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Phillips at the time was tied up in the lifeboat, having been bound -- and occasionally beaten -- by the pirates

First time I've seen anything re beatings. Still having trouble understanding how they could see Phillips' back etc. Covered lifeboat, "cockpit" is aft, it's being towed, how could you see into the thing from the Bainbridge ? If you could see Phillips, wouldn't that mean he'd be in the line of fire too ?

Covered lifeboat, "cockpit" is aft, it's being towed, how could you see into the thing from the Bainbridge ? If you could see Phillips, wouldn't that mean he'd be in the line of fire too ?

The article explains that pretty good.

Bottom line is that the SEALs are excellent at what they do.

There is no second guessing their actions, they did their job perfectly after Obama finally let them.

...how could you see into the thing from the Bainbridge ?...

I think this is a good time for the 'don't ask don't tell' policy. Just be glad we have the capability !

First time I've seen anything re beatings. Still having trouble understanding how they could see Phillips' back etc. Covered lifeboat, "cockpit" is aft, it's being towed, how could you see into the thing from the Bainbridge ? If you could see Phillips, wouldn't that mean he'd be in the line of fire too ?

I had read somewhere that they were using drones to give them some overhead intel. Usually, SOP would also dictate some type of situational awareness (i.e. drilled hull with micro cameras installed, or some type of bolt removed and cameras/microphones installed.) Who knows how good the thermal optics are these days that the seals are using. Perhaps they were able to see the thermal signatures through the light fiberglass hull?

Sorry, gotta agree with you. I just can’t see how you hit three guys, at the same time, at night in a boat that has low visiblity perspective(portholes for windshield) and the thing is bobbing.

With the waves, the wash from the propellers and each human responding differently to motion, there is no way to time the shot.

That is what you do when shooting at targets. You time where there are and where they will be when your shot strikes.

There are too many unpredictables for this outcome as the press is reporting.

I mean I am an excellent shot and have shot at moving objects, but Lee Harvey Oswald could not do what three men did.

If they did, fine and kudos. I just don’t see it.

I read on another post something about a gyro shooting platform? Okay, like they are probably very expensive and take up vital real estate on a ship.

All in all this whole scenario is possible, I suppose but to my minds eye just not probable.

The shooters should be on an Olympic team if they can do that.

Still having trouble understanding how they could see Phillips' back etc.

I don't know any more than what I have read, but I have seen lifeboats of this type up close. They do have hatches/portals that can be opened. Guessing that the pirates gambled on keeping them open for some cross-ventilation... and their skulls got ventilated instead.

They could see the one pirate through a window, the other two had their heads out, it was dark, they thought they were safe(why I don’t know). The head shot on the one holding the rifle on the Captain would not have endangered him, the pirate’s head was probably higher than the Captain’s.