US warships box in Iranian flotilla, delay Suez passage

DEBKAfile ^ | February 21, 2011, 4:55 PM (GMT+02:00) | DEBKAfile

[RedMDer]

The repeated delays and contradictory statements about the two Iranian warships' transit of the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean is accounted for by a standoff between the Iranian flotilla and five US warships deployed in recent days at the waterway's southern entrance and along its course, debkafile's sources disclose. Thursday night, Feb. 17, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, escorted by missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the fast supply ship USNS Arctic, headed south through the canal. By Friday morning, they were through and taking up position opposite the Kharg cruiser and Alvand missile destroyer of the Iranian Navy's 12th Flotilla, which were waiting to enter the Suez Canal at the southern Red Sea entrance.

[aces]

We through Uhbommer rae probably escorting them so israel can’t pop em easily

[musicman]

[txhurl]

Right you are.

[21twelve]

The Enterprise left Virginia on Jan. 13th - is about 40 days enough time to get around the Horn and up again? Perhaps. Yeah - I wouldn’t think a carrier could go through the canal. Not sure they would, even if they could. Would seem like a sitting duck.

[DonaldC]

I’ve seen pictures of a carrier going through, I think during gulf war 1, not sure though. Funny sight.

[eyedigress]

Fast movers do very well in bottle maneuvers. Talk about target rich with no place to go.

[RedMDer]

Probably and this from the article:
Sunday night, the Canal authorities announced another 48 hours delay shortly after Tehran state TV claimed the warships were already through to the Mediterranean.

[newzjunkey]

The infamous DEBKA File?? Is this source still allowed here? *eye roll*

[SunkenCiv]

Debka.

Thanks RedMDer.

[musicman]

"3. You do not “park” and aircraft carrier, you “anchor” it, and when you do it is basically useless for launching anything other than helicopters."

[eyedigress]

Come to think of it, A squadron of Buffs just passing over at 1000ft might get the sailors attention.

[hinckley buzzard]

Debka has a high index of skepticism. The transit of warships through the Suez Canal is controlled by Egypt not the US Navy.

[wolfcreek]

There were rumors that Iran was going to one of the countries in revolt to deliver weapons.

Sanctions

[SC Swamp Fox]

They go through on a pretty regular basis when an East Coast carrier needs to spend some time in the Indian Ocean. I went through twice on the Saratoga in 1985-86. At its narrowest I think the Suez canal is at least twice the width of a Nimitz class carrier.

The Suez canal is at sea level, no locks.

[rlmorel]

LOL!

[RedMDer]

Do I crawl under a rock now?

[thackney]

The process of getting through the canal is not easy for the 90,000-ton aircraft carrier. With an average width of 673 feet and only 79 feet in depth, the canal was not designed to accommodate ships of its size.

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=58633

Tight fit, but it fit.

[jda]

My favorite part of the article:

"Sunday night, the Canal authorities announced another 48 hours delay shortly after Tehran state TV claimed the warships were already through to the Mediterranean.

Obviously, Islam is not only a religion of peace, it is one of truth.

[RedMDer]

Is that Micheal Jackson?

[NeverForgetBataan]

“You do not “park” and aircraft carrier, you “anchor” it, and when you do it is basically useless for launching anything other than helicopters”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Could we roll a harpoon out on deck and put the pointy end toward the Iranian ships?

If we can’t launch aircraft?