Pirate Hunters: U.S. Navy SEALs Rescue of Captain Phillips & the Maersk Alabama | Full Documentary

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- [Narrator] The hijacking of an American freighter grabs the world's attention. - This morning off the coast of Somalia. - [Narrator] But when four pirates kidnap the American captain and hold him for ransom, they get more than they bargained for. A top secret force of Special Operations Navy SEALs train for one purpose. Locate and destroy terrorists anywhere in the world. (dramatic music) These men are unknown to the public, but not their enemies. (guns firing) Among the most deadly killers in the American arsenal, they are classified in name, unit, and deed. The hijacking of the merchant ship, Maersk Alabama, is their story. (gun firing) And for one brief moment, our glimpse into their world. (gun firing) The day begins like any other. Around the world, Easter weekend is approaching, and many people are preparing to celebrate. For most, it's business as usual. In the Horn of Africa, it's also business as usual for the Somali pirate gangs marauding the sea lanes off the Gulf of Aden, hijacking foreign merchant ships, and holding their crews for ransom. Their success fuels the kidnapping industry worth tens of millions of dollars per year. When armed pirates attack yet another ship, the merchant vessel Maersk Alabama, off the coast of Somalia, the vessel is identified as an American freighter. The news captures the attention of a global audience. - A high seas, high stakes drama is... - This morning off the coast of Somalia. - An American cargo ship taken over by pirates. - [Narrator] Details are unclear. Reports are that the Maersk Alabama, a U.S. flagged cargo ship, is under attack by pirates of unknown number, approximately 250 miles off the coast of Somalia. The crew forces the pirates off the ship, but not before they kidnap Richard Phillips, the American captain, and escape in one of the ship's motorized lifeboats. - [Man] There was four Somali pirates with AK-47s, but now they've got our Captain in a lifeboat. Yeah, they got him hostage. - [Narrator] The story of the kidnapping ignites a political firestorm. - The media especially, cable television goes 24/7 Somali pirates. - We are bringing to bear a number of our assets, including... - [Peter] This put an incredible amount of pressure on the Obama administration, with pundits out there demanding action, and the administration has to come through and deliver. - And bring the pirates to justice. - Piracy off the coast of Somalia, both in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, currently account for almost two thirds of attacks on commercial shipping in the world today. It's a very sophisticated enterprise that generates incredible amounts of revenue, especially in a country where the average family lives on less than $600 a year. - Typically, pirates make around $100,000 on a capture. A lot of the pirates are young. Most of the time between 15, 16, and 25. They come from fishing villages, and they have seen that piracy has become a big and lucrative business. - [Narrator] Inside the Pentagon, Colonel Rudy Atallah immediately contacts sources in Somalia, hoping to learn the pirates' identities. - We were huddling, trying to figure out who the pirates were. We were gonna take every measure and use every tool in our toolbox to take care of Captain Phillips and make sure that he arrived home safely. - [Narrator] The pirates are identified as Somali teenagers. The oldest 19, the youngest 17. - The four pirates that had Captain Phillips were very young, one of them already a couple of successful attacks under his belt. The other three were inexperienced, believed to be on their first out to sea mission. All this came from the source who was talking directly to the elders. - [Narrator] The kidnappers escaped from the Alabama in the ship's lifeboat, and with their hostage, head for the Somali coast. Kidnappers or terrorists, their intentions remain unclear. - The biggest concern was that the pirates may have some affiliation to a group called Al-Shabaab, which was on our terrorism list, or potentially they would turn Captain Phillips to this Al-Shabaab. Either way, we did not want them to make it to shore. - [Narrator] The safety of the hostage being held by armed Muslims requires the White House to balance attempts for a peaceful resolution, with a rescue attack which might endanger Captain Phillips. - The political pressures in this particular instant are pulling in opposite directions. On one hand, there's the demand for resolute action, on the other hand, one doesn't want to look like one is shooting fish in a bucket, so to speak. - [Narrator] When American naval warships finally intercept the kidnappers at sea, the pirates use their hostage as a shield against the surrounding ships. - You have four or five guys with a few AK-47s, and maybe an RPG, and they go up against a Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and we have a standoff that lasts several days. - [Narrator] Rudy Atallah's contacts with Somali tribal elders reveals the names of the pirates and their clans. - I discovered the names of the four pirates, and then also got the names of the elders from the sub clan where they came from. We transmitted their names over loudspeaker from the Bainbridge, and that got the pirates to slow down what they were doing. At that point, they got extremely nervous. - [Narrator] The pirates refused to surrender. The Bainbridge and her flotilla, unable to use their superior firepower until they get approval from Washington, resort to aggressive physical maneuvers to cutoff the lifeboat's escape towards land. - [Rudy] They try to make a run for the shoreline. Water cannons were used to fire at the lifeboat to kind of push it back out to sea. - [Man] In the window, in the window. - [Rudy] Bump the hull, try to keep it from getting close to the shoreline. (catchy music) (explosion booms) - [Narrator] Meanwhile, half