Today UK press made an interesting claim about the security of warships heading to Persian Gulf. A British warship proceeding to the Gulf is on high alert after an Iranian “bomb boat” was discovered in its path.
The remote-controlled “Blowfish” was spotted lurking in the Red Sea by Saudi forces close to HMSDuncan’s route as she sails to protect shipping in the Gulf. Sources believe the Blowfish, which can be steered from four miles away, was deployed by Iran’s Houthi allies.
Former naval officer Simon Warrington said: “The threat from the Houthis, who as Iran’s proxy militia do Tehran’s dirty work, is very real.”
The Royal Navy sent the ship out after Iranian troops tried to storm a BP oil tanker in a suspected revenge attack for the seizure of Grace 1 – an Iranian-owned oil tanker seized off Gibraltar by British Royal Marines earlier this month.
Last month Iran was accused of attacking tankers with mines, and it has said there would be “consequences” after Royal Marines boarded a supertanker suspected of taking crude oil to Syria.
HMS Duncan will patrol the busy shipping lane alongside HMS Montrose as all UK-flagged vessels were put on the highest security alert level over fears of further retaliation from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The remote-controlled Blowfish in the defender’s path was found after Iran said Britain was “playing a dangerous game” and warned Western forces to “leave the area”.
This news hasn’t been verified by other countries. But assymetric threat is an serious subject to take. Because the assymetric threat, which is called as “fog of war” by Clausewitz, aims to attack its target at the most unpredictable moment and very hard to counteract, crew should be aware at every moment.
In October 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by suicide bombers, while in port in Aden, Yemen, for refueling. The attack was attributed to al Qaeda and foreshadowed the attack on the US less than one year later on September 11, 2001. The explosion ripped a hole in the hull of the ship, killing 17 US sailors.
