Iran Seizes British Sailors

[TrunkMonkey]

Actually you pose a pretty good question. I am not too sure about why the larger ship, the HMS Cornwall, was not close enough to intervene on behalf of their guys in the RHIB's. A RN helo saw the Iranian ships but could not intervene for some reason (all from teh news reports)

Straits of Hormuz? Obviously just a guess, since I've never been there and I'm sure most others have, but it seems like the possibility that the Iranians may or may not be able to control that strategic choke-point makes us a little less inclined to actually engage them when operating in the NAG/SAG.

 

[Kickflip89]

more plot thickening: a semi-official news agency reports the british troops 'confessed' to illegal entry.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/24/iran.uk.sailors/index.html

 

[Pags]

Straits of Hormuz? Obviously just a guess, since I've never been there and I'm sure most others have, but it seems like the possibility that the Iranians may or may not be able to control that strategic choke-point makes us a little less inclined to actually engage them when operating in the NAG/SAG.

Where the incident took place is a long way off from the Straights of Hormuz. The NAG is the northwestern corner of the gulf, right where Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait all come together. On the border of Iraqi and Iranian territorial waters are 2 oil platforms, ABOT (Al Basra Oil Terminal) and KBOT that belong to Iraq and are guarded by Coalition ships since they generate revenue for Iraq. Cornwall was up there guarding these plats when the incident took place.

 

[MasterBates]

Just for a heads up, in a slow ass helo, you can go from Kuwaiti airspace, to Iraqi airspace, to Iranian airspace in the course of 10 minutes. We are talking an area not much bigger than Pensacola Bay.

 

[BigIron]

I concur. Everything the same shade of brown, there are little rivers and waterways everywhere, and it all looks like crap. very easy to stray airspaces unless you are hawking the nav.

 

[A4sForever]

You guys know more about current ops than I ... especially since I don't know too much .... but why, why, why were two RHIB's or whatever the Brits were floating in "up there" -- and seemingly unsupported???

At least unsupported in the sense that no naval entity bigger and badder was closely covering their back and able to thump or at least intimidate the Iranians into backing off???

Reminds me a lot of the Pueblo, amongst other less than sterling moments in naval history.

 

[MasterBates]

Nav up there at night w/o GPS sucks..

You HOPE that the ASTAC is not out to lunch.

 

[Flash]

You guys know more about current ops than I ... especially since I don't know too much .... but why, why, why were two RHIB's or whatever the Brits were floating in "up there" -- and seemingly unsupported???

At least unsupported in the sense that no naval entity bigger and badder was closely covering their back and able to thump or at least intimidate the Iranians into backing off???

Reminds me a lot of the Pueblo, amongst other less than sterling moments in naval history.

I believe the RHIB's were in the Shatt-El-Arab waterway, whch is not the easiest place for a bigger ship to go.

http://lexicorient.com/e.o/shatt_ar.htm

 

[TrunkMonkey]

I know where ABOT/KAAOT are (at least on a map). I guess my point about the Straits was more in terms of the Iranians retaliating by closing them and shutting down oil trade/trapping our ships.

 

[A4sForever]

I believe the RHIB's were in the Shatt-El-Arab waterway, whch is not the easiest place for a bigger ship to go....

Roger that ... thanks for the link; I'm familiar with the geography ... but then, you see why it reminds me of the Pueblo??

Helo's/air cover would not have done it. They can only shoot or watch. Something big and grey might have.... Putting guys "out there" without an appropriate backup (with teeth) does not seem like an example of "lessons learned" .... ???

 

[MasterBates]

Bigger boats, as in Freighter can go up the SAA. I've seen it. Wether it is a good idea, is for the powers that be to decide. They should have had helo support, as US forces often do while conducting similar operations.

 

[BigIron]

I know where ABOT/KAAOT are (at least on a map). I guess my point about the Straits was more in terms of the Iranians retaliating by closing them and shutting down oil trade/trapping our ships.

They've threatened that in the past and it is a current threat now.

 

[Flash]

Bigger boats, as in Freighter can go up the SAA. I've seen it. Wether it is a good idea, is for the powers that be to decide. They should have had helo support, as US forces often do while conducting similar operations.

I know they can go up there but they have little if any room to manuever, that is what I was trying to say.

 

[Flash]

Roger that ... thanks for the link; I'm familiar with the geography ... but then, you see why it reminds me of the Pueblo??

Helo's/air cover would not have done it. They can only shoot or watch. Something big and grey might have.... Putting guys "out there" without an appropriate backup (with teeth) does not seem like an example of "lessons learned" .... ???

I agree wholeheartedly on that one, but I don't know the full story either. It does make you wonder though........

 

[hscs]

Sounds like a job for the LCS (aka Little CrXXXX Ship). Ha.