Don’t U.S Navy ships carry weapons, including small arms? They ran from these slugs?
United States Naval Ships (USNS) are not warships. They are civilian cargo ships owned by the Unite States Navy, crewed by civilians, and unarmed.
The ship was built to commercial specifications and standards and then certified by the American Bureau of Shipping, the United States Coast Guard and other regulatory bodies. it is operated by the Military Sealift Command with civilian mariners crews (123 personnel) augmented by a military department (49 personnel).
That is why its designation is USNS, for US Naval Ship and not "USS", which would be a full US Navy vessel, fully US Navy manned and armed.
IMHO, because of their critical replenishment of US Navy ships and forces function, they should be aremd, and they should be escorted.
In this case it was better to high tail it out of there. They would have gotten absolutely nowhere if they had turned around and sent these little POS's to Davey Jones's locker. Remember, the present administration would have admonished them, demanded that they offer a ask for forgiveness from the international community and gave reparations to the surviving relatives.
They cannot return fire without approval many layers thick. It is up to the lawyers apparently.
It was a sealift command ship - an auxiliary that is crewed by civilians. They aren't armed.
I am sure they could have, but I am also sure they are under orders to avoid conflicts with the pirates when possible. Not their orders, but Obama’s.
The pirates might have had a rubber raft full of explosives and the President doesn’t want any pirates hurt.