RN do good job
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: in my combat underpants
Age: 53
Posts: 1,065
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RN do good job
Now this is good press - can we get some please?....
£200m drug bust on high seas
By Matt Barnwell
(Filed: 01/11/2005)
Royal Navy snipers shot out the engines of a speedboat carrying £200 million worth of cocaine during a drugs bust in the Caribbean, it was disclosed last night.
The operation to intercept and arrest the drug trafficking gang was led by the Type 22 frigate Cumberland and a Lynx helicopter from her support vessel, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Wave Knight.
They intercepted the speedboat as it raced across the ocean 100 miles off Nicaragua. The four-strong gang tried to outrun the helicopter but they were forced to surrender after specialist snipers in the Lynx fired bullets to disable the speedboat's engines.
A team from Cumberland boarded the speedboat, arrested the crew and seized two tons of cocaine with a street value of £200 million.
The operation, supported by the United States Coastguard, took place late on Friday. Capt Simon Ancona, Cumberland's commanding officer, said: "Operations like these send a strong message that governments, agencies and armed forces worldwide will work together in a determined effort to counter drug running. The ship's prompt reactions allowed the appropriate action to take place with minimal force."
John Reid, the Defence Secretary, said the operation had dealt a "sledgehammer" blow to the traffickers.
Cumberland, based in Plymouth, is on a four-month deployment in the Caribbean to provide disaster relief and conduct anti-drugs smuggling patrols.
£200m drug bust on high seas
By Matt Barnwell
(Filed: 01/11/2005)
Royal Navy snipers shot out the engines of a speedboat carrying £200 million worth of cocaine during a drugs bust in the Caribbean, it was disclosed last night.
The operation to intercept and arrest the drug trafficking gang was led by the Type 22 frigate Cumberland and a Lynx helicopter from her support vessel, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Wave Knight.
They intercepted the speedboat as it raced across the ocean 100 miles off Nicaragua. The four-strong gang tried to outrun the helicopter but they were forced to surrender after specialist snipers in the Lynx fired bullets to disable the speedboat's engines.
A team from Cumberland boarded the speedboat, arrested the crew and seized two tons of cocaine with a street value of £200 million.
The operation, supported by the United States Coastguard, took place late on Friday. Capt Simon Ancona, Cumberland's commanding officer, said: "Operations like these send a strong message that governments, agencies and armed forces worldwide will work together in a determined effort to counter drug running. The ship's prompt reactions allowed the appropriate action to take place with minimal force."
John Reid, the Defence Secretary, said the operation had dealt a "sledgehammer" blow to the traffickers.
Cumberland, based in Plymouth, is on a four-month deployment in the Caribbean to provide disaster relief and conduct anti-drugs smuggling patrols.
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lowlevel UK
Posts: 316
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In the TV versions, note the holes in the engines. So that's a go-fast with four big outboards doing 40-50+ knots in sea state 2/3 startled by a passive approach and snipers firing from the back of a Lynx. Great stuff and proud to be British.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: England
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In-Year cash Surplus
Apart from temporarily forcing up the prices for users of Coacaine, I suppose a yield of £200M is a nice little boost to the in-year cash allocation for the Fleet...
Guest
Posts: n/a
First of all - damn good shooting, Navy! Well done.
Secondly, I am intrigued. What was the 'sniper' weapon? L85/LSW? AI rifle? GPMG?! or something a little more ahem naughty - like a 50 cal or a Barrett?? Just wondering. Either way, well done Cumberland/Wave Rider/Lynx.
Secondly, I am intrigued. What was the 'sniper' weapon? L85/LSW? AI rifle? GPMG?! or something a little more ahem naughty - like a 50 cal or a Barrett?? Just wondering. Either way, well done Cumberland/Wave Rider/Lynx.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: northside
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well done guys, great shooting
without being picky, I think you'll find that the Royal Marines are in fact part of the Royal Navy. However, good work booties.
Shouldn't that be Royal Marine snipers
Well done to the Navy indeed.
I love the description of them trying to outrun a Lynx..
Judging by the smallish holes in the outboards shown on the TV clip, I'd guess the first of your guesses the most likely.
A .50 cal would have likely done a little bit more damage
I love the description of them trying to outrun a Lynx..
Secondly, I am intrigued. What was the 'sniper' weapon? L85/LSW? AI rifle? GPMG?! or something a little more ahem naughty - like a 50 cal or a Barrett?? Just wondering.
A .50 cal would have likely done a little bit more damage
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The rifle used was most probably a .50 calibre Accuracy International AW50 - there's a picture of a marine with one in the latest Navy News - it's mahoosive! Failing that, the next most likely culprit would be the 0.338 LRLCR.
On the subject of mahoosive things, today's Page 3 stunner in The Sun congratulated the boys of HMS Cumberland on a job well done.
Don't ask me how my eyes actually made it down to the caption at the bottom of the page...................
On the subject of mahoosive things, today's Page 3 stunner in The Sun congratulated the boys of HMS Cumberland on a job well done.
Don't ask me how my eyes actually made it down to the caption at the bottom of the page...................
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Good publicity - but a complete and utter waste of time and taxpayers money.
Tis but a drop in the ocean, so to speak. About as much chance of making a difference as the FBI had against prohibition. Better to legalise, tax and control it than waste money trying to stop it.
Tis but a drop in the ocean, so to speak. About as much chance of making a difference as the FBI had against prohibition. Better to legalise, tax and control it than waste money trying to stop it.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK, sometimes!
Age: 74
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Typical press twisting of the probable facts 
Since when did the RN have ROE's that allowed THEM to open fire on civilians, or their vehicles, in international waters in peacetime? However, the mention of the joint op with the USCG does point to other people having ROE's that would enable such an act
I liked the bit on the TV news earlier that said the ships just 'happened to be in the area' to provide medical aid to the hurricane victims
MadMark!!!
