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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US nuclear sub and destroyer enter Red Sea
2012-02-01
Two ships of the US Navy, the nuclear submarine USS Annapolis and the destroyer USS Momsen have passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Although their destination is confidential, they are now getting dangerously close to the Persian Gulf.
'Dangerously'? I think they know their way around...
The shipsÂ’ passage was a major operation for the Suez administration as due to safety reasons they had to close off the canal to all other traffic and even shut down the bridge, disrupting the link between the banks for some four hours. The traffic on the roadways alongside the canal was also restricted, Interfax news agency reports.

There are no reports regarding the destination of the vessels, but the news come amid the ongoing crisis in the relationship between the US and Iran. There is mounting speculation that the Annapolis and the Momsen are heading to the Persian Gulf to reinforce the US naval forces already present in the region.
They might be going for anti-piracy duty off Somalia. Or a flag-showing exercise in Ruritania...
Currently the US has two aircraft carrier groups in the region headed by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Carl Vinson. It is expected that another aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, will join the strike force in March.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  ION DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > {Tehran Chamber of Commerce] IRAN'S RESERVES IS US$20.0BILYUHN IN {Forex] CASH, 907 TONS OF GOLD.

IOW, Iran's accounts are mainly "healthy" + stable enough to support Govt. Public-Foreign Polices.

Which may explain ...

* TOPIX/WORLD NEWS > AHMADINEJAD: IRAN ECONOMY TO GROW DESPITE SANCTIONS.

and

* SAME > IRAN'S NATIONAL MILITARY BUDGET INCREASES 127%.

Iran was + will continue to spend mucho $$$ on military-related ventures + acquisitions, as likely due to Iran-perceived US-Allied threats agz its NucProgs.

versus

* WORLD NEWS > US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF: AL-QAEDA HURTING, IRAN "MORE WILLING" TO LAUNCH [terror = proxy] ATTACKS ON US.

Al-Qaeda, "Core" [Zawahiri] or Affiliates, in favor of US-Iran War to "justify" TerrOps agz CONUS, espec agz POTUS Bammer + Washington DC???

* SAME > [USNI Director James CLapper] AL-QAEDA WILL RELY ON PAK MILITANTS TO CARRY OUT TRANS-NATIONAL TERROR ATTACKS IN 2012.

* SAME/TOPIX > [Pak Tribune] PAKISTAN'S RUSH FOR MORE [nuclear] BOMBS - WHY?

Lest we fergit, PAKISTAN > will side wid Iran = fellow Muslim country in case of any US-Israeli attack on same.

* SAME > SERIES OF ISLAMIST VICTORIES: NEXT EPISODE WILL LIKELY TAKE PLACE IN KUWAIT, i.e. where US troops are but perhaps not for much longer?

* SAME > ISRAEL'S "STEEL CANAL" TO [compete with +] BYPASS EGYPT'S SUEZ CANAL. Proposed Railroad network linking Israel's Tel Aviv wid its port at Eilat.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-02-01 23:40  

#11  A regulation Task Force.
Posted by: Lonzo the Lesser4370   2012-02-01 22:31  

#10  Iran + Mullahs have the gonads to hold off doing anything unilateral to spark a US-NATO military counter-response in the Gulf - IMO iff there is a catalyst(s) for US,etal-vs-Iran War, it will likely be some kind of external event(s) outside of the Gulf proper which will drag the US-Allies + Iran toward direct mil conflict.

E.g. ANTI-IRAN ECON SANCTIONS, VERSUS US-NATO INABILITY TO SUPPORT POST-2014 AFGHANISTAN DUE TO PAKISTAN'S CONTINUING CLOSURE OF DOMESTIC NATO SUPPLY ROUTES.

Again, AS LONG US-NATO/ALLIED WARSHIPS STAY OFFSHORE + NO GROUND ARMIES INVADE IRAN, THE LATTER WILL GET ITS NUKES.

* TOPIX > IRAN FM [Salehi] COMPARES MEDIA INFLUENCE TO [form of] MILITARY POWER, which can determine, make-or-break, GEOPOL WINNERS + LOSERS.

