Posted on 02/27/2010 8:49:45 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
A US warship arrived in Georgia's Black Sea waters Thursday for exercises with the country's coast guard, the US embassy said, in the latest of a series of such visits that have infuriated Russia. The USS John L. Hall guided-missile frigate arrived in the vicinity of the Georgian port of Poti, an embassy spokesman said, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the de facto border with the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia.
"The aim of the visit is to conduct joint exercises with the Georgian coast guard," said the embassy spokesman, who declined to be named. He said the ship would be in Georgian waters for "a few days" but declined to provide further details.
At least seven US warships have visited Georgian ports since its August 2008 war with Russia, including the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the US Sixth Fleet, which visited a few weeks after the conflict.
Russian officials have criticised the visits as provocative, while Tbilisi has accused Moscow of stoking tensions by deploying patrol ships off the coast of Abkhazia.
Georgia's coast guard has been attempting to enforce a naval blockade of Abkhazia and last year seized several Turkish-operated vessels for attempting to trade with the rebel region.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
Why?
Its not as if we’re going to send a missile frigate over there to help out the Georgian Coast Guard next time the Russians move on them.
Its called gunboat diplomacy.
Remember this next time Russia send a warship to Venezuela (which is actually hundreds of miles from the US coast.)
It will. Do not be suprised it will be off the U.S. coast.
Brandishing works when it is believable. The Russians are not threatened, just annoyed.
Did a tour on one and I always thought of it as an over sized Bass Boat.
This is some really stupid business on our part.
Was your tour before or after they neutered it by removing the Mk. 13 launcher? (”It can only fire old missiles one at a time...so we’ll improve the situation by making it so that it can’t fire any missiles at all!”)
Yeah... dumping an ally - that’s what we should do. That will surely restrain the enemy.
Actually it isn’t. Its telling the Russians that we will have a presence in Georgian affairs and in the Black Sea. Its also giving the Russians the middle digit too.
Well, we have some minor partnership in the BTC pipeline. But we should do all we can to support democracy in Georgia and the region as well.
Now, if we could only get some similar support from our own government here as well.
I agree with you.
Maybe we’re going to just leave the John L Hall with Georgia when the exercises are completed.
We’ve donated or sold some of the Perry-class frigates to countries in the area, notably Turkey.
Can you explain why ? Just curious ...
It’s offensive armament consists of a single 76mm pop-gun and some torpedoes. It was never exactly armed to the teeth, but once they removed the Mk. 13 launcher, they made it helpless against virtually any air or surface threat except at point-blank range.
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