Posted on 06/09/2012 12:12:53 PM PDT by Jean S
MANAMA, Bahrain, June 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is doubling the size of its Persian Gulf naval base at Manama, which officials say will greatly enhance the capabilities of the U.S. 5th Fleet, which has headquarters in the island state.
Officials are reluctant to link the $580 million expansion to the confrontation with Iran across the gulf.
They say the project has been in the works since 2003 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But it coincides with a sharp increase in Iranian naval activity in the gulf in recent weeks.
Work on the upgrade began late in May and is scheduled for completion in five years. The expansion will allow U.S. forces to cope with the growing number of threats in the region's strategic waterways.
It will allow the Bahrain facility to handle up to 30 percent more ships than the 300 vessels a year it currently deals with as U.S. naval operations are ramped up, in large part because of the Iranian threat.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which oversees Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and controls strategic missile units, have had a series of naval and air maneuvers in the gulf in recent weeks.
These involved the firing of an array of missiles, including anti-ship weapons, and focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Good point.
The U.S. Navy is doubling the size of its Persian Gulf naval base at Manama, which officials say will greatly enhance the capabilities of the U.S. 5th Fleet, which has headquarters in the island state.
This is not a good idea. Forward basing in the middle of a potentially hostile environment is foolish. HQ ought to be well to the rear, at Diego Garcia or perhaps (if we could get our act together and get hold of it) Socotra, where the Soviets already built long quays and runways back in the early 80's.
Pearl Harbor was NOT located in the Sea of Japan, nor at Subic either, for a very good reason!
They're making a big diplomatic push with all the ASEAN countries to try to get the South China Sea divvied up (China's way) and declared a territorial sea and mare clausum.
Which, to extend the Latinity, would be casus belli with the United States and the military rubber match on LOST as well. We will have to use force, to enforce the old Law of the Sea and Admiralty Law, in lieu of the corrupt, kleptocratic dog's breakfast the UN's rogues, thieves, mass-murderers, and cheese-eating surrender monkeys have been cooking up in a back room.
While understand a certain amount of troops in Asia with the growing threat of China, I still don't get the 10's of thousands in Germany. Germany is the richest country in the Euro nations. They should be pulling their own weight.
Yes, I know that it's about certain bases supporting certain economics, but I no longer care. Other than Ramstein Air Force Base for central logistics, support, and mid-medical facilities for our casualties, I say pull our troops out and re-positioned them where actually needed. I was a lowly aviation sailor and even I know that a land war will not occur against Russia. Too many nukes pointing at each other.
If smaller nations like in the Balkans want to go to war again, we have the technology now to stop it. If the NORKS want war, that's another thing. Even then, I prefer our troops not be in the horrendous line of fire with the NORK armory.
Yes, I know that past generals and strategists claim you can't take over a country without a ground invasion. I say bullshit, because most times you don't need to invade to stop the bad guys. This is not the 1940's. Just bomb them into oblivion with our new smart bombs and Dresdan won't happen. They will simple give up. Our air superiority plus its air to ground capabilities can pretty much put anyone down with the right ROE. And I'm not even including cruise missles off our Aegis ships and Tridents.
Its time for some of our Allies to carry their own weight and let our troops and families come home. While I am far from a Ron Paul isolationist as can be, there is little justification for many of our sons and daughters to be waiting for the next attack when we have our carrier groups and subs. Tell me where I'm wrong.
1. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Change our Rules of Engagement! Attack us once and find who did and devastate their lands, woman and children included. We did it before and it worked. Think Dresdan and Hiroshima. That stop them, didn't it?
2. Bring home countless 10's of thousands from Germany, Japan, and South Korea and let those rich countries maintain their own defense. Maintain a strong hi-tech presence in the area with Tridents and a few airfields;
3. Tell China either they go with free trade or we will embargo all their shitty products;
4. Dare China to attack us if they don't like the embargo.
5. Tell Iran you have 60 days to destroy your uranium centrifuges or we are going to bomb you back to 7th century you so adore;
6. NORKS, you also have 60 days to stop your nuclear and ballistic missle programs or we will take out your (1) city that shows up on satellite at night;
7. Russia, work with us or lets go Cold War;
8. South America, stop wasting our SEALS, Rangers, AIR FORCE combat controllers time or we will lay waste to your drug cartel compounds on a montly basis.
9. Africa. Get your pissy little tribal shit together or we WILL move in 10's of thousands of troops to stop your raping, torturing, mutilation et al. And we kill you all. Again, think Dresdan.
