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Something is fishy about USS Fitzgerald story we are getting from the media
americanthinker.com ^ | Thomas Lifson

Posted on 06/18/2017 7:22:25 AM PDT by RoosterRedux

We received an email from a Navy Mother that raises serious questions. We will redact her name, while the rumors (and that’s how they must be categorized for now) reported by her son aboard the Fitzgerald are checked out. Here is what she wrote to us:

My son is assigned to the USS Fitzgerald. I am unable to share his rate with you.

The information is short and not so sweet. The implications are disturbing.

The ship is registered in the Philippines. We do not know who the owner is. The container ship neither had its running lights or transponder on. That is an action taken willfully. Furthermore, for the container ship to strike with such accuracy is troublesome. Given what some have done with cars in Europe, what a feather in the cap it would be to sink a U.S. Navy warship. Think on that.

My son missed being washed out to sea by the blink of an eye. He was on his way to one of the berthing areas that was rammed.

*snip*

If there is any substance to this – that the ACX Crystal disabled protective systems and rammed the Fitzgerald at high speed aimed at crtical facilities (evident from the damage) –

PHOTOS

…we have to consider the possibility of an asymmetric warfare attack designed to disable missile defense of a carrier strike group, as North Korea demonstrates the ability to make exactly such attacks on a multibillion dollar warship carrying thousands of sailors.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: usnavy; ussfitzgerald
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To: RoosterRedux

Enemy islamism until demonstrated otherwise.


21 posted on 06/18/2017 7:35:25 AM PDT by onedoug (Remembering 68-69 Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club)
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To: proust

Also reported on heavy.com is the U-turn the cargo ship made:

http://heavy.com/news/2017/06/acx-crystal-uss-fitzgerald-tracking-owner-flag-schedule-container-ship-photo/


22 posted on 06/18/2017 7:37:03 AM PDT by WildHighlander57 ((WildHighlander57, returning after lurking since 2000)
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To: mrsmith

Facts? pffft. Since when have we cared about facts?


23 posted on 06/18/2017 7:37:26 AM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: RoosterRedux

It is apparent from the damage photos that the collision was at an oblique angle, and both ships were on similar heading at the time of collision, sort of like a collision on a highway when making a lane change. Not like a head on or t-bone collision.

I suspect negligence on the bridge of the Fitzgerald because there was apparently no collision horn sounded. It should have been sounded minutes before the collision and at a minimum the captain should have been on the bridge. I take negligence (or far less likely, malice) on the part of the commercial vessel for granted.


24 posted on 06/18/2017 7:37:56 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Psephomancers for Hillary!)
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To: RoosterRedux
The last place I expect to get accurate information about this is from The Fake News Media.

There has to be more to this story.

25 posted on 06/18/2017 7:38:04 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: PIF

I guess it’s easier to believe they saw it coming right towards them on radar and let it happen.


26 posted on 06/18/2017 7:38:41 AM PDT by proust (Trump / Pence 2016!)
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To: bigdaddy45

Whoever it was, he just became Captain Crunch.


27 posted on 06/18/2017 7:38:51 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: The Great RJ
It has been reported that Russia has developed a radar jamming technology capable of blinding a ship.

Article.

28 posted on 06/18/2017 7:40:07 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

I strongly question that this “mother” received email from her son. Any time there is an incident like this, the ship goes into what they call “River City” and all email/internet access is immediately secured to all but only the highest-ranking sailors (generally the “Triad” of CO, XO and CMC).


29 posted on 06/18/2017 7:40:24 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: RoosterRedux
The ship is registered in the Philippines. We do not know who the owner is. The container ship neither had its running lights or transponder on.

I have lots of problems with this account. Yes, civilian ship radars work with transponders. They also register objects without transponders.

A MILITARY ship's radar necessarily works in an environment where hostile ships do not helpfully have transponders on. As a matter of fact, I would HOPE that the ship's sensor software would flag a ship with transponder off as "POTENTIAL HOSTILE"!

30 posted on 06/18/2017 7:41:01 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (Big government is attractive to those who think that THEY will be in control of it.)
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To: PIF
See post 28.
31 posted on 06/18/2017 7:41:48 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

Must be conspiracy day. My first thought after the initial reporting: How are our ships supposed to defend against modern warships if a freighter can just accidentally torpedo a destroyer?


32 posted on 06/18/2017 7:42:35 AM PDT by freedomjusticeruleoflaw (Western Civilization- whisper the words, and it will disappear. So let us talk now about rebirth.)
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To: RoosterRedux

totaally fishy.

That destroyer will have equipment to detect if you tossed a Popsicle stick in the water in front of it.


33 posted on 06/18/2017 7:42:50 AM PDT by anton
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To: PapaBear3625
A MILITARY ship's radar necessarily works in an environment where hostile ships do not helpfully have transponders on. As a matter of fact, I would HOPE that the ship's sensor software would flag a ship with transponder off as "POTENTIAL HOSTILE"!

Was the captain "smoking a rope"?

34 posted on 06/18/2017 7:43:20 AM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (The fear of stark justice sends hot urine down their thighs.)
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To: Rennes Templar

Unless it had help.


35 posted on 06/18/2017 7:43:34 AM PDT by mewzilla (Was ObamaThanks surveilling John Roberts? Might explain a lot.)
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To: RoosterRedux
Hard to envision how it wound up happening. How in the hell...

Open ocean, not some crowded port or crappy weather.

I did see The USS Eisenhower, returning to Norfolk, on 29 August 1988, she collided with an anchored Spanish coal ship while entering the harbor to dock at Norfolk Naval Station when wind and currents pushed the carrier off course, although damage was minor to both ships.

36 posted on 06/18/2017 7:43:56 AM PDT by csvset ( Illegitimi non carborundum)
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To: RoosterRedux

There are pictures in other threads showing the cargo ships track. How would that track be available if the transponder was off?


37 posted on 06/18/2017 7:44:12 AM PDT by sharkhawk (Chelsea Dagger)
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To: RoosterRedux

Nothing gets a boat driver’s attention more than radar reporting a CBDR target.

They get apoplectic over it. Unless the DD’s radar was down, something was up with the container ship.


38 posted on 06/18/2017 7:44:23 AM PDT by wrench
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To: RoosterRedux


39 posted on 06/18/2017 7:45:40 AM PDT by Zakeet (I haven't seen Democrats this pissed off since the Republicans forced them to free their slaves)
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To: RoosterRedux
Identifying ship weaknesses? A dry run?
40 posted on 06/18/2017 7:45:51 AM PDT by GOPJ (James Hodgkinson a Bernie Sanders true believer)kicks off Resistance Summer by shooting Republicans)
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