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By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent | 16 July 2012
WASHINGTON – U.S. officials tell NBC News that at least one person was killed and three others
injured when a U.S. Navy ship, the USNS Rappahannock, opened fire on a small boat about 10 miles
offshore from Dubai in the Persian Gulf on Monday.
The U.S. officials say the boat, possibly a pleasure craft, ignored warnings and was closing in on the
U.S. Navy supply ship in an "aggressive and threatening manner."
The crew aboard the Navy ship sent out repeated warnings, including radio calls, flashing lights, lasers and
ultimately warning shots from a 50-caliber machine gun. When the boat failed to heed the warnings, the
crew was ordered to open fire with the 50-caliber gun.
According to a press release from the Navy, “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.”
U.S. officials say as of now it's unclear whether the dead and injured are from the United Arab Emirates or
India, but they stress there is no indication that Iran or Iranians were in anyway involved in Monday's
incident.
A U.S. Navy investigation is under way.
By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent | 16 July 2012
WASHINGTON – U.S. officials tell NBC News that at least one person was killed and three others
injured when a U.S. Navy ship, the USNS Rappahannock, opened fire on a small boat about 10 miles
offshore from Dubai in the Persian Gulf on Monday.
The U.S. officials say the boat, possibly a pleasure craft, ignored warnings and was closing in on the
U.S. Navy supply ship in an "aggressive and threatening manner."
The crew aboard the Navy ship sent out repeated warnings, including radio calls, flashing lights, lasers and
ultimately warning shots from a 50-caliber machine gun. When the boat failed to heed the warnings, the
crew was ordered to open fire with the 50-caliber gun.
According to a press release from the Navy, “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.”
U.S. officials say as of now it's unclear whether the dead and injured are from the United Arab Emirates or
India, but they stress there is no indication that Iran or Iranians were in anyway involved in Monday's
incident.
A U.S. Navy investigation is under way.