a world away, a secret operation SEAL team goes about its daily regimen of training on a classified military base far from the glare of public scrutiny. - These are trained, highly tuned killing machines, and I say that without any disrespect intended, but this is what they're trained for. (guns firing) - These guys are the most experienced, and I would say the most deadly predators on the planet. (guns firing) - These guys are doing stuff that would shock and blow people's minds if they actually knew what's going on overseas and around the world in the global war on terror. (guns firing) - [Narrator] These are images of SEAL Team training, and they provide a detailed glimpse of how all SEALs prepare for war. The particular effectiveness of SEAL Teams lies in their gathering even the most tightly held information on their enemies, and then launching a devastating attack in force. (guns firing) In Iraq, SEAL Team snipers help decimate the leadership in Al-Qaeda, and other private militias, leaving them demoralized and ineffective. - These are top notch snipers. Many of them have literally dozens of kills in their record. (gun fires) - You have teams of snipers in the battlefield, people are dying all over the place, and they don't know what's happening. From a psychological warfare point of view, it's devastating. (gun fires) (intense music) (guns firing) - One of the things that we've done in our fight against terrorism has been to take out those key individuals. There are only so many who can make the terrorist machine work. You eliminate those cogs, and the machine just collapses. (guns firing) - [Narrator] The effectiveness of these SEAL operations makes the sniper the weapon of choice for any hostage rescue attempt on the Maersk Alabama. (guns firing) - You have one of the most effective tools in a sniper that the battlefield commander has in his war chest. And with one bullet, can take out one target. - [Narrator] One shot, one kill, means reducing possible collateral damage among innocent civilian populations, a modern political necessity, as low intensity conflicts are often waged and won in the headlines, as well as the battlefield. - As surgical in the more precise, and I think proper sense of that term, and it's increasingly becoming an instrument of national policy. - [Newscaster] Breaking news. - It's all over the media. There's a hostage situation, and it's gonna elevate things politically. Who's gonna go deal with this situation while it's a maritime environment? In the SEAL Teams, we own that maritime environment. - [Narrator] The outcome of the hostage situation on the Bainbridge depends entirely on the skill of SEAL snipers. One error could kill the hostage, and set off an inevitable political and media search for the guilty. The SEALs call this type of after action investigation, "Who Shot Jack?" - You know, it's not a F18 launching a guided missile strike. You have to produce a kill shot, and you can't miss. So it's as simple as, a shot goes right, you're a hero, if it doesn't go right, you're a zero. (gun fires) - [Narrator] Days after the pirates attack the merchant vessel, Maersk Alabama, Naval Special Warfare alerts a small SEAL assault squadron, including the team commanding officer. Within hours, they depart on a flight for a high altitude, night parachute drop into the Gulf of Aden, and a rendezvous with the U.S.S. Bainbridge. - You have a group of guys back in the U.S. that are on pagers, they get recalled, they have to show up within 60 minutes or less, get briefed, have all their equipment ready to go, get on a plane, and then coordinate probably en route where they're gonna link up. - [Narrator] The flurry of details and rapid deployment is nothing new for the seals. Their mood is relaxed. - This is a situation where they just show up at the top of the food chain. It was on the water, you know, you got Navy SEALs, you have snipers, you can't get a better environment for these guys. They're right where they feel most at home. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they back flipped out of the airplane on their way in. - The pirates on the lifeboat, they don't have night vision. So, you just come in, use the cover of darkness, set up on the ship, and you know, when the sun rises, they have no idea that these guys are in position. - [Narrator] Once on board the Bainbridge, the SEALs take up firing positions while the naval ships force the lifeboat away from shore. It's a calculated risk. No one knows the Captain's physical condition, or what the pirates will do next. The team doesn't wait long for an answer. (guns firing) - [Man] Shots fired, shots fired! - The pirates were very scared. They were afraid for their lives, but at the same time, they weren't listening to reason. They were very much focused on their goal, and irrational in their behavior. - [Narrator] But then, the lifeboat runs out of fuel. The kidnappers allow the Bainbridge to take them under bow, believing they are headed to shore. Unbeknownst to the pirates, the Bainbrdige tows them back out to sea. The on board SEAL snipers now are less than 40 yards away. Later, mixed in with other sailors, the SEALs go alongside the lifeboat to deliver water and observe the conditions on board. The pirates are showing signs of physical and psychological stress. - This hostage situation has been going on for several days, the situation's escalating. Once it elevates to a certain point, you have to do something about it. - [Narrator] Unreported by the media, the pirate's elders deliver a second message over the ship's loudspeakers, asking the pirates to give up. The leader abruptly surrenders. Once on board the Bainbridge, he advises the three remaining hijackers to give themselves up as well. - Unfortunately, they said no, that their lives were in the hands of God. If they're gonna reach shore, it was up to God, if not, then they were prepared to die. When I relayed this information back to the elders, the reply back was, "We wash