Pirates attack U.S. Navy

Yes.  Hard to believe, but true.  In an attempt that clearly demonstrates the boldness of the Somalian pirates, the USNS John Lenthall, a fleet oiler, was forced to fire warning shots to repel suspected pirates.  This clearly emphasized the need for an even greater naval presence in the area to counter the drastic increase in attacks by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.  No casualties resulted from the incident.  The shots combined with defensive maneuvers thwarted the suspected attack.

It was also noted that the incident did not take place inside the recently established “Maritime Security Patrol Area”, a zone in the Gulf of Aden created to focus on piracy.

The USNS John Lenthall is a lightly armed U.S. Navy auxiliary ship, manned and operated by a civilian crew under the U.S. Military Sealift Command.  The ship was apparently carrying a Naval Security Team at the time of the attack.  Typically, the only uniformed personnel on board are radio communication specialists.