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[Kinyou]

Two American fighter jets dropped four unarmed bombs into Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park last week when a training exercise went wrong, the U.S. Navy said, angering environmentalists.

The two AV-8B Harrier jets launched from aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard each jettisoned an inert practice bomb and an unarmed laser-guided explosive bomb into the World Heritage-listed marine park off the coast of Queensland state on Tuesday, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement Saturday.

The four bombs, weighing a total 1.8 metric tons, were dropped into more than 50 metres of water away from coral to minimize possible damage to the reef, the statement said. None exploded.

The jets from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit had intended to drop the ordnances on the Townshend Island bombing range, but aborted the mission when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards.

The pilots conducted the emergency jettison because they were low on fuel and could not land with their bomb load, the Navy said.
(...)
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps were working with Australian authorities to investigate the incident, the Navy said.

Australian Sen. Larissa Waters, the influential Greens party's spokeswoman on the Great Barrier Reef, described the dumping of bombs in such an environmentally sensitive area as "outrageous" and said it should not be allowed.

"Have we gone completely mad?" she told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Is this how we look after our World Heritage area now? Letting a foreign power drop bombs on it?"

Source

 

[i-Lo]

'Merica's gonna 'merica.

Shame though.

 

[IceCold]

America's response: Deal with it.

 

[Darklord]

It's okay. Our governments been so lazy it's already like 90% dead. Couple bombs won't make a speck compared to the devastating power of incompetence.

 

[HurricaneJesus]

So it says they were inert practice bombs....but then goes on to say that none exploded.

What does inert mean in this circumstance?

 

[Piggus]

"Have we gone completely mad?" she told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Is this how we look after our World Heritage area now? Letting a foreign power drop bombs on it?"

Right, let's just let them crash into the ocean after they run out of fuel. Great alternative to something that probably won't have any impact on the reef at all.

 

[DrFunk]

So it says they were inert practice bombs....but then goes on to say that none exploded.

What does inert mean in this circumstance?

inert = not armed (to explode)

 

[soapOD]

So it says they were inert practice bombs....but then goes on to say that none exploded.

What does inert mean in this circumstance?

Just that: they contain no explosives. Of course that doesn't mean they can't do damage - not to mention the principle of the matter.

 

[Savitar]

To be fair I'm sure satellite pictures made it look like there was a bomb factory there.

Someone feel free to circle it.

 

[lethial]

The bombs create more habitat for underwater critters. Smart USA, very smart.

 

[Kinyou]

Right, let's just let them crash into the ocean after they run out of fuel. Great alternative to something that probably won't have any impact on the reef at all.

She probably advocates to not have any military exercises around that area at all.

 

[Arment]

So Australia would just prefer they crash the Jets instead?

 

[NinjaFridge]

Right, let's just let them crash into the ocean after they run out of fuel. Great alternative to something that probably won't have any impact on the reef at all.

Or how about not having training exercise there at all?

 

[HurricaneJesus]

inert = not armed (to explode)

Just that: they contain no explosives. Of course that doesn't mean they can't do damage - not to mention the principle of the matter.

So which is it?

 

[Arment]

So which is it?

They are bombs filled with other objects such as dirt and sand to become as heavy as the real bomb so they can practice with it. It does not contain explosives.

 

[gutter_trash]

Or how about not having training exercise there at all?

Correct response

 

[Mabef]

The bombs create more habitat for underwater critters. Smart USA, very smart.

Hey, someone's gotta spread religion to the reefs.

 

[Piggus]

Or how about not having training exercise there at all?

Fine, but arguing that they should not be there in retrospect doesn't have anything to do the the choice they had to make while conducting the operation. ie drop a couple large chunks of metal (and not even on coral) or crash two multi-million dollar jets into the ocean and endanger their lives.

 

[Slippers]

So it says they were inert practice bombs....but then goes on to say that none exploded.

What does inert mean in this circumstance?

inert = not armed (to explode)

Just that: they contain no explosives. Of course that doesn't mean they can't do damage - not to mention the principle of the matter.

