Question or solution to Pirate/Hostage situation

[Bonhomme Richard]

It seems to me that the reasonable response by the Navy in dealing with the Captain being held by the pirates is this. Defuse the situation and do not let it escalate.
Send in a helicopter` or use the ship crane, and just lift the lifeboat on to the deck of the USS Bainbridge. At that point the USS Bainbridge sails away from the area, and the other pirate ships on their way, and conducts negotiations with the pirates holding the Captain. I really don't think the pirates want to die but their situation has to appear hopeless before they will give up the hostage.
Maybe I'm just crazy.

[tekisui]

1. I posted at nearly the same time as you.

I think, now, the best approach is wait out the four on the life boat. The only thing they have keeping them alive is a live Captain. They will get tired and they will break.

Forget the man on the shore 'calling shots'. The four are the only ones that matter. Wait them out, wear them down.

[MercutioATC]

2. Great, if you can convince the pirates to attach the lifeboat to the crane...

...but I think they might be a little resistant.

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. I'm sure they could slip a couple of slings under the boat.

Do they really want to show themselves and start firing off shots?

[ddeclue]

4. I really don't know if that is possible.

It depends on the size of the "life boat".

You have to consider that this is probably not some tiny little inflatable dingy like you might see on a sailboat. This thing is probably pretty large and has to keep 20 - 30 sailors alive in rough seas for an extended amount of time. It's probably pretty big.

The biggest helicopter available in the US Navy CH-53 might be able to lift it but it would depend on the size of it.

It would be simpler just to confront it with a coupld of Navy destroyers and make it clear that they aren't going anywhere that we don't want them to go.

[Bonhomme Richard]

7. My guess is that it weighs about 18000 lbs.

Not impossible for a CH-53 to lift.

[ddeclue]

11. Probably the only helicopter that can lift it

A blackhawk (UH60) variant helicopter could not lift it. I don't think these destroyers have CH53's just UH60's

[Bonhomme Richard]

13. Actually I found out that it weighs........

9,000 lbs and the USS Boxer, on its way, does have CH-53's that are capable of lifting 10 tons.

[bridgit]

5. Send in the frogmen under cloak w/life preserver for the Capt, draw bead on pirates...

incapacitate dingy, consternate/segregate pirates from themselves with combo of light percussives/lethal/non-lethal depending, secure Capt handing him the life preserver and ready for evac of all parties including pirates as it would be nice to have a few choice words with them :thumbsup:

[ManiacJoe]

10. The life boat is not a dingy

and it is fully enclosed.

However, the SEALs could easily attach tow lines to it and let the destroyer gently tow it back out to sea.

[bridgit]

12. They're not merely 'life boats' either for that matter, not like the old timey life boat

They are as you know contained vessels people jam into and bob the high seas till someone finds them; but I'll note here that a day after my post suggested some little bullet points to what could be a screenplay I suppose; the Navy did send forward a feeler and I'm sure ended up knowing more about the pirate's response decisions, ballistics of some of their weaponry, etc, I think that's the larger point, but yeah...

It's drifting closer to Somali shore, maybe the closer it gets even cooler heads will prevail

[bridgit]

15. Follow-up here is that Seals were sent in...

:kick:

[bbinacan]

6. I like that idea but

they should send Seals to rescue the Captain.

[Poiuyt]

8. Navy Seals ROCK!

[Bonhomme Richard]

9. I now think that they are waiting on the USS Boxer to get there and....

Send out a CH-53, drop a hook on to the lift bars on that lifeboat and set it right down on the Boxers deck.

[HooptieWagon]

14. Why not just send Steven Decatur in to burn it? n/t