Navy ship runs from pirates

[Skud]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa...led/index.html

and they say it's a successful method for preventing piracy ("foiled" their plans, lol). I know it's just a support ship...but I think this is just sad.

[Duke{CLR}]

I thought the story was starting to get good when it mentioned the Greek vessel overturning the pirates boat but then I read where the pirates were saved by a crew from Spain. I would prefer to let them drown.

[Anonymous Walrus]

Did I read this correctly, but a U.S. Navy ship ran from a fight, I understand that it was a cargo ship, but come on... If I were the commanding officer of that ship I would have told my crew to lock'n load and remind those pirates why this nation has the best armed forces the world has ever seen.

[JohnyRico]

The ship attacked was the USNS Lewis and Clark, not the USS Lewis and Clark and there is a huge difference. USNS means that it is a non-commissioned ship that is owned by the Navy but not crewed by the Navy. Most likely just a crew of merchant seamen. This is pretty common for supply vessels. Had this been a ship with USS in front of it's name then that would be a ship with a military crew and and a legitimate security force if not an actual Marine detatchment. The crew did the right thing.

[jaspurr]

The ship attacked was the USNS Lewis and Clark, not the USS Lewis and Clark and there is a huge difference. USNS means that it is a non-commissioned ship that is owned by the Navy but not crewed by the Navy. Most likely just a crew of merchant seamen. This is pretty common for supply vessels. Had this been a ship with USS in front of it's name then that would be a ship with a military crew and and a legitimate security force if not an actual Marine detatchment. The crew did the right thing.

Probably using a cheap foreign crew. I wonder where the ship is registered? I suppose even the USN has to save money.

[mapes]

Nope they're US merchant marines...

[JohnyRico]

But again, do not confuse merchant marine with Marine Corps. Merchant marines are just guys (probably ex-Navy) who can run a diesel engine and navigate the ship from point a to point b.

[mapes]

But again, do not confuse merchant marine with Marine Corps. Merchant marines are just guys (probably ex-Navy) who can run a diesel engine and navigate the ship from point a to point b.

Agreed although they can also fix the ship and fight fires

[Hammy]

But again, do not confuse merchant marine with Marine Corps. Merchant marines are just guys (probably ex-Navy) who can run a diesel engine and navigate the ship from point a to point b.

Merchant Marines were from WWII when the guy who founded Kaiser Permenante made all that dough building cheap cargo ships to send supplies to the UK and Europe. Segue-- he wanted his people to work as many hours as possible, and he didnt want them to leave the job site- so he brought in doctors and asked them to pay something like $1 per paycheck for health. The Navy bought the ships, he supplied the crews.

Anyways, these people are not fighters, the crews on these ships. Being that they are usually not armed ships, though they likely carry arms for the crew, and this one had AMMO on board, I sincerely dont think engaging the pirates would have been a good tactic.

[jaspurr]

Ah, well it must have been quite frustrating for those guys to run but definately the best thing to do especially given the cargo.

[DougBob]

Roger that, leave the fighting to the big guns on the destroyer

[Skud]

Yeah, I can better understand why they didn't fight back now (though I still think all vessels in that zany area should have trained, armed security forces). But I do wish that the article would have ended with the ship calling in the pirates description and coordinates resulting in their being strafed by F-18s.

[Rand{CLR}]

It's a little hard to hit a go-fast boat or a dinghy with an F-18.

-Rand

[jaspurr]

It's a little hard to hit a go-fast boat or a dinghy with an F-18.

-Rand

But you can increase their laundry bill

[Skud]

It's a little hard to hit a go-fast boat or a dinghy with an F-18.

-Rand

Yeah, but I don't think they have A-10s on carriers...maybe an MH-60r with a .50 cal mount or anti-ship missiles would do.