During the time of the Republic of Texas (today marking the 176th anniversary of its declaration of independence), the Texas Navy saw what the uninitiated would call a surprising amount of action against the Mexican Navy.
Well, we’re back.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (a rather benign title for the state law enforcement arm from whence derives the Texas Rangers) has acquired six armored 34-foot gunboats, powered by 3x300-hp outboards. Their main armament will be three M240B 7.62mm machine guns (paired forward, single aft, though they have an option for three twin mounts). They passed up an option for Dillon M134 Gatling-type miniguns due to the cost of the ammunition (2000 – 6000 rounds per minute). Crew will be carrying M82 .50-calibre Barrett guns, M4 5.56mm carbines, 9mm submachine guns (perhaps the H&K MP5) and service pistols (officially the SIG Sauer P226 chambered for .357-calibre SIG round, but some still carry the M1911).
They will be able to operate in very shallow water as the draft is about two feet. As for speed, that hasn’t been listed, but a combined 900 hp pushing a 34-foot boat is probably comparable to the 25-ft Boston Whalers with twin 155 hp outboards (also well equipped with firepower) that were operated by the Coast Guard during the First Gulf War – I enjoyed a few excursions on them early on, and they clocked out at about 35 knots.
They will be deployed primarily on the border lakes of Lake Amistad and Lake Falcon, as well as sections of the Rio Grande and the Intracoastal Waterway.
And Texas does nothing half way. The crews will be trained by a
US Navy Special Warfare SWCC unit out of Mississippi (perhaps the same one seen recently in
Act of Valor, lighting up a string of nacro-terrorist trucks).
Don't mess with Texas.
I am trying to reconcile what a 'police' department want with heavily armed and armoured gun boats. this is just overkill. though I do believe that these weapons will eventually be used on the people of Texas and not illegals or terrorists. but I suppose they will be used on terrorists. anybody that doesn't do as they are told will be a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input, whoever you are.
ReplyDeleteThe added firepower is a partial answer to the unwillingness of the present administration to perform one of its fundamental duties of protecting the people of America, in this case by ensuring a secure border. Thus we have a government (Texas) versus government (Washington DC) bifurcation in this argument, which, even if your concern had validity, would invalidate your point since you cast your net about a powerful, central, controlling government far too wide.
An update on geography: Texas shares the longest state border with a foreign country, excluding Alaska/Canada whose only concern is caribou migration. The flow of illegial aliens into Texas (& the resident population therein) is enormous, but the firepower aspect of these assets is primarily concerned with the flow of drugs into our country, backed up by a truly lethal war between the Mexican government & extremely powerful drug cartels, with casualties well into the tens of thousands (abetted by the Fast & Furious scandal within the Obama administration). US citizens have been murdered & kidnapped on the border, within our jurisdiction, by these drug gangs. Drug boats that are essentially speed racers have been pursued to no avail because they can outrun our assets, which were also fired upon.
I hope that this is a sufficient answer to cover your question.