Preparations to lift the sanctions against Saddam:
<http://denbeste.nu/images/bhrsteaming.jpg>
If you weren't familiar with Navy ships, you might well assume that this was an aircraft carrier. In fact, in any other navy of the world it would be an aircraft carrier, because it's larger than almost every non-USN ship in the world which is called a carrier.
This is USS Bonhomme Richard , LHD-6. With displacement of about 40,000 tons and carrying 40 helicopters and 5 Harriers, it compares favorably with British carriers such as HMS Ark Royal in terms of ability to project air power. Ark Royal, at 20,000 tons operates 8 Harriers. Don't get me wrong: Ark Royal is a fine ship, and there are no better sailors in the world than her crew. But she's only half the size of Bonhomme Richard which can operate 20 Harriers if it doesn't carry any helicopters.
But that's not Bonhomme Richard's primary mission; it isn't a carrier. Its mission is to support amphibious assault by the US Marines. Its primary complement of helicopters are used to support air-mobile operations, and in addition to its flight deck it has a large internal hold where it carries landing craft (such as the superb LCAC ). In addition to a crew of about 1,000, it's designed to carry about 2,000 Marines, to take them where they're needed, to get them ashore, to support them once they're on the ground, and finally to help them if they're wounded (which is why an LHD has a large hospital, and why another mission for its helicopters is medevac). Its Harriers are intended for close air support of the Marines, and all its aircraft are flown by Marine pilots.
USS Bonhomme Richard left San Diego today, headed for the Gulf, fully equipped and ready for war. So did USS Boxer (LHD-4), another ship of the same class. And they left behind a dock full of tearful wives and mothers and children, who kissed their men goodbye possibly for the last time.
They were accompanied by USS Cleveland and USS Dubuque. They are members of the Austin class Amphibious Transport Docks (LPD), and each of them can carry 900 Marines and 6 helicopters plus landing craft.
And they were also accompanied by USS Anchorage, USS Comstock and USS Pearl Harbor which are Dock Landing Ships (LSD), each of which can carry about 400 Marines plus helicopters and landing craft.
The force that left San Diego today is large, powerful and extremely formidable. One does not send that kind of force out to no purpose; they don't use ships like this to "show the flag". All told this force is reported to be carrying about 7,000 Marines and about 3,000 sailors, but this underrepresents the size of the landing force. (A fair percentage of those who "hit the beach" are actually sailors and not Marines. For instance, the medics who accompany the Marines into combat are sailors.)
Ships like this carry with them everything they need. As long as a friendly CBG or friendly ground-based air assets provides air cover, they're ready to fight wherever they're sent.
An advance force of Marines in Kuwait just unloaded several cargo ships there, carrying what is reported to be sufficient equipment and supplies for a force of 17,000 Marines (probably from the cargo ships we had prepositioned at Diego Garcia for just this kind of eventuality). 12,000 Marines at Camp Lejeune will be deploying very soon, and an additional 3-4,000 Marines from Camp Pendleton just left by air, in desert camo, for "the Middle East".
A few days ago, USS Ashland (LSD-48), USS Portland (LSD-37), USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) and USS Bataan (LHD-5) left from Norfolk for "an undisclosed location" (about which you're permitted one guess). Kearsarge and Bataan are the same kind of ship as Bonhomme Richard and Boxer. Portland and Ashland are the same class as Anchorage, Comstock and Pearl Harbor. The group leaving Norfolk was reported to be carrying 8,000 Marines.
And that's not even everything the Navy has sent, nor have I even mentioned the Air Force or the Army both of which are also deploying huge forces now.
All these ships can reach the Gulf in less than two weeks. This is no joke; this is real. This is no bluff. This isn't just posturing. You don't deploy these kinds of forces in this kind of numbers unless you're really serious. And you do not send a force like this to a theater to sit on its ass for six months and only then go into combat. In the ideal case, they get sent at the last possible instant both because that maximizes readiness and because it minimizes the window of risk to the men and ships from enemy air, missile or submarine assault.
They're really going to start fighting, and soon.
denbeste.nu
(I've only quoted a portion of his discussion...his opening paragraphs on U.S. Naval strength in general are also highly worthwhile, imo). |