10. Put out a very clear message and policy to the United Nations that you are defuct and the USA will do what is right. Kick them the f*ck off our shores and see how they do.
11. Disband NATO. Talk about a useless bureaucracy that has outlived its original intent and pisses so many off.
12. Most importantly for our own political survival, I would institute term limits; sunset all legislation not connected to the defense bills; eliminate the EPA, Department of Education, reduce the Department of the Interior for only the most basic needs. I would kill the Department of Homeland Security while making sure all intel agencies correlate. The TSA is gone! And replaced by individual airline (competition) security. The above is just a beginning. Don't start me on the WHO,IMF,ICC, Agenda 21, and all the other sovereignty killing propositions by the new world order. They'd all be gone.
After being King for the week and doing all the above, I would gladly go to jail or face a firing squad.
It’s a quality vs. quantity argument, in my mind. An assembled configuration would be a rare thing and only for a short time. A situation like the start of GW I or II in which there is an intense logistical need. Combat operations would still be provided by the carrier groups, with this providing a “rear area” major logistical support.
Individual ships would be of low target value, and when the bulk resupply arrived on the assembled configuration, individual ships would break off to make short range cargo hauls to the carrier groups.
In effect, it shortens the resupply distance from all the way from the US to in theater. And this is a telling point, as it is a vulnerability for the US, which only has two fully capable deep water ports for the Pacific, Bremerton and San Diego.
And any conflict with China is predicated on China taking out these two facilities first, which would logistically cripple the US Pacific fleet for a vital week or two, and would likely initiate any conflict.
Lots of ins and out and ups and downs to things, but worth a look.
I agree that will be his goal. My take on that is all one has to do is play the bowing and apologizing video clips and this guy will be toast. Couple these with the clip that shows Obama complimenting numerous nations with the exact same phrase, and it will be obvious that this guy is the poster boy for the empty suit campaign.
On December 6th, 1941 the smart folks didn't think it possible we could be attacked by carrier based aircraft.
having spent 6 years in the navy, thank-you. I really like your plan.
In my opinion: Not a great idea.
There is already a BRAC Commission, a Pentagon entity the sole purpose of which is to CLOSE MILITARY FACILITIES!
Are you actually aware of how many military facilities have been closed and or down-sized since 1990?
It is my view that the BRAC Commission is now a run-away freight train: It works with bureaucratic blindness and keeps trimming our resources.
In my opinion the BRAC Commission needs to be placed on hold.
The expansion/reopening of few overseas bases does not even come close to mitigating some of the most egregious closures of the past two decades (e.g., George AFB, Norton AFB, several Navy facilities in California, Kelly AFB, Ft Ord, and more).
And, don’t get me started on the unfortunate new “Joint Basing” concept . . . . (Insanity.)
Magasaysay Street!!! Woo Hoo!!! ;-)
Interesting concept, but the stresses at the link points for all those separate hulls would be astronomical.
There may be a simple, but peculiar solution for that. There is now a metal version of Velcro, called “Metaklett”, which can support loads of up to 35 tons per square meter.
Of course, adapting such technology to quickly connect and disconnect ships at sea would keep the ONR busy for a while, but the potential is there. Plus the desirability of having a convenient rear area port facility should not be underestimated. In addition to surface ships, its design could even permit some degree of discreet access to submarines.
Wholeheartedly agreed.
We need to wake the * up. Soon.
Stop giving stuff away, and stop wishing on good things. Be realistic, and be honest.
That means, prepare for war. With China. Then keep that level of preparation and never change it.
Make peace, by preparing for war.
The alternative is unthinkable.
We need to stop giving everything away.
Now.
The Japanese could have gotten much further ahead had they chose a different path in 1941 I would think.
The concept reminds me of the mulberries used on D-day, only these would be self-propelled and intended to stay afloat.
Still, if it came to a shooting war, catching one of these platforms assembled or just getting on the move with a nuclear-tipped torpedo would be the equivalent of nailing the Japanese carriers at Midway.
It would be as much a strategic decision as a tactical one to decide how large a basket one wanted to place the eggs in.
I don’t think this could be used in any kind of scenario where the enemy had either nuclear or significant naval assets. It is more along the lines of GW I or II, where the US has established air superiority, and the enemy neither has enough nuclear missiles nor submarines to pose a threat that way.
Think of it as a midway point between the destination and Diego Garcia, significantly reducing resupply and refueling times for naval assets. Not terribly useful for the Air Force.
It could also be used to pre-position a lot of Army hardware prior to a land occupation.
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