Article Summary: The USS Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carrier Strike Group is patrolling the Middle East, projecting power amid rising tensions with Iran. Tehran possesses long-range cruise missiles like the Soumar and Hoveizeh, which could target U.S. Navy ships.
Key Point #1 – These sea-skimming weapons pose a significant threat, but the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System, electronic warfare, and advanced missile defenses like SeaRAM and SEWIP Block III provide robust protection.
Key Point #2 – If Iran were to strike, the U.S. could respond with F-35C stealth fighters and precision strikes. With tensions high, the question remains: will Iran risk provoking an overwhelming U.S. counterattack?
Could Iran’s Carrier-Killer Missiles Threaten U.S. Navy Power?
Iran is always a source of instability in the Middle East. Whether it comes to funding terror groups or ordering its pesky navy to harass shipping, the Iranians seem to have a hand in everything when it comes to destabilizing the region.
Now, there is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group in the Middle East, and these ships are projecting power and keeping an eye on Tehran-inspired mischief.
The carrier and its flotilla are making sure that Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists are not firing missiles at Western shipping and American warships. How far could the United States push Iran? Could the Iranians launch their own carrier-killing missiles like the Chinese are able to do in East Asia?
USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group Wields a Big Stick
This will be up to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its support vessels to see if Iran wants to tangle.
The Truman strike group includes the USS Gettysburg cruiser, USS Stout destroyer, USS Jason Dunham destroyer, and other surface ships and submarines.
U.S. Navy carriers have been active in the Central Command area of operations since the October 7, 2023, terror attacks by Hamas against Israel.
Then, the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group was sent to the Mediterranean for a show of force in case a broader war sparked between Israel and Iran.
The Reach of Iranian Anti-ship Missiles
The Iranians have long-range cruise missiles that could be aimed at the Truman strike group, and they could target the American ships in the Eastern Mediterranean plus the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has the Soumar and the Hoveizeh cruise missiles. The Soumar has a range of more than 1,800 miles. The Hoveizeh is a variant of the Soumar and has a range of 839 miles. The Hoveizeh has an accurate inertial guidance system that could hit a moving ship. It reportedly can strike a target radius of three feet.
That may be overstated by the Iranians and a form of braggadocio, but it is safe to say that the missile is a threat to U.S. Navy carriers.
Sea-skimming Missiles Are More Difficult to Track
The Hoveizeh also skims low above the sea to avoid radar. This could be dangerous to the strike group. Usually, carriers operate a few hundred miles close to shorelines in order for their aircraft to be able to threaten land targets without refueling.
This would give the Iranian cruise missiles a chance to hit a ship.
The Soumar is a threat, too, and has been for at least 20 years. “The origin of the Soumar appears to be from the nuclear-capable Russian Kh-55. In 2005, Russia acknowledged that 12 Kh-55s [without nuclear warheads] were illegally sold to Iran in 2001 through a black market counterfeit operation,” according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
These two missiles require high levels of maintenance and upkeep, and Iran must have a modern launching system to target carriers and their escort ships. There is also the question of whether they can be produced domestically in numbers with enough to threaten a large contingent of civilian ships and military vessels.
The U.S. Navy Can Protect Itself Well
It is also unknown whether the Soumar is as accurate as the Hoveizeh. Can it hit moving targets? How precise is the guidance system? The carrier strike group escort ships have a highly effective and battle-tested Aegis Combat System that protects against enemy missiles, so the carrier is not defenseless.
Another way to foil Iranian missiles would be to use electronic warfare from EA-18G Growler jamming airplanes. This could spoof an incoming missile fired from Iran. There are other defensive options.
“US Navy DDG 51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers are now armed with lasers, improved range high-fidelity radar, upgraded interceptors and a new generation of more precise electronic warfare technology called SEWIP Block III.
Closer-in interceptors such as SeaRAM, Rolling AirFrame Missile, and Close-in-Weapons System have also been upgraded as well,” according to Warrior Maven.
F-35C Can Deliver a Payback Mission
If even one Iranian missile got through the protective umbrella and damaged or sunk an American ship, how would the U.S. Navy respond?
They would likely go with the F-35C carrier-launched stealth fighter jet. The F-35I Adir variant that Israel uses enjoyed a successful mission against Iranian military targets last fall, so this platform is battle-proven.
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Dec. 9, 2012) The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator taxies on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman is the first aircraft carrier to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. Harry S. Truman is underway supporting carrier qualifications.
The F-35C would need to be within 500 miles of the target before it would need to refuel. A more extended strike range would require in-air refueling and that would limit the level of stealthiness the F-35C enjoys. The Navy could also use the carrier-launched unmanned MQ-25 Stingray refueler drone.
Iran does have anti-ship missiles that could target carrier strike groups. However, there are many ways that the U.S. Navy has protection. The missiles could be jammed or shot down. Then the carrier could strike back with F-35Cs and follow on attacks with F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets.
ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 4, 2018) An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 sits on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman is deployed as part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters around the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rebekah A. Watkins/Released) 180704-N-UJ486-0313
The Americans should operate with high confidence that they can survive in the Middle East. There is always a chance of a missile launch, but the Iranian missiles would not be a showstopper and if even one got through the anti-missile screen to damage or destroy an American ship there would be a response from fighter jets to even the score.
Iran may not wish to push the U.S. Navy and create a counter-strike that could make a larger war. Look for carrier strike groups to continue their patrols in the Middle East with the intention that they can project power without any losses.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
