US Sends Aircraft Carrier Into The Strait Of Hormuz, As Iran Beats Its Chest

TBI ^ | 12-28-2011 | Robert Johnson

[blam]

US Sends Aircraft Carrier Into The Strait Of Hormuz, As Iran Beats Its Chest

Robert Johnson
Dec. 29, 2011, 7:56 AM

USS John C. Stennis

Iran has announced it located a U.S. aircraft carrier moving into the Strait of Hormuz during Iranian wargame exercises.

The AFP reports Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, spokesman for the exercises, says the carrier was spotted by an Iranian reconnaissance plane that took photos and video.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Fifth Fleet confirmed the carrier is the USS John C. Stennis, a nearly 1,100 foot nuclear powered craft with unlimited range and 3 million gallons of onboard fuel for its aircraft.

USS Mobile Bay

In addition to its planes and the ships that sail in the group, the Stennis is armed with NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow and Rolling Air Missile (RAM) surface-to-air missile systems, the Phalanx Close-in Weapons System for cruise missile defense, and the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System.

U.S. officials said Wednesday that the Stennis and the guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay slipped into the strait Tuesday after a stop at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.

The USS Mobile bay is a 570 foot Ticonderoga class cruiser that carries the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, two Seahawk LAMPS multi-purpose helicopters, and is used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-air, and anti-surface warfare.

The Associated Press reports Iran is playing up the sighting of the carrier and boasting of the strength of its navy in the region.

Iranian naval chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari says Iran has "control over the moves by foreign forces" and that the "foreign fleet will be warned by Iranian forces if it enters the area of the drill."

Iranian state TV showed the supposed video but details of the carrier couldn't be made

(snip)

[lentulusgracchus]

I don't follow your logic, but I think there is something to the "world's policeman" = NWO "rope-a-dope" for handling strong countries.

Look at all the b.s. "missions" Slick dreamed up, and Poppy Bush (Mogadishu? -- are you kidding me? we had a stake in Mogadishu?!), and now Obozo (Haiti again? Really?).

[dsc]

“Dates and corresponding events are all included in the links.”

Yes, but the original point of contention was whether President Reagan had sent carriers into the Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf/Straits of Hormuz.

According to the materials at your links, he didn’t.

[dsc]

“USS Ranger CBG underway in the Persian Gulf during Operation Nimble Archer, December 1987.”

No. In the Arabian **Sea** perhaps, but that is a photo-op formation, and *not* something the Navy does while steaming at Condition 1 in hostile waters.

[dsc]

“111112-N-OY799-236 STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Nov. 12, 2011) The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77)”

You noticed, of course, that none of those dates fall during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

[doorgunner69]

Magnificent photo.

You have to love a group being led by a BB-61 class ship, probably the most gorgeous ship to put to sea.

[Travis McGee]

I wish I had put my books on Kindle years earlier. It’s been all upside so far.

[Travis McGee]

Their launch area is more like 500 miles by 100 miles deep, but I get your point.
So much rests on the unknowable inner workings of the mullahs’ minds. But I have a feeling that 2012 is shaping up to be momentous.

[Travis McGee]

If a CVN was sunk, do you really suppose Obama would authorize a nuclear counter-strike? Against what target? An empty cave would be pointless, so where?

Personally, I don’t think Obama would authorize a nuclear counter-strike even if an American city was in flames below a mushroom cloud.

[Eleutheria5]

Sure. The energy policy that says obstruct all domestic oil extraction on the slightest pretext, so that everyone has to go to the Middle East for their black gold. That energy policy.

[Vermont Lt]

I know this is a newbie question, but how can sinking a few ships in a passageway 31 miles wide? Is the navigable channel just not deep enough.

I am sure I am not the only landlocked couch admiral out here.

I sincerely appreciate the free education.

[Vermont Lt]

I know this is a newbie question, but how can sinking a few ships in a passageway 31 miles wide? Is the navigable channel just not deep enough.

I am sure I am not the only landlocked couch admiral out here.

I sincerely appreciate the free education.

[CodeToad]

“So much rests on the unknowable inner workings of the mullahs’ minds. But I have a feeling that 2012 is shaping up to be momentous.”

I hear ya there. Those Mayans might not just have run out of stone.

[tanknetter]

From reading the posts here what I’m gathering is that the US is moving assets to the open water so that if there is trouble with Iran acting against either us or Israel, we will be in prime position to blow them to bits.

Yes, that's one possibility. Another is that Stennis was in the PG on a scheduled port call and was moving as planned to another coverage area.

Given how thin the US carrier fleet is spread these days, it's pretty common to have one deck "covering" both the PG and the general Arabian Sea area (for Pakistan and Afghanistan). Over the course of the time "0n-station" the CSG will rotate between being in the PG (or doing port calls in the PG to show the flag) and the Arabian Sea.

[cherokee1]

Nice re-cap and you could have mentioned that for the past decade or so there have always been at least two supercarrier groups in the general Indian Ocean/ Persian Gulf/ Arabian Sea area at any one time and since the Reagan took up position on the US west coast there tends to be a third in rotation not more than a couple days away. At 600 miles per day that can be quite a ways out and still be within an hour at mach 1 in case anyone needs help. When I see that third carrier group posted in the Indian Ocean I’ll believe the 1,000 mile Iranian coastline is about to have another barbecue ala Reagan. What’s fun is that Amanutjob actually claims he saw one of our super carriers——100,000 tons of American steel breaking brown pisswater at flank speed has gotta be pretty visible-—even to a muzzie with his butt up in the air.———I have a world map on the wall here in the shop and the thing I keep track of on it is where the carrier groups are. And that gives me a few hints as to where some of our fast attacks and boomers are. Just sayin’the Punk Persians ought to be a little humble.

[mk2000]

your right and this is why Barry must go.

[hinckley buzzard]

There was a reason why Andy only let Barney have one bullet...

[hinckley buzzard]

I'm sure the Chief of Naval Operations will be most grateful to receive your insights, which he probably never considered. You and your fellow experts here have done a great service, assisting the poor understaffed Pentagon in its planning.

[Ret Cop 187]

don't forget the FORESTAL first one through since WW2

[mikhailovich]

There are a LOT of military experts on FR with good intel and information regarding our assets. But "what will happen" is nothing but opinion.

I'm not a military expert, but I think what you will see here is a whole lot of nothing. Iran effectively baited us into the Strait. We'll sail around for a few days and leave. Iran will take some nifty photo's of our assets, and we will of their's.

They won't shut down sea traffic and will eventually develop a nuclear bomb. Ron Paul will get his wish. Israel and the U.S. will have to live with it, until or unless they decide to use it. That's just my opinion.

[Mariner]

"If a CVN was sunk, do you really suppose Obama would authorize a nuclear counter-strike?"

Probably, yes. He would have little choice.

However, he may not have the opportunity. A Battle Group Commander, Fleet Commander or Theater CinC all have the authority to use tactical nukes under certain ROE.

To prevent the loss/neutralization of the Carrier's nukes is one of those.