HSV-2 Swift Destroyed Off Yemeni Coast By Anti-Ship Missile
Source: The Drive
The futuristic looking HSV-2 Swift, an ex-U.S. Navy experimental high-speed logistics catamaran now being utilized by the UAE government, was struck by a missile on the evening of October 1, according to multiple reports. The ship was operating near the Yemeni port of Mokha located on the northeastern edge of the Mandeb Strait, a narrow and strategic body of water that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Iranian-backed Houthi rebel fighters have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Destabilizing the Mandeb Strait could be part of a larger Iranian-backed regional strategy, one that has the potential to inflict significant economic pain on Saudi Arabia and the west. And this isn't the first time a Sunni Arab coalition vessel has been attacked by the Shiite anti-Yemeni government group; a year ago, two coalition ships were supposedly sunk by Iranian-supplied anti-ship missiles. A third ship was struck just months before that.
The video below supposedly shows the attack. The missile launch does appear to be that of an anti-ship missile, and the ship on fire does appear to be an HSV-2. A massive explosion is shown when the supposed missile impacts the ship; it likely detonated the fuel onboard, plus any flammable or explosive cargo. The ship's aluminum hull and commercial ship design standards offer little resilience to an anti-ship missile attack, and the HSV-2 is not equipped with a close-in weapon system (CIWS) capable of fending off such attacks.
This attack is another reminder of the growing danger that anti-ship missiles representespecially those that are more frequently being obtained by unpredictable non-state actors. This strike in particular is reminiscent of the 2006 attack on an Israeli Sa'ar 5 class corvette by another Iranian-backed group, Hezbollah, that had been supplied with a similar anti-ship missile system. Although in that case, the targeted ship was armed with a CIWS, albeit one that was not fully activated at the time.
Read more: http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5404/hsv-2-swift-destroyed-off-yemeni-coast-by-anti-ship-missile
Nobody is talking about Yemen.
Igel
(35,300 posts)with players with delusions of grandeur.
Sadly, they may achieve some local grandeur.
Problem is, the entire "Iran isn't a good guy" idea is a problem. It's a "smear," a RW talking point, racist.
I can only recall my mild surprise when Pakistan exploded nuclear ordnance and the world went ballistic. It, after all, had said it was doing nothing of the kind and it was considered bad manners to question both the US government's verdict on their truthfulness and the word of a Muslim country.
Still, when there after the everybody managed to act appropriately united behind the effort of those who had ignored claims of ill intent in order to punish the miscreant country.
Until, of course, 9/11, when we suddenly needed their help to get rid of the people that the miscreant country had aided. And, again, we decided to be blind. Sometimes we're our own worst enemy. Or at least the best ally of our worst enemy.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Xolodno
(6,390 posts)This is a cluster fuck that predates the existence of the USA.
Hell, Iran was our ally until the puppet Shah was pushed a bridge too far and the populace revolted.
This shit hole was created by France and Britain after the first world war, why in the hell we are trying to clean up their mess, is beyond me.
harun
(11,348 posts)cstanleytech
(26,283 posts)as the area has also had plenty of local assholes causing problems as well for thousands of years with religion being the central issue around it.
And no, its not a knock at Islam its simply a fact that people have used religion in the area for a hell of a long time to justify doing some pretty shitty things.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)The certifiable foreign "most-bad" guys in Yemen are the Saudi Arabian invaders with United States backing and weapons. The worst and most terrorist-exporting regime in the world, the Saudi oil kingdom puts the Iranian theocracy to shame in all of the categories of "badness" attributed to either. Very interesting that Yemen is under foreign invasion by the US-backed Saudi army (as well as US drones) and the news media reliably attach only one foreign country in any of the stories, Iran.
EX500rider
(10,839 posts)Iran is a despotic theocracy clandestinely trying to build nuclear weapons whose operatives and Quds Force kill people worldwide and arms various terrorists groups.
cstanleytech
(26,283 posts)On the other hand I do think they should be given a chance to change which Obama is trying to give them, if they dont then *shrug* atleast the attempt was made.
msongs
(67,395 posts)Adrahil
(13,340 posts)The design was evaluated for fast logistics and mine-sweeping. It was never a commisioned ship.
NWCorona
(8,541 posts)Adrahil
(13,340 posts)It would never be in dangerous waters alone.
NWCorona
(8,541 posts)jamzrockz
(1,333 posts)is that it did not sink. It floated to safety. Hate to see what became of the surviving crew members. I think they would spend the rest of their lives in and out of the burn unit.
CarrieLynne
(497 posts)progree
(10,901 posts)Last edited Mon Oct 3, 2016, 12:40 AM - Edit history (3)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSV-2_SwiftI guess we won't be leasing it to anyone again.
Houthis: +1
U.S. taxpayers: -1
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)When in U.S. service, it was under contract. It has not been under contract to the U.S. since 2013.
The Swift as replaced by the production ships of the Spearhead class, built at U.S. Expense.
progree
(10,901 posts)Old Vet
(2,001 posts)That missle appears to have devastated that ship, Either extremely high explosive or high penetration to fuel.
ozone82
(91 posts)Chinese C-802 ASM.
Old Vet
(2,001 posts)AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Told as in someone said it on Reddit. Anyway, it is a fast transport catamaran, with thin aluminum skin for weight-speed lightness.
Very fast, holds a lot and should be nowhere near a war zone.
Angleae
(4,482 posts)Most anti-ship and anti-tank missiles can punch through even a battleships armor belt. These days the only "armor" is a couple inches of aluminum with kevlar to protect against fragments.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)hung cloth/burlap curtains along the inside of the wooden beams to which the outside iron armor was attached. The beams shattered when the Monitor's shot struck the plates, and crew were subject to flying splinters.
jamzrockz
(1,333 posts)The GCC nation along with the US have put a naval blockade on Yemen. So its not like the UAE ship was minding its own business when it was attack for no good reason. They are trying to starve the people of Yemen so as to bring back the 99.80% presidential election winning President Hadi.
They are just defending themselves against foreign invasion.
MowCowWhoHow III
(2,103 posts)NWCorona
(8,541 posts)oneshooter
(8,614 posts)TA DA!!! Good as new.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)milestogo
(16,829 posts)cstanleytech
(26,283 posts)they decide to scrap the ship rather than repair it?