Navy's newest anti-pirate warships top out at more than 50 mph

This image provided by the U.S. Navy shows the littoral combat ship Independence underway in the Gulf of Mexico during builder's trials in this July 12, 2009, photo.

[Coolmind]

Is it built with USA or China steel?

[Mad Dog USN]

Coolmind wrote:

Is it built with USA or China steel?

Neither, It's aluminum..

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
Neither, It's aluminum..

All ya have to do is give Merchant Seamen high powered sniper rifles with scopes...DUH

The Pirates would be picked off quickly

The USA is too stupid to figure out the obvious

The USN will spend billions on a simple problem

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
All ya have to do is give Merchant Seamen high powered sniper rifles with scopes...DUH
The Pirates would be picked off quickly
The USA is too stupid to figure out the obvious
The USN will spend billions on a simple problem

Well smartass, since merchant seaman and their vessels are not allowed to be armed it makes thing difficult..doesn't it?

No country's licensed civilian MV's are allowed to be armed..

Lloyd's of London will not allow it for insurnace purposes.

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
Well smartass, since merchant seaman and their vessels are not allowed to be armed it makes thing difficult..doesn't it?
No country's licensed civilian MV's are allowed to be armed..
Lloyd's of London will not allow it for insurnace purposes.

If we are too stupid to change....it is our problem.

Yesterdays rules....todays reality

The USN....what a joke...they will build a multibillion dollar vessel to combat a $10 dollar problem and call it defense.

Can you imagine the fuel consumption at 50 mph?

60% of our fuel is imported ....60% So we can chase pirates on the other side of the world

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
If we are too stupid to change....it is our problem.
Yesterdays rules....todays reality
The USN....what a joke...they will build a multibillion dollar vessel to combat a $10 dollar problem and call it defense.
Can you imagine the fuel consumption at 50 mph?
60% of our fuel is imported ....60% So we can chase pirates on the other side of the world

Can you put your USN grudge away for a few minutes and actually think??

I doubt it...

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
Can you put your USN grudge away for a few minutes and actually think??
I doubt it...

Hey the SOMALIA PIRATES are building a Aircraft carrier

It is a KITE launched from a rowboat with a firecracker!

Maybe the USN can build a multi billion dollar weapons system to counter this new THREAT!

Can our nuclear subs and aicraft carriers handle this new THREAT to FREEDOM??????????

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey the SOMALIA PIRATES are building a Aircraft carrier
It is a KITE launched from a rowboat with a firecracker!
Maybe the USN can build a multi billion dollar weapons system to counter this new THREAT!
Can our nuclear subs and aicraft carriers handle this new THREAT to FREEDOM??????????

Hey...guess what? an azzhole in Florida has a computer...Guess who??

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey...guess what? an azzhole in Florida has a computer...Guess who??

Whats UP...ANGRY PUPPY?

Did you see that FARCE the USS NEW York on the news today?

It has tons of WTC steel to remind the CREW of how the Navy, Army, AirForce, CIA, FBI and the whole US government was made a FOOL of on 9/11/01 by some RAGHEADS.

The USS New YARK is a 1 billion dollar PLUS waste of money....who are we going to attack with THAT piece of crap?

Throwing money at ships does not win wars.....you idiot....maybe we can weld feet on it for desert warfare

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
If we are too stupid to change....it is our problem.
Yesterdays rules....todays reality
The USN....what a joke...they will build a multibillion dollar vessel to combat a $10 dollar problem and call it defense.
Can you imagine the fuel consumption at 50 mph?
60% of our fuel is imported ....60% So we can chase pirates on the other side of the world

You've never dealt with foreign civilain merchant's and civilain merchant vessel's rules have you??

Ever do a customs inspection??

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
You've never dealt with foreign civilain merchant's and civilain merchant vessel's rules have you??
Ever do a customs inspection??

I have sailed on both USN and merchant ships, been from Bangaladesh to Haifa or Malta to Fortaleza Brazil

I have socks that have more sea time than your rookie ass.