our hands from this situation." - [Narrator] SEAL snipers have been in position since they arrived, but clearance to fire is withheld. The leadership aboard the Bainbridge is increasingly concerned for Captain Phillips' safely, and the lack of a clear direction from Washington. Time is running out. - Of course, these guys get impatient. They're waiting to hear from the top down if they have the go ahead, and you have that attack dog on a leash, he wants off, so he can do his job. - To be fair to the administration, all these factors, the political implications, the fallout from failure have to be considered. There was a certain paralysis at the top. - [Narrator] Every SEAL understands need for action, but with no order, they can only watch and wait. - Any time you're in that situation, it's gonna produce frustration. These guys are there to do their job, and get it done, and go home. - [Narrator] As the evening approaches, the contrast between the hunters and the hunted could not be more different. Inside the lifeboat, three seasick pirates are oblivious to their imminent danger and anxious to ransom their hostage. Onboard the Bainbridge, SEAL Team snipers maintain their poise. - Everyone thinks, okay, these guys are there to kill someone, they're there to do a mission, they're gonna be haircuts buzzed tight, uniform, every like that, but they're there to perform. They're not there to be popular, and they're not there to fit any image that the public might put on them. They're there purely to perform, and that's what they're gonna do. But it was probably a very casual, relaxed atmosphere. - Put them on a Navy ship where they've got hot coffee, Redbull, essentially it's like a Club Med vacation for these snipers, and the pirates are sitting ducks, I mean it's like shooting fish in a barrel for these guys. - It doesn't matter who we're having to target, we have a dial, and that dial you can be at zero, where I'm talking to you right now, and you're at 10, where you're having to kill someone from the back of a ship. - [Narrator] Snipers monitor the situation by glassing the target, observing their subjects while in a firing position. Their first technical concern is the fact that they both are moving. - There's probably some movement because they're on an ocean, but then they also have a target ship, which is unpredictable. If someone steps on the other side of the boat or weight shifts, you can move the boat a foot in either direction, and these guys are taking simultaneous kill shots, so the chances of these guys taking all the terrorists down at the same time, the odds would be incredible, but they put the odds in their favor because of all their training. - [Narrator] SEAL snipers train by shooting thousands of rounds per week under every imaginable combat scenario. (guns firing) (yelling) For experienced senior enlisted men, the success of this operation is not a matter of if, but when. (guns firing) - This is just another day at the office, you know, you're talking very low threat. You're not going into a village in the middle of the night, and have a lot of unknown factors. These guys are going to a known location, they know the threat, they know the number of pirates on board, and they have a mission to do. - It's kind of like bringing a professional football team in to play a bunch of high school, junior varsity team. They're gonna come in and do their thing because they're so well trained compared to everyone else. - [Narrator] All SEAL training involves what is termed "mental management". Years of instruction and preparation that allows each sniper to keep himself in emotional balance, and ready to kill in seconds. - When guys are put in that situation, we have trained it into them so many times. It's just like watching Cirque Du Soleil, where you're seeing this incredible performance. They've done it so many times, it's just autopilot. They're not thinking about what's coming next, they're just going through a mechanical process that they've been through a thousand times before. (gun fires) - [Narrator] This high speed film demonstrates how performance is the rule, rather than the exception for all SEAL Team snipers. From 400 yards, a 50 caliber round penetrates a steel safe. (gun fires) Seconds later, a second round is literally shot through the same hole. - You have to become a master of yourself and your environment. And by being able to do that, you're able to do things that other people see as impossible. - [Narrator] All SEALs are volunteers, and candidates are selected after being tested for a predator's instincts, and a warrior's discipline. - We don't just train them to pull triggers or to stalk. These guys are like renaissance men. They're well educated, they're well thought out, they know what's going on. They understand why they're there and their purpose, and it's a greater good. - There's three types of people in this world. There's sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves. Wolves are the psychopaths of the world, they're the terrorists, the criminals, the rapists that prey on the sheep. They're driven by violence and fear. (guns firing) (yelling) Then you have the sheepdogs, and the sheepdogs look very similar to the wolves, and generally the sheep are made uncomfortable by the presence of sheepdogs because it reminds them that there are wolves out there. (guns firing) The defining difference is the fact that sheepdogs are driven to protect the flock, to protect the sheep. (guns firing) - [Narrator] SEAL Teams do not announce their presence, and shun publicity. (guns firing) - We're used to blending in, and just becoming part of wherever we're at. We come in quietly and professionally, we do our thing, people support us, we support them, and then we're gone. - [Narrator] 70 years of training to fight provides the ultimate insight into the SEAL combat philosophy. Like the sea, SEALs are unpredictable, and can kill without hesitation. - I once heard a general tell me one of his problems he