One over the bow, if no reaction is observed sink the vessel and save/incarcerate the sailors and turn them over at the next port.

The same goes for the pirates in Indonesia, and Caribbean.

IRGC watchfully protects Iran waters

Press TV
Saturday, April 26, 2008

The IRGC Navy is fully prepared to carry out its duty in guarding Iran’s waters in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, an IRGC official says.

The remarks were made after US officials alleged that a US vessel had opened fire on Iranian patrol boats.

“If UK or US vessels had fired at Iranian boats, based on previous experiences, they would have faced the harshest reaction by Iranian forces,” a senior IRGC (Islamic Revolution Guards Corps) official told Press TV Friday.

An IRGC official had earlier rejected the reports that an American ship had opened fire on Iranian patrol boats in the Persian Gulf.

There has been no confrontation between Iranian boats and US military vessels in the Persian Gulf, he told Press TV.

Citing an unnamed Pentagon official, Reuters had earlier reported that a vessel contracted by the US Military Sealift Command had opened fired on ‘Iranian boats’.

Later US Navy Fifth Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Lydia Robertson announced that the US ship, the Western Venture, was in Persian Gulf’s international waters when it was approached by two small boats of ‘unknown origin’.

The Western Venture was queried a few minutes later by the Iranian Coast Guard to determine its identity, Robertson claimed.

US defense officials told Reuters that they suspected the boats were Iranian.

“We don’t have complete confirmation of that but we suspect it,” one official said.

In January, the US Navy claimed that Iranian boats ‘harassed US warships’ in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, said the incident was a routine identification check.

The White House had to withdraw its allegations after Iran’s IRGC released the footage of the incident showing Iranian boats asking the US warships to confirm their identification.

MannyT-vA on April 26, 2008 at 5:55 AM

Wishful thinking, I would not want to be the CO that starts another war in the Middle East

Dinnerjacket used children to carve out paths through minefields during the Iran-Iraq war. He has no issue with losing a couple of dinghy’s worth of Iranian sailors.

This is what I consider a “warning shot” – if there are two boats coming at you, sink one of them as a warning to the other boat.

Squiggy on April 25, 2008 at 4:43 PM

That’s a warning if I ever heard one. I think they might get the point. :)

Not so. There’s most likely no military crew aboard this ship, and no military command structure. In fact, given previous weak-kneed (lack of) responses in similar situations, it wouldn’t surprise me to see our candidates blasting the ship’s actions as dangerous.
The have Navy security dets aboard who are still repsonsible to the MSC Master (who is a US Navy resevist)

Squid Shark on April 25, 2008 at 9:12 PM

Speaking as a MilDet OIC on a USNS, I can say that Squid Shark has it exactly right.

It was a USN Security Det onboard the Global Venture that shot up a boat in the Suez a few weeks back.

This is only a test. There will be more “provocations” – using small boats – to see our reaction and response. This will all lead up to the more serious act – the firing of anti-ship missiles. Right now, the Iranians are getting us used to the pin-pricks, so that we will be off-guard when they fire their anti-ship missiles.

We better be on-guard. And we better start getting serious.

OhEssYouCowboys on April 25, 2008 at 2:00 PM

I concur wholeheartedly.

Short memories in Iran.

Operation Praying Mantis = Iranian Navy vanishes in 48 hours.

Kristopher on April 25, 2008 at 2:07 PM

My first ship was USS Wainwright (CG-28), which was heavily involved in Operation Praying Mantis… sorry to say, I didn’t check onboard ’til a few months afterwards.

Yet another Reality Check:

1. We only have two (2) New Jersey Class BBs left. The Missouri is now in Pearl Harbor and the Iowa is a museum.
…

SeniorD on April 25, 2008 at 2:44 PM

The Wisconsin is a museum in Norfolk, VA.

Not so. There’s most likely no military crew aboard this ship, and no military command structure. In fact, given previous weak-kneed (lack of) responses in similar situations, it wouldn’t surprise me to see our candidates blasting the ship’s actions as dangerous.

The have Navy security dets aboard who are still repsonsible to the MSC Master (who is a US Navy resevist)

Outstanding idea,whats old is new again,
Armed Merchant Ships a la WW2!
canopfor on April 25, 2008 at 2:32 PM

I have an oil painting in my office of a Liberty ship with a gun mounted on the bow. Just think of what we have these days that could take that space.
Hening on April 25, 2008 at 6:14 PM

My Father was a gunner’s mate on a contract ship during WW2. It was a passenger liner, leased to the Army, with a Navy crew, except engine room and fireroom crew which were merchant marine. The ship carried cargo and troops.

Besides, tooling around in a speed boat isn’t exactly an act of war.

I R A Darth Aggie on April 25, 2008 at 5:54 PM

That’s it! Skiers!

Try that argument with the Cole crew.

Outstanding idea,whats old is new again,
Armed Merchant Ships a la WW2!
canopfor on April 25, 2008 at 2:32 PM

I have an oil painting in my office of a Liberty ship with a gun mounted on the bow. Just think of what we have these days that could take that space.

It’s called Law of the Sea. Besides, tooling around in a speed boat isn’t exactly an act of war.

Sinking a speed boat that isn’t flying your flag is.

They are testing the ROE. How else to know how sharp to make the tiger-poking stick?

shaken on April 25, 2008 at 3:23 PM

The tiger needs to bite back; hard.

This is what I consider a “warning shot” – if there are two boats coming at you, sink one of them as a warning to the other boat.

Squiggy on April 25, 2008 at 4:43 PM

The best kind of warning shot.

Limerick on April 25, 2008 at 2:24 PM

Heh! Got a kick out of your post. We felt the same about you ground pounders. Just knew you had to be nuts rolling around in the mud jumping into holes. All a matter of perspective.

Furthermore, most DoD Defense Contractors in War Zones are allowed to provide for their own security, so it is not unlikely that the boat had armaments on-board, regardless of the Navy personnel presence on-board. And, via an ammendment to the UCMJ, contractors who go to War in support of or with the Military are subject to laws of the UCMJ and official Military Tribunal.

These are what we currently have in the Gulf as far as patrol ships. Nothing to be trifled with.

I think Iran is begging for a sequel.