USS Impeccable Harassed by Five Chinese Ships in South China Sea - Video Report 3/9/09

Freedom's Lighthouse ^ | March 9, 2009 | BrianinMO

[Federalist Patriot]

Here is a video report by Jim Miklazewski at the Pentagon on news that the USS Impeccable, an unarmed U.S. Navy ship, was harassed yesterday by 5 Chinese Ships in International Waters. The Impeccable is a minesweeper, and reportedly used water canon to force one of the Chinese ships away that was attempting to latch onto the Impeccable with a grappling hook. The incident took place in international waters in the South China Sea, about 75 miles south of Hainan Island. The United States has reportedly lodged a protest with the Chinese Government. . . . . . (Watch Video Report)

[KingLudd]

Yup. Just like the EP3 we hand-delivered to them in 2001. Yes, I think the pilot should have splashed it before handing it over to the Chicoms.

[Jeff Head]

The Impeccable is not a combatant. she is operated by the Military Sealift Command and is crewed by civilains with Navy Officers. She is an Ocean Surveillance vessel with the specific mission of tracking submarines, and is the quietest ship the US Government operates, outside of our nuclear submarines themselves. She has a very unique, and very quiet hull.

Such ships serve as a stable platform to gather underwater acoustical data. Impeccable was specifically designed to deploy two underwater listening devices called surveillance towed-array sensor system (SURTASS) used to augment the Navy's antisubmarine warfare capability. The SURTASS mission is to gather ocean acoustical data and, through electronic equipment onboard, process and provide rapid transmission of antisubmarine warfare information via satellite to shore stations for evaluation and analysis.

The Chinese know this and this is why they are so touchy about it. Their new subs are likely being tagged by this vessel.

IMHO, they should have armed this vessel for self defense purposes at the very least. A 20mm CIWS or a RAM launcher, and at least a couple of .50 cal machine guns, or better yet the newer 25mm cannons,

Here she is:

[Jeff Head]

Here's another pic:

[Former Proud Canadian]

Easy. If the Chinese don’t like the Navy in those waters, withdraw from those waters. Problem solved.

[Tupelo]

I am real sure this is a test probe to see what the new administration will do and how far they can be pushed.
I seem to remember a Navy observation plane that was forced to land on a Chinese island back in the first few weeks/months of the Bush administration.
Heck I am curious to see the Obama response.

[Godwin1]

Obama will issue a full apology tomorrow.

[Star Traveler]

You said — “This is worse than what was earlier reported, I don’t recall them saying they tried to hook on to the Impeccable.”

No, the video report said that they used the grappling hook to try and hook the tow line for the sonar unit that they were towing (for their intelligence operations to detect Chinese submarines).

So, they were trying to disrupt the intelligence gathering operations of the ship and probably sink the sonar unit the U.S. ship was towing.

[massgopguy]

Remove the Captain from command for ordering the Fire Cannon to be used.

[Star Traveler]

You said — “i believe unleashing one of these would solve the problem”

Ummm..., the video report said the minesweeper was unarmed, and only had water hoses for fire fighting, which they used on one of the other ships... LOL...

[Star Traveler]

Well, the picture and the video report does indicate that this is what it was. However, they were admittedly engaged in intelligence gathering operations, because they were towing a sonar unit for the purpose of locating Chinese submarines and that the Chinese knew they were doing this, so that’s why they did what they did... :-)

[Star Traveler]

You said — “Sounds like attempted piracy.”

Well, the video report said that the grappling hook was attemping to grab the towing line for the sonar unit that the U.S. ship was using to detect Chinese submarines. It appears they were trying to (probably) sink the sonar unit...

[Star Traveler]

You said — “It’s a spy ship, not a minesweeper, and that’s according to the USN.”

Well, I think it was a minesweeper by “design” (as it was originally made and thus an apt description), but it was engaged in intelligence gathering operations, dragging a sonar unit designed to track Chinese submarines....

So, you could say that either term fits what was happening. It’s a proper description to say it was a minesweeper and also, the article does make it clear that it was engaging in intelligence gathering operations.

[Leisler]

International waters. If the Chines don’t like ships, like cargo ships going out, or oil and raw materials coming in, then they should be more respectful.

China should review the history of the last Asian power with a fast rising, albeit thin military that came out of a non-democratic polity. God knows the Japanese, the Koreans, the Indians, even the Russians are all lovey dovey gaga for the Chinese.

[Star Traveler]

You said — “Yes, raking the enemy’s bridge with that at close range would definitely do the trick.”

You gotta be armed first, before you can do something like that. Short of that, shooting “water” at the enemy seemed to work...

[Leisler]

You are right! Did our captain fire a hose on people not wearing safety glasses? Those pressure hoses could of damaged a Chinese sailors ‘sino’ cavity. (I’m sorry)

[Star Traveler]

You asked — “Why would any US Navy ship be unarmed?”

I guess they don’t want to give civilians their military weapons... :-)

[bushpilot1]

The video reported the chinese attempted to latch onto the sonar buoy line not the ship.

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks for the pics, Jeff. The surveillance plane paradigm fits, really. Any excuse to stop, board, or impound the vessel would have been a bonus for the Chinese over just disrupting operations. The captain and crew did well to avoid such.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I was replying to your question about what Potus and Sos are going to do about this situation.

[autumnraine]

Ok, I’m sorry, I misunderstood.