Deja vu

That's the experience I got on watching the Scottish news this afternoon. An American warship, on exercise in the Clyde (west of Glasgow), had threatened a tiny ferryboat with a salvo of life ammunition. The exercise in the Clyde involves marines "attacking" warships to carry out "bomb attacks", and captains are to pass this exercise in order to be allowed on flotilla manoeuvres.

The Kilcreggan to Gourock ferry was chugging its lawful way across the Clyde estuary when it was challenged on the international maritime distress frequency channel 16 on VHF. All unidentified vessels were threatened with attack.

An initial investigation revealed that the challenge was mistakenly broadcast on channel 16 rather than the exercise frequency. The ferry, MV Kenilworth, is not said to have been in danger at the time of the incident, 9.40 AM last Monday. The Royal Navy have taken the incident very seriously and are looking into it further.

This brings back memories of the encounter between USS Klakring and the MV Spanish John north of the Isle of Rum at this time last year. The Klakring actually fired 4 rounds at the tiny cargovessel, but they all missed.