My son loved the adventure so I guess it was worth it.
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Here he is in front of the 16 inch turrets.
Posted on 10/19/2007 1:34:02 PM PDT by blam
We can attack Iran, says US commander
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 8:14pm BST 19/10/2007
America's top military officer said the country does have the resources to attack Iran, despite the strain of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Adm Michael Mullen, who took over as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff three weeks ago, said diplomacy remained the priority in dealing with Iran's suspected plans to develop a nuclear weapon and its support for anti-US insurgents in Iraq.
But at a press conference he said: "there is more than enough reserve to respond (militarily) if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do".
Defence Secretary Robert Gates warned that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons could set off an arms race in the Middle East. "The risk of an accident or a miscalculation or of those weapons or materials falling into the hands of terrorists seem to me to be substantially increased," he added.
The two leaders appeared together just days after George W Bush raised the spectre of "World War Three" if Iran went nuclear.
Adm Mullen did not elaborate on what size of assault would be feasible, but earlier reports have said the Pentagon had laid out contingency plans for a major aerial campaign against suspected nuclear targets in Iran.
Given that there are approximately 180,000 US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the deployment of a significant ground force is improbable.
Early this year the US navy moved a second aircraft carrier with battleships into the Gulf, its biggest build up of military power there since the months leading to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, leading to speculation that it was prepared to launch air strikes at any time.
Adm Mullen also said the US military was working hard to stem the flow from Iran into Afghanistan of high-tech materials for roadside bombs. The military has said that parts from the armor-piercing bombs, which have killed hundreds of troops in Iraq, are now getting into Afghanistan.
Iran's foreign minister said yesterday that his country is ready to establish nuclear energy cooperation with other countries, based on the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to cooperate with other countries in the nuclear field with a peaceful purpose," said Manouchehr Mottaki during a visit to the western Afghan city of Herat for a conference.
Sounds good to me.
True. We have plenty of strategic capacity that hasn’t been used in years!
So why are we ending the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?
“The Iowa is at the reserve fleet in Suisun Bay”The Iowa could be recommissioned on 6 month notice. The others have had large amounts of gear removed”
From the last time I had a look at her, the Iowa would probably tke a bit more than 6 months to really be ready. Not to mention repairing the one turret that was out of commission even before Iowa was placed in reserve. Her decks are a MESS, among other things, as very little has been done in the way of maintenance while she’s been laid up at Suisun.
The Navy had planned to build five more battleships, the Montana Class, but canceled the order when it became apparent the aircraft carrier would be the capital ship of the war. One of them was to be a new Maine, which would have been nice symbolism, too.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/bb/bb67.htm
My son loved the adventure so I guess it was worth it.
<p>
Here he is in front of the 16 inch turrets.
BTW, any idea why FR is gagging as it has been all day?
Aftermath The #2 Turret was trained forward with its own mechanism after the explosion and superficial repairs were conducted. All the related repair pieces are stored inside the turret, but the turret has never been completely repaired. Iowa deployed to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea in mid-year. Iowa decommissioned in Norfolk, 26 October 1990. Iowa, as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, was berthed at the Naval Education and Training Center in Newport, from 24 September 1998 to 8 March 2001 when the ship began her journey, under tow, to California. The ship arrived in Suisun Bay near San Francisco on 21 April 2001 and is part of the Reserve Fleet there. Due to the damage in Turret 2, the Navy put New Jersey into the mothball fleet, even though the training mechanisms on New Jersey’s 16 inch guns had been welded down. The cost to fix New Jersey was considered less than the cost to fix Iowa; however, the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act of 1999 demanded that the Navy substitute Iowa for New Jersey; additionally, the Navy was to arrange for New Jersey’s donation for use as a museum ship. The Navy made the switch in January 1999, paving the way for Camden, New Jersey, to acquire USS New Jersey. Iowa was maintained in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act of 1996 until 2006, when the Secretary of the Navy struck Iowa and placed the ship on donation hold to allow transfer for use as a museum ship.
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