Well, give us a source, then. Your expertise in this matter has not been established, so you'll need to post a source on the top speed of a torpedo. Thanks in advance.

45 knots is nothing for a speedboat.

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And, which "speedboat" do you suppose that these Somali pirates are using?

These are clearly not capable of 45Kts:

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Whan they come, Ah sall staun mah grun
Staun mah grun, an be na afraid.
Thochts ae hame tak awa mah fear
Sweat an bluid hide mah veil o tears.

Welcome to Ignorantville Population: You.

Any reasonable person, who had even an inkling of what the fuck they were talking about (read: not you) would know that the photo I posted wasn't a missle. Missles aren't fired parallel to the water. Ever. Also, no one is going to get that close to a missle when it's fired to take a picture. They would be roasted.

As for a speedboat easily outrunning a torpedo, you cant say that. First, it's not true. Second, you don't know what the top speed of a Mk 46 torpedo is. I do.

Oh, and this thing isn't going to be doing anything near 40 knots:



Really? Compare the two for me, from an operational standpoint. Please be sure to reference RPM's, and hydrodynamics, specifically will regard to the Mk46.

Oh, and here's another website (more informative that Wikipedia) which states the top-end speed of the Mk 46 at 45 knots, and even that falls short of the actual top speed: Solletica Knows Nothing



I'm pretty sure that the pirates we're discussing (remember, Sweetie, focus) are using hydroplanes, nor are they racing...

No, in fact, theoretically, it's very possible...

So can a torpedo.

But, since you don't know the first fucking thing about the topic, because you're wallowing in ignorance, it's no surprise that you didn't know that...

Again, your opinion is idiotic, because you're ignorant.

But, hey, how about sharing with us all what your expertise in the area is. See, because we haven't seen anything remotely resembling "expertise" from you yet...

Did I say I took out speedboats? No, I don't believe I said that...

Anyone whose IQ exceeds their shoe size saw that as the tongue-in-cheek comment that it was.

And then there were people like you...

So because you don't have an example, it's not possible?

You have an ill-placed sense of self-importance...

Did your school teach you to spell?

Exactly which of Newton's theories addressed the the travel of submerged, motorized cylindrical objects?

The bottom line is that you're paralyzed with fear at the very thought of admitting that you know nothing of the subjectat hand. Instead, your ego dictates that you keep running your mouth, and you're making yourself look more and more ignorant with every post...

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For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

And proudly so.

I worked for a living...

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For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

By "these speedboats", is it safe to assume that you're referring to those used by the Somali pirates?

Great.

Here's photo of a Somali pirate "speedboat":



That piece of shit would start coming apart at the spine if it did 45 knots...

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For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

Those speedboats weren't targeting any ship that had a torpedo that could outrun it, so why would they bother? And now that the Somali pirates have $$, I'm sure they would have no problem investing in a faster boat if they ever tried to hijack a vessel w/a military grade torpedo on board.

Hell, the boat would probably cost less than the torpedo

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Of course, that doesn't say anything, whatsoever, about the current situation. Then again, since your "opinions" have been shown to consist of little more than poorly formed ignorant bullshit, it's no surprise you want to shift the focus of the conversation.

And the pirates won't try to hijack a ship which has weapons, simply because the Somali pirates are a pack of pussies...

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For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

Give it up, Solletica. Your posts are cringeworthy. First of all, you've latched onto a tongue-in-cheek comment. That's a lazy argument. Then, you're arguing about something in which others clearly have more knowledge. And, now you're posting about Somali pirates not using a type of boat in a photo. Ironically enough, that photo is one of Somali pirates using the same boat you claim they wouldn't use. And, that's just the tip of the iceberg about the lack of argument you have.

Sigh.

What "speedboats" are the Somalis using? Where did they get them?

You do understand where Somalia is and what kind of resources its residents have, right? You do know that most of these pirates are former fishermen - not men of wealth who can spend several hundred thousand dollars on a speedboat capable of doing 45 knots.


Have you ever even been on a boat?

