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On March 4, 2026, the United States confirmed that a U.S. Navy submarine sank the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena with a torpedo in international waters of the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka. The strike marks the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine has sunk a warship using a torpedo in combat.
The attack took place amid escalating military tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, with operations expanding across the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. According to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the submarine strike destroyed the Iranian frigate after it was targeted with a heavyweight torpedo.
IRIS Dena belonged to Iran’s Moudge-class frigates, a domestically produced warship designed for operations in the Persian Gulf and the wider Indian Ocean. The vessel was around 95 meters long, displaced roughly 1,500 tons, and carried Noor anti-ship missiles, Sayad surface-to-air missiles, and a 76 mm naval gun.
The torpedo used by U.S. submarines is typically the Mk-48 heavyweight torpedo, capable of speeds above 55 knots and designed to detonate beneath a ship’s keel, creating a powerful gas bubble that can break the hull in two.
This event becomes only the third confirmed case since World War II of a warship being sunk by a submarine torpedo, following:
• INS Khukri (1971)
• ARA General Belgrano (1982)
Search and rescue operations were launched by Sri Lanka after the frigate issued a distress call. The vessel carried about 180 sailors, and several survivors were recovered from the water.
The sinking highlights the rare but devastating role submarines can still play in modern naval warfare.
#USNavy #SubmarineWarfare #IRISDena #IranNavy #usiranwar #NavalWarfare #TorpedoAttack #IndianOcean #MilitaryNews #DefenseNews #NavalCombat #Geopolitics #ArmyRecognition
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