had with using SEAL Teams is SEALs don't stick to the plan. And I kind of smirked, or I chuckled a little bit when he said that, because as a SEAL, that's our advantage. It's not that we're cowboys and we go off the plan, but the whole intent, the purpose of what we do is to be somewhere that nobody's gonna expect. - It's gonna take a pirate to catch a pirate, it does take someone with a different mindset. The mindset is key, and that's what BUD/S is for. BUD/S is there to forge the mindset. (chanting) (guns firing) - [Narrator] All SEALs first graduated from BUD/S, Basic Underwater Demolition Seals training. It's a 30 week course that combines peer pressure with physical and emotional stress to test a man's commitment to group loyalty, and ability to function under pain. - You're in my program. You're not in your own program. Do you understand me, Sloan? - Boo yah, sir, Captain. - Eight, nine, 30! - I'm talking to you, Francis. - EI, start the count. - What are you gonna do to make sure that you're not gonna talk anymore? Do I have to isolate you for the rest of the class? - Negative, sir, Captain. - Do I have to pour sand down your mouth? - I showed up at BUD/S, and I was not the person that I am today. And I had question as to my capability what I could and couldn't do, what was possible, and what was not possible. And going through the training, I now have a complete confidence that if it's humanly possible, then I can do it. - I don't want to hear no whining and moaning and groaning, boys. Get it up! Get it up! - You know, you always hear it's 90% mental, 10% physical. You need to really be able to turn off your brain in a certain way where you can ignore just all the pain and discomfort. If you can turn that off, then you're gonna be good in BUD/S, and you're gonna be able to keep going day after day. - What's your problem, Mr. Nole? Hell week is simulating combat scenario, and you're failing. We put you in a real situation, you're gonna kill people. You do not want to be a team player, you got not only one thing, but two things wrong, and that's why they're dropped down right now, and they are waiting on you, Phillip. Paying the penalty for you. Now, as soon as you're ready, you go ahead and take the time, Phillip. - [Narrator] On average, seven out of 10 students fail to pass BUD/s training, one of the highest drop out rates in the U.S. military. - Need me a winner! - Up! Get it up! Get this boat up! Get it up! - We'll push whatever button we need to push to stress them. I don't want to society is not used to being uncomfortable anymore, but we've become a society of comfort, and there's still men on the Earth who will put their comfort aside, and they base their life on we before me. These guys can put themselves in situations that their target just can't conceive. (guns firing) - [Narrator] After graduating BUD/s, many SEALs apply for SEAL Team sniper school. A classified, three month course that not everyone passes. - I've had students go through sniper school and say they'd rather go through BUD/s three times, because we produce such a high level of stress in training to make sure these guys are mentally prepared. - A SEAL sniper school is so much more difficult really than any other sniper school in the world. I practically had a nervous breakdown going through sniper training. One bad day, and you're on your way back, you're going home, and you have to look all your boys in the face, and be like, "I failed." - [Narrator] The sniper's mentality requires instinct, and a willingness to overcome physical conditions for hours and maybe days. It's not for everyone. - A Navy SEAL in general, I mean a SEAL sniper, they're gonna operate and dwell on the space between reality and fantasy. So they're gonna be in that space that nobody's brain would even take 'em to. They're not gonna expect us to be up on the hill for the past three days. They're not gonna expect us to be dug in in pure pain. - And we'll do that because we know we can, and others won't. They'll give up. That's what makes a difference between the winners and the losers. - [Narrator] Part of the sniper's job involves hunting his prey. (gun fires) But it's not simply following tracks. (gun fires) It's about setting up the kill. - Stalking for us is a art. It's a natural predatory instinct. We all have it, but it's just frowned upon nowadays. And basically, what we work to do is take him from a regular man to somebody that goes to any situation, any environment, and make him so he notices everything. His foreground, his background, his movement, where he is in relationship to his target, so we just completely reinsert the predatory mindset. - [Narrator] For every sniper, stalking requires knowing how to blend into the scenery to avoid detection. (gun fires) - It's essential that the Navy SEAL sniper master the art of camouflage and concealment. To them, it's a matter of life and death. Right now, I look like a hiker, but I'm gonna go behind this bush and turn myself into a sniper and see if you can find me. Okay, I can see you. But you could only see me because I let you. In just a couple of minutes, I went from hiker to a SEAL sniper behind the bush. What are don't see are there are two other SEAL snipers, and they have you in their sights. You'd be dead right now, and you would never know what hit you. (catchy music) - [Narrator] Regular SEAL platoons perform different missions. For Special Operations requirements, each candidates undergoes a process of relentless live fire scenarios intended to weed out any who are unprepared to function safely in a 24/7 operational cycle. (gun firing) - A tier one unit has to maintain a constant state of readiness, so they're constantly training and firing a tremendous amount of shots, and typically those guys maintain a higher degree of readiness and preparation just by their nature. - [Narrator] SEAL snipers with their grueling training and mental toughness, are the obvious choice for a White House in need of a fast