A few corrections-
Sailors aren't exactly able to reach Afghanistan to shoot at anyone, which is entirely land-locked.

And surface-to-air missiles, as the name suggests, are designed to be fired into the air to shoot at aircraft.
Surface-to-SURFACE missiles are another story, but that is still quite a distance for most missiles to travel (contrary to popular belief that the average SSM can fly around the world effortlessly, it is actually a big deal if a missile can travel a few 100ks).

Then there is the fact that it would require shooting the missiles over the airspaces of either India, China, Russia, or Iran- who aren't exactly going to be very happy.

King Hazza,Get real.This was intended as a satire on the stupidity and avarice of war.Whether it be a naval blockade on Iran or Libya,the intent is there.

War is now waged by the military/industrial complex to take energy and resources from Muslim countries,who own 58% of it.That is the reality.They are being demonised not because of religion or their backward ways,but the fact they own energy lusted after by power brokers in the greedy West.Zimbabwe was left to the jackal despots because it didn't have oil.They now want to save the people of Libya because it has energy,the power to placate their inadaquacies.

When our humanity cannot raise it's aspirations above pure self interest and hedonistic indulgences,then self destruction is a hair's breadth from our door.2012 will become a self fulfilling prophecy not because of any pre-ordained rethoric,but because of what we have allowed ourselves to become.

Sorry I didn't answer before individual.

Don't forget those patrol boats are now getting big enough to go out in the real world of nasty oceans. They are no longer semiprivate Whitsunday cruise boats.

These larger boats have more officers, & can go on 2 month patrols. You may not be aware that officers pay their own mess bills. Sure there is some allowance, but their choice of food, & its cost is up to them. I think you may have seen the officers steward, although it would not be unreasonable for the men on those things to be well fed.

Patrols in them have been described as 8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, & 8 hours of absolutely stuff all to do, for 8 weeks. Food is about the only distraction.

It can get worse. When I was a young fly boy on HMAS Melbourne one trip included stops at Singapore, & Hong Kong. I did not get shore leave in either port, but we had a couple of official receptions on board. At those we were "issued" with guests. I had 3 in one port & 2 in the other.

All costs of their food & drink went on my mess chit. The navy has ways of making sure it's young officers & men, [& now even ladies] are too poor to eat too well. It took most of us 2 months to pay off those mess bills.