When the first Iranian anti-ship missiles arced off the coast at 2:31 PM, the sky over the Strait of Hormuz turned into a lattice of contrails and fire. A dozen missiles lunged toward the USS Theodore Roosevelt and her escorts. Within seconds, Aegis-equipped destroyers lit up, launching SM-2 interceptors, while close-in weapons systems spun to life, spitting tungsten at supersonic threats. On the Roosevelt’s bridge, Captain Chen watched the unfolding chaos with a cold, practiced focus, his crew executing years of drilled reflexes in real time.
