New US Destroyer Spotted near Indian Ocean Base

By Staff, Agencies

Satellite imagery analyzed by open-source intelligence analyst @MT_Anderson has revealed the presence of a US Navy destroyer, believed to be the USS Wayne E. Meyer [DDG-108], operating near Diego Garcia—a remote yet strategically significant island in the Indian Ocean, BulgarianMilitary.com reported.

The images posted on X show the warship, which carries a crew of about 300 personnel, approximately 650 kilometers northeast of the island.

The sighting comes at a time of heightened tensions, following threats by US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran if a deal on its nuclear program was not reached. Trump has set a two-month deadline for Iran to negotiate an agreement, but it remains unclear when that countdown began.

Commissioned in 2009 and named after Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer represents one of the most advanced vessels in the US Navy, BulgarianMilitary.com highlighted.

It added that as a Flight IIA variant, it spans 509 feet in length, has a displacement of around 9,200 tons, and is powered by four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, enabling it to exceed speeds of 30 knots.

At the core of USS Wayne E. Meyer's capabilities is the Aegis Baseline 9.2.1 system [BMD 5.1], integrating the powerful SPY-1D[V] radar with an arsenal that includes SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors, the website emphasized.

According to the report, the destroyer's 96 vertical launch system [VLS] cells can be armed with a range of weapons—from ballistic missile interceptors to Tomahawk land-attack and anti-ship missiles—enabling the ship to counter aerial, missile, and maritime threats.

Although the Pentagon has not officially confirmed the deployment or its purpose, BulgarianMilitary.com indicated, USS Wayne E. Meyer's presence near Diego Garcia suggests a mission focused on airspace defense and countering Iranian missile capabilities.

BulgarianMilitary.com pointed out that Diego Garcia's geographic isolation—over 1,000 miles from major landmasses—makes it secure from conventional threats while still allowing the US to project power across the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond.

However, the Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRG], Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, asserted that Iran's response to any aggression will be proportionate and may even exceed what its adversaries attempt, highlighting that IRG forces are eagerly awaiting a confrontation with the United States.

Fadavi remarked that the US has had presidents more reckless than Trump, citing former president Ronald Reagan as an example. He recalled how Iran responded to American aggression in the Gulf during Reagan’s presidency by targeting US warships and helicopters, emphasizing that Iran’s military capabilities today are far superior to those of the 1980s.