5th Fleet boss: Navy To Go After Pirates

[livvy]

Gunners Mate 1st Class Robert E. Lambert fires a .50 caliber machine gun during a live fire exercise aboard the guided-missile cruiser Vella Gulf in the Mediterranean Sea. Vella Gulf is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group supporting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

5th Fleet boss: Navy To Go After Pirates

By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Dec 20, 2008 9:20:31 EST

NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors will soon be back in the pirate-hunting business again, following Tuesday’s United Nations resolution authorizing aggressive military action against pirates bases in Somalia, according to the top Navy admiral in the Middle East.

The resolution gives militaries the go-ahead to conduct air and shore attacks against pirate bases. The resolution, coupled with plans to create a joint U.S.-European pirate court in Kenya to prosecute hijackers, lay the groundwork for the new naval action, said 5th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Bill Gortney.

“We’re going to aggressively go after these pirates” once the judicial system is in place, Gortney said in a telephone interview Friday. “The sailors need to know that the international community, the international governments are working it really hard” to put the legal framework in place.

Whether that — along with the U.N. resolution — translates into hostile boardings, airstrikes on pirate enclaves or covert take-downs in the dark of night remains the subject of a revised playbook now in the works at the Pentagon.

“What are the rules of engagement? What are the collateral damage limits? What are the positive identification limits?” Gortney asked. “There are a whole litany of things that have to occur.”

more...


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/12/navy_gortney_pirates_121908w/%2e

[Ernesto]

1. Those are the smallest ".50 caliber" cases I've ever seen! NT

[Angleae]

2. That's what I was thinking.

Then I noticed the "carrying handle". Sorry, it's a 7.62mm/.30 cal at best.

[jimmil]

3. Definately an M60 N/T

[livvy]

4. Question...

I have no knowledge about weaponry of any sort, so this may seem a stupid question, but...

Just out of curiosity, what are the black screens for on the sides of the gun?

[Angleae]

5. Protection for the gunner.

They're simply there to protect the gunner from being shot.

[livvy]

6. Thanks!

That idea crossed my mind, but I dismissed it, because from the pic, they didn't look substantial enough to provide protection. They must be made of a kevlar-like stuff...light, but strong?
I thought they were some type of peripheral glare/light shield, although I couldn't see how they'd do a good job of that.

Thanks again. :)

[unhappycamper]

7. In addition to protection, they also hold belts of 7.62 ammo. n/t