Vessel Strikes Navy Ship in Persian Gulf

excite.com ^ | Dec 6, 6:23 PM (ET) | By ROBERT BURNS

[luv2ndamend]

WASHINGTON (AP) - An unidentified vessel struck a U.S. Navy destroyer Friday in the northern Persian Gulf, punching a small hole in the destroyer's side but causing no injuries, U.S. military officials said.

The USS Paul Hamilton was in no danger and continued operating after the collision, the officials said. The small hole in the all-steel hull was above the water line.

There was no immediate word on the type or nationality of the other vessel, but the officials said there was no indication of hostile action.

The Paul Hamilton has been conducting maritime intercept operations in the Gulf in support of the global war on terrorism when the unidentified vessel struck it at 8:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. EST). It is under investigation.

The Paul Hamilton, whose home port is Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is part of the USS Abraham Lincoln battle group patrolling the Persian Gulf. The battle group is scheduled to return to the United States this month.

The destroyer is 505 feet long and has 32 officers and 313 enlisted sailors aboard. It was commissioned in 1995 and is in the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers. One of its sister ships, the USS Cole, was rammed by terrorists while refueling in Aden, Yemen, in October 2000, killing 17 sailors.

The Paul Hamilton is equipped with radar systems designed to detect seaborne and airborne threats at great distances. It is armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and Standard anti-aircraft missiles.

[El Gato]

From:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/12/06/navy.collision/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy destroyer collided with an Iranian-flagged oil rig service vessel in the northern Persian Gulf on Friday, according to Pentagon officials.

No injuries have been reported aboard the USS Paul Hamilton, the guided missile destroyer involved in the incident.

The ships collided about 8:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. ET) during a routine boarding and inspection of the Iranian vessel for smuggled oil or terrorists.

-----

Y'all are bit quick on the trigger. Always be sure brain is engaged before typing in a post.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Because nobody was looking?

[HiTech RedNeck]

So who hit whom?

[HiTech RedNeck]

So who hit whom?

... if the Hamilton had a gash in its side from this accident, was it because the Hamilton was moving sideways? :-)

[crystalk]

In the 70's I was in a cheap ole motor boat and went up and actually touched an aircraft carrier at Norfolk.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

If that's true, then there are some topside lookout watch-standers that have some serious 'splainin' to do.

[luv2ndamend]

Please note: The above article did not have the information that you posted, Just speculation. Thanks for your input!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Or I wonder if the captain of the Hamilton thought the vessel that ended up hitting it, was going to pass in front of it or behind it.

[Minutemen]

"The Paul Hamilton is equipped with radar systems designed to detect seaborne and airborne threats at great distances. It is armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and Standard anti-aircraft missiles."

A lot of good radar and all those missles are if they dont use them!

[HiTech RedNeck]

The ships collided about 8:24 p.m. local time (12:24 p.m. ET) during a routine boarding and inspection of the Iranian vessel for smuggled oil or terrorists

Well gee, that still isn't acceptable. Suppose a nice "Iranian" ship comes up and dutifully drops its anchor next to the battleship for an inspection, and then as the inspectors board, kaboom, taking the battleship with it? A nice little suitcase nuke on board would produce quite a pyrotechnic display.

[El Gato]

I must admit that this seems a little odd. The general procedure is for the inspector and inspectee to heave to, and then the inspector sends over a small boat with people to actually conduct the inspection, meanwhile keeping the inspecteee covered from a more or less safe distance (assuming the inspectee isn't equiped with a nuke of course). Perhaps the collision occurred after the inspection crew had cleared the Iranian vessel and both ships were getting under weight again?

[El Gato]

"weight" should be "weigh". The old fingers often complete familiar words all on their own. Thus "an" often become "and" and so forth.

[Jen]

Come visit the new daily thread in the VetsCoR Forum -- The FReeper Foxhole! Click the logo.

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are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Always be sure brain is engaged before typing in a post.

Hey, if people did that there wouldn't be more than twenty or thirty posts per day on FR...LOL!

[Chemnitz]

I enjoy reading Navy history. There have been many friendly collisions. Afterwards people ask how it could happen. Sometimes it is by not using the Mark 1 eyeball.

If this was a hostile collision, then it is a timely warning. Better to have the alarm bells go off now when no one was hurt. There are plenty of other men who want to command a ship.

[NRA2BFree]

I see "unidentified" vessels still have no problem approaching to within spitting distance of our warships. Amazing.

What*s up with that anyway? After the USS Cole you would think they learned a lesson. Unbelievable!!!

[rmlew]

The Paul Hamilton is an Arleigh Burke class Destroyer (is is a 1, 2 or 2a?).
It has 8 Harpoon missles, 1 5 inch gun, 2 20mm CIWS/Phalanxes. How the heck do small ships keep getting this close?
Do we have to put 25mm autocannons and .50 machine gus on them?

[MedicalMess]

You know new destroyers are like new cars. They skimp on the thickness of the sheet metal.

[Lokibob]

Remember, this is war!!!

They chose not to identify the vessel to you and I, but you can bet the vessel was IDed at a many mile range.

This was simply an accident. I say that because there isn't anybody outside of FR that is getting excited about it. Rummy would be having press conferences if it was hostile action.

[JasonC]

Um, those are its various secondary armaments. The main weapon system is a 96 cell "standard" missle system that can blow away scores of targets within 50 miles, air or surface. It gets close to small ships when it is doing so on purpose, not the other way around.