US Navy Goes "Old-School?"

Old-School? Stars and Stripes may think so, but it is also new school with the DD(X) on the horizon. While labels are actually just a distraction, it is both interesting and noteworthy the US Navy is engaged in the GWOT with weapons other than cruise missiles, and has been off Somalia for years.

The Navy went old-school on Somali militants Friday, using naval gunfire against bad guys for the first time in the region since the Gulf War.

It was first reported over the weekend that a U.S. destroyer had shelled Islamic militants in Somalia, where Ethiopian and Islamic government forces are fighting insurgents from the Islamic Courts Union, which the U.S. government has accused of sheltering al-Qaida terrorists.

A senior Defense official confirmed Tuesday that the USS Chafee, based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, fired more than a dozen rounds from its 5-inch gun during the strike.

The USS Chafee (DDG 90) is one of the most modern warships in the world, and represents an ongoing mission requiring military action in those waters. Last year the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) seized a pirate vessel in January while the USS Cape St. George (CG 71) and USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) had to blow up another pirate ship in March.

On que, pirates seized a Danish Merchant vessel this week. Apparently among the TF 150 coalition ships that responded to the pirate action was the the French frigate Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet (F794) and the USS Carter Hall (LSD 50).

“The USS Carter Hall fired flares and several shots across the bow as well as several disabling shots at the three skiffs in tow,” he said. “They shot at the skiffs and they caught on fire.”

Sailors used the ship’s .50-caliber machine guns, 7.62 mm miniguns and 25 mm Bushmaster cannons in the encounter, Gay said.

“As long as they’re in international waters, they can engage,” he said.

But the hijacked Danica White made it into Somali waters and the Carter Hall had to back off and watch.

“We’re observing them at this point,” Gay said. “It’s ongoing.”

The Navy mission rotation of L class ships without Marines embarked is discussion for another time, but the fact the US has had two engagements this week involving guns raises several questions. Will the 57mm planned for the LCS be enough? Did the Navy make a mistake not putting a larger gun on the LPD-17? Did the USS Chafee make the best case yet for the DD(X) Zumwalt class ship so far in 2007?