USNS Rappahannock fires at a vessel near UAE

An embarked security team aboard a US Navy vessel fired upon a small motor vessel after it disregarded warnings and rapidly approached the US ship near Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates on Monday, according to a statement issued by US Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs in Manama, Bahrain.

The incident claimed one life, which, however not been confirmed by the US Navy.

The brief statement added that in accordance with Navy force protection procedures, the sailors on the USNS
Rappahannock (T-AO 204) used a series of non-lethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force.

“The US crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel’s operators to turn away from their deliberate approach. When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun,” the statement said.
The incident is under investigation.