Page 45 - History of War - Issue 25-16

10 DEADLIEST SNIPERS

rescue of Captain Phillips

Navy SEAL snipers shoot three pirates at night, from a boat, to save the hostage
The container ship Maersk Alabama was hijacked to the seas with their captive in a lifeboat. The US hijackers to allow their life boat to be towed behind
by Somali pirates in April 2009. The ship’s captain, Navy responded with a warship, the USS Bainbridge, Bainbridge. One pirate was in need of medical
Richard Phillips, was taken hostage and after and a rescue team from DEVGRU (formerly SEAL treatment and was transferred to Bainbridge, while
unexpected resistance from Maersk Alabama’s Team Six). As negotiations continued and inclement the others were adamant that only a $2 million
crew, the four pirates, armed with AK-47s, took weather moved in, the Navy persuaded the ransom would secure Phillips’s release.

1. SEAL INFILTRATION 4. RANGING THE SHOT
The SEAL Team Six assault force The range is only 25 metres, but the motion of the
parachutes into the sea near boats and the need for simultaneous headshots
the Bainbridge with all of their using night vision complicates the shot.
weapons and kit, including a
Somali American interpreter who
has never parachuted before.

3. THE TRIGGER
2. SNIPERS DEPLOY The pirates become ever
The SEAL snipers deploy more restless and eventually
onto the rear deck of the 6. THE RESCUE 5. THE KILL SHOTS one ires his AK-47 near
Bainbridge and settle in for a Two SEALs climb along the tow line and shoot Once all three snipers have clear shots, and Phillips. President Obama
long wait. Other SEALs stand the downed pirates again to make sure they’re upon their team leader’s command, all three has personally authorised the
by to launch an assault on no longer a threat before securing Captain ire, delivering headshots to each of the SEALs to act in order to save
the life boat. Phillips and transferring him to safety. pirates who collapse around the hostage. the hostage.

This versatile rifle was the unlikely
weapon the SEALs used to take their
Heckler and Koch HK416 simultaneous headshots

Manufacturer: Heckler and Koch, Germany SCOPE
First year of service: 2004 The Nightforce scope offers
variable magniication between
Calibre: 5.56X45mm 2.5 and ten power. It was used
Range: 400 metres with a clip-on thermal night sight.
Users: Delta Force, SEAL Team Six,
Polish GROM and French COS

STOCK
BARREL BULLET The shoulder stock can
The match grade 14.5- The 5.56x45mm 70-grain Barnes be adjusted to suit the
inch barrel is i tted TSX Optimized Brown Tip is designed individual operator while Images: Alamy; Corbis; Getty
with an AAC sound to shed all of its energy on impact a Harris detachable bipod
suppressor that deadens with the target. It is allegedly the steadies the rile for longer
the report of the ril e. round that killed Osama bin Laden. range shooting.

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