Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Drones that swarmed US warships off the coast of California in 2019 were from a mysterious Hong Kong-registered spy ship, say US Navy
UK Daily Mail ^ | June 11 2022 | HARRIET ALEXANDER

Posted on 06/11/2022 4:17:50 AM PDT by knighthawk

Warships from the U.S. Navy sailing off the coast of California in 2019 were swarmed by drones from a nearby Hong Kong cargo ship on multiple occasions, the Navy has revealed.

The incidents were all reported between March 30, 2019 and July 30, 2019. Seven different vessels were involved.

One of the warships reported in their official memo that the Hong Kong ship was observing them, noting: 'MV Bass Strait likely using UAVs (unidentified aerial vehicles) to conduct surveillance on US Naval Forces'.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 007; aatip; california; ccp; china; clivecussler; dailymail; drones; fringe; harrietalexander; hongkong; navy; ohsomysteriouso; ridiculous; uap; ufo; ufos; unitedkingdom; unitedstatesnavy; usn; whatshipisthis; zhuhaiyun
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last
To: eartick

Trying to hit them little chit’s might be a problem, kinda like swatting gnat’s.

We had chickens when I was a Kid and the chicken house would get full of sparrows. Tried sling shots and pellet rifles but it was useless. One day I grabbed a tennis racket and ran in and shut the door behind me. It was chaos and mayhem for about 30 minutes. When I opened the door and came out there was 37 bodies on the ground. Only had to do that a couple more times and the sparrow problem ended. That’s the kind of redneck ingenuity they need to use in designing a defense against these swarms.
In my Redneck mind I see a flying Remington 1100 with about a 25 round capacity, number 2’s or BB’s should be sufficient in taking out a small drone. Hell that would work for hunting these damn blue quail here in West Texas. Them little birds are track stars and can run a dog to death. Oh! and it needs to be able to play Flight of the Valkries when it moves in for the shot.


21 posted on 06/11/2022 6:05:28 AM PDT by Dusty Road (")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Dusty Road

In really like the mosquitoes zapping rackets on the market make killing mosquitoes fun.


22 posted on 06/11/2022 6:41:22 AM PDT by riverrunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Roccus

In those days the Jebbies taught you how to think not what to think.


23 posted on 06/11/2022 6:48:57 AM PDT by xkaydet65 ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

Small agile targets... maybe difficult to track with radar or target with missile defenses? This is a major reason why the navy is beginning to arm their ships with laser defenses.


24 posted on 06/11/2022 6:52:05 AM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

I would have sunk that cargo ship in a minute.


25 posted on 06/11/2022 6:54:56 AM PDT by Salvavida
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tallguy

Did we even try? We have Phalanx systems that should easily take care of these drones.


26 posted on 06/11/2022 6:56:26 AM PDT by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

That’s a little like throwing coke bottles at mosquitoes. You might hit a few, but probably expend all your ammo doing it. My understanding is that the reload time for a Phalanx gun battery is on the order of 5 or 10 minutes.

Still, it’s your only system that has any capability against that threat, so it should have been tried.


27 posted on 06/11/2022 7:06:06 AM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

Don’t mean to suggest that Phalanx is slow firing. Quite the opposite. But changing magazines out isn’t like switching out on an AR.


28 posted on 06/11/2022 7:07:38 AM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: servantboy777

It would be fun in a two seat open cockpit Stearman Bi-Plane. Put a South Louisiana Swamp Rat Cajun in the back with a shotgun and tell him there is “no bag limit” and 100 dollars bounty on each drone.


29 posted on 06/11/2022 7:20:03 AM PDT by cpdiii (CANE CUTTER-DECKHAND-ROUGHNECK-OILFIELD CONSULTANT-GEOLOGIST-PILOT-PHARMACIST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Dusty Road

—”Trying to hit them little chit’s might be a problem”

Everybody thinks they are Annie Oakley or better!

Videos of drone shooting attempts, methinks lots of skill and luck are needed.
Or maybe a punt gun, but difficult to follow a fast target?

Or the right equipment.
The eagle was cool!

How to Shoot Down a Drone
https://youtu.be/jlGdPrhRvBA

I’d like to think they tuned in to everything from DC to daylight and recording for further study.

The “Ghostbuster guns”?
An article around here someplace of Ukraine’s manufacturing and using something very similar.


30 posted on 06/11/2022 7:32:11 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ("The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last message)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tallguy

I’m thinking high powered microwaves or even UHF from a banana antenna bobbing up and down, turning left and right. Like the landing radars around military bases. Somewhere around 100kW or so.

The radar operators used to knock the pigeons off of hangers that way. Just sweep the sky. Don’t want any actual aircraft around though.


31 posted on 06/11/2022 7:33:36 AM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (Putin is behaving rationally.The war is on Biden and Obama. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

You can bet that once the ships saw the flashing navigation lights on the drones, they immediately isolated the signals and knew they were from the “mystery ship”.

Not using weapons against a non-hostile target is a waste of weapons, and a revelation of capabilities.


32 posted on 06/11/2022 7:37:03 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dusty Road
>>quail

Carry a couple of black frisbee with you.

When the quail run, throw the frisbee over them and they will freeze in the brush until you flush.

Did this a number of times.

33 posted on 06/11/2022 7:49:24 AM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: knighthawk

The most disturbing thing about this article was finding out there is a USS Gabrielle Giffords.


34 posted on 06/11/2022 7:56:04 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dljordan

> I had a picture of a drone sitting on a Lily pad.

Somewhere deep in the Okefenokee, with Spanish moss hanging from the trees and green water all around, only instead of frogs chirping you hear a constant...droning.


35 posted on 06/11/2022 8:00:00 AM PDT by no-s (Jabonera, urna, jurado, cartucho ... ya sabes cómo va...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Tallguy

Maybe after the first couple of drone swarms they could have changed ammo if necessary. The ships were in our own waters.


36 posted on 06/11/2022 8:11:11 AM PDT by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: GaltAdonis

They do make a shot gun shell with a net in it just for the reason happy hunting.
No limit at this juncture


37 posted on 06/11/2022 9:13:33 AM PDT by Vaduz ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Basket_of_Deplorables

I think law enforcement uses a microwave emiitter to “knock down” drones. Military drones may have enough autonomous control that severing a data link may not cause them to crash or automatically switch to a landing sequence.


38 posted on 06/11/2022 10:09:40 AM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: VTenigma

I’ve seen simulations where the ship simply switches course to bring the opposite Phalanx battery online while the crew scrambles to reload. But I think cruisers & destroyers phalanx systems are mostly located on centerline so as to cover port & starboard sides.


39 posted on 06/11/2022 10:12:41 AM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Golden Eagle

Interesting replies you got.
Idiots everywhere


40 posted on 06/11/2022 10:23:43 AM PDT by mowowie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson