GEORGIA CONFLICT 2008
Posted on 08/22/2008 1:19:22 PM PDT by Jeff Head
The US Navy AEGIS guided missile destroyer, the USS McFaul, was pictured passing through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles Straits into the Black Sea on Friday and is nearing Gerogia.
A potential flash point is developing around the Georgian port city of Poti where Russian forces continue to occupy areas around the city, where the American vessels would most likely unload their humanitarian supplies. The US views the pull back from Poti, in conjunction with other Russian pull backs, as a key to diffusing the situation.
Hopefully, tomorrow morning we will have learned that the Russians pulled out of Poti.
Things could get interesting around Poti soon. Hopefully the Russians will pull back and avoid any flash point.
The USS Mount Whitney and the USCGC Dallas are not too far behind...a day or two.
“Liberty Call” probably won’t be very fun.
It is interesting that the US is committing the flag ship of the US 6th fleet, the USS Mt. Whitney, to this operation, and that the US commander of NATO operations, General Braddock is on the groundf in Tiblisi.
Sending messages to the Russians about how serious we are about this IMHO.
If the sailors do meet the Russians, the Russians will try to sell them all their gear.
“Yuri, show him your grenade launcher. You get 4, 500 hundred dollar on eBay for this, comrade”
If the Russians withdraw, the reverse will bbe true.
Now we will see just how serious the Russians are about polarizing Europe.
Can anyone say "Berlin"
Will a wall go around S. Ossia?
I hope those USN ships have planned air cover.
Unless this thing heats up I'm willing to wager that lots of Georgian women will be more than willing to extend their personal gratitude to US Navy personnel.
L
Unless this thing heats up I'm willing to wager that lots of Georgian women will be more than willing to extend their personal gratitude to US Navy personnel.
L
Hopefully, that is the way it will go down.
If they don't have brothers!
Things are strict in Georgia. One reason the Ruskies don't like'em.
Being an old Cold Warrior, I never thought I’d live to see a USN warship in the Black Sea. Amazing times...
US AEGIS guided missle war ships don't carry no "humanitarian supplies!!!
(I know it's a double negative!)
The "new" Iron curtain.
Above all else there, they want to protect the tunnel exit into Georgia...but with the right weapons (which the Georgians did not have this time around) there is little they could do to keep it from being brought down IMHO.
Bat’umi.
We don’t have to port in Poti (man, that just sounds wrong).
We can unload supplies at Bat’umi. Georgia has at least 3 workable ports.
Thanks for your OUTSTANDING work, Jeff.
In addition to that, this is the 1st time I’ve ever bumped OUTSTANDING FReeper taglines!
Looking at this passage via Google Earth shows it to be a far removed, lonely place for a single warship. My lack of experience in the area I am sure is obvious, but looks like a long way away from help to me.
Agreed 100%. But with Georgia and Ukraine on our side in this...it was inevitable. And now that bastion of the Russian Navy has been invaded as a result of their own foolishness.
thanks Jeff for the valuable updates. I am glad that our President seems to understand how important this is.
Remember the Domino Theory...
What was up with that... “double your pleasure, double your fun, with doublemint, doublemint, doublemint gum?”
but it is clear to everyone why the McFaul is there. She bristles with US wepaons and technology and will watch over the other vessels.
But truth be told, the USS Mt. Whitney, although it can carry a lot of supplies and has impressive desalination (fresh water) capabilities, is also much more geared towards Command and Control and intelligence...and that will not be lost on the Ruskies as well.
I don't what to make of sending the Mt. Whitney. As a warship she's a fine communications platform.
Things are interesting.
Regards,
TS
Homeported in Gaeta, Italy, USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC/JCC 20) was constructed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and is named for the 14,505-foot peak in the Sierra-Nevada range in California, the highest point in the lower continental United States. It is the first ship in the U.S. Navy to bear this name.
MOUNT WHITNEY (MTW) serves as the Command Ship for Commander, SIXTH Fleet/ Commander, Joint Command Lisbon/Commander, Striking Force NATO and has a complement of 150 enlisted personnel, 12 officers and 150 Civilian Mariners from Military Sealift Command. MTW was the first U.S. Navy combatant to permanently accommodate women on board.
