Of course this is surrender the Combat Watch Officer should have lit off the CIWS when this thing got that close. What type of ROE does OBAMA have the military following? Is there orders that they have to take a hit first before retaliation? Remember the USS Stark, Rmember the USS Cole.... What is wrong with my country?
Obama.
Congress.
Democrats.
Half the voting population.
America -- a great idea, didn't last.
I am thinking exactly as you are. That plane could have destroyed the bridge and then sunk the ship before we could have responded. Is this what Zero is looking for?
What in the hell was the CWO thinking?
Many of the ships of the Stark's class (FFG) have had their Standard missile launchers removed and now rely on Stinger MANPADS for "air defense" ......
They no longer accompany CBG's in areas like the Persian Gulf, not even as plane guards. Only AEGIS-equipped ships are used in screening duties any more, n/w/s all ships since the 70's have had the NTDS system and can coordinate with the guide.
They do accompany Marine MEU's sometimes, but mostly pull "lonely ship" duty out where the fuzzy-wuzzies prowl, coordinating with friendly naval units of similar type in EASTPAC and the Caribbean and the Gulf of Aden, looking for pirates and drug- and people-smugglers and thuggy personalities thumbing a ride from Paki to Somalia and Sudan.