🇮🇷⚔️🇺🇸 Conflict observers have identified the ship which was struck by Iranian projectiles leading to 8 U.S. Marines suffering injuries

The only ship that was reported to have been hit on September 14th was St. Helena. She was used for a period of time as a floating armory before being repurposed for expedition cruising.

The U.S. Navy likely converted the ship into an armed merchant cruiser. The Navy was looking into placing U.S. Marines as guards on commercial ships a few years ago to prevent Iran from seizing vessels in the Persian Gulf (2023 article).

St Helena is owned and operated by Ambrey Limited out of the UK.

Ambrey is "an award-winning maritime security provider, trusted to safeguard more vessels than any other company in the industry. Operating in some of the world’s most high-risk regions, we protect ships, crews, and cargo—ensuring our clients stay connected to global trade without disruption."

📝 Sal Mercogliano: Add modular/containerized weapon systems, the U.S. Fifth Fleet could be converting small cargo ships, offshore support vessels and even larger commercial ships into vessels with armed guards on board to defend against drones and small boats.

They would still need air cover for more dynamic threats, specifically missile - both cruise and ballistic.

@CIG_telegram