=Aegis defense system helped stop missile attack on USS Mason|last=Copp|first=Tara|publisher=Stars and Stripes|date=13 October 2016|access-date=15 October 2016}}</ref> marking the first time in history a warship destroyed an inbound anti-ship missile with a [[Surface-to-air missile|SAM]] in actual self-defense. On 13 October 2016, the U.S. attacked three [[radar]] sites in Houthi-held territory which had been involved in the earlier missile attacks, with [[Tomahawk (missile family)|cruise missiles]] launched from ''Nitze''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-missiles-idUSKCN12C294|title=U.S. military strikes Yemen after missile attacks on U.S. Navy ship|last=Stewart|first=Phil|publisher=Reuters|date=12 October 2016|access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> The Pentagon assessed that all three sites were destroyed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37639565|title=Yemen conflict: U.S. strikes radar sites after missile attack on ship|work=BBC News|date=13 October 2016|access-date=13 October 2016}}</ref>

On 15 October 2016, {{USS|Mason|DDG-87|2}} was targeted in a third attack by Houthi rebels based in Yemen, by five anti-ship [[cruise missile]]s while operating in the [[Red Sea]] north of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. ''Mason'' fired a radar [[decoy]], an [[infrared]] decoy, and several [[SM-2 Standard]] missiles in response, either neutralizing or intercepting four of the five incoming missiles. The Navy reported the fifth incoming missile as neutralized by a radar decoy launched from ''Nitze'', after ''Mason'' alerted her to the threat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/11/03/four-ship-crews-receive-combat-action-ribbon|title=Four ship crews receive Combat Action Ribbon |last=Ziezulewicz|first=Geoff|date=3 November 2017|website=Navy Times|access-date=10 November 2017}}</ref>