USS Truman: Out for fun and games?
Posted on 07/13/2004 12:32:17 PM PDT by vanderleun
USS Truman: Out for fun and games?
FILE UNDER: 'NO WAY TO DELAY THAT TROUBLE COMING EVERY DAY'
USS Harry S. Truman, USS Enterprise Leave Norfolk to Test Navy's Deployment Capabilities
(AP) - The USS Harry S. Truman sailed Wednesday- and the USS Enterprise left Thursday - in a test of the Navy's ability to have seven of its 12 carriers away from port simultaneously, a major shift from the way carriers have traditionally been used.
The two Norfolk-based carriers are participating in the exercise, dubbed "Summer Pulse 04."
"Summer Pulse 04" continues through August, with seven carriers conducting joint exercises and international exercises with allies from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia, officials said.
"The ability to push that kind of military capability to the four corners of the world is quite remarkable," Navy Secretary Gordon R. England said when he announced plans for the demonstration last week in Washington. "Several years ago, we could deploy only two" carriers at the same time.
[SNIP]
The other carriers taking part in "Summer Pulse 04" are the Norfolk-based USS George Washington and San Diego-based USS John C. Stennis, which are already deployed; the USS Kitty Hawk, based in Yokosuka, Japan; the Mayport, Fla.-based USS John F. Kennedy; and the USS Ronald Reagan, which left Norfolk last week and is en route to its new home port of San Diego.As a seafaring friend of mine once remarked, an aircraft carrier is not really listed on the books as a "ship," but as a "strategic asset." And when a country starts to move 7 out of 12 of these assets around on the global chessboard, it might betoken something more than just a summer 'exercise.'
Indeed, if this were wartime (What? It is? Who knew?) moving this much killing power out onto the seas would be thought of as a fleet surge.
Truman, Enterprise, Stennis, Washington, Kennedy, Reagan, Kitty Hawk. It could all be, of course, just prudent planning and practice. On the other hand, given the various signals being sent by Homeland Security, the nearness of the Olympics, and the advent of the elections, it may be a case of "Fortune favors the forward deployed."
Oh, did I mention that another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln is listed by the Navy as underway as well?
It's also interesting that the same page: U.S. Navy - Status of the Navy tells us that 92% of our surface ships are currently underway or deployed, and that 91% of our submarine fleet is either underway or deployed.
This is a lot of activity.
It would be interesting to know the last time these figures were achieved. Granted that in any navy there will always be a bit of moving about on the oceans. That is, after all, what the Navy does. But the percentages strike me as high, especially those of the submarine fleet.
The submarine fleet is an area that hasn't gotten much attention in the last few years. It has been living up to its moniker as "the silent service." Indeed, the one question you never hear asked in various news stories is "Where are the ballistic missile submarines?" Of course there wouldn't be an answer since exactly where our Armageddon machines are is probably the most closely guarded secret in the Navy. Still, it is worth recalling exactly what these submarines are:
Ohio-class/Trident ballistic missile submarines provide the sea-based "leg" of the triad of U.S. strategic deterrent forces. The 18 Trident SSBNs (each carrying 24 missiles), carry 50 percent of the total U.S. strategic warheads. Although the missiles have no pre-set targets when the submarine goes on patrol, the SSBNs are capable of rapidly targeting their missiles should the need arise, using secure and constant at-sea communications links.'No-preset targets' might be comforting unless, as an enemy, you come to believe that's not exactly true. And as for the business end of these submarines, the Trident II missile, it is worthwhile reviewing their specs too:
Primary Function: Strategic Nuclear Deterrence
Power Plant: Three-stage solid-propellant rocket
Length: 44 feet (13.41 meters)
Weight: 130,000 pounds (58,500 kg)
Diameter: 83 inches (2.11 meters)
Range: Greater than 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 statute miles, or 7,360 km)
Guidance System: Inertial
Warheads: Nuclear MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle)
-- Navy Facts
Trident II Details Here This bland list is most remarkable for what it doesn't say. "Range: Greater than 4,000 nautical miles" probably means somewhere in the region of 5,000 nautical miles.
"Warheads: Nuclear MIRV" doesn't specify the number of warheads on each missile, which is classified, but it is thought that the number is between 5 and 8.
As for the effect of an single submarine's compliment of Trident II's:
.... in the most recent issue of [the Navy's] Undersea Warfare magazine: "The TRIDENTs carry a MIRVed missile in each of their 24 missile tubes. MIRV is the acronym for Multiple, Independently targeted, Re-entry Vehicle, meaning that after reaching the target vicinity the missile's warhead splits apart into as many as ten smaller nuclear bombs aimed at ten different targets with computer-controlled accuracy. How this works - and the precise number of reentry vehicles in each warhead - is secret, but the tremendous fact is that a single broadside from such a submarine - all 24 missiles fired at the same time - can destroy any nation on the face of the earth. No nation - and this includes our own - could even hope to function, or even continue to exist, in the face of such a salvo."A single salvo from a single submarine. We have 18 such submarines. Status and deployment: Classified.
-- Major Issues - Nuclear Subs
I used to think I was just a paranoid individual, until, on 9/11 I discovered I had real enemies. Right now, with most of the surface fleet and submarines moving out to their "summer games," the muttered warnings from Homeland Security, and the retreat of Spain and the Phillipines all adding their notes to the chorus, I think I'll go out to the garage and check on those supplies of food and water again. It could be a long, hot summer.
Just copied this off the blog and mailed to my email buddies before coming back to FR.
Think I'll check the old water supplies tonight.
Shall we all help intelligence analysts the world over?
The help of these articles is greatly appreaciated.
I know - I exploited the same from our enemies' "open sources".
BTTT
That's a Frank Zappa song.
That is good. America strong is good. Good good good I like America strong.
Thank you for pointing this out, steplock. Vanderleun, I truly believe that you have good intentions, but this type of synthesis could inadvertantly put our troops and our military strategies in jeopardy. Please reconsider posting this type of information. It IS fascinating information, but in this time of war, I propose that it perhaps may come under the heading of 'we dont need to know.'
Sincerely and with great respect,
Texokie
One must admit... this is an impressive "exercise." I'm glad I'm fueling up my boat today with long-range cruising capacity. LOL
Actually, this "fleet surge" is part of the public record and has been broadly commented upon.
Odds are, therefore, that -- if there are any security considerations -- they are best served by promoting the knowledge, rather than hiding it.
That is, we want the enemy to know that we are at sea (and may be up to something)...
In my humble opinion, the US needs about 12 nuclear carrier battle-groups deployed at one time.
I think that we have hard intel of an upcomming WMD strike by terrorists. If I am not mistaken, UK Naval forces are also heavily deployed.
Mea culpa. I dont disagree. I have been out of the news loop for a while, so was unaware of the previous military announcements. I join you then in shouting it from the housetops.
I just hope you understand the concern I had. Sometime in our goodhearted zeal to put things together here in freepland, we might inadvertantly help our enemies. I'm sure you can understand that.
Respectfully,
Texokie
If there is a terrorist WMD attack, who should we aim the weapons at?
Understand your concerns if this was classified or provided explicit details but it doesn't. The Navy PAO regularly publishes deployment notices in advance.
Thanks
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