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Posted on 08/27/2006 12:52:44 PM PDT by SandRat
NAPLES, Italy, Aug. 27, 2006 – U.S. Navy frigate USS Boone intercepted a drug-smuggling speedboat Aug. 24 while enroute from Algeria to Spain during a patrol of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Spanish coastline. According to U.S. Navy 6th Fleet officials, the crew abandoned its cargo—five packages of marijuana weighing 90 kilograms--when the USS Boone was sighted and entered Algerian territorial water. The Boone’s crew confiscated the marijuana.
A few hours later, near the same location, the USS Boone encountered two small rubber boats in apparent distress, officials said. The ship approached the boats and found 26 people on board. A Spanish Coast Guard vessel intervened to assist and rescued all 26 passengers, taking them ashore.
The USS Boone is part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and is currently participating in Operation Active Endeavor. The allied component maritime commander, Vice Admiral Roberto Cesaretti, who is responsible for the operation, sent his congratulations to the crew via the military code “Bravo Zulo” and stressed the importance of the operation.
Operation Active Endeavor is NATO's maritime contribution to the fight against terrorism. Launched in October 2001, it continues to conduct surveillance and monitoring operations of the major shipping lanes in the Mediterranean.
(From a U.S. European Command news release.)
BRAVO ZULU NAVY!
Why is the Navy doing police work? For Spain?
I agree that this is another abuse of our tax dollars. I can see W loving it!
That sppedboat could have been smuggling arms and explosives, perhaps even cash. As for the boats in distress, that's between you and your conscience.
Think it through. This is an announcment for smugglers of all types, including terrorists, that we're out there and we're willing to take action, even when it's not "our problem."
It was the right thing to do, unless you're one of those who want to climb into a hole and pull in the sod over our heads.
You can't hide from this stuff.
Nothing wrong with US personnel doing liaison work with Spanish authorities. But Navy ships aren't Spanish (or American) police vehicles.
When the Spanish potheads come after me, I'll post an apology. /sarc
NATO has had a standing naval force for 50 years or more, and a U.S. ship has almost always been part of it. It's usually a six month deployment and command of the force rotates among the NATO countries. My ship did a spell with what as then called STANDNAVFORLANT back around 1980 and we had a Dane as commodore. While a part of it USS Boone does what the force is assigned to do, and if it's to stop smugglers in the Mediterranean then that's it.
When Al Qaeda smuggles a nuke into your town via the "Spanish pot heads" supplier you won't have the chance to post an apology.
Worse, if they were to smuggle one into my town I won't have the chance to tell you what a fool you were.
No sarcasm there at all. Just simple facts.
If you don't see that then you don't see anything.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Why did they keep the dope?
Sounds like it's within their orders to me.
"abuse"
Excuse me .. you'd rather the drug smugglers were successful ..?? Not me!
Well, I guess that pretty much summarizes your agenda, doesn't it?
Excuse me, but I didn't think our borders had been expanded so far... or are you one of the Globalists among us?
Since when are we supposed to be baby-sitting for other countries? I can think of a few better places if you wanted to affect American citizens drug use. I can also think of a lot better things for a fighting force to be doing with fighting going on in the world!
When they confiscated the dope, they went past legit NATO business into civilian police work. If that is what is expected from our armed forces, I find it troubling.
Your stash running low...?
Hey for once the Coast Guard doesn't get first pick.
They have a legit right to stop and search suspicious vessels.
If they start dumping contriband, well that's the smuggler's blues ain't it?
We're part of NATO and it's a NATO mission to secure the sea lanes in the Med. That's why the Boone was there, not some "globalist expansion of our borders" strawman you offer up.
Yes, Thomas Jefferson was really out of line on that one.
Thanks for the response. Which foundational document (DecofInd, Const., Articles of Cofederacy?) calls for us to patrol overseas sea lanes for the benefit of foreign entities. I understand treaties. I understand alliances. I understand the borders of the United States, though our Presient doesn't seem to care about defending them.
What am I missing? I know I am probaly wrong, but I just thought we had things to take care of at home! There is no benefit for us to sit around poppoing drup smugglers in the Med, when Iran, N.Koea, etal are ready to see us dead!
It would be nice to have Our Navy used for us!
And probably the kind of druggie who would object if the Chinese navy boarded your boat and confiscated stuff they thought was illegal (Bibles, unmonitored computers, histories of the cultural revolution, ...).
/sarc
Hopefully, as an American citizen, I can find a US Navy vessel to help me, unless they are all overseas. I only sail the coast of North Carolina. I cruise a lot, though, and expect them to take care of me there, as well! That is their job, unless I am wrong.
The Navy is looking for arms smugglers and terrorists. Drug smugglers present the same profile. Gonna get them too.
Apparently, the concept of showing our flag while transiting international/navigable waters is lost upon you.
Somebody at AFPS messed that up then.
You must be kidding. DRUGS ARE GLOBAL .. so we must fight them globally. You can't ignore them just because it's not happening within the USA's borders .. that's ignorant!
It's a Frigate. Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7) class. Same as the USS Stark.
I have many friends on the Boone, and I can tell you for a fact that it is a frigate. frigate # 28 to be exact, and they were on their way to Spain when they ran into the boats, they weren't purposely seeking out drug vessels. They are in the Med. to keep the waters clean of terrorists. Which as many of you said they should be doing.