So which is it?

They are bombs filled with other objects such as dirt and sand to become as heavy as the real bomb so they can practice with it. It does not contain explosives.

"two AV-8B Harrier jets...each jettisoned an inert practice bomb and an unarmed laser-guided explosive bomb"

Two of the bombs were inert and two were explosive.

 

[raindoc]

didn't a US Mine Sweeping vessel collide with a reef a couple of months ago, after ignoring warnings?

is the new thing? War on Reefs?

 

[casmith07]

You didn't hear? It's a joint US-Australian venture to create some new stuff for scuba divers to explore.

 

[kurbaan]

USA starting a war with the coral. Coralians gonna appear soon. Australia be prepared.


(Overall this is pretty pathetic and the USA should go clean up their mess)

 

[NYCmetsfan]

The AP report left out this

The U.S. Navy is already in the early stages of planning a salvage operation to recover the bombs. The Marine Corps and Navy are also investigating the incident, along with Australian authorities.

The bombs were dropped roughly 16 nautical miles south of Bell Cay in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The U.S. official said the pilots and commander selected a location at sea where the risk of reef damage would be minimal. The official described it as a “deep channel,” saying it was about 60 meters (about 197 feet) deep.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...-bombs-on-great-barrier-reef-us-official?lite

 

[Choke on the Magic]

Won't coral eventually just grow on the "inert" bombs? We're just help provide them with more habitat.

 

[DUFFMCWALIN]

The AP report left out this





http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...-bombs-on-great-barrier-reef-us-official?lite

Well of course. Anything to make the US look worse than it already is.

 

[Cipherr]

Fine, but arguing that they should not be there in retrospect doesn't have anything to do the the choice they had to make while conducting the operation. ie drop a couple large chunks of metal (and not even on coral) or crash two multi-million dollar jets into the ocean and endanger their lives.

This....

The AP report left out this





http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...-bombs-on-great-barrier-reef-us-official?lite

And especially so considering this!

 

[NYCmetsfan]

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bell...3,0.338173&oq=Bell+Cay&t=h&hnear=Bell+Cay&z=9

They droped it south of there. Doesn't look to be anywere near the major parts of the reef, just in the boundaries of the park

Won't coral eventually just grow on the "inert" bombs? We're just help provide them with more habitat.

It take forever but the real damage to coral reefs is the chemical changes from climate change, pollution, oil. Not a few inert bombs.

"two AV-8B Harrier jets...each jettisoned an inert practice bomb and an unarmed laser-guided explosive bomb"

Two of the bombs were inert and two were explosive.

The two with explosives were unarmed though you have to arm bombs even when they have explosives, they don't just explode when dropped.

That's the size of what they dropped

 

[Hrothgar]

Those two dummy bombs will make for an excellent surface for new corral growth though.

 

[casabolg]

So...they going to pick up those bombs? Would be a big waste.

EDIT: Fantastic, they are. The NBC link makes it seem far more realistic.

 

[timetokill]

Just wait til you see the badass hermit crab walking around with a fucking bomb casing for a shell.

 

[NekoFever]

Just wait til you see the badass hermit crab walking around with a fucking bomb casing for a shell.

Pacific Rim 2

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

The jets from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit had intended to drop the ordnances on the Townshend Island bombing range, but aborted the mission when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards.

I'm interested to hear more about this.

 

[casabolg]

Just wait til you see the badass hermit crab walking around with a fucking bomb casing for a shell.

Captain Planet's greatest foe.

 

[DBT85]

I'm interested to hear more about this.

There was some coral on the bombing range.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

It take forever but the real damage to coral reefs is the chemical changes from climate change, pollution, oil. Not a few inert bombs.

You mean like the thousands of scuba trips made per day?

Someone has to make a stink.

 

[siddx]

They had to jettison the bombs to be able to land. They dumped them in an area away from coral reefs. They already started a salvage operation to recover the bombs. There is no issue here. As for "why are US planes there to begin with?" When two nations are allied, operations like this are common.