The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), center, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) sail in formation during a scheduled transit of the Strait of Hormuz, Nov. 9, 2020. (MC3 Anthony Collier/Navy)
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its carrier strike group will begin transiting from Africa to their West Coast homeports after the acting defense secretary announced today their deployment would be coming to a close.
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group departed San Diego, Calif., in May for a deployment to the Middle East that began in June. The strike group left the Middle East in November for a quick exercise with the Indian Navy and then returned back to U.S. 5th Fleet.
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WNU Editor: If threats from Iran are real, why send the aircraft carrier back home? .... Bracing for a possible Iranian-linked attack in Iraq, U.S. officials warn ‘the threat streams are very real’ (Washington Post).
More News On The US Ordering The Nimitz Carrier Group To Leave The Mideast And Return Home
USS Nimitz headed home to Bremerton, Pentagon announces -- Kitsap Sun
"If threats from are real, why send the aircraft back home?" Two reasons: 1.) aircraft carriers are sitting ducks for countries like Iran and easy to sink. While sinking one or more of the "floating death traps" is easy for Iran, the aftermath may not be. 2.) Since sinking the carrier would be easy for Iran, it makes sense to get it out of the way. Once sunk, someone in the US military might feel the urge to respond and the situation could spiral out of control. Americans are virulent antiwar and will only support a military confrontation if the American mainland is attacked. If such an escalation were to occur, Trump would be blamed as it occurred on his watch. Since he wants to run again in 2024 or have a lead role in choosing the Republican nominee, this is a headache he doesn't need so it makes sense to withdraw the ship.
ReplyDeleteAnother possibility is there are undisclosed maintenance issues with the vessel and it needed to be withdrawn. After all endless and fruitless deployments of American military equipment around the world have worn them down so this would hardly be surprising.
They are almost impossible for a nation like Iran to sink , the reason it turned away and b52s flew overhead was a dual message of deescalarion and intent to respond if a 4th rate power like iran was stupid enough to attempt a military provocation.
DeleteFazman,
ReplyDeleteIran can sink a carrier. To use a torpedo on a carrier, an Iranian sub would have to get past the screening vessels to get a shot. If a shot is taken, it could be a dud, it could miss, it could hit stem or stern, it could get taken out be a anti-torpedo. OR the torpedo could break the back of a carrier. There are a lot of IF's.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US4262595A/en
https://www.aselsan.com.tr/en/capabilities/naval-systems/torpedo-and-torpedo-countermeasure-systems/tork-antitorpedo-torpedo
The best shot at a carrier might be the straights with short transit times, short transit times, and tis short reaction time. If that should happen the half the Iranian Air Force it whole Navy and its harbors and oil facilities would be erased in short order. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan would not be circling Iran. Why, they would have no fear.
Chinese surface to surface missiles or Iranian knock offs could cripple a carrier. They could cross 5 miles in no time flat. Again the response would be horrific and the Iranian regime would fall.
The Iranians make it point of harassing American vessels (ones without big teeth) in the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the straights on a regular basis. Those harassing vessels cannot take out an American warship, but they do make regime intent known.
Want to know what an anti-ship missiles can do. Look at the size of war head. Look at videos of impact by those warheads on test ships. Count ship frames...
If Iran attacked a ship in the straights, it would be after it had several to a few score nukes wit delivery vehicles and/or in conjunction with China. Consider an analogy. China is Germans and Iran is Italy. Only this time Italy is competent. Italian soldiers were good soldiers. Many Afrika Corp victories depended on Italian soldiers. The Italian military command and vehicles not so good, but the soldiers were good. Iran has a world wide network of soldiers and spies. They can do a lot of damage.
The liberal asshole press cannot bring itself to report on the Iranian bases overseas.
What a anti ship missile can do and actually landing it on target are 2 very different things, in conflict they will be kept out of the narrow straight and project air power from a safe distance.
DeleteThis not a tom Clancy novel Mr poster, this network of spies and soldiers , where is this Intel from ?.
Iran far more capable than Italy in ww2?, no ,just no, they were fodder against Iraq, there airforce is virtually non existant except on paper.
Yes, they have improved since operation mantis but so has the U.S yen fold, the devestation on the iranian navy and airforce and Sam and asm fixed sites will reflect that.
Anon 12:31,
ReplyDeleteO appreciate your analysis. While Iran can indeed sink a carrier, I think we agree that the aftermath of such an action for Iran is potentially horrific.
Iran's worldwide network of soldiers and spies is very formidable. Very few can match it. When combined with the efforts of Iran's allies this force is many times more formidable certainly not a fourth rate military.
The analysis of China as Germany and Iran as Italy is intriguing as well. In China, Iran has an ally that arguably is the strongest military force on earth and obviously Iran is more competent than Italy was. During WW2 the US had the Soviet Union to help us counter this. Currently I don't see a major power we are allied with who would help us in any material way. Perhaps Trump's diplomatic initiatives to Russia were designed with the goal of changing this.
B(e) __Poster agrees with me again. I must have everything ass backwards.
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:34,
ReplyDeletePart of the trouble in responding to an anonymous poster is it's difficult to know who I'm responding to. I would like to know the nature of the animosity you seem to have toward me. I apologize if I've offended you. It would be helpful to know the nature of the offense.
For what it's worth, I don't think you have it backwards at all. I found your post here very informative and adding value to the discussion.:-)
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/expert-iran-cant-sink-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-war-now-80776
DeleteFazman,
ReplyDeleteSo you are saying that the US Navy will keep out of the Persian Gulf?
During a wart I agree. They will stay out until they clear the missile battery site, nearby airfields, Iranian naval bases and and Iranian subs.
If the war is a surprise, do you think Sea Sparrow and Vulcan phalanx can lock not a target that only has a 10 miles to fly going at 600 miles per hour? If I calculated correctly, a missile going 600 mph takes 10 seconds to cross 10 miles. 10 miles is 1/2 the width of the Straights of Hormuz. In the 1st second of flight time the missile get be lost in the ground clutter. So you have 9 seconds.
The Israelis engage mortar and rocket fire in that time, so it is possible. The US Navy has battlespace management so not every ship will be firing on every missile saving ammo. So you cannot deplete ammo stocks by firing a few barrages and then thinking you have a clear shot.
Still the short flight times, sea skimming missiles, and combined arms threat is worrisome.
If you take electronic systems offline for 3 to 7 seconds, your system is toast. There is a big problem with counterfeit electronics. What will we do, if China gets Taiwan?
Damn environmentalists (emphasis on the syllables of mental) do not like mining, logging, drilling or foundries. You think they like electronics manufacture?
Also, President elect Harris is right in there with China Joe on some of those China deals. You think those rat bastards will fix things?
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/expert-iran-cant-sink-us-navy-aircraft-carrier-war-now-80776
ReplyDeleteAgain watch the anti-ship missiles. Pay attention to ship type and warhead size (amount of equivalent TNT)
Actually take a tour of a few merchant ships, WW@ museum ships or current warships, if you can. Count frames and get distance fixed in your mind. Overlay the explosion you saw from the videos. See what spaces would be obliterated with their capabilities and personnel. It will take more than one silkworm missiles (or its descendant) for sure.
You think those...will fix things?" Probably not but they may go to war to protect Hunter or to distract from the various scandals. "Wag the dog?" Biden will also want to show how tough he is. It's already starting with the "?cyber attack" fantasy.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind in a war against Iran we wouldn't be dealing with only Iran. We'd be dealing with Iran's allies as well.
You men we'd be dealing with Joe Biden, President Harris, Obama and Susan Rice too?
ReplyDeleteDear Me!