deployment, and with a surgical response to the hijacking of the merchant vessel, Maersk Alabama. - They don't bring in SEALs to negotiate, they don't bring us in to be fair. They don't bring us in for any other reason but to win. (gun firing) It's not a self help group. We are there to take over and tilt the odds back in the favor of America. (gun firing) - [Narrator] For the past four days, the story of Somali pirates kidnapping an American freighter captain makes headlines around the world. Political leaders in Washington continue to search for a peaceful resolution, as four armed Muslim hijackers continue to defy all requests for surrender. - One of the things that the pirates exploit in situations is the value that modern democracy places on the individual life. A man holding a gun of any sort to the head of a hostage exercises far greater power than a naval vessel with thousands of times as much firepower. - [Narrator] Onboard the U.S.S. Bainbridge, there is no political apprehension. The SEALs calibrate every pirate movement, every ocean swell. Ready to fire at any moment. But the order to fire doesn't arrive. (tense music) Having run out of fuel, the pirates remain tied to the Bainbridge, unaware their hunters are concealed, watching their every move and waiting. - You have a situation where the administration is gonna want to resolve this without any casualties. But eventually it gets to a point where, hey, this isn't working, we're not gonna produce a situation here outside of taking these guys out. (gun firing) - [Narrator] Many of the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. But Brandon Webb, a former SEAL sniper instructor, offers insight as to how multiple snipers might prepare for this situation. - If this is a hostage situation, the shots are very close, it's nighttime, you have these moving platforms and you can't miss. And it has to be simultaneous, take out three targets, like cutting the strings of a puppet. - [Narrator] For SEALS, training to kill their enemies takes more than instinct. It takes practice under strenuous conditions. - When I train these guys in the sniper course, you know, I want to put them in the most critical situations that you can replicate outside of being in theater. Creating a tremendous amount of peer pressure because you have an alpha male type situation where all these guys are trying to outdo one another. - All right, ready? Go! - [Narrator] Eric and Glen are former SEAL snipers. Larry, a SEAL platoon commander. They will compete against the clock and each other over a simple stress course. This sort of demonstration is a simple illustration of how peer pressure is employed to train SEALs to overcome any and everything they might encounter in combat. - You know, it's not two rocking ships in the middle of the night. But what you do in training, is you put these guys in adverse situations, and then you dial up the pressure on 'em. - [Narrator] Pressure can destroy a man's effectiveness in combat as quickly as any bullet. Lesson one for every SEAL, is expect the unexpected. - So we do that intentionally just so we can see who has the fortitude to push through those adverse situations and come out on top. - [Narrator] In this test, each competitor is given a rifle he has never fired before. - You know, what these guys don't have and what snipers usually have is a tailored suite of weapons. Each weapon is customized to their particular body type, the distance from their eye to the scope. - Hit. Hit. In this situation, they have an unfamiliar gun. It's hot, it's dusty. We're putting a lot of rounds through the rifles, so what happens intentionally is we get a lot of dust in the bolt, so the chances that you're gonna get a malfunction is likely, which just adds complexity to the shot process. Hit. - [Narrator] As Webb anticipates, there is a misfire. Adapting in the face of changing conditions is the oldest survival lesson in the SEAL playbook. - We all have over a decade worth of training between us, so something like this might look easy for us, but it's taken years to get to this level. (gun fires) - [Brandon] Hit, time. - [Narrator] Peer pressure and the drive to win cannot be underrated. The fear of losing, of not being the best, or failing your teammates in a combat situation keeps people alive when others might quit. - Did you even count those? - He did seven. - There's no way. Any time we do anything, if it's two guys going out for a "friendly jog", it turns into a race, it's always a competition. - [Larry] With us, it's life and death no matter what. Doesn't matter if it's shooting for real or if it's shooting for competition. We do everything 100%. - Guys don't gravitate to these types of positions to be second best, so guys are constantly training and trying to one up each other, it's a very competitive environment. (gun fires) - Hit. (gun fires) Hit. (gun fires) Hit. - And he's cheating already. - [Narrator] Eric is a former sniper instructor. As he zeroes in on his targets, his ability to control his breathing reflects an ingrained mental management of his stress. (tense music) (gun fires) - [Brandon] Hit. (gun fires) - No, I don't think so. I didn't miss that one. Are you sure you're watching the right target? Are you sure? - [Narrator] When Eric misses by shooting a target out of sequence, his protest is a sign of a competitive nature found in many men who strive to be the very best they can be, and for whom failure is difficult to accept. - That was good shooting though. - Yeah, thanks. (gun firing) - It just shows you the difference between slowing down a little bit, taking a little bit more time, but he had a very accurate run, he only dropped one shot. I mean, at the end of the day, that's what it comes down to is hitting the target every time. - [Narrator] Glen is a former military sniper, and current expert at Wind Zero. Watching him do his pushups, there can be no doubt he intends to win. But using an unfamiliar weapon is a great equalizer. (catchy music) - With