Need help from USN Small Boat Vet

[Snore]

Could someone help me understand how TWO state of the art USN small boats could be unaware that they were within 3 miles of an Iranian island?

For Pete's sake they should have been able to see it!!!! If one had a mechanical issue, why not tow?

Please don't pile on, sincerely trying to understand the cluster.

[Mirage35]

There's another thread on the subject:
What happens when your navigation systems fails - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

I have no specific knowledge but, based on years of experience and a cynical worldview, I expect the whole thing has more to do with political posturing than it has to do with navigation.

[sharkbait]

It all started back in the mists of time when the powers that be had to find a place for people who weren't smart enough to be in the Army

[Boatguy30]

Maybe those nice swift boat blokes have a Facebook page. I'm sure they will have plenty of opinions. They've probably spent all the money Bush paid them so they may be making a comeback....

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by Snore

Could someone help me understand how TWO state of the art USN small boats could be unaware that they were within 3 miles of an Iranian island?

For Pete's sake they should have been able to see it!!!! If one had a mechanical issue, why not tow?

Please don't pile on, sincerely trying to understand the cluster.

What a former Navy SEAL had to say about it.

Matt Bracken's thoughts: "I rarely pull out my dusty old trident, but in this case, here goes. I was a Navy SEAL officer in the 1980s, and this kind of operation (transiting small boats in foreign waters) was our bread and butter. Today, these boats both not only had radar, but multiple GPS devices, including chart plotters that place your boat's icon right on the chart. The claim by Iran that the USN boats "strayed into Iranian waters" is complete bull$‪#‎it‬.

For an open-water transit between nations, the course is studied and planned in advance by the leaders of the Riverine Squadron, with specific attention given to staying wide and clear of any hostile nation's claimed territorial waters. The boats are given a complete mechanical check before departure, and they have sufficient fuel to accomplish their mission plus extra. If, for some unexplainable and rare circumstance one boat broke down, the other would tow it, that's why two boats go on these trips and not one! It's called "self-rescue" and it's SOP.

This entire situation is in my area of expertise. I can state with complete confidence that both Iran and our own State Department are lying. The boats did not enter Iranian waters. They were overtaken in international waters by Iranian patrol boats that were so superior in both speed and firepower that it became a "hands up!" situation, with automatic cannons in the 40mm to 76mm range pointed at them point-blank. Surrender, hands up, or be blown out of the water. I assume that the Iranians had an English speaker on a loudspeaker to make the demand. This takedown was no accident or coincidence, it was a planned slap across America's face.

Just watch. The released sailors will be ordered not to say a word about the incident, and the Iranians will have taken every GPS device, chart-plotter etc off the boats, so that we will not be able to prove where our boats were taken.

The "strayed into Iranian waters" story being put out by Iran and our groveling and appeasing State Dept. is utter and complete BS from one end to the other." - Matt Bracken

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Maybe those nice swift boat blokes have a Facebook page. I'm sure they will have plenty of opinions. They've probably spent all the money Bush paid them so they may be making a comeback....

the same ones that saved us from kerry the traitor

[Boatguy30]

Enter the "swift boat veterans"

Pretty hard to say what happened at this point. It is worth noting that no one was harmed and they were released after no more than 24 hours.

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by powsmias

the same ones that saved us from kerry the traitor

For speaking the truth about an unjust and unwinnable war over 40 years ago?

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Enter the "swift boat veterans"

Pretty hard to say what happened at this point. It is worth noting that no one was harmed and they were released after no more than 24 hours.

If you don't call a female being humiliated and forced to wear an Islamic headdress not harm. Or you don't call the interception, arrest and humiliation at gun point of US serviceman harm than I suppose your comment that no one was harmed would be correct. Butt of course you couldn't be more wrong. There was harm. Humiliation of the sailors and the United States was harm.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by powsmias

What a former Navy SEAL had to say about it.

Matt Bracken's thoughts: "I rarely pull out my dusty old trident, but in this case, here goes. I was a Navy SEAL officer in the 1980s, and this kind of operation (transiting small boats in foreign waters) was our bread and butter. Today, these boats both not only had radar, but multiple GPS devices, including chart plotters that place your boat's icon right on the chart. The claim by Iran that the USN boats "strayed into Iranian waters" is complete bull$‪#‎it‬.

For an open-water transit between nations, the course is studied and planned in advance by the leaders of the Riverine Squadron, with specific attention given to staying wide and clear of any hostile nation's claimed territorial waters. The boats are given a complete mechanical check before departure, and they have sufficient fuel to accomplish their mission plus extra. If, for some unexplainable and rare circumstance one boat broke down, the other would tow it, that's why two boats go on these trips and not one! It's called "self-rescue" and it's SOP.

This entire situation is in my area of expertise. I can state with complete confidence that both Iran and our own State Department are lying. The boats did not enter Iranian waters. They were overtaken in international waters by Iranian patrol boats that were so superior in both speed and firepower that it became a "hands up!" situation, with automatic cannons in the 40mm to 76mm range pointed at them point-blank. Surrender, hands up, or be blown out of the water. I assume that the Iranians had an English speaker on a loudspeaker to make the demand. This takedown was no accident or coincidence, it was a planned slap across America's face.

Just watch. The released sailors will be ordered not to say a word about the incident, and the Iranians will have taken every GPS device, chart-plotter etc off the boats, so that we will not be able to prove where our boats were taken.

The "strayed into Iranian waters" story being put out by Iran and our groveling and appeasing State Dept. is utter and complete BS from one end to the other." - Matt Bracken

Thank you for that explanation. I thought as much. And a big thank you for your service.

[Boatguy30]

So if these guys were really "attacked" in international waters why didn't they fight back?

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by powsmias

the same ones that saved us from kerry the traitor

Is that the same Kerry who gave aid and comfort to the enemy when he returned home to the USA? Is it the same Kerry that disrespected the Armed Services by throwing his medals away? Is it the same Kerry that gave false reports while under oath to the US Congress?

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

So if these guys were really "attacked" in international waters why didn't they fight back?

Out gunned. Rubber boats up against much larger naval ships. Also check what their rules of engagement are. Isn't it US policy now to surrender first.

[Boatguy30]

Never mind "Obama wouldn't let them" I can see where this is going to go. Of Course if Rafael was president we'd be bombing Tehran right now over it over the damn head scarf.

There is maybe 15-25% of the US population interested in a war with Iran. I personally am wondering why the F*** these guys were anywhere near Iranian waters in there "small boats" anyway

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

For speaking the truth about an unjust and unwinnable war over 40 years ago?

Look what resulted after the evacuation of Saigon because of the people like Kerry. Remember the Pol Pot exterminations? What about the Vietnamese that were subjugated by an oppressive communist dictatorship. Traitors from within the USA and communist sympathizers around the world along with their useful idiots in Congress caused a defeat that should never have happened.