Just a bit curious, here.
I’ve read considerably on naval battles and have always wondered about an aspect that is rarely addressed: how damaged vessels are returned to a friendly location for repair.
As most everyone knows, the destroyer U.S.S. Cole is currently stuck in Aden harbor with a 20 x40 ft. hole in its side. As I understand it, it’s been rather touch and go as to whether the vessel was going to continue to float. While it apparently now has been stabilized, what happens next? Obviously, it isn’t currently seaworthy.
It seems unlikely a modern destroyer, recently commissioned, would be abandoned in place. Given that Aden doesn’t seem to be a place where they would prefer to stay any longer than necessary, would the Navy attempt to patch it up enough to get it back to a stateside port on its own power, or is it more of a tow job? Is there a naval port with heavy repair capabilities closer by?
One can imagine that the crew has their work cut out for them over the next few weeks, no matter which option they take.