Originally Posted by
Lonewolf_50
Which you swallowed. FWIW, when I was in the Navy, we did a great many port visits and multinational exercises. We never downloaded armaments before so doing, indeed, quite the opposite. We filled the magazines before deployments, long or short, began our operations, and only downloaded ammo{*} when we got back home after deployment was over and the ship/crew were to go into the refit/reman/restore cycle.
While I don't know for a fact that the Iranians have the same approach to deployments away from home station, I suspect that it is similar.
Why?
If you get a signal from Fleet HQ for emergent tasking, you need to have the tools on hand to get your various missions done.
{*} The special case of Sixth Fleet deployments from Second Fleet, to the Med, was an exception. We'd have a partial load in transit, get topped off as we InChopped into the Med (from the ship that we were relieving), and then we'd in turn pass along the 'top up' to whomever relieved us as we OutChopped from Sixth Fleet. My helicopter experiences included carrying pallet-loads of ammo from one ship to another during such cross-decking...we managed to do it without mishap .
Wonder no longer.
1. The enemy shoots back. Sometimes they hit what they are aiming at.
2. Coalition warfare has its own unique challenges with command and control, and airspace coordination.
The risks of blue-on-blue are increased as more parties are added to the mix. In this case it should surprise nobody that a few cases have cropped up. Disappointing, to be sure, but not wholly unexpected.
Fog of War: that phrase was coined for a good and sufficient reason.
Why do you think I swallowed it? I was asked for an example of what was being said and I provided it. If you read what I posted dispassionately, you will see I referred to reports and allegations. At no point did I even suggest they were true. For your information, I also did sea time and we did not always go to sea with a full war load or anything like, especially on exercise. You know as well as I do that forces exercise with blank or dummy munitions. I was reporting what was being claimed.