U.S. Navy frigate captures pirate mother ship (breaking)

[Mari333]

Source: msnbc

NAIROBI, Kenya - U.S. Navy frigate exchanges fire with pirates, captures five and confiscates mother ship.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36131357/ns/world_news-africa/

[Robb]

1. Here you go:

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/us-navy-frigate-captures-425103.html

NAIROBI, Kenya — U.S. naval forces say they've captured five pirates after exchanging fire with them, sinking their skiff and confiscating a mother ship.

The USS Nicholas came under fire early Thursday from pirates in an area west of the Seychelles.

The U.S. Africa Command said the five pirates seized would remain in U.S. custody on board the frigate for time time being. The Nicholas is home-ported in Norfolk, Va.

International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade....

Not sure this is a big deal, but there it is. :shrug:

[WhiteTara]

5. for the pirates, I'm sure

this is a very big deal. Interesting there are so few on the mother ship and the skiffs all together.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Well done! Go, Navy! nt

[lunatica]

3. The pirates, all five of them, attacked a US Navy frigate

who just happened to be in the area in it's official duty in a joint operation..

(snip)
"The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM) is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense that is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations - an area of responsibility covering all of Africa except Egypt."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Africa_Command

And no witnesses to dispute what the Navy says? Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy that pirates are caught and stopped, but I also know when I just can't quite swallow the propaganda we're being fed either.

I wonder why they feel the necessity to release a story like this. Is it against maritime laws to actually go after the pirates if you're an official navy? Is it to lull the pirates into a false sense of security?

In any case I don't believe even pirates are so stupid as to go after a US Naval ship. Just color me doubtful about the official story.

[BeFree]

16. That's my Big Brother there!!

United States Department of Defense that is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations - an area of responsibility covering all of Africa except Egypt.

Responsible for keeping an eye on all of Africa!! Man, don't I feel better?

[jberryhill]

4. Ahem... Somali Maritime Environment Activists... Get with the program /nt

[hatrack]

6. If they seized the Mothership, did they catch the pirate ringleader?

God, I hope so!

[hootinholler]

9. Make mine a P-Funk baby! n/t

[Codeine]

17. Now that's some funked-up shit. nt

[yava]

19. Where is the picture of the big bad mother ship?

or was it just a little sister?
Maybe a fishing boat with guns on it?

[Codeine]

24. Here's the photo.

[Red1]

7. 12 Inch Rule

So they are nothing, nobody....no organization or country to seek restitution from, to expensive to keep locked up.

They get let out by the end of april...

[hayu_lol]

8. USS Nicholas...

http://www.navsource.org/archives/07/0747.htm

This may have been one of the ships involved in rescue of the sunken Japanese fishing ship off Oahu.

[krispos42]

14. An Oliver Perry-class frigate.

Those are so lightly armed at to practically useless for anything except pirate-hunting and submarine-hunting... and the latter only as part of a task force.

I'd rather have a new class of frigate in service to replace the Perrys than, say, the F-22. Something with some vertical-launch capabilty and a 5-inch gun, even without Aegis.

Say, a 36-cell VLS forward with vertical-launch ASROC, vertical-launch Harpoons, vertical-launch Standards, and Sea Sparrows in vertical-launch quad-packs. And two Seahawk LAMPS helos aft. Still primarily a helicopter platform, but with teeth and a shell and able to operate independently of a carrier group or battle group.

[Posteritatis]

21. Zuh? I thought Perries had Harpoons and Standards, albeit not in a VLS? (nt)

[Kievan Rus]

26. They used to but I think they got rid of them

[Angleae]

28. The Mk13 missile launcher was removed.

This is what they look like now.

[krispos42]

30. They used to. They had the single-arm launcher and a small missile magazine.

However they were withdrawn from service. IIRC, the Navy needed them to support other friendly navies that needed spares.

I guess they figured with Aegis cruisers and destroyers the Perrys could just be an ASW frigate/helicopter platform.

:-(

[Baclava]

36. USS Nicholas it was

Somali Pirates Bite Off More Than They Can Chew

Somali pirates are not having it all their own way at present. In the latest incident, some unsophisticated pirates, seeing a large vessel on the horizon, sped up to it hoping for rich pickings only to find themselves confronting a US navy missile frigate, which exchanged fire severely damaging both of their boats, and later capturing the mother ship.


U.S.S. Nicholas



April 2, 2010, : Just after midnight, west of the Seychelles Islands, a gang of three pirates fired on a 453-foot American warship, the USS Nicholas, mistaking it for a commercial vessel. To their chagrin, the pirates found they had bitten off considerably more than they could chew as the frigate fired back, incapacitating one of their boats, a skiff, which was boarded and the three pirates detained, after which it was sunk. Their other boat was captured after a chase and another two pirates were taken into custody. The pirates further discovered that, not only had they taken on a warship, but that it was on the lookout for them in particular. They were detained and may face trial in the US for piracy on the high seas.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/04/02/somali-pirates-bite-off-more-than-they-can-chew/

----------

doh!

[rbixby]

10. It seems a little suspicious to me too

What pirates in a small skiff would think it was a good idea to fire shots at a navy vessel a hundred times their size and bristling with guns and missiles? It doesn't really ring true to me either. Either these pirates are the dumbest ones in the world or something else really happened.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. The priates are not all that smart

They have attacked other warships, including a Dutch one in the last week.

[rbixby]

15. I wish I could understand what they're trying to accomplish

Do they really think they could take over a military vessel? Is their goal to try to drive them away by attacking them? I guess their knowledge of naval warfare is awfully limited if they think that.

[Posteritatis]

20. Just dumbassery, mainly; they occasionally mistake a warship for a civilian ship

It's easier in some cases, like those guys who attacked a US navy tanker (which was armed well enough) in the Gulf a few years ago, but going after a frigate means you've really forgotten to pay your brain bills.

[NutmegYankee]

29. This is not the first time pirates have attacked a warship.

It usually is the last time for each group of pirates though:evilgrin:

[edbermac]

11. Shiver me timbers!!

They don't make pirates like they used to.

[cowman]

13. That

is a good one

[flvegan]

18. Well, then what's a frigate?

It's when you just don't give a damn.

Sorry. Can't hear/read the word "frigate" without hearing that classic Frasier line.

[junior college]

22. The pirates have more motherships than al Qaeda has number 2 leaders

Perhaps folks should stop dumping toxic waste in their waters

[Socal31]

23. Yes, because that is what this is about.

......

[nodehopper]

31. it certainly is to a large extent.

[Codeine]

25. Junior college indeed. nt

[nodehopper]

32. Junior College is right

Do I have more "cred" with you as someone with a PhD who teaches globalization and development studies on university level?

[Codeine]

34. Not if you're silly enough to buy the

"pirates as eco-warriors" nonsense.

[nodehopper]

37. whatever they are now they started out as that

it is always good to look at the structural roots of the problems, sometimes it become quite obvious how we helped created it.

[cali]

27. yeah, the pirates are so concerned with toxic waste dumping

that's why they demand that it be stopped when they capture ships and sailors. Oh, wait. they don't demand that. they ask for money. And btw, each group of pirates has a mother ship from whence the smaller vessels originate.

[Democat]

33. They kidnap sailors and demand cash because they are environmentalists!

Right?

[jberryhill]

35. LOL - I was in Nairobi a few weeks ago...

...and to a person, the Kenyans I met clued me into this story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/02/pirate-ransom-money-kenya_n_409219.html

NAIROBI, Kenya — Property prices in Nairobi are soaring, and Somali pirates are getting the blame.


Personally, I'm inclined to believe the Africans on this one.