__________________
Whan they come, Ah sall staun mah grun
Staun mah grun, an be na afraid.
Thochts ae hame tak awa mah fear
Sweat an bluid hide mah veil o tears.

Solletica's probably got herself convinced that the Somali pirates are zippin' around in one of these:

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For those who have fought to defend it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know...



If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all...

We are already involved - Task Force 150 is composed of ships from about twelve nations including the US Navy and is coordinated with the US Fifth Fleet. Command rotates, but we all know who provides the technical support, such as tracking the pirates.
In fact, the Task Force has admitted it tracks the pirates and warns the ships, but can't get there in time to prevent attacks.

As to the suggestion merchant ships arm. This is a questionable practice under maritime Law, but as Capt. Sweeney points out at Kennebec Captain: Arming merchant crew , there are practical problems:

"Any proposals to arm crews would have to include plans to train crews in the use of firearms. The problem of declining standards of seamanship skills and overworked crews seems to have been overlooked.

Does it make sense to spend time and money training merchant crews in the use of lethal force? The reluctance to arm crews is not because of any squeamishness or some kind of misguided political correctness but practicality. I get ABs from time to time that can not be taught to steer. At safety meetings we still are trying to get the concept of wearing eye protection when using power tools across to the crew, with limited success. Where is the time to train and supervise crew armed with automatic weapons going to come from?"

Also, from Piracy and Armed Response on Ships :

The issues of deploying arms on board do not stop with insurance. There are strict rules to adhere to for the Master, who retains ultimate sovereignty over weapons on a vessel. Also, it must be remembered that some ports around the world do not permit vessels to berth with weapons on board - even if locked away in bonded store, and there are serious legal implications for those not obeying these regulations.

Apparently part of the problem with naval protection is the size of the area - the recent tanker seizure took place halfway to Madagascar, off Kenya. They simply don't have enough ships to patrol the area. My original question was why our Navy couldn't seem to track and intercept these ships with all the high-tech equipment we buy them - from further research it seems they can track them but interception is the problem.

It would seem to me one solution for this is to call in a fighter from Saudi Arabia or Egypt. One fighter could be on the scene in minutes and could easily sink a pirate vessel. (I would have to be done before they boarded the target). Warning should first be put out that any small ship approaching or following a merchant ship would automatically be considered a pirate. Egypt especially should have an interest in doing this, as the piracy is already affecting traffic through Suez, a major source of revenue to them. Saudi Arabia is closer, however.

Convoying would be another way that would work. Shipping companies would be annoyed because it would slow traffic by making ships wait for the convoy to form, but it is quicker and cheaper than the alternative of going around Africa. I would make the option available but leave it up to the shipping companies and captains, with the understanding that ships going alone take their own chances.

If the present situation is allowed to continue, how long will it be before the terrorists see an opportunity and get involved? It would probably be easy to seize a passenger vessel, or even a Navy ship - I doubt Navy sailors are armed with small arms.

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Member in good standing: Rednecks for Jesus.

When was the last time before 9/11 that terrorists flew airliners into a building? "Past performance is no guarantee of future results".

If the Navy can't secure the area off Somalia, how is it going to secure the vast US coastline?

Especially if they blow off the threat like you do.

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Member in good standing: Rednecks for Jesus.

To bring a little sanity to this thread, after hearing a pirate interviewed on NPR, they use a speedboat to approach a target, either a tanker or a freighter, they avoid military ships, they are seeking money, not death.
They run up next to the ship at night, use a long bamboo pole with hook on the end to hook a railing, then climb up the pole, armed with a machete or a pistol, make their way to the pilot house, take the watch hostage and demand the captain open the safe.
If the crew is alert, they are ready with firehoses when the pirates try to come over the rail.
If they hava a larger pirate crew they may force the boat into a Somali port, and ransom the crew.
Torpedoes have no place in the story, nor even small arms beyond a machete or a pistol.

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“ The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

Adam Smith , The Wealth of Nations 1776

"We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics"
FDR's second Inaugural Address

They want 25 million as a ransom by the end of next week.