 Several Libyan patrol boats headed out towards the U.S. battle group, and the Americans responded by sending up aircraft to counter them.When one of the patrol boats locked on to American aircraft with its fire control radar, , a destroyer leader who had been serving as anti-aircraft radar picket ship defending the carrier group's right flank responded by firing an RGM-84 Harpoon missile, striking the vessel and setting it ablaze; it was subsequently towed back to Benghazi.This was the first surface to surface firing of a Harpoon missile in combat.