a scope, your eye is not the exact right distance from the front of a scope, so you get what's called vignetting, meaning you have a bunch of black around what is actually focus that you can see, and that'll move around depending on where your head is, so getting that cheek position is what he's doing to get it and getting it centered so he's getting a good sight picture. - I knocked my pushups out, sprinted up to the car feeling completely confident, and I just could not get good sight picture. I was flailing at trying to get that proper eye relief to the scope, and to eliminate the scope shadow and get a clear sight picture. (catchy music) - [Narrator] This competition is only a demonstration, but physical stress mixed in with the pressure of the clock and peer pressure are all necessary to make the action of killing as routine as possible. (gun firing) - Hit. - 2:47, all hits. - They have to perform and overcome those mental challenges, like you saw Glen on the hood of the truck in that stress course, you could tell he's getting a little frustrated, but he powered through it, got the shots off, and then picked up the time on the other target. - How many did you miss? - Two. - No misses. - None? - I think we heard a couple misses. - We heard a miss on that last set. - All hits, two minutes, 47 seconds. - Head shots. It's always a competition. Yeah, we might talk a lot of smack and have a good time, but when it's three, two, one, go. Yeah, we like to win. - That was smooth. - That was fast. - [Narrator] Accuracy may seem obvious, but like everything that goes into a sniper taking his shot, it cannot be taken for granted. In the Alabama incident, the weather and wind conditions could affect a marksman's accuracy. - Okay, go ahead and... As a sniper, you want to control everything that you can control. All your environmental conditions are accounted for. The barometric pressure, you know, the outside temperature, the temperature inside the chamber. Because those environmental factors can mean the difference between inches. - It's a matter of taking all the factors that are involved. Deep breath, exhale, respiratory pause, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, surprise trigger break, follow through, get ready for your second shot. - Hold on to left target. - Left target. - All right, center for elevation. Give me three minutes left, and send it when you're ready. (gun fires) - [Narrator] Traditional sniper teams operate with two men. The shooter and a spotter, who can assess the environmental conditions, and provide adjustments to the shooter's aim. At 100 yards, Webb accounts for the environmental conditions to help Glen zero in his weapon. - We're getting a strong full value wind, left to right at 15 gusting to 30, and then down there at the target, it's left, it's right, it's up, it's down, so to be honest, his job is a lot harder. As the shooter, my job is strictly to break a clean shot. - [Narrator] Breaking a shot means squeezing the trigger until the weapon fires, which is called a surprise break. - The reason you ask for the shot break is because if I'm telling him to aim center mass, right in the chest, and he breaks here, and he tells me he breaks here, and he hits here, I know his dope on the weapon is dead on. (gun fires) Okay, that's dead center. Good shot. (gun fires) - It's like the second that you have that surprise break that your gun goes "boom"! You take a mental picture, like a flash goes off in your brain, and you take a picture of exactly where your cross hairs are, and even just a little up or a little down. That feedback to him is going to provide him everything that he needs to adjust as far as wind conditions and bullet path. - [Narrator] The snipers on the Bainbridge will coordinate a common firing solution to optimize their rifles by using databases of ballistic and environmental conditions from the Arabian Sea, all without ever firing a shot. (catchy music) - [Brandon] The chronograph here measures in feet per second the speed of the bullet as it leaves the barrel. - [Narrator] Every operational environment is different, and will affect accuracy. - We tick all the environmental conditions, like how hot it is out here, we added five degrees for the temperature of the bullet itself, and accounted for the barometric pressure, plugged it into the software program, came out with the firing solution. - [Narrator] On the Bainbridge, environmental conditions are critical for accuracy. Because the pirates and the hostage are crammed together in the small lifeboat cabin, accuracy requires hitting the targets as well as avoiding hitting the hostage. These high speed images of bullet impacts and their low pressure shock waves on soft tissue show how the bullet exits in a tumbling motion, moving with full kinetic force, and without deflection. The danger for the snipers is if a bullet deflects after hitting a pirate, and hits Captain Phillips. - Each guy has to be responsible for his shot and the bullet path after the exit, where that bullet's going after it exits the target. You have to really think about that. - [Narrator] There was another problem. The pirates are moving around, and it's apparent a shot might have to be made through the plexiglass windshield in the wheelhouse. This means knowing the position of the hostage as well as the hijackers at all times. - You have a guy sitting at the helm station for most of the time, and these guys are gonna have to take a shot through the plexiglass here, and this guy sitting in this helm position essentially just becomes a very easy target, and is essentially a sitting duck. - [Narrator] Terminal ballistics is the measurement of force and trajectory of impact of the projectile, and the low pressure wave following behind. That pressure wave is what causes severe muscle and organ collapse away from the entry point. The following demonstration offers evidence of the killing power of newer ammunition and the specialty designs different combat situations