Masthead Corporate Logo
Search  Advanced

The Mil & Aero Blog

Bookmark this Blog Subscribe to an RSS Feed of this Blog.
<< Home


Posted by John Keller

It's a time-honored tradition among world powers to send warships to politically volatile regions around the world as symbols of stability and naval might. The term that describes this phenomenon is Gunboat Diplomacy, and it's been part of the global political landscape for more than 200 years.

The latest "gunboat" in this continuing tradition is the United States guided missile destroyer USS Cole, which is being dispatched off the coast of Lebanon in the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent to outside meddling in the internal politics of Lebanon. The chief suspect is Syria.

Ordinarily yet-another manifestation of Gunboat Diplomacy wouldn't be worthy of comment -- perhaps not even of notice -- but for the choice of the vessel this time, the USS Cole. Certainly this warship has more symbolic value than real hitting power. This ship is a destroyer, after all. It's not as though the Cole packs the punch of an aircraft carrier.

But let's remember the role of the USS Cole in the war on terror. This ship was on the front lines even before most people had recognized a war on terror. Even before the 9/11 jetliner attacks on the Twin Towers, the Cole was a casualty of an al-Qaida attack in Yemen when a small boat full of explosives and suicide bombers blew a hole in the Cole's side big enough to drive an SUV through.

That attack was 12 Oct. 2000 -- 11 months before 9/11 -- and it killed 17 members of the Cole's crew, and wounded 39 others. This vessel was an early symbol of the war on terror, and endures so to this day.

Let's glance at the Cole's power in a purely military sense. It's an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, gas turbine powered, with land- and sea-attack Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Standard SM-2 anti-aircraft missiles, MK 32 torpedoes, one 5-inch gun, two 25-millimeter machine guns, four .50 caliber machine guns, and a Phalanx Gatling gun for self defense.

Suffice it to say that, relative to other U.S. Navy warships, the USS Cole isn't exactly one of the most heavily armed and intimidating vessels on the ocean.

But think of this ship's symbolic value in the Middle East. Unlike many other vessels, this one has already been bloodied in battle. If things get dicey while the Cole is on patrol off Lebanon, moreover, do you suppose that ship's crew might be in the mood for a little payback?

The accompanying photo is of the USS Cole being readied for repairs after the October 2000 terrorist attack.

Post a Comment

0 Comments:

<< Home




Welcome to the lighter side of Military & Aerospace Electronics. This is where our staff recount tales of the strange, the weird, and the otherwise offbeat. We could put news here, but we have the rest of our Website for that. Enjoy our scribblings, and feel free to add your own opinions. You might also get to know us in the process. Proceed at your own risk.

John Keller for MAE
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.


Courtney Howard for MAE Courtney E. Howard is senior editor of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine. She is responsible for writing news stories and feature articles for the print publication, as well as composing daily news for the magazine's Website and assembling the weekly electronic newsletter. Her features have appeared in such high-tech trade publications as Military & Aerospace Electronics, Computer Graphics World, Electronic Publishing, Small Times, and The Audio Amateur.


John McHale for MAE John McHale is executive editor of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, where he has been covering the defense Industry for more than dozen years. During that time he also led PennWell's launches of magazines and shows on homeland security and a defense publication and website in Europe. Mr. McHale has served as chairman of the Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum and its Advisory Council since 2004. He lives in Boston with his golf clubs.