Sorry, this old man was based on the USS Saipan in his day...

...and remembers that system demo.

Besides, it would be one hell of an intimidating show watching their imminent demise as something they can't possibly defend against *with an AK-47* starts mowing their boat to the bottom of the ocean - and the barrel belching fire is the last thing they see as the life slips from their eyes...

As for stationing an LHA off the coast, I'm talking about in international waters - right in the shipping lane. I doubt that the pirates could be mistaken for much else...

Helicopter gunships, Marines, landing craft and a SEAL team or two, along with enough firepower and staying power to sit off the coast for a long term patrol...

...and the ability to literally CRUSH the pirates with our firepower if they got any further than waist high in the water off the coast.
Where's the downside? It's not like the Somali Navy (if they have anything larger than a rowboat) poses any threat - or they'd be out there doing something about the pirates.

 

Okay, first off, I cant tell you how impressed I was with how well these guys pulled off the 3 simultaneous sniper shots from one ship to another.
I was a Gunners Mate in the navy and manned a .50 cal M2 Browning as my GQ station. One of the first aspects of naval gunnery we are taught is the affect of the ship bobbing up and down, and how to time that with ANOTHER bobbing target. This is a gunnery dilemma that goes back to the beginning of naval artillery over 600 years ago. Even on a level playing field, gunnery is a very precise skill, doing it at sea requires a level of skill and patience that most will never be able to achieve, the first thing I thought about when I heard these SEAL snipers took out these guys simultaneously was god damn! what kind of patience they must have had and intuition to time these shots so perfectly, and in the DARK!
Seriously bad ***! heres a good news piece about just that. Pin a medal on all those guys!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/wo.../14sniper.html

FTA
“They showed the patience the sniper has, which is looking through the scope for hours to get that perfect shot.”

I was friends with alot of SEALs and EOD's when I was stationed in San Diego, you have to realize, most spec ops operators train their whole careers for just this one moment, and for many it never comes, but for these guys it did, and they rose up to the task, fell back on their training, and delivered when called on. You cant ask for anything more.
****in awesome

 

Hurray to Halo 3 best game ever

 

Pirates Hijack 4 Ships; Seize 60 Hostages

Undeterred by U.S. and French hostage rescues that killed seven bandits, Somali pirates brazenly hijacked four more ships in the Gulf of Aden, the key waterway that's become the focal point of the world's fight against piracy.

NATO officials announced that the M.V. Sea Horse was hijacked off the horn of Africa, reports CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar.

The M.V. Irene E.M. was hijacked early Tuesday, but it was not immediately clear where the ship is based or who owns it, two maritime security contractors said, speaking on condition of anonymity because it is a sensitive security issue.

The ship put out a distress signal shortly after midnight "to say they had a suspicious vessel approaching. That rapidly turned into an attack and then a hijacking," one of the contractors told The Associated Press. "They tried to call in support on the emergency channels, but they never got any response."

http://cbs5.com/national/somali.pira....2.984194.html

 

reminds of kalifornia and how they tell you not to buy a gun for self defense. instead, call 911...


[thread drift...]

 

Cant we take some old stockpile and do some napalm carpet bombing?

I am going to go watch blackhawk down. So I can get even more fired up.

 

wow 4 ships, 60 hostages...

 

pirates < north korea
those dirty campers!!!

 

Where is Steven Segal when you need him. Send his *** over in a ship as a cook.

 

funny you should mention black hawk down in the thread about Somalian pirates

 

I see a great business opportunity here. I should start a private contract security company funded by the billion dollar shipping industry and start hijacking Pirate boats. That would be so fun. As long as we opperate in Somali waters the govt wont do SHIZZLE.

Seriously hire a gang of mercs pay them very well and send them on thier merry way.

All you people going back and fourth about that silly Air defense weapons think a little smaller. Two 7.62 vulcans aft and stern or whatever a couple recoiless guns like 80mm and a bad *** boarding crew.

Somalia here we come

 

sounds like you and dale gribble are ready to sighn up for merc duty

 

Pirates Fire Rockets At U.S. Ship Off Somalia

Pirates Fire RPGs At U.S. Ship Out Of Long Island
Days after the rescue of a U.S. cargo ship captain, Somali pirates have targeted another American vessel, CBS station WCBS-TV reported.

The Liberty Sun, carrying a crew of approximately 20 Americans, was carrying food aid to Kenya on Tuesday when pirates began firing on it with rocket propelled grenades. The ship, which originated in Houston, is owned by Liberty Maritime Company of Lake Success, based out of Long Island, N.Y.

The Liberty Sun reported being attacked around 11:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The vessel's owner said the pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.

The crew took cover inside the ship and called for help. The USS Bainbridge was dispatched to the Liberty Sun's location. The pirates had already left, according to Navy Capt. Jack Hanzik.

There were no reports of any injuries to the crew, WCBS-TV reported.

http://cbs5.com/national/pirates.lib....2.985083.html

Damn Butt Pirates. Dont they know their days are numbers like prop 8 was....