18 Iranian Fast Boats and 2 Submarines Surround USS Lincoln – US Navy’s Response Terrified Tehran

At precisely 2:34 p.m. on February 18, 2026, a tense scenario unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz, just 22 miles from the Iranian coast.

Eighteen fast attack craft surged forth from three Iranian naval facilities, their white wakes trailing behind them like spokes of a wheel as they accelerated to a staggering 45 knots.

This formidable fleet comprised ten Swedish-built Bogammer speedboats, four custom-built IRGC attack craft armed with Chinese C-802 anti-ship missiles, and four lighter vessels equipped with Iranian Nasser-1 short-range missiles and RPGs.

The Iranian strategy was clear: create a surface swarm designed to overwhelm U.S. defenses while simultaneously deploying two Gadier-class mini submarines lurking silently beneath the waves, each carrying torpedoes aimed at the USS Abraham Lincoln’s hull.

In essence, the IRGC was executing a dual-layered assault, unaware that both components of their plan were already being monitored by American forces.

The decision to launch this simultaneous attack stemmed from hardliners within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, who believed that mathematical saturation could breach the American defense systems.

Tensions had been escalating for weeks, marked by aggressive maneuvers from Iranian patrol boats, laser harassment of American helicopters, and inflammatory rhetoric from Tehran about closing the Strait.

The IRGC perceived vulnerability in the Lincoln strike group, operating in confined waters and presenting what they calculated as an exploitable target.

The surface element of their strategy was deliberately chaotic.

The 18 boats, launching from three different locations, were not meant to operate in a coordinated formation; instead, they aimed to create targeting chaos.

The ten Bogammer craft, capable of high speeds and armed with heavy machine guns and RPGs, were trained for suicide attacks if necessary.

The larger IRGC attack craft, armed with C-802 missiles, were designed for a sea-skimming approach, while the smaller boats carried short-range missiles and unguided rocket pods for close-range saturation.

This tactical concept exploited challenges in engaging fast-moving, numerous small targets, as Aegis radar systems prioritize threats based on size, speed, and trajectory.

A swarm of small boats moving erratically from multiple vectors would force the combat system to continuously recalibrate engagement priorities.

Even if 90% of the boats were destroyed, a couple could still launch enough ordinance to cripple the carrier’s flight deck.

Meanwhile, the two Gadier-class mini submarines were positioned for a lethal strike.

These domestically produced submarines were optimized for shallow water operations, capable of running nearly silent at low speeds.

Each submarine carried two 533 mm torpedoes, capable of delivering a devastating blow to the carrier if they struck amidships.

The submarines had departed Bandar Abbas at 4:30 a.m., running submerged in the thermocline layer to evade sonar detection.

They spent ten hours creeping toward the patrol area, waiting for the surface attack to commence, following a strategy known as the “hornet and scorpion” approach—where the hornets distract from above while the scorpions strike from below.

The IRGC believed the math was on their side; the 18 boats would force the carrier strike group to expend defensive missiles on surface targets, allowing the submarines to close in and launch their torpedoes.

However, unbeknownst to the Iranian commanders, their operational security had failed hours before the attack.

A P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft had detected unusual submarine activity when the Gadier submarines departed under the cover of darkness.

Their diesel snorkels emitted distinctive thermal signatures that were visible to infrared sensors, and the submarines had been continuously tracked by sonar buoys deployed from MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.

The fast boats’ simultaneous launch triggered automated alert protocols, and satellite imagery confirmed their mass fueling operations.

The Lincoln strike group was not caught off guard; it was preparing to execute a pre-planned response to an expected provocation.

At 2:34 p.m., 18 contacts appeared on the AN/SPY-1D radar displays aboard the USS Lake Champlain, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser providing air defense for the strike group.

Classification was immediate; high-speed surface craft were converging toward the carrier, forming a classic swarm doctrine.

As the tactical picture developed, the officer of the deck keyed the 1MC announcing system, ordering general quarters.

All hands were called to battle stations as sailors rushed to secure doors, don helmets, and prepare for the imminent threat.

Within 90 seconds, the ship transitioned to maximum defensive readiness.