Our Navy is ridiculous....but they might be able to handle the Afgahistan/Taliban Navy or Giant Somalia Fleets of nuclear powered subs and crusiers. LMAO!

Get something thru your THICK BRICK head....the USA is broke and hard wired for war on borrowed wealth.

One woman was murdered and one child raped both by criminals that were let out early from overflowing Florida prisons in the last two days...while we spend billions on NAVY CRAP.

Our stupid WAR GAMES are a disgrace....we have our own internal terrorists with lawyers killing US citizens NOW......so we waste our money on 1 billion dollar crap vessels like the USS New York?

The USA is a sick nation...it really is.

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
I have sailed on both USN and merchant ships, been from Bangaladesh to Haifa or Malta to Fortaleza Brazil
I have socks that have more sea time than your rookie ass.
Our Navy is ridiculous....but they might be able to handle the Afgahistan/Taliban Navy or Giant Somalia Fleets of nuclear powered subs and crusiers. LMAO!
Get something thru your THICK BRICK head....the USA is broke and hard wired for war on borrowed wealth.
One woman was murdered and one child raped both by criminals that were let out early from overflowing Florida prisons in the last two days...while we spend billions on NAVY CRAP.
Our stupid WAR GAMES are a disgrace....we have our own internal terrorists with lawyers killing US citizens NOW......so we waste our money on 1 billion dollar crap vessels like the USS New York?
The USA is a sick nation...it really is.

I wash my hands of you..

[Mad Dog USN]

rattlecattle wrote:

<quoted text>
I have sailed on both USN and merchant ships, been from Bangaladesh to Haifa or Malta to Fortaleza Brazil
I have socks that have more sea time than your rookie ass.
Our Navy is ridiculous....but they might be able to handle the Afgahistan/Taliban Navy or Giant Somalia Fleets of nuclear powered subs and crusiers. LMAO!
Get something thru your THICK BRICK head....the USA is broke and hard wired for war on borrowed wealth.
One woman was murdered and one child raped both by criminals that were let out early from overflowing Florida prisons in the last two days...while we spend billions on NAVY CRAP.
Our stupid WAR GAMES are a disgrace....we have our own internal terrorists with lawyers killing US citizens NOW......so we waste our money on 1 billion dollar crap vessels like the USS New York?
The USA is a sick nation...it really is.

Have fun with your petty little grudge

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>
Have fun with your petty little grudge

The truth is not a grudge

Our disfunctional failed government is doing ZERO to protect the citizens from REAL THREATS like ...

Internal Terrorism in the from violent carrear criminals and gangs. We cannot even build enough prisons fast enough to hold these idiots, that is why have revolving doors

We are wasting money on exotic weapons systems and playing WORLD COPS as our own society is threatened by our own people HERE.

What is the DEFENSE DEPT defending us against? The Taliban is not a tiny fraction of the threat american criminals are.

We cannot even handle our own borders yet are wasting billions on CRAP aircraft carriers and billion dollar bombers like the B2!

Our military needs to start doing its JOB......not building corrupt billion dollar toys and playing world cops for our sick nation...

We brought the tragedy of 9/11/01 upon ourselves with our constant meddling in the mideast...now WHAT?????

The DISGRACEFUL Dept of Defense is building Billion Dollar weapons systems to counter threats like ragheads with boxcutters and Somali speed boats.......

[Telmark]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

<quoted text>Lloyd's of London will not allow it for insurnace purposes.

Insurance and armament industry profits are what this whole "piracy" thing is about.

Otherwise, there would be absolutely no excuse for any of the current and ongoing acts of "piracy" in one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet.

[rattlecattle]

Telmark wrote:

<quoted text>
Insurance and armament industry profits are what this whole "piracy" thing is about.
Otherwise, there would be absolutely no excuse for any of the current and ongoing acts of "piracy" in one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet.

Jed Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies could wipe out these pirates in 90 days.

But the USN will build billion dollar vessels

[Mad Dog USN]

4. What about carrying weapons on board ships?

The ISPS Code itself mandates no security hardware other than the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS). The decision to carry weapons is that of the company based on the security assessment and not a requirement of the Code. The carrying of weapons however may generate other problems with port authorities.

http://www.lr.org/Standards/Codes/ISPS+faq.ht...

