Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Mon 03/21/2005 View Sun 03/20/2005 View Sat 03/19/2005 View Fri 03/18/2005 View Thu 03/17/2005 View Wed 03/16/2005 View Tue 03/15/2005
1
2005-03-21 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Three American carriers converging on Middle East
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by Dar 2005-03-21 2:42:11 PM|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Nothing to see here, heh, move along Mullahs.

;-)
Posted by .com 2005-03-21 2:51:23 PM||   2005-03-21 2:51:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 2 Democrats and a Republican. Bipartisanship at its best.
Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-03-21 2:56:46 PM||   2005-03-21 2:56:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 LOL! Awesome observation, Mrs D! LOL!
Posted by .com 2005-03-21 3:00:02 PM||   2005-03-21 3:00:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Nothing to it. Regular rotation with a modified stir up for fun.
Posted by Shipman 2005-03-21 3:05:27 PM||   2005-03-21 3:05:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 This is way overdone. We have all the air power we need in Iraq and around the Gulf States. No real need for carriers as such.

There are perhaps political considerations involved in not using the land-based assets - namely, that the local governments will be concerned. Local allies can't give us a hard time about using the carriers, since they don't operate on their soil. Still, that has to be balanced against putting these really expensive warships at risk.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2005-03-21 3:15:30 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com]  2005-03-21 3:15:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Shipman :

Aw shucks, I thought the Turbanites were gonna see some more "UFOs" flying over MMHQ*, Tehran

*Magic Mullah Headquarters
Posted by BigEd 2005-03-21 3:17:26 PM||   2005-03-21 3:17:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Att'n Mullahs:
Don't forget the U.S. submarines that may already be well within striking distance. And it's one hell of a punch.
Posted by Tom 2005-03-21 3:36:07 PM||   2005-03-21 3:36:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 :) Yep.

Specs for the converted ones.

General Characteristics, Ohio Class
Builders: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.
Power Plant: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters)
Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)
Displacement: 16,764 tons (17,033.03 metric tons) surfaced; 18,750 tons (19,000.1 metric tons) submerged
Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8 +kph)
Ships:
USS Ohio (SSBN 726) — Out of service 29 Oct. 2002 for conversion to SSGN
USS Michigan (SSBN 727) — conversion to SSGN scheduled for October 2003
USS Florida (SSBN 728) — conversion to SSGN scheduled for October 2003
USS Georgia (SSBN 729) — conversion to SSGN scheduled for 2004
Crew: 15 Officers, 140 Enlisted
Armament: Up to 154 Tomahawk missiles each (140 on SOF-configured SSGNs).
Posted by Shipman 2005-03-21 3:47:18 PM||   2005-03-21 3:47:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 We may be able to pull off strikes with assets already in place, but nothing says "Hello" like old fashioned gun boat diplomacy.

Carriers represent a very large and visible stick to all involved.
Posted by Laurence of the Rats  2005-03-21 3:51:41 PM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/]  2005-03-21 3:51:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 MMHQ! lol. They gotta be getting a little twitchy in Tehran at the moment. Never hurts to keep em thinking "flinch." Even lil Kim in Korea understands the usefulness of an attitude adjuster displayed properly.
Posted by Tkat 2005-03-21 4:03:36 PM||   2005-03-21 4:03:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Daily status of the navy:

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/news/.www/status.html
Posted by Anonymoose 2005-03-21 4:10:35 PM||   2005-03-21 4:10:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Even if it's routine rotation, it's nice to have that much power right there--enough to say to both Syria and Iran we've got the power to swat both of you down, and simultaneously at that!
Posted by Dar  2005-03-21 4:15:13 PM||   2005-03-21 4:15:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Isn't the USS Theodore Roosevelt informally known as "The Big Stick"?...
Posted by mojo  2005-03-21 4:17:47 PM||   2005-03-21 4:17:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 mojo, yes it is. The WWII carrier the Cowpens was nicknamed The Mighty Moo and the Battleship Missouri was The Mighty Mo.
Posted by Deacon Blues  2005-03-21 4:42:47 PM||   2005-03-21 4:42:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 The mighty Moo? LOL! I didn't know that. I have kin who fought there and ran and fought and ran and waited for Gen. Greene to get with the program. :)
Posted by Shipman 2005-03-21 5:48:07 PM||   2005-03-21 5:48:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 This will be the first time since February 2004 that US will have three major carrier groups stationed on and around Middle East.

The above statement is the reason why this means absolutely nothing.
Posted by Elmoting Granter5118 2005-03-21 5:56:59 PM||   2005-03-21 5:56:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 THREE carrier groups in one place? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't such a display of testosterone make that three prong group about, oh...say... the second most power laden country on the face of the earth in one confined area? With all due respect...you really want three USN carrier groups parked off your coast?
Posted by Mark Z. 2005-03-21 7:02:32 PM||   2005-03-21 7:02:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Mark Z: THREE carrier groups in one place? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't such a display of testosterone make that three prong group about, oh...say... the second most power laden country on the face of the earth in one confined area? With all due respect...you really want three USN carrier groups parked off your coast?

Since George HW Bush's New World Order, Uncle Sam has, with the exception of Afghanistan, pretty much gone to the UN for anything that related to America's national interests. A display of testosterone is when we destroy a significant portion of the Iranian military. These are just routine maneuvers blown out of proportion by excitable Indian reporters.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2005-03-21 7:24:53 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com]  2005-03-21 7:24:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Dear Mullahs:

Say good night, Gracie...

Mike
Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2005-03-21 9:13:13 PM||   2005-03-21 9:13:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Yesssss....... But what do the Mad Mullahs think?
Posted by Bobby 2005-03-21 9:24:55 PM||   2005-03-21 9:24:55 PM|| Front Page Top

23:05 Sobiesky
23:05 Sobiesky
10:09 Cyber Sarge
10:09 Cyber Sarge
00:06 ed
23:30 Barbara Skolaut
23:21 DMFD
23:17 Bobby
23:14 Bobby
23:13 .com
23:13 Bobby
23:11 AzCat
23:10 Sobiesky
23:09 Asedwich
23:07 Bobby
23:03 Frank G
23:00 Sobiesky
22:58 Bobby
22:53 Phil Fraering
22:52 Bobby
22:49 Sobiesky
22:41 Bobby
22:41 phil_b
22:35 mom









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com