In the San Pablo Bay area of San Francisco Bay, two small black boats, manned by crews dressed all in black and carrying simulated rocket-propelled grenades, were intercepted by an orange-colored Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter that swirled in the air, rotating around the black boats below. The pilot kept orbited the speeding boats, keeping his gunner constantly trained on the boats.
When it comes to playing terrorist war games, this is as good as it gets. More than a game, the exercize is the kind of training that keeps our Coasties the best on the planet.
In the photo: Petty Officer First Class Mike Conrad handles the M107-derived 50-cal precision fire weapon mounted inside a U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter from Air Station San Francisco during a training exercise over the San Pablo Bay sector of San Francisco Bay. (Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle)
In what looked like a Hollywood action movie, the Coast Guard simulated an air-and-sea, small-boat gun battle with the HH-65.
The sinister-looking black boats were "playing the role of the adversary," a Coast Guard officer said - pretending to be terrorists on a raid against a cruise ship, a tanker or one of the bay bridges.
The HH-65, powered by twin Turbomeca Arriel 2C2-CG turbo-shaft engines, was sent out from USCG Air Station San Francisco to stop them. The black boats twisted and dodged, throwing up clouds of spray, and the helicopter swooped down on them like a bird of prey. A marksman aboard the copter fired blank rounds, the sound echoing across the water: rata-tat-tat.
"The terrorist raiders in Mumbai in November came by sea," said Commander Sam Creech, the officer in charge of the Coast Guard's Air Station San Francisco. "An attack by a small boat on a cruise ship, or a tanker, or one of the bridges here could be devastating."
The Coast Guard's HH-65s are armed, ready and waiting. The helicopters have been equipped with the M107-derived .50 cal. precision fire weapon. The M240B 7.62mm general purpose machine gun, said Creech, "would kill everybody " on the boat being attacked from the air. The rifle is for "selective" targets.
The 87-foot Coast Guard cutter Tern acted as a floating headquarters for Monday's exercise. San Pablo Bay, which is wide, fairly shallow and relatively free of ship traffic, is usually used for blank ammunition training. It is the war game playground for our local Coasties.
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