Posted on 07/15/2006 1:58:15 PM PDT by Woodstock
Initial probe into attack on missile boat Friday reveals Navy had no intelligence of possible missile threat in area where boat was operating; missile, aircraft interception system has been turned off due to presence of IDF planes in sector
The actions taken by crewmembers of the IDF missile boat that sustained a direct Hizbullah missile hit Friday, prevented a great disaster that could have resulted in numerous casualties, an initial inquiry into the incident reveals.
Boat Attacked
Sailor killed at sea / Tova Dadon
Shortly after deadly attack on Navy ship operating off Beirut shores, Amgar family of Ashdod informed their son is okay; next phone call bears different news: Soldier, who was so fond of sea, is missing. His body recovered Saturday
Brigadier-General Noam Page of the Navy said in a press conference Saturday that the Navy was unaware that a missile threat existed in the sector, and that the boat's crew had acted accordingly.
Missile boats are equipped with a missile interception system capable of automatically intercepting any missile or aircraft approaching it. However, as the boat was operating in an area where a large number of IDF planes were present, the Navy had refrained from activating the system.
Navy sources said that had they known the Hizbullah was in possession of missiles of the type used against the boat Saturday, the missile interception system would have been turned on.
‘We’ve been hit’
The initial investigation revealed that at 8:45 p.m. crewmembers on board the vessel were preparing for Shabbat dinner when a loud blat was heard. One of the ship’s commanders has informed the Navy’s control command: “We’ve been hit.” In the first few minutes after the strike, it was unclear what hit the boat, and the sailors concentrated on extinguishing the fire that broke out at the landing pad after 50 kilograms of explosives penetrated the vessel’s body.
Large Navy and Air Force units were dispatched to the place and began assisting the forces on board the boat.
Simultaneously, the crew conducted a damage control routine aimed at establishing what systems sustained damages in the attack. At the first stage it was decided to pull the boat away from its position using another boat, and at the same time to surround it with additional crafts in order to protect it from being hit again.
A senior Navy official said Saturday that the fire on board has repeatedly erupted after being extinguished as a result of the heat absorbed by metal objects on the boat. Only after the crew managed to contain the fire and tend to the damages it was discovered that four sailors were missing.
*ping*
Ooopseee!
It won't happen again. IDF will be prepared next time.
Hezbulloh had one shot with this.
check this out
The Iranians are Israel's principle enemey. Hezbollah is the Iranian surrogate. The Iranians have had the C-802 for a long time. I do not buy this...and of they did not prepare for potential missile engagement while in combat off the Lebannon coast against Hezbollah, it was a critical and fatal mistake.
..it was a critical and fatal mistake.
For one captain and 4 sailors it sure was!
Inexcusable IMHO...tends to confirm that their missile detection and wanring systems were not on. I hope this is not the case...but this is simply amaziong and inexcusable if true. Will wait for more official word.
oops forgot to turn the radar on.... my bad.
wtf? a ship designed for precisely this type of action not readied for this type of action?
Sometimes the digital message traffic to/from the CMS gets in the way.
That's the kind of stuff that happens when somebody at the top has their head up their a$$.
THis story is bad OPSEC. If it is true Israel was unready, best thing to do is not tell, let the Iranians/Hezbullah think they're golden, sail the boats in so the bad guys fire the missles up, locate the firing points, take the missles down and let the IAF get the launch points. Maybe even some commandows to find the Iranian bodies afterwards. That would be smart.
Seemed that way to me. Hope there's some reason for it.
Jeff, one othrt interesting point..the next generation of US Navy DDE's and missile frigates have greatly reduced crews. Supposedly the damage control systems are "automated"..I suspect that when they do a detailed analysis of the heroic job done by the Israeli crew, a few senior US admirals are in for a rude awakening. If the Israeli ship had been manned at the proposed US levels, I suspect it would be at the bottom now..
Israel's Navy leaves something to be desired.
If they are going to use that lameass excuse, they better worry if theres a submarine in the area!
A bigger oops would have been if the system was activated and started shooting down IDF planes. Another Freeper noted that the ship may have been operating to close to shore to be effective for its designated role.
I read it was not a UAV but a c-802 antiship cruisemissile
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/c-802.htm
oops forgot to turn the radar on.... my bad.
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