MTW carries enough food to feed the crew for 90 days and can transport supplies to support an emergency evacuation of 3,000 people. The ship makes 100,000 gallons of fresh water daily and carries over one million gallons of fuel, enough for a round trip, 16 knot, 35 day voyage from Norfolk, Virginia to Mozambique in the Indian Ocean. The ship’s two anchors weigh 11 tons each and are attached to 180 fathoms (or 1,080 feet) of anchor chain. Each chain weighs almost 25 tons. Total electrical capacity is 7,500 kilowatts, a sufficient amount to power a small city.
The ship’s afloat communications capability is second to none. MTW can receive, process and transmit large amounts of secure data from any point on earth through HF, UHF, VHF, SHF, and EHF communications paths. This technology enables the Joint Intelligence Center and Joint Operations Center to gather and fuse critical information while on the move. As the most sophisticated Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) ship ever commissioned, MTW incorporates various elements of the most advanced C4I equipment and gives the embarked Joint Task Force Commander the capability to effectively command widely dispersed air, ground and maritime units in an integrated fashion.
Faul in Poti?
I had to check to see if it wasn't a joke.
We have a rather large airbase in Icirlik, Turkey.
L
We have several US air bases in Turkey which will be within easy reach should the need arise. I would be surprised if we did not have an AWACS up watching things and fighters ready to scramble if needed...if they are not already airborn with the AWACS.
Is Mount Whitney the flagship of the US 6th Fleet? That makes a rather loud statement, doesn’t it?
What does faul mean in Georgian? I have a friend who was teaching English there and said that “mami” actually meant “father” ... so who knows?
But, as you say, she is a VERY valuable C4I asset and the flag ship of the 6th fleet. I believe her presence is sending a very loud message to the Russians that we view this very serious and they better leave hands off.
Any attack on that vessel would be construed as an abject act of war with no recourse but a devastating conventional response.
Yes, and yes.
I am most curious to see where they dock, Batumi or Poti.
This thread is worthless without pictures of the Georgian babes ...
Hillary-- Hillary? Hillary, I... 
cannot hear a word your are saying!
Rules of engagement are everything, otherwise Mt. Whitney is vulnerable. That said, with a USAF (Incirlik?) or USN skycap anything on or under the Black Sea is just another [f...ing] target.
They have the ability to engage at least 1200 aircraft and flatten the city at the same time.
It would be dangerous in any case for each side.
And lets not forget the famous Oh S**T button, puts the ship into automatic mode.
"Way to go, Dallas!!!" to borrow a phrase. Tonk is riding top cover with "Too Tall."
Wild guess, realizing I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about:
McFaul is there primarily as force protection for Whitney;
USCGS Dallas is there to support humanitarian missions and temporarily replace sunk Georgian coast guard units;
Mt. Whitney is there to coordinate both US humanitarian and “humanitarian” operations in-country.
As much as I would like to see the Reds get a much overdue kick-ass, I don’t want any harm to our soldiers. Guess I can’t have both, hu?
Oops, Dallas is a cutter USCGC not a ship USCGS (which just proves I don’t know what I’m talking about!)
looks like they are headed to Poti.
It is interesting that the US is committing the flag ship of the US 6th fleet, the USS Mt. Whitney, to this operation, and that the US commander of NATO operations, General Braddock is on the groundf in Tiblisi.
Sending messages to the Russians about how serious we are about this IMHO.
Pucker factor is a little elevated. Hope Ivan doesn’t opt for bluster.
Agreed, But both McFaul and Whitney are very high value assets. In sending them into the Black Sea to accomplish this mission, the US is also sending a military message to the Russians.
Incirlik and Adana AFB's are what, 300 miles?
I like it!!!
Oh NO!!! I thought it was gonna be Jimmah Carter!!!
Hopefully, tomorrow morning we will have learned that the Russians pulled out of Poti.
The Russians really should get off the Poti.
Islander7,
How can you think of sex at a time like this?
Got any more pics?
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