IRON DUKE news coverage -was that a Sea Wolf?

The coverage of ID's big drug bust on yesterday's TV news both nationally and for the South West showed several clips of the helo firing at the smuggling vessel to sink it but there was also a very short clip of what must have been a missile, apparently from the ship on its way to a blob on the horizon but the impact wasn't shown. So was that a Sea Wolf - and did it hit?!

 

Shouldn't think so. Sea Wolf is a defence missile useful for hitting bombs and exocets if they are coming for you. I believe that they are quite expensive and a missile wouldn't have been used. Done for the cameras.
After all no threat from the vessel, unmanned, cheaper to open the seacocks and sink it. Of course I could be wrong and am ready to be corrected if it is the case.

 

Looked like a case of 4.5 "engage" from what I saw on the tv report.

 

Sea Skua??? from the Lynx :dontknow:

 

What did they do with the 'White Substance', does it not burn, or would that have lead to a 'High' sea

 

Thinking a bit more about it, yes SW is an AA only system so perhaps it was more likely that it was a 30mm round with a white tracer flare.

 

I didn't see it but I'm guessing it was either one of the new IA (Improved Ammunition) 4.5 rounds which leave a bit of a trail as they go off and could easily be mistaken for a missile or more likely it was just a generic press clip of a 23 firing a Seawolf, which was in no way related to the story but looked cool for the news clip.

 

I would have to agree with 2DD

 

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just seen it again online at http://news.sky.com/skynews/

although shorter than the original clip looks to me like they give it a beating with a fifty from the helo then a couple of 4.5 shells to finish it.

 

Thanks 2DD I hadn't seen what 4.5" IA looked like before but that makes the most sense.

 

I thought once the ship was empty someone had decided to give the Flight a bit of practice. Plus photo op.

 

From a reliable source on board the USCG do the boarding due to complicated legal stuff and they(Jack) do the sinking 4.5 and 30mm HE

 

From ITN news last night, USCG had no trouble when they carried out the boarding and seizure

 

We have always carried a USCG LEDET to do our compliant boardings for ATP(N) - as long as I can remember. The tasking for the coalition CN patrols is provided by JIATF(S) in Florida and hence a US Law Enforcement presence. The jurisdication in that region is far murkier than than the water.