Posted on 05/07/2009 10:35:54 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Suspected pirates failed in an effort to attack a U.S. Navy ship off the eastern coast of Somalia. the Navy said Thursday.
Two skiffs, assumed to be pirate vessels, chased the Lewis and Clark, a dry cargo and ammunition ship supporting the Navy's Fifth Fleet, for more than an hour Wednesday before giving up, CNN reported.
During the pursuit, the skiffs fired small arms at the Lewis and Clark and got within one nautical mile before the ship used evasive maneuvers and pulled out of range.
It may not have been a combat vessel but it wasn’t unarmed either.
Yeah, that'll show 'em.
Think before you speak.
“In February 2009 the ship was deployed off the coast of Somalia as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa. The vessel was fitted out to be used as a prison ship for captured pirates until they could be extradited to Kenya for trials. 16 pirates have so far been sent to Lewis and Clark after being captured in two different actions by the USS Vella Gulf.[1]”
Don’t tell me they don’t have small arms.
I stand corrected. But it’s stupid beyond belief that the Navy would send unarmed ships into that part of the world.
Lewis and Clark is the class, not the name ... the reporter misremembered. :)
I’m wishing that’s all.
I want Reagan back.
Different vessels.
USS Lewis and Clark may refer to:
* USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644), a Benjamin Franklin-class ballistic missile submarine of the U.S. Navy
* USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1), a dry cargo ship of the U.S. Military Sealift Command
Sure, they can outrun pirates, but can they outrun the russkies!
Thanks for clearing that up.
It’s obvious now. They should be armed.
Either of these weapons can laydown enough suppressive fire to make these "pirates" abandon the attack and save their bullets for less hardened targets.
Turns out it is both the name and the class since this is the first of its type.
The Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo ship is the next class of Combat Logistics Force (CLF) underway replenishment vessels to be constructed for the United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command. Lewis and Clark-class ships will replace the existing fifteen Mars- and Sirius-class combat store ships and the Kilauea-class ammunition ships. When operating in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-class oiler the Lewis and Clarks will also replace Sacramento-class fast combat support ships. The first of the planned twelve ships, USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1), was placed in service with the MSC in June 2006, and is being designed for a forty-year service life. The ships will be named for famous American explorers and pioneers.
The primary role of the Lewis and Clarks is to provide logistic lift from supply sources such as friendly ports, or while at sea, from specially equipped merchant ships by consolidation. Lewis and Clarks will transfer cargo (ammunition, food, limited quantities of fuel, repair parts, ship store items, and expendable supplies and material) to station ships and other naval warfare forces. As auxiliary support ships, Lewis and Clarks will directly contribute to the Navy’s ability to maintain a forward presence. When operating together with Henry J. Kaiser-class oilers Lewis and Clarks will provide the carrier battle group and/or amphibious readiness group with product lift equivalent to a Supply-class fast combat support ship.
Construction of the lead ship, USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE-1), was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) of San Diego, California, on 18 October 2001. The contract contains options for eleven follow ships. The option for the first follow ship, USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2), was exercised simultaneously with award of Lewis and Clark. The option for an additional ship was exercised in 2002, another one in 2003, two more in 2004 and another two more ships were ordered in 2005. As of 2007[update], a total of nine ships had been ordered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_class_dry_cargo_ship
Bureaucratic excuse. How many Navy Sealift ships in WWII went on the high seas totally unarmed?
It will be seen as a Navy vessel running away. There is no excuse, UN Treaties notwithstanding.
This is operated by MSC. It's probably almost all civilians with just some Navy personnel on board. I doubt it's even armed with anything larger than a M249, and probably only has M16, M9 9mm, and Shotguns aboard.
When the Marines were taken off of ships starting in the late '80s, this is what one of the unintended consequences turned out to be.
There haven't been any Franklin-class subs in service for years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Lewis_and_Clark_(T-AKE-1)
Very first link that comes up on Google. The current Lewis and Clark is the lead ship of her class of supply vessels.
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