A “sudden and acute failure of the victim selection process.”

From a distance the large ship on the horizon looked like the perfect target, ripe for a successful spot of piracy.

But as Somali pirates sped toward the vessel sailing near the Seychelles Islands on Sunday, they were horrified to see two boats and a helicopter set off from their target and launch their own counter-attack.

They had failed to spot in the dazzling sun, that the “merchant ship” they thought they were intercepting was actually a French naval ship bristling with cannons, radar technology and armed commandos. – FOXNews

Oops.