3 Dutch Marines Captured by Libyans
 

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsD...a/Default.aspx

This keeps getting better. :roll:

Things like this never end well.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110303...20110303162815

Really wonder what happened! And why there was no defense like a few marines onboard?

Really bad position for negotiations!

Edit: i really feel sorry for the crew!

Quote:

The marines were surrounded by armed men and captured on Sunday after landing near Sirte in a Lynx helicopter that was on board a navy ship, HMS Tromp, which is anchored off the Libyan coast to help evacuations, Dutch defence ministry spokesman Otte Beeksma said. Dutch officials were in "intensive negotiations" with the Libyan government to secure the marines' release, he said. "We have also been in contact with the crewmen involved. They are doing well under the circumstances and we hope they will be released as quickly as possible." Asked if the Dutch government considered the marines hostages, Beeksma said: "They are being held by Libyan authorities." Two people the marines were trying to rescue were also captured but have been released and left the country. The identities of the marines were not released.

If the package was already on board, a crash could be an option. I just can’t imagine you land the thing into enemy troops, though possibly hard to distinguish sides but still...

Edit: Libya State TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLjfH9mx9Z4

now, who'd win in a straight up fight, no allies, between the Netherlands and Libya?

Oh for the good old days before overwhelming force

Oh for the same old complications of civil wars.

purely as a spectator, of course

Imagine if this had been US marines captured and not Dutch marines...

If it was British Marines then the Imprest officer would be going skitz over that money gone and no receipt. Oh, and the female wouldn't have been half as attractive :nope:

Yeah, they might have to get Ollie North away from Foxnews to do a deal.

A Lynx is a really small chopper. There is only room for a few passengers.

(If they were still active...) Send a pair of HAL-3 birds along to fly cover. :yeah:

There is enough room for about 5/6 ppl.

In the Video below you will see the same chopper, from the same Ship, HMS Tromp in an successful attack against pirates on a German Merchant vessel Taipan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcqZKBJMNhI

HMS Tromp is without chopper atm., it only had 1 on board

Edit for Krashkart. 3 years ago the NH-90 was ordered. Due to production delays they are still not in use, nor delivered.

Maybe fuel was a factor they couldn't carry extra crew or they thought there were more people to evac than there was.

EDIT: This does how that NATO needs some kind of CSAR unit in place.

By heart; THE liynx does 560 à 580 km. I assume THE Tromp was about 30 km, at least 12,5 NM. THE city is in à coastal area.

I think it was à mechanical mallfuntion in combination with damage. Best gues that it has flown after pick up.

I would have thought the ships would be further off shore like 50-75 nmi too keep out of Silkworm range.

rgr that. It's a fine looking bird. :)
Sounds like it has some bugs to work out, though. :hmmm:


The link below points to the unit I had in mind before (HAL-3), but they were deactivated in the early 70's, and the platforms they flew are completely obsolete by today's standards. At any rate, the work they did was outstanding by all accounts I've read.

http://www.seawolf.org/index.asp

I'm sure TLAM among others can tear me apart with what is currently used by the Navy to perform the same roles, so I'll just leave it at that. :haha:

Here's hoping it all ends well for our Dutch friends.