Posted on 11/02/2007 3:18:52 PM PDT by knighthawk
MANAMA (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy began a series of exercises in the Gulf and wider Gulf waters on Friday involving a U.S aircraft carrier and two expeditionary assault ships.
The five-day crisis response exercise involved amphibious, air and medical forces, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, said in a statement.
"The scenario is challenging but prepares us for a real-world event," Commander Jay Chambers, of Combined Task Force 59, said.
The start of the exercises coincided with world powers agreeing at talks in London to push ahead with a third round of sanctions against Iran, unless reports indicate Tehran has tried to address their concerns about its nuclear programme.
Washington has not ruled out military action against Iran, which lies on the Gulf. Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Fifth Fleet spokesman Lieutenant John Gay said the exercises had been planned for months and were not related to specific events, instead outlining only humanitarian assistance and natural disaster scenarios for the manoeuvres.
"Our primary goal is to enforce maritime security including the free flow of commerce through the Gulf for all regional partners ... We are committed to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to ensure that there is a free flow of commerce throughout the region," Gay said.
The United States has launched several war games at Iran's doorstep in recent years. In June, the largest U.S. military flotilla to enter the Gulf since the 2003 Iraq war wound up two weeks of war drills off Iran's coast and near the Strait of Hormuz, a major channel for oil shipments from the Gulf.
Iran has dismissed the U.S. naval war games near its waters as a morale boosting exercise for American forces.
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards naval commander suggested on Monday that Iran's Islamic militia forces would be capable of disrupting strategic Gulf oil shipping routes with a small operation if ever the need arose.
Chambers said the manoeuvres were designed to practise a coordinated response to a natural disaster or crisis in the region.
The navy said the exercise inside the Gulf was led by a task force that includes the Wasp, an amphibious assault ship. The vessel, which looks like a small aircraft carrier, carries Marine corps helicopters and landing craft.
The navy also said the aircraft carrier Enterprise and its strike group and the Kearsarge expeditionary strike group had begun training in wider Gulf waters.
The Kearsarge is another amphibious assault ship equipped with helicopters and landing craft. The U.S. Marine Corps operates from the ship, which is designed for rapid deployment.
"Multiple strike groups are capable of executing a broad range of operations," the U.S. Navy said.
Call the ball
That wouldn’t be CVA-42 would It ?
I mean the one that was “improperly “ named ?
Carriers are the 500 lb. gorilla of “diplomancy”. Hey, they make me nervous, and I say that as a former AF type.
Go Navy!
Has the CVN Ronald Reagan task force returned to the Gulf yet?
Personally I’m guessing that event plus successful completion of the MOP (30,000 lb bunker buster) tests will portend crowded skies over Iran...
Yep, I figured it had to be the Midway...
We screened mostly for the Connie in her BG...But did a few joint operations with the Midway when we went on our WestPac’s...
“some politician...” hehehe
You bet, it’s called LCAC’s and they are stored in the assault ships.
The LCAC is capable of carrying a 60 ton payload (up to 75 tons in an overload condition) at speeds over 40 knots.
Yeah, CV-42 was supposed to be the USS Battle of Coral Sea. I think CV-43 was to be USS Leyte Gulf. Carriers should be named for bird farms and carrier battles. USS Yankee Station has a ring to it.
Roger ball.
Yeah, see my #28.
Aren’t they working on developing a Heavy Landing Craft Air Cushion, H-LCAC? I seem to recall seeing something about it a few years ago.
“The LCAC is capable of carrying a 60 ton payload (up to 75 tons in an overload condition) at speeds over 40 knots.”
I saw them on the military channel but couldn’t remember what they were called. They’d be on the beach before you know what’s happening. A far cry from the landing craft my dad beached on Okinawa.
From what I can understand from the article, there will be a platform of some sort that they can mount on the LCAC, but I'm not exactly sure where it will mount.
But do we really need it in the future>
Should make for some interesting retrofitting.
That does have a nice ring to it...But that name will probably get snagged for a DDG coming off the ways sometime...
Maybe there’s a website out there that tells us what the prospective names for new-constructions out there...
The Military Channel has a few good shows talking about the “new” CVN coming online...
That new CVN-21/78/something looks to be a technological wonder...That could probably be nuetralized by one virulent computer virus! hehehe
Ahhh, the for good ole days...
Thanks!
Okay, I know what they meant, but I still got a chuckle.
"Bad news, Achmed! The infidels are invading. It appears to be led a brigade of podiatrists, supported by a battalion of dental assistants! With drills!"
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