"HK" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
...


Alternately, we could give our mighty military forces and the mighty
military forces of other interested countries something useful to do
for a change. A few carriers and protective ships in the area, helped
by satellites and flyovers from carrier jets and prop planes, would do
it. We can easily keep track of the merchant vessels, and we can in
real time keep track of suspicious activities by the dinky boats and
ships the pirates operate.


Not enough ships for too big of an ocean. Fast as they may be, they
couldn't respond to a boarding 200 miles away in time to prevent it,
even at 30-35 kts. Maybe they all need to be retrofitted with a bank
of Etecs on their transoms to get there faster.

Eisboch

Eisboch


Or eTec launchers, to toss all the dead eTechs at the pirate boats.

A U.S. and other nation carrier, stationed strategically, could easily
be the mainstay of a force designed to keep the waters clear of pirates.
Remember, satellite technology makes it possible to track these pirate
craft from the moment they leave port.

Lots of small patrol craft are the real answer, all hooked up in a
communications network, with fighter jet backup. Do it the right way,
and no bitty pirate boats are going to be able to get close to the
freighters.





Catching these guys at sea is like trying to capture a bunch of bees that
have left their nest.
Better to destroy the nest.

The problem with your idea is that as soon as you relax a bit, they will
be back. It would require constant, endless surveillance to control it.
(it's been going on for many, many years).

Better to fix the problem than the symptoms.

Eisboch


A. They have several nests.

So, how many nmh can a F18 cover in 45 minutes?

B. Destroying the nests would mean destroying the ports in a starving
nation.

So what? Maybe they are starving because they are so lawless they need a
good kick into reality?

C. Interdicting the pirates for a considerable period of time would give
our Navy something useful to do.

Mavericks are cheaper than a seat at Gitmo when you consider trial,
transportation, political costs etc.

D. We supposedly are doing constant, endless surveillance in a number of
areas in the world, with huge flotillas. Most of what I envision could be
done with one U.S. carrier task force and a carrier or two from another
friendly nation, plus lots of small patrol boats and satellite
surveilliance.

Sounds like the navy has seen better days then. Or is it pure politics?

E. Really fixing the problem would require rebuilding Somalia.

Only they can do that, but being pirates isn't the way, let them know it.

We always have at least one carrier group in the Indian Ocean, by the way.

And they spend the fuel being there anyway. Might as well give the boys
some entertainment of live fire. Somalias don't even have the fire power of
a Jap Zero, this is a turkey shoot.