as the Iranian naval vessel came within 150 yards of the Thunderbolt at about 3:00 a.m. local time in the Northern Persian Gulf. Too bad they were just warning shots. There's always next time ...



See:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4728758/US-Navy-ship-fires-warning-shots-Iranian-vessel.html

Two warning shots across the bow is all that any of them should get, after that it should be bombs away, loose the torpedos.

Time to wake them up and also give the Russians and Chinese something to think about.

Interesting little ships I knew nothing about until now. Ditto the Griffin missiles they carry. These guys are well and truly the outermost ring of defense in the Persian Gulf. Proud duty, that.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"

I'm not understanding this "Warning Shot" thing. We did away with that after 9/11.

And I think shots across the bow are quite different from firing upon...

The hell you say

How did they get within 150 yards? Is that normal? I would have thought the "safe" perimeter would be larger than that?

Bollinger built them, as they did USCG 110's, 87's and 154's. We had a couple of the Navy boats for some years.

It's based on a "three ring" scenario, not distance but TIME dependent. First ring is "identify", second is "challenge" and the last is "engage". NO Warning Shots STRICTLY PROHIBITED, but I suspect a Supplemental ROE package has been issue. When I was there, it was definitively prohibited.

They have had their warning now. Next time shoot to kill.

Wonder how many US taxpayer funded boats they have now that Obama opened the vault.

They're running something akin to a decent fiberglass fishing boats we have here, their boats have a heavy machine gun and some missiles and the backing of allah who we're arranging the meeting with.