The North Korean vessel involved in a four day chase that resulted in it’s capture by the Frigate HMAS Stuart is to be scuttled.
Under current maritime laws in Australia, all vessels caught smuggling drugs will have their crew detained and prosecuted while the vessel is destroyed.
The MV Pong Su is registered in Tuvalu and home ported in North Korea, she is a 4000ton ocean going freighter. Her crew of 24 had been arrested after being seen putting a boat ashore with a load of susspicious cargo in rough weather and in a remote spot on the Victorian coast in Australia’s south eastern corner.
The MV Pong Su
The two crew members in the boat ran into trouble and one died as a result of storm swept seas, the other was captured on land. 7 others, the receiving party, were later caught and sent to prison.
Of the 24 one had been identified as a senior party official from the DPRK’s communist party, but there is no clear indication that the Embassy or its staff were controlling the Pong Su’s delivery though radio links do tie it back there.
This is the most compelling case that North Korea is trying to raise money through covert operations. The cash strapped country is desperatly running out of money and it’s citizens are one of the poorest in the world. Observers disagree on how official the North Korean drug trade is
In my own recommendations, I’d use the Pong Su as a live target for the defence force who could use it to their advantage, besides, I love things being blown up!
Here are more details of the Pong Su incident
By: EdLaw - 2nd April 2006 at 12:08
Perhaps they could have had a bit more fun dropping Quickstrikes? The F-111s could each have carried ~24 Mk62 Quickstrikes, which could be primed to detonate just under the waterline. It would be more entertaining!
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd April 2006 at 11:12
What you don’t know is that the Pong Su was actually hit well above the water line and didn’t sink
Shining a laser target marker near the waterline can confuse a LGB as it might see a reflection of the signal in the water. As the reflection will be correctly coded it could home in on either signal… embarassing if it is the wrong one.
The best way to sink a ship with a LGB is to use armour piercing bombs with delayed fuses so that the bomb goes right through the ship into the water underneath before it explodes… the way a torpedo breaks a ships back by exploding under it and creating a huge gas bubble under the ship that rises and lifts just the centre of the ship.
By: Turbinia - 2nd April 2006 at 08:38
A 4000T break bulk freighter isn’t worth a great deal, the fact it has a crew of 24 indicates it’s pretty primitive and being North Korean the thing is probably not in particularly good shape, especially after 3 years in limbo. The PR and practice it gave the RAAF will be worth far more than the scrap value of 4000T of steel.
By: hallo84 - 29th March 2006 at 06:30
How much would a 4000 tonne freighter be worth at auction?
Wouldn’t the sale of this vessel be more worthwhile to the Australian taypayers than using it as a target?
Of course, the material condition of the vessel might have deteriorated in the three years that it has been in Australian custody.
Heh Pretty good ship… quite new too.
Must be worth qute a bit of money.
It was built in a chinese ship yard. I forgot which…
By: TinWing - 29th March 2006 at 04:44
How much would a 4000 tonne freighter be worth at auction?
Wouldn’t the sale of this vessel be more worthwhile to the Australian taypayers than using it as a target?
Of course, the material condition of the vessel might have deteriorated in the three years that it has been in Australian custody.
By: Ja Worsley - 29th March 2006 at 04:02
Nels: mate it’s not so much the use of Laser bombs sinking ships but just using the bombs for practice, Missiles cost far more than these bombs and they have simulators for that. Bombing doesn’t have the same level of simulation especially on a target like this. It’s purely for the practice.
By: J33Nelson - 29th March 2006 at 03:54
I do not understand why countries continue to use laser guided bombs to sink ships. Taiwan tried this and failed as well. Why can’t they just use anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. These are the weapons developed for this type of action and would be used in a time of war.
By: Ja Worsley - 24th March 2006 at 14:26
I like your solution Pred, great comprimise mate, and yes remote control is viable in this situation and I agree that a moving target would have presented a more realistic solution!
By: pred - 24th March 2006 at 10:13
Like many live fire tests this did not quite live up to expectations in my view.
Leaving aside the environmental impact and having to “cordon off” and police an even larger area of ocean my scenario would envisage designating a sizeable kill alley/no go area, get the ship under steam (remote control possible?) and tell an ANZAC positioned outside the box to detect, intercept, investigate and bring to a stop/destroy the vessel with all means necessary… Ja Worsely gets his SH-2s and I nominate the ANZAC’s Mk 45.
By: Ja Worsley - 23rd March 2006 at 13:05
Indeed it was FI!
There were actually two pigs one lased the target with the Pave Tack system and the other dropped. What you don’t know is that the Pong Su was actually hit well above the water line and didn’t sink, the navyu had to send in CDT3 with charged to blow holes in it to make it sink.
I am a little disappointed how ever, as it would have been nice to see the SH-2G’s get up and prove what they can do. I guess we’ll just have to wait for that, I know it will happen, just when?
By: fightingirish - 23rd March 2006 at 09:43
This morning the Pong Su sunk, after it was hit by a RAAF F-111 aircraft dropping two thousand-pound laser guided bombs during a bombing mission 140 kilometres (87 miles) off the New South Wales Coast south of Sydney.
Pics and videos are on TV and on the Internet!
http://au.news.yahoo.com/mediaframe/index.html?c_id=4303
Great Birthday Treat, Ja!!! 😉 :diablo: 😀
By: Ja Worsley - 10th March 2006 at 10:08
Navy has duresdiction here mate and they have a lot of new systems to test out! Let the civvies in blue suits go find their own target and arrest it for their own target practice. Trust me, a couple of Penguines and the Pong Su will just be a Pong 😉
By: wd1 - 10th March 2006 at 04:39
not to mention AGM-142s from the F-111s also!
By: Ja Worsley - 8th March 2006 at 14:07
Well I know there is a Mk-44 down at the Technical school at HMAS Cerberus, it’s been cut open like a model so that you can see how it works, but shouldn’t be too hard to get working again.
In any case I was thinking about this situation today and I thought, well the SH-2G(A)’s have yet to prove their worth, why not let them have a bash at it with a Penguin or two? Prove to us that our money is being spent well.
What do you think guys?
By: GoldenDragon - 8th March 2006 at 07:16
Don’t be silly GD, The Fish would sink Collins rather than it’s assigned target.
The Aussie navy have any old straight runners left? You know, the reliable kind that the RN used to sink the Belgrano.
By: Ja Worsley - 7th March 2006 at 07:45
Just found this article Pong Su will most likely be used for navy target practice
Yay, it’s gonna go bang!
By: Canpark - 7th March 2006 at 06:19
Well, perhaps the North Koreans should take it back and turn it into a battleship:D
By: Ja Worsley - 7th March 2006 at 06:14
Ummmmmm it came from them, D’oh
By: Canpark - 7th March 2006 at 06:06
LOL:DShould give it to the North Korean navy:D
By: Ja Worsley - 7th March 2006 at 05:53
Don’t be silly GD, The Fish would sink Collins rather than it’s assigned target.
Don’t know if anyone has heard by the Collins class are getting new firing control computers. The first has just gone in to get it and other updates and should rejoin the fleet in about 16 months time. All the original subs are having their problems fixed at the same time and the Fast track subs will just have the computers replaced and should only take half the time.
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March 7, 2006 at 3:57 am