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US drops unarmed bombs on Great Barrier Reef

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posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 11:39 AM
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I will place the story and link first, then comment afterword

Thank you.
xfinity.comcast.net...


CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Two American fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs into Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park last week when a training exercise went wrong, the U.S. Navy said, angering environmentalists.

The two AV-8B Harrier jets launched from aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard each jettisoned an inert practice bomb and an unarmed laser-guided explosive bomb into the World Heritage-listed marine park off the coast of Queensland state on Tuesday, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement Saturday.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 11:50 AM
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reply to post by azureskys
 

Beat me too it.


Guess they found Nemo and hes been developing WMD's


Though the poor little fish is red so maybe they bombed him for being a dirty red commie



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 11:56 AM
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I know the enviroment protection groups are very upset about this occurance.
It is completly understandable as the Great Barrier Reef is in a very fragile state.

According to the news article this was not an intentional bomb drop on the reef but rather
a nesessary action to prevent an even larger disaster.

What option did they have?
Would crashing the planes have been a better choice?
I am of the mind that this procedure was not done fragrantly and that it was done out of necessity.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 11:58 AM
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reply to post by azureskys
 


I know but it just had to be the USA


Team Merica! F YEAH!!!




Let hope a greenpeace ship was under it

edit on 21-7-2013 by crazyewok because: (no reason given)

edit on 21-7-2013 by crazyewok because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:00 PM
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...and in the category of bad P.R., I'd have to ask ...was there anything they could have done, almost anywhere on the planet, to anger maritime environmentalists more? Err... I guess they could have invaded Antarctica and dug a latrine or something. That would have had them blowing fuses...but this pretty well ranks up there, I'd think. Far worse than the Navy ship deciding to park on the other reef recently in the Philippines, IMO.

I have a stupid question. The Great Barrier Reef isn't *THAT* great for size in relation to a jet fighter is it??? Couldn't they have easily 'cut' the reef across it's width to drop the load out in open water and not *ON* the reef itself??

I mean, for bombing themselves into a nightmare with the Green folks? They really outdid themselves. What's the Encore? A Los Angeles class Submarine surfacing under a Greenpeace ship and breaking it's keel?



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:02 PM
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Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
... A Los Angeles class Submarine surfacing under a Greenpeace ship and breaking it's keel?




If the USA did that I would love the USA for ever more and will come to the USA get citizenship so I can join its navys noble cause of wipeing out the hippy meanace for good



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:07 PM
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reply to post by Wrabbit2000
 


The reports I have read say they didn't drop onto the reef itself, but rather in waters some way away that was 50 metres deep.

Also, it appears to be the US itself that made the announcement and they made the concious effort to avoid the reef, so it does look like they've made the best effort out of a bad situation.

It is certainly better than losing to Harriers (and possibly the crew) and then deal with any actual pollution, as opposed to just some inert bombs.

Another point of note is that the exercise was in conjunction with the Aussies - do we now if the AV-8B's were USMC ones or Australian ones?



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:13 PM
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reply to post by crazyewok
 

You got that right !
It very well could have happend the other way around and the Australians
could have been the ones in need of dumping their pay-load on their own reef.

Like the U.S. doesn't have enough problems.
What would be the reason for the U.S Military to do untold damage to the greatest reef
on the planet.
Not to mention they are our ally.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:15 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 


Well, it helps to know they didn't make a bullseye right into the heart of the reef structure or anything. A big hole would be quite the U.S. monument to leave for overhead viewing in future years.

I know accidents happen and of course, in a case of losing the jets and pilots? Well.. Sorry for the reef, but the choice isn't a hard one. Just an unhappy one. The bad luck just seems to be bad for timing. Talk about a particular moment in history and world affairs where absolutely no news, good or bad about U.S. Military or foriegn affairs is really positive news? It has to be....

"..and Today, US aviators bombed our reef! Back to you for more on the weather!'"

Somewhere, the Gods of war and Geopolitics are laughing hysterically and rolling around their clouds.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:17 PM
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This is the third thread on it, and I'll say the same thing here I did in the other two.

They were dropped in a channel that is something like 60 feet deep, not on the reef. Two of the weapons were inert, they leave a puff of dust or smoke when they hit. The other two were unarmed, and the chances of them exploding are remote. The Navy is working on plans to recover them, if they haven't already.

The aircraft couldn't drop them on the range for whatever reason, and you can't land with bombs hanging on the wings (not in a Harrier, or on a ship). They had to get rid of them, or fly the planes until they ran out of fuel, or just crashed them. There is no danger to the reef where they are, and no damage was done. I'll guarantee that if you dig hard enough you'll find the Australian military has dropped ordnance in the region as well, for whatever reason.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:18 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 


USMC, the RAAF uses Hornets and Super Hornets, not AV-8Bs. The only other operators are the Italians, and Spanish.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:19 PM
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reply to post by stumason
 

The jets were from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:20 PM
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Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

I have a stupid question. The Great Barrier Reef isn't *THAT* great for size in relation to a jet fighter is it??? Couldn't they have easily 'cut' the reef across it's width to drop the load out in open water and not *ON* the reef itself??


It is pretty large ...

he Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system[1][2] composed of over 2,900 individual reefs[3] and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi).[4][5] The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Wikipedia



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:20 PM
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I'm glad they ditched their dead bombs off of the reef, a close call


The only thing I can really say is maybe they shouldn't practice around protected areas like that.
Common sense really, as anything could go wrong.

But still I am glad they didn't hit the reef, and that no one was hurt.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:21 PM
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reply to post by Zaphod58
 


I dont think any reasonble person would fault the pilots I dont. It was obviously a unplanned accident and was done as a last resort.


Buts it is rather funny

edit on 21-7-2013 by crazyewok because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:23 PM
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this might actually turn out to be a good thing. "Let's go check out the endangered reef that is so beautiful honey". "No way, you might get blown the F up!"



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:24 PM
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reply to post by Zaphod58
 


Oh! I thought the Ozzies had some as well! My mistake...

Ok, that settles that then, damn those Yanks and their Reef bombing ways! Boooo!


Seriously though - slow news day! Accidents happen and as I said, it seems the made the effort to not drop them on the reef, so alls well that ends well.



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:24 PM
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makes a change from dropping bombs on schools and wedding party's in pakistan and afganistan .

but shhh they were enemy combatants



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:25 PM
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In my opinion, that reef and the waters it lives in are more important than the planes, and the crews' lives.

But eh- humans are the most precious thing on the planet, huh?



posted on Jul, 21 2013 @ 12:25 PM
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Worse things have happened at sea.



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