[ThunderSleeps]

Do they have any experience operating their fleet units for up to 5 months at a time? Given they've always operated relatively close to home I doubt they've ever had cause or need to practice underway replenishment. I wonder where they've made arrangements to make port calls for food, fuel, spares, etc.

The Persian Gulf is not a great operating environment for US SSNs...however, if/when they venture out into more blue water, that's the SSNs playground. They'll face a threat in it's natural environment, though I'm fairly certain they'll never know it, unless one of our subs is ordered to rattle their chain a little...

[mewzilla]

...unless one of our subs is ordered to rattle their chain a little...

Maybe they'll defect! One ping only, Omar!