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| Africa Horn |
| Somali pirates fire at U.S. Navy ship |
| 2009-05-07 |
| MANAMA (Reuters) – Pirates have fired small arms weapons at a U.S. Navy supply ship off the coast of Eastern Somalia, the first attack of this kind since last year's surge in pirate attacks, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday. The USNS Lewis and Clark was chased for about an hour on Wednesday morning by two pirates skiffs, but neither came closer than about one nautical mile to the U.S. vessel, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet said in a statement. The small arms fire fell well short of the U.S. ship which speeded up to evade the skiffs. The USNS Lewis and Clark earlier served as a temporary detention facility for suspected pirates arrested at sea, but its operations are now limited to providing supplies to other U.S. ships operating in the area. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #14 Evasive action? Those savages kill hostages. Life is an indulgence. |
| Posted by: Jans Wittlesbach2039 2009-05-07 23:46 |
| #13 All right! Who did it? Who did it? You are going to stand sweating at those battle stations until someone confesses! It's an insult to the honor of this ship! The symbol of our cargo record has been destroyed and I'm going to find out who did it if it takes all night! Captain, it is I, Ensign Pulver, and I just threw your stinkin' palm tree overboard! Now what's all this crud about no movie tonight? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-05-07 19:08 |
| #12 Doug Roberts: Frank, I like you. There's no getting around the fact that you're a real likable guy. Ensign Pulver: Yeah? Yeah! Doug Roberts: But... Ensign Pulver: But what? Doug Roberts: Well, I also think you're the most hapless, lazy, disorganized, and in general most lecherous person I've ever known in my life. Ensign Pulver: I am not! Doug Roberts: You're not what? Ensign Pulver: I am not disorganized! |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-05-07 16:48 |
| #11 USS Reluctant ("the Bucket") |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-05-07 14:53 |
| #10 You'd think the ROE would at least allow our sailors to use cutlasses. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-05-07 13:51 |
| #9 What Sea and Para said. The pirates have kicked their operations up a level post-Alabama, and our ROE hasn't caught up yet. We are going to pay hell if we can't/won't get the obvious ones like this taken care of. |
| Posted by: Free Radical 2009-05-07 13:29 |
| #8 Supply Ships, Embarked Security Forces Ensure Smooth Sailing February 27, 2009 USNS LEWIS AND CLARK, At Sea (NNS) -- As part of Operation Vigilant Mariner, Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF) detachments embark noncombatants around the world, including supply ships like USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1), to ensure safe passage for the ships and crews, protecting them from potentially hostile forces. These security teams embark Military Sealift Command ships, like Lewis and Clark, during difficult passages and in a myriad theaters around the globe. The replenishment fleet can concentrate on keeping U.S. and coalition ships on station as these reinforced teams provide general security for the ships, specifically within the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. "With the embarked security team, the ship's captain is able to focus on the mission his ship has been assigned," said Chief Master-at-Arms Eric Richardson, officer-in-charge of the MESF Detachment aboard Lewis and Clark. Military Sealift Command works with an army of Supply Corps professionals to support globally-engaged Navy assets with the essential items needed to execute their missions. This vital teamwork enables the core capabilities of the maritime strategy. Logistics support – food, fuel, supplies, ordnance and mail – is delivered world-wide to the global Navy, in part because of the efforts of MESF detachments. "It is vital to the mission that the supply chain remains intact, and that is the service we provide," added Richardson. Recently, Lewis and Clark joined Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational task force conducting counterpiracy missions in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. This temporarily redirected the ship's responsibility; however, the vigilant role of the security force remains unchanged. "Our role does not change in that our primary focus still remains the protection of Lewis and Clark," explained Richardson. "Ultimately, we do not differentiate between the anti-piracy mission and Operation Vigilant Mariner. Our mission remains to provide security for the vessels we are embarked upon, and we at Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 3 Det. Bahrain provide this protection better than any naval security force in today's modern Navy." Richardson said his and other embarked security teams board high-value assets to provide force protection to MSC vessels or contracted ships. Richardson's team is specifically supporting those assets operating in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility. The training the security team receives enables it to provide top-notch force protection to high value ships and vessels as part of the global support to maritime security operations. "We are the best trained security forces afloat," stated Richardson. "The Sailors attached to MSRON 3 Det. Bahrain are consistently on the leading edge of all force protection forces." As part of its training, the team has completed Expeditionary Combat Skills training, which prepares them for all facets of security operations ranging from combat medical training, convoy and extensive weapons training ranging from small arms to crew-served weapons. They also receive training in when to fire warning shots, simulators, embarked platform training and rules of engagement training. "With this training we are prepared for any mission we are assigned and can defend against any hostile force that would threaten the vessels we protect," added Richardson. As part of the current mission, his embarked MESF team protects Lewis and Clark but also helps ensure safe passage throughout the region for all legitimate mariners, allowing commerce to flow freely throughout the world. USNS Lewis and Clark is an asset of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational task force conducting counterpiracy operations to detect and deter piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea. CTF 151 was established to create a lawful maritime order and develop security in the maritime environment. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-05-07 13:08 |
| #7 Read: Somali Pirates Come Up With Creative Way To Commit Suicide |
| Posted by: Querent 2009-05-07 12:59 |
| #6 I wonder if you could launch an A-10 from a Nimitz-class carrier... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-05-07 12:21 |
| #5 I'd prefer a long range explosive device. |
| Posted by: JAB 2009-05-07 11:32 |
| #4 Once shipboard lookouts spotted the two suspected pirate skiffs, Lewis and Clark conducted evasive maneuvers and increased speed to elude the pirates. The shipÂ’s embarked security team also used a long range acoustical device (LRAD) to issue verbal warnings to the approaching skiffs. Might've gotten interesting if our intrepid swashbucklers decided to push their luck. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-05-07 11:11 |
| #3 Why are they still breathing? |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2009-05-07 11:06 |
| #2 Not loving the mental image of a US Navy ship of any type fleeing a boston whaler full of dirtbags. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2009-05-07 11:02 |
| #1 I'm getting a visual of the pirates shouting "Ice Cream!" |
| Posted by: flash91 2009-05-07 11:00 |