US Navy Ship Aground On Philippine Reef 'Taking In Water' – BBC

[longknife]

Seen on Jan. 22, the minesweeper USS GUARDIAN remains stranded on Tubattaha Reef in the Sulu Sea. Here, a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft flies overhead, surveying not only the ship but also looking for signs of fuel leaks. The Navy survey ship USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS 62) stands by at left, while the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP CORREGIDOR observes the scene at right. (U.S. Navy photo by Aircrewman Tactical Helicopters 3rd Class Geoffrey Trundell)

A US Navy minesweeper stuck on a coral reef in a Unesco heritage site off the Philippine coast is badly damaged and taking in water, officials say.

The USS Guardian struck the reef in the Sulu Sea south-east of Palawan island last Thursday after completing a port call at the former Subic Bay base.

US officials say a salvage operation could take weeks to complete.

The reef is in the Tubbataha National Marine Park, designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

There had been hopes that the ship could simply be towed off the reef, but officials said the vessel was too badly damaged for that and that the first priority was to pump fuel out of the ship as it was being battered by rough waters.

Read more ....@ BBC News - US Navy ship aground on Philippine reef 'taking in water'

My question is; why or how does a modern warship equipped with the latest detection gear NOT see a reef that is clearly mapped and visible from a distance? Where were the lookouts? What about sonar? In any case, the captain and his senior officers should be looking for a new line of work in the very near future.

 

[martybegan]

aaaand you are now watching the end of the Deck Officer of the Watch's career.

 

[whitehall]

What does a minesweeper do these days anyway? What does any US Navy ship do besides waste fuel as America's "global force for good"?

 

[rightwinger]

aaaand you are now watching the end of the Deck Officer of the Watch's career.

Captain too

 

[uscitizen]

What does a minesweeper do these days anyway? What does any US Navy ship do besides waste fuel as America's "global force for good"?

Mines get dirty.

 

[Mr. H.]

What does a minesweeper do these days anyway? What does any US Navy ship do besides waste fuel as America's "global force for good"?

Mines get dirty.

Yours what gets dirty?

 

[Mr Natural]

Obama slashes the defense budget and look what happens.

 

[Mr. H.]

I know it's a "protected" reef, but isn't this a little absurd...?

Stuck Minesweeper to Be Cut Into Pieces - Yahoo! News

Unable to tow the minesweeper USS Guardian off a reef in the Philippines, the Navy has decided that the only way to free the ship without causing further damage to the reef is to cut the ship into pieces.

That basically means the USS Guardian will no longer exist as a Navy vessel and will be taken off the Navy's ship roster.

 

[freedombecki]

Yep. Spend a few billion more on getting rid of a minesweeper. Might get a certain US President another humanitarian award. You know the liberal chant, "It's only money!"

On a serious note, though, pissing off environmental barracudas in protected waters is not a good idea, either.

I ought to know. I'm a little touchy about endangered birds.

In the future, we need to keep minesweepers out of protected waters.

 

[Mr. H.]

Just lay some fucking C4 in that coral and set the boat afloat. It's a no-brainer.

 

[bodecea]

aaaand you are now watching the end of the Deck Officer of the Watch's career.

Yep...and the CO's.

 

[Mad Scientist]

So a modern Navy minesweeper can be taken out by a Coral reef eh? It's "taking on water" and they can't get it back to Port so they're gonna' sink it right there huh? When was the last time the US Navy did that?

I seem to recall the Chinese Navy in the area messing with the Philippine Navy a while back. Maybe they're still there?

Oh but none of you would believe anything but the official story right? I mean, that would be "disrespectful" of our men and women in uniform to speculate like that right?

 

[bodecea]

So a modern Navy minesweeper can be taken out by a Coral reef eh? It's "taking on water" and they can't get it back to Port so they're gonna' sink it right there huh? When was the last time the US Navy did that?

I seem to recall the Chinese Navy in the area messing with the Philippine Navy a while back. Maybe they're still there?

Oh but none of you would believe anything but the official story right? I mean, that would be "disrespectful" of our men and women in uniform to speculate like that right?