Could be, it certainly isn’t stealth. A nail gun is indeed overkill when a strong magnet is more then sufficient to fasten the mine and the spread of the holes is too large. I read here that the holes were caused by a nail gun.
Well, the nails would prevent someone reaching over the side with a barge pole and knocking it off. How thick is tanker hull plate, anyway?
if only the USA helped Russia in Afghanistan like Gorbachev asked, it would be a better world today unfortunatley Ronnie was the President and said what, you are commies, we will arm the opposition instead, we know how that worked out.
The hull thickness depends on a number of things like whether it is bottom plating, side plating, forward, aft, engine room, above waterline or beneath, frame distance, hogging, sagging and many more. To give an idea see this DNV paper ‘Rules for ships’ on the subject.
However, the minimum hull thickness is given by this formula.
For the Kokuka Courageous the numbers are:
k = 0.04 - For up to 4.6 m above the Summer Load Waterline.
L1 = 170 m - Length of ship
f1 = 1.47 - Material factor for tankers
tk = 2 mm - Correction for corrosion
The hull thickness is then 12.6 mm. For comparison, for a double bottom this is often in the order of 20 mm.
That’s a bit thicker than I expected.
Ok, here’s a commercially available limpet mine that’s apparently rated to go through 36 mm plate. It’s used with a portable “nail fixing tool” that drives the nails explosively as you’d expect.
Ooh, they are available in pretty colors too.
The one shown stuck to the ship in the published photos looks more like it came from a souvenir store in Giza.
Probably not to just anybody. I hope. Here’s the company:
https://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/mine_disposal/saes/
Fascinating memo from 1962 on generating pretexts to justify military action in Cuba.
I never thought I would post anything agreeing with the Cheeto but here it is:
“All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been … a dangerous journey,” Trump “We don’t even need to be there in that the U.S. has just become (by far) the largest producer of Energy anywhere in the world!”
And have the US stop being the policemen of the world? What a novel idea! Let China with its rapidly expanding military power and the uber wealthy UAE protect their own interests.
While we’re at it, Pompeo and Bolton should be supplied with all the weaponry they can carry and dropped off on an Iranian beach so they can fulfill their obsession with war.
I am unaware of any naval forces in the Marshall Islands or Liberia that will protect US shipowners with tonnage registered under these flags. Maybe the reason that Liberia’s place of business is situated close to Capital Hill is so these movers and shakers can get the poor old US taxpayer to pick up the slack instead.
A formation of airborne swine just flew over my boat shed::
Following Japan’s defeat after WW2, the Marshalls passed to the United States as a trust territory. The Marshalls were granted self-government in 1979, and independence in 1986. Their relationship with the United States is presently governed by the [Compact of Free Association]between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the United States of America. The relevant portion of the Compact provides:
“Section 311 (a) The Government of the United States has full authority and responsibility for security and defense matters in or relating to the Republic of the Marshall Islands. (b) This authority and responsibility includes: (1) the obligation to defend the Federated States of Micronesia and its people from attack or threats thereof as the United States and its citizens are defended;… (c) The Government of the United States confirms that it shall act in accordance with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations in the exercise of this authority and responsibility.”
Under traditional international law, a ship bearing a nation’s flag was the equivalent to the soil of that nation. Illegally seizing a flagged ship was legally equivalent to illegally seizing part of nation’s land.
Not saying the US should be obligated to protect Marshall Island FOC ships but there is the rational.
Good point, everybody for himself that is the spirit of modern times, but has anybody in the past asked the US to police these waters and if so who was/were that?
The oil companies that finance American politicians and Saudi royals who are scared shitless of anything with the aroma of a democratic movement.
No Gulf oil: no arms sales, no royal lifestyle for Saudis and their ilk, no campaign funds from American defense contractors and suppliers. the house of cards would crumble in a heartbeat. Might even get a bunch of uppity Palestinians wanting to get their ancestral lands back.
I am reading you loud and clear. So like with many of his threats, playing the tough guy, this will then probably also blow over and everything remains as it was, serving and protecting the interests of the military industrial complex and their mates outside the US.
dont worry no USD has ever gone to Saudi, its all comes back via arms and loans
…and playing the soft guy leaded to WW2.
Had any soft guy at the command ever achieved something positive?
Long before any war, it is all about rhetorical muscles.