By minute five, the first intercept flashes bloomed high above the water—brief bursts of light as incoming missiles were struck and torn apart mid-flight. Debris rained harmlessly into the Gulf. By minute twelve, more than half the threat had been eliminated. A few missiles penetrated deeper into the defensive envelope, skimming lower, forcing close-range engagements. Decoys splashed into the sea. Radar locks broke and re-formed. Yet none of the incoming weapons found their mark. Not a single missile reached the carrier.

And then, as swiftly as the attack had begun, the calculus shifted. The defensive phase gave way to response.