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From: jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: How to assault a tanker
Message-ID: <1990Aug28.042834.29477@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 28 Aug 90 04:28:34 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
So, how do you stop a Very Large Crude Carrier from running a naval
blockade without setting it on fire or, worse, breaching the hull,
which could make the Exxon Valdez accident look like a Coppertone spill 
in a hot tub?  

I could think of:

*  Land Marines on the deck and see if the (presumed) military personnel
   on board run out of shoulder rockets before we run out of Chinooks.

*  Approach the stern by motorboat and attach a limpet mine to something
   associated with steering.  Disadvantages:  potential for breaching the
   hull; could use up SEALs at a pretty good clip.

*  Shoot off the steering apparatus from further away.  Disadvantage:
   penalty for a bad shot could be considerable.

*  Soften up the deckhouse with miniguns firing depleted-uranium projectiles
   before landing a boarding party.  Disadvantages: potential for fire; 
   resemblance to murder would not help our image in the Arab world.

Obviously the Iraquis have been thinking about it as well. :)  Does anybody
have any ideas on how we might accomplish this?

--Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"