I hate it when my drup smugglers get poppoed.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Heg to differ.
USS Boone Completes SRAThe most visible was the removal of the Mk 13 Guided Missile Launcher and Separate Track Illumination Radar (STIR). This class-wide modification will remove the SM-1 capability from all FFG-7 class ships.What do you call a guided missile frigate that has no capacity to launch guided missiles?
An offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is large and seaworthy enough to patrol off-shore, in the open ocean.
....
OPVs are usually equipped with some kind of gun, but they lack extensive weapon systems. They are primarily used for patrol in the exclusive economic zone, and common tasks are fishery inspection and search and rescue (police-type of work). The largest OPVs might also have a hangar and helicopter embarked.
You were correct..
I call it a Frigate, the French call your own example a Frigate (F734), but you guys are correct.
What color is the sky on your planet?
It used to be that Frigates were LARGER than Destroyers (50s, 60s) but that has been reversed in recent decades.
Note the definition says "frequently" armed with an AAW system.
Welcome to FR.
From your dictionary source
[Origin: 1575–85; < MF frégate < It fregata, Sicilian fragata (> Sp, Catalan, Pg); of obscure orig.]These origianl frigates were small oared or light sailing vessels, no more than despatch poats.
In the early 17th Century the term was applied to the swift privateer vessels that operated out od Dunkirk and Oestend (perfidious French!)
Other maratime nations then built ships modelleded after the Dunkirkers and the term pased into general naval usage
When the Line of battle formatiom was introduced diring the Anglo-Dutch wars. the Royal Navy Fighting Instrictionms of 1665 ordered the less powerful units out of the line and ordereded them to take station }on the broadside of the Admiral way from the enemy'.
ergo the classical frigate: a ship rigged warship, not intended to fight as part of the battle-fleet.
That frigate disappeared in the late 19th century, replaced by the cruisinhg ship.
2. Only in America. Thre rest of the world pretty much decided on a ocean going vessel less combat capoable that a destroyer.
With destroyers now the largest vessels designed for surface combat, that moves the definition close to the original one.
3. Here the dictionary dead wrong, trying to accomodate the anomolus US "Frigates" os the 69s and 60s.
What does seem to be developing is a concensus (still with many exceptions) that a destroyer carries an area defence AAW system: otherwise surface combatants are frigates.
the French call your own example a Frigate (F734), but you guys are correct.
Huh. What wouls the cheese eating surrender monkeys know about what is required to class a ship as combat capable?
20 years ago thet were calling the Georges Leygues "corvettes", now they are "destroyers". Yet they are frigate sixed, frigate armed - directly comparable to what the majority of navies call frigates.
They also call the 1200 tone D'Estienne D'Orves class, with very limited self protection capability, "frigates".
http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/europe/france.htm
Minor Surface CombatantsWhatever they are called, like the present US Perrys, the limited arnament makes them Offshore Patrol Vessels in reality. Us guys am correct.
Floreal class small patrol frigates
Displacement: 2,950 tons full load
Dimensions: 93.5 x 14 x 4.3 meters (307 x 46 x 14 feet)
Propulsion: 4 diesels, 2 shafts, 8,800 bhp, 20 knots
Crew: 80
Aviation: Aft helicopter deck and hangar for 1 Panther helicopter
Troops: 24 special forcesRadar: DRBV 25 air/surface search EW: ARBR 17 intercept, 2 Dagaie decoy
Armament: 2 Exocet SSM, 1 100 mm DP, 2 20 mm
Low-cost patrol vessels for overseas service, fisheries patrol, etc. Built to commercial standards.Thetis class - your source
The Thetis class are multi-role frigates for fishery protection, surveillance, air-sea rescue, anti-pollution and ice reconnaissance.
....The armament consists of one Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid main gun, one or two 20mm guns from Oerlikon and depth charge throwers.
You can't even support your own arguement.
Who'd cite them as an expert?
The Perry class frigates with the Mk13 removed is often referred to as a "gelded Perry". Granted, the SM-1MR has been out of production, with questions about the propellant grain as the weapon ages. All that is left on the current Perry class is a 76mm automatic mount, room for two Seahawk helicopters, and maybe still a pair of Mk32 triple torpedo tubes. It does leave it as an effective ASW platform, maybe better than the predecessor Know class FF's. Still, no area air defense, just makes it an OPV + ASW capability.
There was being considered replacing the Mk 13 launcher (with mechanical loading) with an 8-cell Mk 41 VLS, with 32 rounds of the Enhanced Sea Sparrow Missile, however that may have required a change in radars. The ESSM has a range comparable with the SM1MR.
My argument is that the frigate is the basic surface combatant of most navies.To be combat capable an actual frigate must be have either
1. Some offensive capability
2. Combat survivability. Today that means ship defence SAM (Sea Sparrow. Seawolf, SAN-4, Cotrale, Barak) and missile defence (either CIWS or good decoy system. preferably both)
A nominal "Frigate" with a 3" gun and a couple of manual 20mm doesn't meet the standard.
Actually you can have both (and SM-2 too)
When you OWN a Frigate, you can call it waht you want, but tioll then, I'll stick to reality.
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