Since when did the RN have ROE's that allowed THEM to open fire on civilians, or their vehicles, in international waters in peacetime? However, the mention of the joint op with the USCG does point to other people having ROE's that would enable such an act
I liked the bit on the TV news earlier that said the ships just 'happened to be in the area' to provide medical aid to the hurricane victims
MadMark!!!
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: England
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wonder if the RN will be allowed to keep the money to pay for re-fits for:
Devil worshiping dedicated cabins fleet wide.
1 JSF
Bit of the keel for the next carrier?
Well done chaps. How the hell do you put a bullet through the engine of boat bobbing in a swell anyway?
Devil worshiping dedicated cabins fleet wide.
1 JSF
Bit of the keel for the next carrier?
Well done chaps. How the hell do you put a bullet through the engine of boat bobbing in a swell anyway?
Why is it a waste of taxpayers money? The ship and crew are out there anyway, why not have them doing something useful? They are not just conducting Drugs busting runs but also ready to provide disaster assistance (hurricane season coming to a close), Defence Diplomacy and maintaining the OC of the crew with skills that are equally as valid in the fight against terrorism as they are in the fight against the supply of drugs.
Are you more upset that your personal stash has been intercepted?
One of the major reasons we have Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen in Afghanistan is to stop the flow of Heroin, so no difference here.
Are you more upset that your personal stash has been intercepted?
One of the major reasons we have Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen in Afghanistan is to stop the flow of Heroin, so no difference here.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
One of the major reasons we have Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen in Afghanistan is to stop the flow of Heroin
Borrocks, the Taleban had a total crackdown on drugs. Poppy farming has exploded ever since the invasion and little, if anything, is being done to stop it.
Borrocks, the Taleban had a total crackdown on drugs. Poppy farming has exploded ever since the invasion and little, if anything, is being done to stop it.
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Poppy farming has exploded ever since the invasion and little, if anything, is being done to stop it
The occupying forces don't have the manpower to stop poppy farming, and if they did, they would lose any remining support from the warlords and the local inhabitants.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Taffer
I see what you mean with the AW50 - that is a semi-automatic blunderbuss, isn't it? Blimey, gauranteed to ruin your whole day. A frigate on your stern, two floating armouries circling round and a helo with a bl££din' great shooter stuck out of the door - you are going to get your hands in the air fairly smartly, aren't you?!
I see what you mean with the AW50 - that is a semi-automatic blunderbuss, isn't it? Blimey, gauranteed to ruin your whole day. A frigate on your stern, two floating armouries circling round and a helo with a bl££din' great shooter stuck out of the door - you are going to get your hands in the air fairly smartly, aren't you?!
Whilst I do not dispute that the Taliban did much to stop the growing of the Opium Poppy, One of the main roles of NATo within Afghanistan is:
Fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan
Three and a half years after the fall of the Taleban in Afghanistan the British team, which has trained Afghans to search out drug traffickers, is setting up more units.
British troops based in the north of Afghanistan report opium poppy fields they see in the country which puts 95% of the heroin onto the UK's streets.
But it's an uphill struggle against drugs. President Hamid Karzai has described international efforts to stop the production of opium in his country half-hearted and ineffective.
Fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan
Three and a half years after the fall of the Taleban in Afghanistan the British team, which has trained Afghans to search out drug traffickers, is setting up more units.
British troops based in the north of Afghanistan report opium poppy fields they see in the country which puts 95% of the heroin onto the UK's streets.
But it's an uphill struggle against drugs. President Hamid Karzai has described international efforts to stop the production of opium in his country half-hearted and ineffective.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: northside
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since when did the RN have ROE's that allowed THEM to open fire on civilians, or their vehicles, in international waters in peacetime
[.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
NATO ISAF Roles::
* Ensure a safe and secure environment
* Reconstitute Afghan authorities
* Improve capability of Afghan police and armed forces
* Operate Kabul International Airport (KAIA) and maintain an Air Liaison Officers Cell (ALOC)
* Ensure force protection measures and improved situational awareness
The Opium Production Challenge in Afghanistan:
Current Responses and New Strategies, 20 July 2005, House of Commons, London.
* Ensure a safe and secure environment
* Reconstitute Afghan authorities
* Improve capability of Afghan police and armed forces
* Operate Kabul International Airport (KAIA) and maintain an Air Liaison Officers Cell (ALOC)
* Ensure force protection measures and improved situational awareness
The Opium Production Challenge in Afghanistan:
Current Responses and New Strategies, 20 July 2005, House of Commons, London.
Widger,
I suggest that the fact that heroin has never been more widely available on our streets, has never been cheaper and is now being actively sold to kids as young as 9 suggests that what ever we do in Afghanistan is entirely ineffectual.
For every high profile drugs bust we read about in the papers there are literally thousands that get through totally undetected. The RN might as well p*ss in the ocean for all the difference they are making.
Afraid I’m with ORAC on this, we will NEVER, beat or even come close to beating, the illegal drugs trade as long as it remains so profitable and there is such high demand. You can’t treat it as a war, legalise tax and control is the ONLY way we will ever get a handle on this menace.
I suggest that the fact that heroin has never been more widely available on our streets, has never been cheaper and is now being actively sold to kids as young as 9 suggests that what ever we do in Afghanistan is entirely ineffectual.
For every high profile drugs bust we read about in the papers there are literally thousands that get through totally undetected. The RN might as well p*ss in the ocean for all the difference they are making.
Afraid I’m with ORAC on this, we will NEVER, beat or even come close to beating, the illegal drugs trade as long as it remains so profitable and there is such high demand. You can’t treat it as a war, legalise tax and control is the ONLY way we will ever get a handle on this menace.