US Mercrusiers powered Sea Tiger attack, suicide craft

Click Here-The Island
US Mercrusiers powered Sea Tiger attack, suicide craftSeptember
7, 2010, 9:23 pm
by Shamindra Ferdinando
The Naval Intelligence recently recovered four US-built inboard engines acquired by the Sea Tigers to power attack craft, which posed a formidable threat to the Navy.
Authoritative sources say the engines, Mercruisers, recovered from Vellamullivaikkal, Mullativu are in top condition. During the eelam war IV, the LTTE may have acquired over 100 Mercruisers, though some of them were destroyed in SLN operations on the high seas directed against LTTE floating warehouses, sources say.
An official said that the Sea Tigers had mounted three US engines each on 70-foot and 55-foot long vessels, which engaged in a series of confrontations with the Navy in the north-eastern and north-western seas until a combination of naval and air power neutralised the threat.
Responding to a query by The Island, another source asserted that Sri Lanka could seek help from the US to identify the persons or the persons who had ordered the equipment for the LTTE. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official said that the country could make a bid to establish the supply route for US manufactured equipment.
According to him, Sri Lanka had received ten 350 hp Mercruisers from the US government during eelam war IV, while the LTTE obtained a sizeable stock of 550 hp Mercruisers.
India thwarted an attempt by a Tamil Nadu based political activist to clear a large consignment of spares for Sea Tigers sent by a person based in Norway during the eelam war IV.
Sources said that the Sea Tigers had planned to build 20 suicide craft which they named as ‘knife’ powered by one 550 hp Mercrusier to ram troop carrier ‘Jetliner’. Sources said that the LTTEplan had been to use one 40 hp OBM to loiter and the powerful Mercrusier to go for the target. Sources revealed that the Sea Tigers had built four ‘knife’ craft, which had been found close to ‘FARAH III’ at the conclusion of the Vanni campaign.
Sources said that the army and the Special Task Force (SRF), too, had recovered some Mercrusiers.
Navy headquarters said that along with the four engines, the navy had recovered 672 kgs of plastic explosives neatly packed in 48 boxes and a small stock of ammunition.