Posted on 04/01/2010 8:34:22 AM PDT by Zakeet
Suspected Somali pirates fired on a U.S. Navy warship off East Africa early Thursday in what appeared to be a ransom-seeking attack on an American guided missile frigate, officials said.
The USS Nicholas returned fire on the pirate skiff, sinking it and confiscating a nearby mothership. The Navy took five pirates into custody, said Navy Lt. Patrick Foughty, a spokesman.
International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade.
[Snip]
Thursday's attack came just shy of a year since pirates attacked the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama and took American Richard Phillips hostage. Phillips was rescued five days later when Navy SEAL snipers shot three pirates in a lifeboat.
The U.S. Africa Command said the five pirates seized Thursday would remain in U.S. custody on board the frigate for now. The Nicholas is home-ported in Norfolk, Va.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Thrie brains? on drugs.
How's that working for ya?
Yes, at sea the small arms are locked up. The crew is unarmed.
And the primary weapons on a fig aren't capable of locking onto a small boat especially at short range.
Plust, if the ship is operating under EMCON it won't pick it up on RADAR. If the tail is streamed they might get a hit. If they are in shallow water the tail is stowed.
That leaves the lookouts and the Mark I eyeball.
An attack like this has some chance of success.
Not a large chance, mind you. But it's not as far fetched as you might think.
Mistook it for French, or the CIC's reputation is getting around.
I bet there is not a social welfare recipient in the bunch.
That's right for for the present, but it won't be long before they get their first check.
From last year's "incident" with the pirates ...
They had been chewing too much khat. That must be the reason they tried to capture a Frigate. Even the relatively better armed pirate ships of old seldom if ever won one against an actual warship.
But they still have to get aboard and induce a surrender by a crew that is substantially larger than their own.
“MAO, what a bunch of maroons...”
What does the color maroon have to do with it? Or are you referring to the color of what leaks out if they had holes in them instead of just being captured?
April Fool Joke. (The Nicholas is not a Guided Missile Frigate)
How can these pirates expect to successfully attack a modern warship?
I wouldn't call a OH Perry a modern warship, but it's suicidal. Forget the 4 .50 machine guns, it has a 76mm cannon, and a CIWS.
No kidding. Fire up the Phalanx.
1 Marine + 1 M14 = 5 dead pirates.
Have you never watched Bugs Bunny?
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