require. - Left edge. (gun fires) Call. (gun fires) - The first shot we took on the left clay was with our standard 300 winmag match grade, Full Metal Jacket. This impacted over here on the left edge, and you know, if this was tissue obviously, this wave and this pressure wave is enough to do serious damage, especially on a headshot. (gun fires) So this is the land warfare round, so this is gonna provide maximum penetration with maximum kinetic energy and momentum. (gun fires) And it just melted and disintegrated the entire top half of this 25 pound block of clay. - I've never seen anything like that with the special blend. (laughs) - [Narrator] But ammunition is only one of the many factors affecting the success or failure of a sniper's shot. All factors must be considered. The SEALs aboard the Bainbridge leave nothing to chance. - It's a close shot, but it's at night, you have a hostage involved, you have a bobbing platform in the lifeboat. The ship would've been semi-stable, but it's still moving around. And then you have all the factors that go into that individual shooter's firing solution. (gun fires) - [Narrator] By late afternoon of the fourth day, the SEALs are in firing position. The pirates unaware the snipers lurk less than 40 yards away, hidden inside the superstructure of the Bainbridge, ready to shoot. - The pirates have no night vision, so they probably had absolutely no idea that an element was set up like that and waiting for the right opportunity. The right opportunity presents itself when the three pirates appear concurrently, then shooters will confirm the hostage is out of the line of fire, and execute a simultaneous volley on command. This is called a countdown. - We gotta make sure we're all on the same sheet of music right here, 'cause we're about to do something extremely surgical. - Once that opportunity presents itself, you have a very quick, coordinated activity that has to occur. You know, three, two, one, execute, and the shots are taken, and the targets are neutralized. - [Narrator] The shooting position taken by SEAL snipers is unverified, but the prone position ensures the greatest accuracy. (gun fires) From the stern of the Bainbridge, it's only 40 yards, but there is wind, ship motion, and unpredictable moving targets, all to be coordinated in the blink of an eye. In addition, the hostage must be out of the line of fire. - To simulate, put some movement into the shot, we put these guys up on a knee, so you know, it's not the same as a moving ship, but it does add a little more complexity to the situation. There is movement, the sights are moving ever so slightly. - You know, shooting prone is the most stable position, and we're all shooting one knee up. We are using rests, so I mean, our weapons are braced, but the fact is, laying down, shooting off a bipod or a structure in a prone position is the most stable. - [Narrator] The biggest difference between working alone and working in a team is adapting to a group dynamic. Left alone, a solo sniper shoots when he's ready. Firing in a coordinated volley, all the snipers must shoot simultaneously. - It's not when they're essentially ready. They have to be prepared, and get themselves ready like that, because they know they're getting a command fire. - When we have to go on command, that means we gotta hold our sights really tight, and we hold our respiratory pause ever so slightly while he's counting down, so just that margin of error is incredibly small. So we all have the mental picture, three, two, one, click for us. He'll be saying execute, but we're gonna think "click". - [Narrator] Unifying a countdown at sea, at night, on live targets is never easy, even for combat veterans. But this dry fire practice will demonstrate a trigger break, the moment when all three snipers must pull the trigger in unison. A failure to do so might leave a pirate alive and a threat to the hostage. (tense music) - Another complexity in this particular setup is that we're all shooting different weapons that have different trigger setups that break at different times, and we don't know the weapon, so it's going to take a lot of effort to make sure that we break the shots at the exact same time. - [Narrator] It's called a surprise break, when the trigger squeeze causes the weapon to fire. Snipers use the same weapon for years, but learning the gun takes time. - There's a long break on that one. - That one you gotta worry about a little bit, 'cause I gotta take the slack out, and it goes twice before the shot, and that's what I'm... - [Brandon] Shot in three, two, one, execute. - [Eric] It almost feels like it's rubbing. - Yeah. - So you gotta just... - Rub, rub, rub, rub, rub, and then snap. - [Narrator] Waiting to take the shot fatigues even the most experienced sniper. For this reason, SEALs on the Bainbridge constantly rotate their shooters every hour or less to keep them alert. - The difficulty of staying on your gun, having a proper gun position, your cheek on the well of the gun, trigger position, body position, all those pieces, what happens is, we're human beings. Our biology will start to break down, muscles will get tired, muscles will cramp. - All right, line's hot, lock and load. All right, make sure you get on your target. Snipers, snipers, this is Echo One. Check in when you have your target acquired. - Sniper One ready. - Sniper Two ready. - Sniper Three ready. - All right, this is Echo One, I have control. Shot in three, two, one... (guns firing) - Oh, that was awful. - [Brandon] Eric! - Eric! - [Brandon] Punishment, do it again. - [Narrator] Eric breaks his shot late. The mistiming may not seem critical, but even a slightly delay in the real situation could leave a pirate alive and the hostage in danger. - Shot in three, two, one, execute. (guns firing) That's perfect. - [Narrator] Coordinating three individual simultaneous headshots is problematic. Head shots ensure an instant kill, but with the Bainbridge, the lifeboat, and the human targets all