Posted on 03/23/2008 10:17:35 AM PDT by maquiladora
An American nuclear submarine has crossed the Suez Canal to join the US fleet stationed in the Persian Gulf, Egyptian sources say.
Egyptian officials reported that the nuclear submarine crossed the canal along with a destroyer on Friday and Egyptian forces were put on high alert when the navy convoy was passing through the canal.
An American destroyer recently left the Persian Gulf, heading towards the Mediterranean Sea; earlier Thursday, a US Navy rescue ship crossed the canal to enter the Red Sea.
The deployment comes as recent reports allege that US Vice President Dick Cheney is seeking to rally the support of Middle Eastern states for launching an attack on Iran.
This is while US officials deny that Cheney's Mideast tour is linked to a possible military attack on Iran.
According to the latest reports, in recent months a major part of the US Navy has been deployed in and around the Persian Gulf.
The fleet is armed with nuclear weapons and cruise missiles and carries hundreds of aircraft and rapid reaction forces.
(Saturday, March 22, 2008)
Order of Battle in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
The Truman Carrier Strike Group
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)
USS San Jacinto (CG 56) - 6th Fleet
USS Hue City (CG 66)
USS Carney (DDG 64)
USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79)
USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81)
HMS Manchester (D95)
HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339)
USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8)
USS Montpelier (SSN 765)
Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group
USS Tarawa (LHA 1)
USS Cleveland (LPD 7)
USS Germantown (LSD 42)
USS Port Royal (CG 73)
USS Hopper (DDG 70)
USS Ingraham (FFG 61)
Orion 08 Strike Group
HMS Illustrious (R06)
HMS Edinburgh (D97)
HMS Westminster (F237)
HMS Trafalgar (S107)
HMS Atherstone (M38)
HMS Chiddingfold (M37)
USS Cole (DDG 67)
FS Jean Bart (D615)
FS Surcouf (F 711)
SPS Mendez Nunez (F104)
In Theater
Ocean 6
FGS Emden (F 210)
HNLMS Evertsen (F 805)
HDMS Thetis (F357)
ITS Commandante Borsini (P491)
FS Guepratte (F714)
FS Commandant Bouan (F797)
USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41)
HMS Campbeltown (F86)
HMS Argyll (F231)
HMAS Arunta (FFH 151)
USS Scout (MCM 8)
USS Gladiator (MCM 11)
USS Ardent (MCM 12)
USS Dexterous (MCM 13)
HMS Ramsay (M 110)
HMS Blyth (M 111)
(All open source information)
Nothing will be done about Iran until one or more US cities are taken out by nuclear explosions. Even then, the Dems will demand “proof” that Iran was involved.
ping...
ping
Yee ha!!! One last party for the Old Guard!!!
Nothing will be done about Iran until one or more US cities are taken out by nuclear explosions. Even then, the Dems will demand proof that Iran was involved.
________________________________________________
And even then there will be some who say that the US government was responsible for the nuclear detonation.
Heh. You gotta love them all, but this one speaks to me. :)

I just soiled mah panties.
ping
I wonder if the explanation isn’t as simple as: Cheney is in the mideast. Some terrorist wackjob would love to take the VP out. In the unlikely event an attack is made on Cheney, we want the fleet ready to go to a war posture.

They’re all nuclear submarines - unless we still have some diesels in active service.
I like #8: “Often mistaken for the wrath of God.”
fyi
Ha!
I work with retired GIs who actually believe the U.S. should accept 1 or 2 nuclear strikes on MAJOR U.S. CITIES, without retaliating with a nuclear response.
Without knowing my background they try to tell me that “You don’t understand what a nuclear exchange would be like.”
They’re a little surprised when I tell them FU! I was in Nuclear Weapons training at the age of 17!
I noticed that the attack boat HMS Trafalgar is in the Tarawa’s group. Small but effective SSN.
I noticed that the attack boat HMS Trafalgar is in the Tarawa’s group. Small but effective SSN.
It does give you pause to consider the delicious possibilities: it could be a show of strength and a very covert warning to Iran or it could be a prelude to a US led attack. I like both possibilites.
We're from the government, and we're here to kill you.
Boomers make things go Boom.
You missed one.
Kill them all and let God sort them out.
Yeah that kind of thinking will get you nuked. You have to be willing and ready at all times to lay it to them. It's the only way to keep them from being used.
Old SAC guy here.

No, it's an attack sub (USS Montpelier, SSN 765). 4 ballistic missile subs (Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia, the 4 oldest in the class) have been converted from the SSBN to the SSGN configuration.
Pretty nifty, they each can fire 154(!) Tomahawk cruise missiles.
USS San Jacinto = Aegis BMD
ROFL - I love the whole list, actually.
Boomers don’t need to be close to make things go boom.
Back on one of the original 41 for Freedom boats, I used to go to Battle Stations Missile humming Eddy Arnold’s “Make the World Go Away” until the Gun Boss figured out the title and told me to stow it.
I think we're leasing one from the Swedes, or Fins, or Norwegians, don't recall which. Using it to play games with our attack guys.
Of course if it's an attack boat, it lets Isanutjob know, we're going hunting. Boomers we wouldn't advertise.
Looks pretty normal for these days, especially the fact that there is only one CVN. And Egyptian forces are always on “high alert” when naval units pass through the canal these days. The Suez Canal is a big money maker for the Egyptians. It’s not in their interest to have an incident of any sorts.
A policy like that would guarantee that such an attack would eventually take place.
Swedes,they make the best non nuke boat right now.
Makes ya’ wonder where all those carriers are Now,,,
Navy.mil ain’t up-dated since the 17th...;0)
Ships and Submarines
Deployable Battle Force Ships: 280
Ships Underway (away from homeport): 141 ships (50% of total)
On deployment: 99 ships (35% of total)
Attack submarines underway (away from homeport): 27 submarines (50%)
On deployment: 19 submarines (35%)
Ships Underway
Carriers:
USS Kitty Hawk (CVN 63) - Pacific Ocean
USS Nimitz (CVN 68) - East China Sea
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) - Atlantic Ocean
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - Pacific Ocean
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) - 5th Fleet
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) - Pacific Ocean
Amphibious Warfare Ships:
USS Nassau (LHA 4) - Mediterranean Sea
USS Peleliu (LHA 5) - Pacific Ocean
USS Essex (LHD 2) - East China Sea
Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group:
USS Tarawa (LHA 1) - 5th Fleet
You are thinking politically and not historically. All the history books will say is 9-11 happened and all hell broke loose for a decade or so.
Not any more! the last US diesel sub was decommissioned 1 1/2 years ago. It was basically a deep submergence testbed.
Gee, who would have thunk it, a nuclear submarine providing escort for a naval battle group... yaaawn.
Hate to do this, but I’ve read some of this agency’s (Press TV) other stories, and it looks like a very suspect source to me.
In another article they refer to Bush’s “warmongering policies”, and that’s just one of four or five flags that smelled bad while I was checking them out.
FWIW
Ah well, maybe next time.
” work with retired GIs who actually believe the U.S. should accept 1 or 2 nuclear strikes on MAJOR U.S. CITIES”
Bezerkley and Ithica. That’s acceptable.
Also Old SAC guy. Ellsworth 1980-1983.
Well, Obama's man, Pastor Wright is a retired Marine. Bet he'd agree.
They are the official media arm of the Iranian government. They are not suspect, they are 100% crooked.
According to the latest reports, in recent months a major part of the US Navy has been deployed in and around the Persian Gulf.
~~~
mmmmm?...;0)
Thank you for that clarification. The text of the article left it open to a more paranoid interpretation. Your explanation make much more sense.
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