D *** NG IT, IIUC IRAN/SALEHI = ITS THE MARKETING, STUPID, NOT THE NUKES OR LR MISSLES!

--------

More heat for IRAN ...?

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > KURDISH INDEPENDENCE [ + Syria Regime CHange = Breakup?] IS FIRST STEP TOWARD STABLE IRAQ.

"ITS THE PIPELINE, STUPID", from sovereign Kurdistan to the Med + regional US Allies!

Bypass Iran???

* SAME > PAKISTAN, [NOT China] WILL BE INDIA'S SECURITY [litmus] TEST.

* TOPIX > US TO TARGET/BOMBARD [northern]IRAN FROM GEORGIA? - RUSSIAN PAPER [Kommersant].

Georgia perceived as unlikely to turn down any possible request by the US to use same as a staging area for Iran milstrikes.

Lastly, the US should not fergit the conspiracy theory whereby Cuba = Fidel Castro may had ordered the assassination hit agz POTUS JFK, in retaliation for the Bay of Pigs, anti-Castro econ sanction, + alleged CIA attempts to kill Uncle Fidel. IRAN HAS MADE IT CLEAR IT RESERVES ITS RIGHT TO ACTIVATE MILTERR PROXIES ["Any + All Options"] TO STRIKE AT US-ISRAELI TARGETS + INTERESTS IN RESPONSE TO AN ATTACK BY THE LATTER AGZ IT = NUCPROGS.

* IRAN = "ANY ATTACK BY ISRAEL IS THE SAME AS AN ATTACK BY THE US".

By extension, such Iran-ordered, anti-US TerrOps may or may include possible attempts by pro-Iran MilTerr Groups to de facto capture or kill the US National Leadership AMAP, ala 1960's CUBA/CASTRO-VS-JFK.

US POTUS, CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION YEAR + POOR US ECONOMY = ????? VEE IRAN????
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2012-02-01 19:20  

#9  I could think of a few two faced allies in the world worth nuking!
Posted by: Paul D   2012-02-01 18:02  

#8  The Russians would also like to make that voyage. But there are not enough tugboats in the world.
Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793   2012-02-01 16:43  

#7  Texas Highway Patrol have rights on lakes, or do they have to haul that Basser around on a trailor? :)

Have something like slat armor for platforms vs torpedo?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2012-02-01 16:27  

#6  Not too much, but not too little...

It's a step up from one of those lil' Texas bass fishing boats we saw yesterday.
Posted by: SteveS   2012-02-01 15:55  

#5  Gee, a Los Angeles-class hunter/killer sub and an Arliegh Burke-class AEGIS destroyer?

That there's some serious firepower. Not too much, but not too little...
Posted by: mojo   2012-02-01 14:56  

#4  Mr Anonymoose, this already exists in multiple configurations, including underwater "unmanned drones". I cannot say whether the U.S. Navy, or any other navy, uses them extensively. But one would be wise to have this capability well in hand given these circumstances, n'est-ce pas?

http://www.sys4s.com/unmannedsubs.html
Posted by: Tamir Pardo   2012-02-01 13:45  

#3  It seems to me that a type of anti-sub, mini-sub could be designed as "picket subs" for an aircraft carrier. Designed to be quickly deployed or recovered by crane.

Prior to passing through a tight area like the Strait of Hormuz, the carrier would drop them in the drink to scout for hostiles. Possibly unmanned, they could be very fast as they would have limited range for their mission, and would carry small anti-mini-sub torpedoes.

As soon as anyone detected a hostile in the water, a sonar signal could be sent, since there would be no need for quiet, and a designated sub would speed towards its target, then fire a torpedo, before it could fire one of its own.

Lots of uses beyond that. Some could be rigged as mine detectors, or to disable ships by blowing up their propeller.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2012-02-01 13:16  

#2  Is that racist, now?
Only as long as you don't call the Chinese Fleet, the Yellow Fleet.
Posted by: tipper   2012-02-01 12:38  

#1  Or a flag-showing exercise in Ruritania

Rememberances of the 'Great White Fleet'.

Is that racist, now?
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2012-02-01 12:29  

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