Replies

A Russian Navy vessel is heading to the region and the US says it is monitoring developments in the area.

The Russians are sending the ASW frigate Neustrashimy to the region.

A U.S. Navy response would include a CVN to darken the skies with air power and an LHA to provide amphibious and air assault capabilities by a 1,900 strong Marine Detachment.

It will be interesting to see how the Russians plan to wage an assault to rescue a ship in a heavily defended harbor with an ASW frigate unless the plan is to call 911-US-NAVY.

It would be wild if the whole thing was faked, and the PIRATES are just delivering the tanks for the Russians..Maybe Russia wasn’t so choosy about who they sold them too?

Neustrashimy class frigate

Armament:

Anti-ship missiles: 16 - Kh-35 Uran/SS-N-25 Switchblade (four quad)

SAM: 8 VLS for SA-N-9
ASW: 1 12-tube RBU-6000 launcher
Guns: 1x 100mm gun, 2 Kashtan CIWS
Torpedoes: six 533mm tubes mounted in the superstructure for ASW missiles (RPK-2 Viyuga/SS-N-15 Starfish) or Type 53 ASW/ASuW torpedoes

The weaponry that 'simple' ASW ship carries is more than sufficient to overwhelm a Somali 'heavily defended harbor' (heavily defended is a very subjective term ...one that depends on who is doing the defending), particularly when the Russians may not really care much of collateral damage. A USN operation has to be very precise, because our forces believe in killing the bad guys and just the bad guys. A force that really does not care who they kill, as long as they kill and win, doesn't have to darken the skies and use pin-point strikes.

Anyways, what will probably happen is some level of negotiation followed by a pay-off. The pirates will accept the money and release the ship and cargo, although they will accept a considerably smaller amount (largely because the offer will be accept the money, which will still be a lot for a Somali pirate, or face consequences that you may not necessary like. Those consequences may not be what some FReepers are talking about ....i.e. open war ....just an expressed message that life in the open seas could become very difficult for them. Predators, even stupid ones like these Somali scum, always know just how far to push things, and there are some people you do not try and cross. For instance, ask yourself why pirates ...e.g. the ones that litter the waters off Indonesia ....never attack the mega-yachts that frequent those waters? Simply because it would not be prudent! Far wiser to pick on some cargo ship than to risk pissing off some oligarch with more money than morals).

Anyways, if things were to go south, the Russians would not need more than that ASW frigate. For one, there is nothing that the Somalis could do about the anti-ship missiles! The Russians could destroy the entire business of those pirates ....that ship has 16 Uran missiles with a range of over 100 miles. Those pirates have several hostage ships moored in that harbor. While the Russians probably would not sink those ships (even if things went south, and they will not ...the situation should be handled quite quickly ...maybe in 2 weeks), they could still give a very effective threat and maybe fire off one missile that 'misses' its target just to show that they have a large 'boom.'

That ASW frigate, coupled with a nonchalant view of human life by the Russians, makes it a serious threat to the Somali pirates.

Or they could just send spetsnaz ....I hear the units that were used in the 2nd Chechen war were very good at what they did (after some humiliation in the 1st Chechen war they had a message to send). Although, again, that will not happen since the situation will have been resolved. If the pirates are bright, they will take the ransom and call it a day. If they are not bright then future jobs just became much harder for them. Already several Western navies have started taking a more pro-active look at the waters off Somalia, and there is no need for them to have the Russians and/or Chinese taking the same view as well. Those characters do not care much about rule of law, and would just as well sink you with all hands on board rather than take you on board, arrest you, and THEN sink your boat.

Pirates should take the ransom, and then choose their targets better.

Oh, in other news. That other ship that has cargo that is (allegedly) killing pirates (with symptoms similar to intense radiation poisoning). I am sure whatever country sent that, and whatever group or country is receiving those 'minerals' (as I hear the cargo is being called), may not exactly be nice people. Add the obvious involvement of the US forces (we must be interested in whatever it is that is making hair fall out ....and not to test rogaine on the pirates) just complicates things for the pirates.

I'd say those guys need to really think carefully about future targets. Otherwise they will make a mistake and pick one whose owners do not know how to play nice. While the pirates may be predators, they need to know their place in the food chain. Rattle some cages and the occupants of those cages will rattle back, and then throw in some extra shaking just to drive the point home.