Article

2017-06-19 Terror Networks

Something is fishy about USS Fitzgerald story we are getting from the media

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2017-06-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11129 views ] Top

#1 The ACX Crystal was crewed by Filipinos. This doesn't seem like the ideal nationality to serve Nork interests.

Posted by gorb 2017-06-19 01:54|| 2017-06-19 01:54|| Front Page Top

#2 You can never know, gorb. Personally, I think it's like car accident - which mostly happen when both drivers screw up.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-06-19 03:13|| 2017-06-19 03:13|| Front Page Top

#3 They claim to br Filipinos, are they really?

Posted by Seeking cure for ignorance 2017-06-19 03:23|| 2017-06-19 03:23|| Front Page Top

#4 The USS Fitzgerald does not carry a crew of thousands. The number is 300.
The location of the collision is in the area of the largest shipping harbor in Japan that is considered dangerous any time day or night and requires caution to navigate.
The Philippine ship is under control of a Japanese shipping company.
The Philippine ship decided to pull a U-turn and is several times larger and cumbersome than the agile and quicker US Warship.
The US Ship, though a part of the Reagan carrier taskforce, was not active with the task force but was on an independent, routine mission.

Posted by Angung Gonque4787 2017-06-19 04:39|| 2017-06-19 04:39|| Front Page Top

#5 This is tinfoil...

The only thing fishy is the USS Fitzgerald below the waterline.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2017-06-19 05:34|| 2017-06-19 05:34|| Front Page Top

#6 A few years ago, I was 6-8 kilometers away from a booby trapped cargo trailer and line mine incident along the PAK border in AFG that resulted in a number of US killed in action. Incidents like these in wartime or peace just make an old man silently weep.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-06-19 05:52|| 2017-06-19 05:52|| Front Page Top

#7 Good to know, Angung Gonque4787.

Posted by trailing wife 2017-06-19 06:19|| 2017-06-19 06:19|| Front Page Top

#8 The container ship neither had its running lights or transponder on

That's not surprising to anyone who's dealt with flag-of-convenience merchant shipping, merchant shipping in Asia, and merchant shipping in general.

As for 'transponder-off', if the news reports are accurate, there supposedly a radar track on the merchant's course and maneuvering.

The only things remotely accurate about this whole article are the ships' names, the causalties, and "the rumors (and that’s how they must be categorized for now)".

Everything else is tin-foil hat.

Posted by Pappy 2017-06-19 08:28|| 2017-06-19 08:28|| Front Page Top

#9 Facts are lacking. I will withhold judgement but not forever. It is incumbent on all involved parties to get to bottom of this and publish the facts in a timely manner.

Posted by Ulineter Darling of the Sith6718 2017-06-19 08:52|| 2017-06-19 08:52|| Front Page Top

#10 ...which means you'll never get it via the Lame Stream Media.

Posted by Procopius2k 2017-06-19 09:40|| 2017-06-19 09:40|| Front Page Top

#11 The container ship neither had its running lights or transponder on.

But presumably it was still visible on radar for miles in every direction. I find it hard to imagine they didn't know exactly where that ship was which begs the question why would a nimble destroyer ever allow a lumbering mountain of metal to get so close when they had the whole ocean to maneuver in.

Posted by rjschwarz 2017-06-19 10:04|| 2017-06-19 10:04|| Front Page Top

#12 That's the key point rjschwarz. There can be a lot of clutter on primary radar. In a busy place like the seas off Japan, the Fitzgerald may have relied on the cleaner looking symbology of secondary radar.

In any case the Fitzgerald almost played PT-109 to a lumbering container ship with a huge radar signature.

Posted by The peanut gallery 2017-06-19 10:40|| 2017-06-19 10:40|| Front Page Top

#13 Been awhile, but when I sailed on merchant ships they had "collision avoidance" radar...which I believe filtered out small fishing vessels..1980's..

Posted by crazyhorse 2017-06-19 11:16|| 2017-06-19 11:16|| Front Page Top

#14 #6 A few years ago, I was 6-8 kilometers away from a booby trapped cargo trailer and line mine incident along the PAK border in AFG that resulted in a number of US killed in action. Incidents like these in wartime or peace just make an old man silently weep.
Posted by Besoeker Was this a IED in a shipping container? Or, on a cargo truck?

Posted by Tennessee 2017-06-19 13:06|| 2017-06-19 13:06|| Front Page Top

#15 Daily Mail roundup

Posted by Skidmark 2017-06-19 14:35|| 2017-06-19 14:35|| Front Page Top

#16 Is it possible to hack the autopilot?

Posted by BrerRabbit 2017-06-19 14:59|| 2017-06-19 14:59|| Front Page Top

#17 Was this a IED in a shipping container? Or, on a cargo truck?
Posted by Tennessee

Neither, we were told it was in a small trailer. Someone in Kandahar had it under UAV observation and believed it to be a HME transporter, due to it's somewhat frequent relocations. Some lads from up north did a vertical insertion via UH-60 and one of them set it off as he conducted a recce. A couple of the survivors attempted to climb to the 'high ground' and radio for MEDIVAC. They tripped strategically placed anti-personnel mines. All in all, a very, very bad day.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-06-19 15:01|| 2017-06-19 15:01|| Front Page Top

#18 Is it possible to hack the autopilot?

Possible, but very, very, very highly unlikely.

Posted by Pappy 2017-06-19 16:16|| 2017-06-19 16:16|| Front Page Top

#19 A nice only facts as known, with a rules of the road graphic:
https://warontherocks.com/2017/06/how-could-this-happen-the-fitzgerald-the-u-s-navy-and-collisions-at-sea/

Posted by ed in texas 2017-06-19 19:59|| 2017-06-19 19:59|| Front Page Top

#20 Not a Philippine vessel. Per Wiki, "ACX Crystal has been owned by Olympic Steamship Co SA, Panama (a subsidiary of Japanese shipowner Sunford Shipping Ltd) and managed by Sea Quest Ship Management Inc of Bacoor, Philippines since 2008.[4][3] The ship has been bareboat-chartered to Sinbanali Shipping Inc of Manila since 2014,[3] but is reported by NYK Line on June 17 as being actually owned by Dainichi-Invest Corporation, a Japanese ship investment firm."

IMO, American Thinker is usually a pretty reliable opinion source. Maybe this is a klinker, maybe not. Time will tell. Had considered the tinfoil hat .jpg, but figured Kimmie was the net beneficiary of this "collision."

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2017-06-19 20:04|| 2017-06-19 20:04|| Front Page Top

23:31 DonM
23:01 trailing wife
22:18 Harry and Tenille5433
22:04 JohnQC
21:56 trailing wife
21:08 trailing wife
20:20 SteveS
20:04 Anomalous Sources
19:59 ed in texas
18:52 SteveS
18:22 Matt
18:02 Classer
17:52 Bright Pebbles
16:48 DarthVader
16:46 Bright Pebbles
16:41 Seeking cure for ignorance
16:17 Procopius2k
16:16 Pappy
16:14 Procopius2k
16:12 Procopius2k
16:09 Procopius2k
15:41 Skidmark
15:28 gorb
15:16 Besoeker