Russian warships will arrive in Havana next week, say Cuban officials citing ‘friendly relations

[u/Urmomsjuicyvagina]

https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/russian-warships-will-arrive-in-havana-next-week-say-cuban-officials-citing-friendly-relations/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_wsvn

[u/EatLard]

Finally outside Ukrainian missile range…. Or are they?

[u/bigred1978 → u/EatLard]

A nondescript and otherwise plain cargo vessel "Fools Journey" chartered by the Ukrainian government but flagged out of Panama sails out of Port of Caucedo, Dominican Republic. Its voyage timed just for the moment when the Russian flotilla heading close towards Cuba but still in international waters.

Unbeknownst to anyone, not even the US or NATO allies, this ship, which had previously made port in Odessa, Ukraine weeks ago was carrying nothing of an irregular nature except for several sea containers marked "farm equipment" on the official register. These containers were stacked just so above others amidships.

During it's berthing in Odessa, some technical work had been done to repair a few items of concern, as well as replace the ships main sea search radar. A few other antenna items on the main structure had also been replaced with "improved" models, after all, safety at sea was the top priority for the client’s crew and cargo.

As the ship set sail east towards Europe once more its course took it to within 100 nautical miles or so of the oncoming Russian flotilla. Never were it and them intended to cross paths to begin with.

It was nighttime and seagoing was relatively calm, the cargo ship plodding along at about 12 knots or so. Sometime around 0230 hours the crew on duty in the main structure unveiled a row of terminals that has been covered up since they left Odessa. They were turned on and the systems booted up. The radar on the main castle started to turn and pump out vast amounts of RF energy in all directions. A secondary smaller radar near it also lit up and began to function. This radar wasn't your average emitter, it was a fire control and target acquisition radar, not something you'd see on a cargo vessel ever.

Not long after calibrating everything and peering closely at the terminal screens several blips came up and they knew, the crew knew what they were looking at. At this point several other crewmen standing atop the sea containers, and hooked up to safety points with harnesses ropes to prevent falling or getting blown off unlocked the topmost 6 containers. Their walls came down to the side mechanically, along with the top roof. Loud clangs were heard as these pieces’ fell upon other sea containers below.

What was left to behold were 6 R-360 Neptune Anti ship missiles on launchers fitted to the floors of the sea containers they were contained in. After some further preparation the crew members carefully climbed down the heaps of other containers and took up positions a safe distance away.

Curiously, as this was happening another crew member went to the aft part of the ship and replaced the Panamanian flag with a Ukrainian one.

Shortly after, the night turned into day as the booster rocket motors lit up and one bright streak of light and smoke lifted off from the ship into the sky followed by five others.

The crew were satisfied. They now hurried to use the ships crane to ditch the remnants of the launcher carriers and sea containers into the sea. The captain changed course headed towards Bermuda, radioing ahead about having "issues" with the engines after being hit by a rogues wave and losing some "cargo". The Panamanian flag was restored and the Ukrainian one folded up and hidden away.

After a time, the missiles entered their terminal attack phase speeding and skimming low over the water at around 900Km/h. The Russian crews were not ready and caught off guard as their systems suddenly blared alarms and warning calls. Attempts were made to dispatch last ditch countermeasures such as chaff grenades fired in bundles, bursting in the air spreading large clouds of metallic strips not unlike confetti at a party. Anti-air defences such as close in weapon systems (CIWS) were brought to bare. They managed to shoot one of the missiles down at close range, but it was all too late. 5 of the missiles found their mark hitting each ship at least once. Fires ignited and damage control was conducted but alas the weapons magazine of one of the ships took a hit and was set off, a very large explosion filling the night and nearly cracking the ships hull in half. It sank first and quickly, the rest either marooned, listless with hull damage, taking on water that their bilge pumps could barely handle, engines or steering wrecked or unrespnsive, some of the other ships would end up going under hours later.

Note: I was just really bored and your statement gave me an idea. So I just started to write, guess I read too many Tom Clancy novels way back when.

[u/Apprehensivoid → u/bigred1978]

The incident was reported as 5 separate smoking accidents

[u/JyveAFK → u/Apprehensivoid]

If this ship actually DOES have some chef taking a smoke break and burning the ship up/sinking it, this writing prompt will be used as proof it was the US that sunk it.