Reader Diogenes emails (his original command having been blocked, for some reason, by the spam filter):

I work in the insurance industry as a large property underwriter and work closely with our marine underwriters. I understand that the issues with armed crew on merchant vessels are mainly with insurance premiums and crew pay. Current marine rating rules classify any armed merchant vessel as a warship and the hazard premiums increase. In addition, arming the crew incurs additional training costs and often an increase in pay for the increased "hazard". Thus for the shipping company, it's a matter of economics. It's less expensive for them to lay off the risks(hull, cargo and ransom) to the insurer and the insurer is a willing accomplice.

Insurers, while often slow learners, do in fact learn. As more shippers tire of the current situation and either arm their crews or take on private security personnel; such as the Italian cruise ship, insurers will note higher losses on the unarmed vessels and reduced losses on the armed ones. The grey hairs at Lloyds will rapidly revise their rating rules shortly thereafter.

As a sidebar, it's been reported that the Chief Steward from the Maersk Alabama has filed suit against Maersk Lines alleging that they created a hazardous work environment. His requested damages is only $75,000, so it appears that he's trying to force Maersk into providing arms for their crews.

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2009/04/ins...

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

4. What about carrying weapons on board ships?
The ISPS Code itself mandates no security hardware other than the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS). The decision to carry weapons is that of the company based on the security assessment and not a requirement of the Code. The carrying of weapons however may generate other problems with port authorities.
http://www.lr.org/Standards/Codes/ISPS+faq.ht...
Reader Diogenes emails (his original command having been blocked, for some reason, by the spam filter):
I work in the insurance industry as a large property underwriter and work closely with our marine underwriters. I understand that the issues with armed crew on merchant vessels are mainly with insurance premiums and crew pay. Current marine rating rules classify any armed merchant vessel as a warship and the hazard premiums increase. In addition, arming the crew incurs additional training costs and often an increase in pay for the increased "hazard". Thus for the shipping company, it's a matter of economics. It's less expensive for them to lay off the risks(hull, cargo and ransom) to the insurer and the insurer is a willing accomplice.
Insurers, while often slow learners, do in fact learn. As more shippers tire of the current situation and either arm their crews or take on private security personnel; such as the Italian cruise ship, insurers will note higher losses on the unarmed vessels and reduced losses on the armed ones. The grey hairs at Lloyds will rapidly revise their rating rules shortly thereafter.
As a sidebar, it's been reported that the Chief Steward from the Maersk Alabama has filed suit against Maersk Lines alleging that they created a hazardous work environment. His requested damages is only $75,000, so it appears that he's trying to force Maersk into providing arms for their crews.
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2009/04/ins...

Yea Yea Yea...It is all about the money

Great job done by the US Military in defending itself from itself at FT HOOD.

Maybe we should have had an Aircraft carrier send planes over Ft Hood to fight the enemy which is US!

Maybe our nuclear subs could have grown legs crawled to TEXASS and torpedoed Major Hassen in the butt!

Our military is great....too bad it is WORTHLESS in its relationship to any current REAL THREAT...duh.

Come on Angry Puppy...lets build some more billion dollar bullshit on borrowed money

[Mad Dog USN]

In June of 1965 the US Navy had 880 active warships.

In 2007 the US Navy had 279 active warships the lowest amount since the 19th century.

This number includes auxillary and submarines..

http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org9-4.h...

[rattlecattle]

Mad Dog USN wrote:

In June of 1965 the US Navy had 880 active warships.
In 2007 the US Navy had 279 active warships the lowest amount since the 19th century.
This number includes auxillary and submarines..
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org9-4.h...

So what....we had 880 active warships and LOST the war at that time.

We could have 100 thousand active warships...the Taliban and Al Queda is not effected....DUH

Putting money into yesterdays wars makes no sense.....but we are ready for Pearl harbor and the Japs Navy...DUH

Can you imaging all those TALIBAN Battleships ???? LMAO