moving without predictability, the challenge is obvious. - When you look at a headshot, on a human being, the head bobs back and forth, and moves around. Essentially we have suspended three pumpkins, basically to simulate a moving head. You can see just standing here that a little bit of wind blowing, how these pumpkins are moving around, and that's really what we want to simulate. On top is we put an apple on there, and what we want to demonstrate is just how surgical these guys can be. Snipers, Echo One. I have control. Shot in three, two, one, execute. (guns firing) - If I know that from 75 or 100 yards that I can drill a spinning apple, a head is gonna seem enormous. It's just part of that whole mental management system where you're projecting victory before you even enter the battle. (guns firing) - [Narrator] 40 yards separate the hunters and the hunted. To trained shooters, the pirates are easy targets, many times larger than an apple. As the pirates continued to rebuff all demands for surrender, they are observed to be growing more threatening towards the hostage. - They're essentially entombed in this little lifeboat, and they're cooped up, they're hungry, they're thirsty, it's just a matter of time before these guys are done. - It's like a lion out in the Serengeti. I mean, all that's sitting out there is a little tiny lamb. (guns firing) - [Narrator] As evening approaches on the fourth day of the kidnapping, all negotiations between the pirates and the American negotiators are over. The pirates reject every offer to surrender, even from their own tribal elders. - In their statements, when we sent a message to them, was that they were putting all their lives into the hands of God. When I relayed this information back to the elders, the reply back was, "We wash our hands from this situation." - They're in a small lifeboat staring at huge U.S. naval vessel, you know, they're like deers in headlights at that point. - [Narrator] The lifeboat containing the three pirates and their American hostage remained secured by a towline tied to the U.S.S. Bainbridge. SEAL Team snipers continue to glass their targets, ready to fire, waiting for the order from Washington. - What I think must've been really hard for those shooters was the 18 plus hours they spent on board the boat waiting to get green-lighted. - That ambiguity, that tension between whether to shoot or whether to negotiate really isn't there. These guys are trained snipers, and now they're waiting for the signal or authority to do so. - [Narrator] Without clearance to shoot, the snipers must wait. Officials in Washington continue to strategize. The White House, the National Security Council, the State Department, the Defense Department, and other agencies are in a flurry of activity and communication, looking at all the possible ramifications. - You get a lot of frustration in those situations because you have a guy back in the U.S., sitting behind a desk, making those decisions that have never been in that environment before, and then you have actual guys in the ground that know, hey, I've been here 20-30 times, I know there's only one way to resolve this situation. - [Narrator] Observing numerous physical threats toward Captain Phillips, the on scene commander receives permission in the event of danger to the hostage. The pirates' fate is now sealed. The snipers have the advantage with their night vision. The mood among the SEALs is professional, relaxed. - After we exhausted everything in our playbook to try to get the pirates to give themselves up, we saw that the situation was getting a little bit dire. - They're going to end this the only way that such a situation can be ended. - On scene commander realizes that okay, there's no way to peacefully resolve this without casualties, make a decision, as soon as the sun goes down, these guys are gonna get taken out. - At that split moment, when you get the green light to shoot, it's like flicking a switch. You just snap in, and it's all about business. Everything falls back to your training and the routine. - [Narrator] Shortly after dark, the pirates present a simultaneous target, and the countdown begins. - [Echo One] Snipers, snipers, this is Echo One. Check in when you have your target acquired. - [Narrator] A mistake now may cost Captain Phillips his life. (tense music) - There's no second take, there's no editing, there's no turning off the camera. That guy says "I have control, I have control", that means he has control of that Captain's life, he has control of the future of those snipers and their career, he's got control of that entire world. - Sniper One, ready. - Sniper Two, ready. - Sniper Three, ready. - [Echo One] All right, this is Echo One, I have control. Shots in three, two, one, execute. (guns firing) - The first people I want to thank are the SEALs, they're the superheroes, they're the titans, they're the impossible men doing an impossible job, and they did the impossible with me. - [Narrator] Seven months later, the Maersk Alabama is attacked near the same location, but evades capture. The pirates of Somalia continue to hijack ships, and hold them for ransom at a record pace. The majority of SEAL team combat operations remains classified.
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Channel: Stash Movies
Views: 2,622,223
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: Pirate, documentary, somali pirate, Pirate Hunters, rescue, U.S. Navy SEAL, pirates, hostage, task forces, full movie, Gordon Forbes III, Tubi, Tubi Movies, Free Tubi Movies, Top Movies, Top Free Movies, Top Movies 2024, Movies Free, Full Movies, Free Full Movies, Movies Full Movie, Full Movie, Free Movies, Movie Free, Free Movies Full Movie, YouTube Movies, YouTube Movies Free, Watch Movies, Watch Free Movies, Movies to Watch, HD Movies, 4K Movies
Id: 8F2DEOb-qoE
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 49min 48sec (2988 seconds)
Published: Thu Aug 18 2022
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