U.S. Navy Flexes Muscles in Persian Gulf

AP via SFGate ^ | 3/27/7 | JAMES CALDERWOOD and JIM KRANE

[SmithL]

ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS, (AP) -- American warplanes screamed off two aircraft carriers Tuesday as the U.S. Navy staged its largest show of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, launching a mammoth exercise meant as a message to the Iranians.

The maneuvers with 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft were sure to heighten tensions with Iran, which has frequently condemned the U.S. military presence off its coast and is in a faceoff with the West over its nuclear program and its capture of a British naval team.

While they would not say when the war games were planned, U.S. commanders insisted the exercises were not a direct response to Friday's seizure of the 15 British sailors and marines, but they also made clear that the flexing of the Navy's military might was intended as a warning.

"If there is strong presence, then it sends a clear message that you better be careful about trying to intimidate others," said Capt. Bradley Johanson, commander of the Stennis.

"Iran has adopted a very escalatory posture with the things that they have done," he added.

The exercises began four days after Iranian forces detained the 15 Britons for allegedly being in Iranian territorial waters near the northern end of the Gulf. U.S. and British officials insist the team was properly searching cargo vessels inside Iraqi waters.

F/A-18 fighter jets roared off the Stennis' flight deck all day, mounting a dozen rapid-fire training sorties against imaginary enemy ships and aircraft. A second task force with the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower also took part in the drills.

"These maneuvers demonstrate our flexibility and capability to respond to threats to maritime security," said Navy Lt. John Perkins, 32, of Louisville, Ky., as the Stennis cruised...

[El Gato]

Three Harpoons and 2 1000lb bombs can really f$%k up your day.

This captions that same photo this way:

The Iranian frigate IS Sahand (F 74) burns after being attacked by the Joseph Strauss and A-6s. Sahand was hit by three Harpoon missiles, Skipper rocket-propelled bombs, a Walleye laser-guided bomb, and several 1,000-pound bombs.

[El Gato]

The United States should bomb and destroy Iran's oil pipelines, for openers.

Actually blocking any tankers carrying gasoline or other refined petroleum products, and hitting their single refinery that produces gasoline, you'd cripple them much more effectively.

[El Gato]

Two carriers in the Persian Gulf to act like two faggot musclemen.. all muscle no brains.. If one carrier gets sunk Bush should be impeached..

They aren't in the Gulf, that lakes a little small for a CVBG, let alone two of them. They carry airplanes to avoid going into such constricted waters. The only things the Iranians have that could reach the carriers would be their ballistic missiles, which couldn't hit them but by some really, really good dumb luck and their Air Force, most of which would be broken and burning on their airfields, the rest of which would be meat for the F-15s and F-22s, not to mention the F/A-18 Hornets of the carriers themselves.

[hosepipe]

[ They aren't in the Gulf, that lakes a little small for a CVBG, let alone two of them. ]

Exactly..

[Dosa26]

The only things the Iranians have that could reach the carriers would be their ballistic missiles, which couldn't hit them but by some really, really good dumb luck and their Air Force, most of which would be broken and burning on their airfields

In the event of a kamakazi attack I wonder how many air to air ac would have to follow the strike ac to make sure they didn't chicken out at the last minute. Is Iran like SA where the wealthy get to fly or do they pick hard-core jihadi's for their jets?

[SLB]

Thought you might like a ping on this.

[pleikumud]

Perhaps the refinery plus the pipelines. I see your point about the refinery, but if they can't deliver and sell oil their economy is dead, they're broke.