USS_Ross_HiRes.jpg)
Posted on 03/04/2008 2:21:01 PM PST by maquiladora
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy has replaced two ships it sent off the coast of Lebanon last week amid political deadlock there to send a signal to Syria, officials said on Tuesday.
The cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the destroyer USS Ross replaced the destroyer USS Cole and a refueling ship over the past day, U.S. Navy officials said.
Another refueling ship remained in place, meaning the United States continued to have three warships in the area, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The ships are not visible from the Lebanese coast but their presence is intended as a signal to Syria and other countries in the Middle East of U.S. commitment to the region, U.S. officials have said.
Washington has blamed Damascus for a 16-month-old power struggle between Lebanon's Western-backed government and the Syrian and Iranian-backed opposition that has left the country without a president since November.
Lebanon's pro-Iranian Hezbollah group accused the United States last week of endangering regional stability by deploying the USS Cole.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, also speaking last week, said his government had not asked Washington to send warships and none of them were in Lebanese territorial waters.
At the time of the USS Cole's deployment, U.S. officials indicated it was likely to be there for a short time before being replaced by other warships.
A senior U.S. defense official said American warships would maintain a presence off the coast until Lebanon's presidential election.
Destroyer replaced by a cruiser & destroyer.
I hope the hizzies are feeling froggy.
If anything happens over there I am betting crew members of the U.S.S. Cole will be POed.
Anyone know the capability of these ships?
Couple of hundred Tomahawk cruise missiles between them as well as anti-ship systems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Philippine_Sea_(CG-58)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ross_(DDG-71)
The press should be interested in knowing if the 2 ships have their 3 helicopters aboard.
Those 2 ships can have approximately 420 Tomahawks and other cruise missiles aboard. They could debilitate the Syrian economy for a decade.
I would say that is a HUGE STICK....
The Philippine Sea and the Ross are just two ships in the Nassau Strike Group. The report fails to mention the rest of the group. I wonder is it a case that these two ships have split from the Group or if only part of the story has been leaked...
You are correct...
6th Fleet has the entire group in the Med Sea.... no more than a few days travel AT MOST, to the Syrian/Lebanese coast.
Nassau Strike Group Deploys
Story Number: NNS080220-18
Release Date: 2/20/2008 8:08:00 PM
Top News Story - Editors should consider using these stories first in local publications.
From Nassau Strike Group Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) — The Nassau Strike Group (NASSG), with its more than 2,800 Sailors and Marines, deployed Feb. 19-20 for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
Commanded by Capt. Robert G. Lineberry, commander, Amphibious Squadron Six, the NASSG is made up of the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4); the amphibious transport dock ship USS Nashville (LPD 13); the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48); the guided-missile destroyers USS Ross (DDG 71) and USS Bulkeley (DDG 84); the attack submarine USS Albany (SSN 753); all homeported at Norfolk&; and the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), homeported at Mayport, Fla.
Philippine Sea departed from Mayport on Feb. 19, with Ashland deploying from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., on the same day. The remaining ships departed Naval Station Norfolk on Feb. 20.
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=35102
The oiler (refueling ship) is considered a “war ship”?
Just a feeling but I have a feeling that both ships are a treasure trove of spying and whoop ass.
Go Navy beat Mooselimbs.
noted
i’d also like to know where the Nassau, Nashville and Ashland are and their cargo (or lack thereof)
Nassau is carrying Ospreys
080229-N-7987H-028 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 29, 2008) Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Eric Gritzmacher fires an M-14 rifle with an M87 line-throwing adaptor to cast a line from the amphibous dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) to the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Patuxant (T-AO 201) during a fuel replenishment at sea. Ashland is deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility as part of Nassau expeditionary Strike Group. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mandy Hunsucker (Released)
080229-N-2735T-036 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 29, 2008) The amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4) transits the Atlantic Ocean as the flagship of the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group operating with the U.S. 6th Fleet. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Coleman Thompson (Released)
get the feeling you may have to start up your ME Daily Threads again sometime soon?
I guess I was thinking more along the lines of whether they had any marines on board.
The Marines aren't on board. They trained with the Group prior to its deployment and were due to go with them but instead went ahead to Afghanistan without the group. It's mentioned in a Navy Times article and on a few blogs. Also mentioned by a Marine's mom on one of the old threads here. Those are great pics above.
The most obvious difference between a destroyer and a cruiser an a destroyer is displacement.
The cruiser has bigger eyes and ears, and a bigger basket of missiles. IF a destroyer alone has less processing power, that’s a choice, because processing power is not near as displacement dependant as other qualities.
With a whole fleet already in the Med, deploying a destroyer and cruiser close to the coast means the US Navy wants an immediate military option versus Lebanon, Syria, or ??? Two days delay for the whole fleet to steam into place is clearly not good enough.
Further, “out of sight of the coast” means “out of sight” period. If not for official announcements, nobody would be likely to know it was there. That makes the significant efforts at public announcement, and perhaps this entire action, a deterrant, a statement of intent, or both.
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