Commander David R. Carlson authored an article in the current edition of the United States Naval Institute Proceedings in which he was harshly critical of the aggressive behavior of the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf, and especially for the unwarranted shooting down of an Iranian airliner. Carlson was the skipper of the USS Sides, a frigate that was present in area when the shootdown occurred. A Navy spokesperson said that the Naval Institute is not a part of the Navy. On the day of the incident, Carlson said, a crewman informed him that the Vincennes had classified the plane as an Iranian F-14 fighter. The incident occurred on July 22, 1988, as Iran prepared to launch its first satellite.
Commander David R. Carlson authored an article in the current edition of the United States Naval Institute Proceedings in which he was harshly critical of the aggressive behavior of the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf, and especially for the unwarranted shooting down of an Iranian airliner. Carlson was the skipper of the USS Sides, a frigate that was present in area when the shootdown occurred. A Navy spokesperson said that the Naval Institute is not a part of the Navy. The incident occurred on July 22, 1988, as Iran prepared to launch its first satellite.