Eight miles ahead of the carrier, destroyers USS Stetham and USS Porter maneuvered into blocking positions, their five-inch guns trained on the incoming contacts.

Hovering 3,000 feet above, eight AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the USS Baton spread into a defensive arc, each armed with Hellfire missiles and ammunition.

The Vipers had launched 20 minutes earlier when the boats first appeared on long-range radar, and the pilots monitored thermal displays showing the Iranian boats as bright white signatures against the cooler water.

As the boats drew closer, sailors on the Lincoln’s bridge could see them clearly through binoculars, their Iranian flags waving in the wind.

At 6 miles, the communications officer transmitted a warning on the international maritime distress frequency, urging the Iranian vessels to alter their course or face defensive measures.

However, the boats continued their approach, closing the distance to 5 miles.

At this point, the tactical displays indicated that the 18 contacts had formed an almost perfect circle around the carrier, tightening their grip like a noose.

As the lead IRGC attack craft turned beam onto the Lincoln, hostile intent was confirmed when its missile launcher rotated toward the carrier.

While chaos built above, the two Gadier submarines remained silent and undetected below the surface.

Gadier 1 was just four nautical miles from the Lincoln, already at an ideal torpedo firing range, while Gadier 2 was even closer at 3 miles.

Inside Gadier 1, the Iranian captain was oblivious to the danger, believing they were invisible amidst the surface chaos.

However, an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter had deployed an acoustic fence, detecting the faint sounds of the diesel engines and propellers from the Gadier submarines.

Meanwhile, the USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, had been shadowing the Iranian submarines for six hours, its passive sonar arrays tracking every movement.

At 2:42 p.m., the tactical action officer on the Lincoln made the call that transformed defense into offense: “All stations, weapons free, engage surface and subsurface threats.”

The eight Viper helicopters dove toward the Iranian boats, unleashing Hellfire missiles in a series of deadly strikes.

The lead IRGC attack craft was hit first, exploding in a fireball that sent debris soaring into the air.

Subsequent missiles targeted the nearest Bogammer boats, obliterating them before they could react.

On the destroyers, the five-inch guns opened fire, creating water spouts around the fleeing Iranian vessels, while the close-in weapon systems engaged any boats that penetrated within 2,000 meters.

The sound of gunfire was deafening as boats disintegrated under the relentless barrage.

Below the surface, the USS North Dakota fired two Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes at Gadier 1, which struck with devastating precision, flooding the submarine and breaking its back.

Gadier 2 attempted an emergency dive but was too late; an MH-60R dropped a Mark 54 lightweight torpedo, marking the end of Iran’s second submarine.

In a mere 90 seconds, 14 surface boats were destroyed, four damaged and fleeing, and two submarines lay at the bottom of the Strait.

The water surrounding the Lincoln was littered with debris and oil slicks, marking the aftermath of a decisive engagement.

As the carrier strike group resumed formation, the USS Abraham Lincoln maintained its course without deviation, demonstrating a powerful message of resilience.

At 2:58 p.m., F/A-18E Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning II fighters launched from the Lincoln, turning toward the Iranian coastline in a pre-planned strategic operation.

Electronic warfare aircraft flooded Iranian air defense radars with jamming signals, rendering their systems ineffective.

In rapid succession, American aircraft struck Iranian radar sites and naval facilities, systematically dismantling Iran’s coastal defenses and military capabilities.

The strikes were precise and devastating, leaving Iranian naval facilities in ruins and crippling their ability to operate in the region.

By the time American aircraft returned to the Lincoln, the mission had lasted just 36 minutes, with zero American losses reported.

The IRGC’s attempt to swarm the carrier had backfired spectacularly, resulting in a catastrophic defeat for Iran.

The encounter underscored a critical lesson: attempting to swarm a carrier strike group does not create a tactical dilemma; it creates a target-rich environment for the U.S. Navy.

In the aftermath, three Iranian fast boat crew members were rescued and revealed that they had been misled about American rules of engagement, believing the U.S. would not fire unless first provoked.

This fundamental misunderstanding had led them into a disastrous confrontation, showcasing the stark difference between Iranian and American military doctrines.

The events of that day demonstrated that in modern naval warfare, chaos can be a weapon—but it can also cut both ways.

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