Posted on 01/30/2013 12:35:06 PM PST by PieterCasparzen
A United States minesweeper ship that crashed into a coral reef due to inaccurate Navy maps will have to be cut into small pieces and removed in order to prevent harming the ocean’s ecosystem, according to the Navy and other reports.
The $277 million USS Guardian, a Naval warship that clears waterways of mines, crashed into a coral reef near the Philippines earlier this month.
The Navy will disassemble it piece by piece in order to avoid damaging the reef rather than tow the multi-million dollar ship off of the reef and perform necessary repairs.
“Our only supportable option is to dismantle the damaged ship and remove it in sections,” Capt. Darryn James, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was quoted as saying Tuesday by the Military Times.
One Navy source criticized decision makers for deliberately destroying the expensive warship just weeks before devastating cuts to the defense budget are scheduled to take place.
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(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
Are you F’n kidding me?
This is beyond nuts. We are the laughing stock of every competent military in the world!
Substantially more damage will be done to the reef in the process of dismantling the ship than if it were simply tugged off the reef. Politically correct policy run amuck, again.
The US Navy..
1. Put women on nuclear subs
2. Names new ships after 60’s radicals
3. Makes combat aviation documentaries featuring ONLY minorities
4. Cuts up $0.2 billion ships to avoid damaging REEFS
The goal of course is to do as much massive destruction to the reef as is possible all in the name of protecting these tiny critters.
I went to the original article on ABC (not the linked posting). There may be more to it—it’s a wooden-hulled minesweeper, and the hull is trashed and leaking. They could have lifted it onto a barge, but they claim it’s too damaged for that.
Anchor the dang thing there and claim it in the name of Obama.
This is monumentally asinine. The ship can easily be floated off the reef. What in fact is the nature of the reef? Is a more ignorant, ridiculous solution even conceivable?
Yeah, read that too. Not your “typical” ship it seems.
That’s true, it’s been sitting there getting the crap beat out of it 24/7. The hull is really beyond repair.
I see the mail (uk) has the same story.
For something that cost $277 million, though, I’d think fix the hull.
I have no idea not being knowledgable on the subject, but scrapping it entirely, I don’t see how they’d do that. Seems like it could get towed back and have a new hull for less than $277 million.
Who knows the way things are now. Every piece of military equipment we lose is money out the window is all I keep thinking. We’re borrowing billions per day.
IT’S A WOODEN HULLED SHIP. Mine sweepers can’t have metal hulls..........
They are for when you fall overboard, they cant find you. Saves a lot of time and money...........
No it can't; it went hard aground at high water, then heavy seas pushed it further aground.
The article is garbage, written by an idiot, designed to attract the attention of those who enjoy being outraged and also don't know what they are talking about.
The ship is being cut apart because it's so heavily damaged (and flooded) that's the only way to get it off the reef. It was "totaled" long ago.
The accusation that the ship could have been saved were it not for excessive concern about the reef is beyond stupid.
Wood and/or GRP is quite normal for Mine Sweepers.
This one is probably trashed to splinters on the bottom..........
Red Badger wrote:
They are for when you fall overboard, they cant find you. Saves a lot of time and money...........
Not to mention that if they catch on fire, they melt into your skin. I had flame retardant dungaree’s when I was in the Navy (1988-1992), what’s so bad about them? Cause they’re not camo? Who cares - If I were to fall overboard, I’d want to be seen by anyone willing to rescue me!
Yes. Sounds like the keel is broken. It’s scrap anyway. What a bummer for the crew. And we don’t have enough MSMs as it is.
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