While this blog focuses on the Navy, it has nothing against the other arms.
This picture pretty much illustrates the sublime adaptability of our forces, and the huge extent of the territories in which they now fight.
I quote the Dept. of Defense caption below:
"Soldiers from Bravo Company, Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Task Force Gladius wait for a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at the landing zone at Forward Operating Base Morales-Frasier on Jan. 20, 2008. The Chinook will air lift them into the Surobi District of Afghanistan to protect another CH-47 that made a hard landing there. DoD photo by Sgt. Johnny R. Aragon, U.S Army. (Released)"
The events in this town, DeKalb, Illinois, Northern Illinois University, have saddened us and prevented me from posting for a time.
Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives in the recent shootings, and they go out to their friends and families. More on that later, perhaps.
USS Augusta (SSN 710) is in Norfolk as part of its inactivation process.
USS Juneau (LPD 10) is with the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group in the Sea of Japan. The picture shows Essex crew members sweeping for debris that could harm aircraft engines. Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ty Swartz (Released). Other ships with the group are the USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) and the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49).
USS Fort McHenry and the high-speed vessel (HSV) 2 Swift have been delivering medical supplies to the Ghanian Navy and conducting fire fighting training with them.
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is getting work on its catapults as part of its overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are still in the 5th Fleet area, supporting operations in Iraq and the area. Some of Truman's crew visited the HMS Manchester (D95). The picture at bottom shows the Manchester in the background as the Truman Sailor's return to the carrier. Below top, "An AV-8B Harrier, left, from the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1), piloted by Capt. Daniel S. Fiust of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Reinforced, HMM-166 (REIN), performs an aerial refueling maneuver with an F/A-18E Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). U.S. Marine Corps photo by Capt. James Traylor." And below, middle, "Helicopter pilot Capt. Heather R. Holbert, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Reinforced [HMM (REIN)] 166 conducts a preflight inspection of her CH-53E Super Stallion on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region to promote stability and safeguard vital links to the global economy. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Richard Doolin." Now that's a nice shot of Holbert on top of the helicopter.
USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) is in the Persian Gulf, resupplying various other vessels.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman General James Cartwright has announced that the US Navy will attempt to shoot down a wayward US spy satellite using a Standard Missile on one of our Aegis ships.
The satellite is out of control and has dangerous gas on board. It is estimated that of the satellite’s 5000 pounds, as much as 2800 pounds will impact the earth. Because the satellite will break up upon reentry, even without the missile hit, it is impossible to predict where it will hit.
The goal is to hit and empty the gas tank, and hit the satellite so it reenters over an ocean or other unpopulated area.
An Aegis ship will be used because it is mobile and better able to achieve a hit over an unpopulated area. Also, the missiles are well known and tested, and can be reconfigured to meet this threat.
A similar fuel tank on the Shuttle Columbia survived reentry. Because ground control could communicate with the ship, the gas was drained before it hit. The satellite has no functioning communications, so the tank may hit while full, endangering anyone within a few football fields distance. The gas is fatal if inhaled in the right amount. Also, pieces of the satellite could impact populated areas.
Cartwright denies that the shoot will take place to destroy classified information or equipment on the satellite. He said that normal reentry would destroy those components without a missile hit.
That is as much of the story as the major news outlets gave before breaking in to talk about Britney Spears or how many delegates so-and-so has, quite frustrating.
In my view, this offers the Navy an unprecedented chance to practice warfare in space. It is about as good a dry run as one could ask for in terms of hitting a satellite.
I must confess that I have not done the research. I am under the impression that there are treaties banning space weapons, although I do know that the Chinese fired a missile and shot down one of their satellites in a test.
Because the US relies so heavily on satellites for communications, recon, and global positioning, such tests should serve as a warning. John McCain has proposed more primitive technological backups in case our more advanced capabilities are taken out in a war.
The photo shows USS Decatur firing that type of missile, and I quote the caption below:
"PACIFIC OCEAN (June 22, 2007) - A Standard Missile (SM-3) is launched from the Aegis combat system equipped Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) during a Missile Defense Agency ballistic missile flight test. Minutes later the SM-3 intercepted a separating ballistic missile threat target, launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. It was the first time such a test was conducted from a ballistic missile defense equipped-U.S. Navy destroyer. The previous flight tests were conducted from U.S. Navy cruisers. The maritime capability is designed to intercept short to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of flight. USS Decatur is one of 18 U.S. Navy ships (three cruisers and 15 destroyers) that will be identically equipped, by early 2009, with the ballistic missile defense capabilities of conducting long-range surveillance/tracking and launching the SM-3 missile. U.S. Navy Photo (Released)"
A Russian former General has said that the press is over-reacting to the Russian bombers that flew over the Nimitz.
I link to the story in RIA Novesti so you can see the whole thing.
On the one hand, he is correct. This kind of thing is going to happen now and again. Both sides keep tabs on the other, and with Russia trying to make a comeback on the oceans, quasi-confrontational but perfectly legal actions are going to take place on both sides of the equation.
On the other hand, he characterizes the events as joint training, which is a bit of a stretch. Yes, Russia and NATO and other friendly countries are conducting joint exercises; the USS San Jacinto had the Russian Admiral on board during the Russian fleet exercises in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
However, the bombers were unannounced and fall into a less friendly category of conduct.
The Chief of Naval Operations recently held a press conference in which he explained why the Navy needs at least 313 ships for its future fleet.
"As I look at the future fleet and the size of what that fleet needs to be, the number of 313 ships is what I consider to be the floor because my experience commanding both in the Pacific and the Atlantic is that we need at least that number to be able to engage, to be present and to develop relationships. And from that relationship comes the trust that goes with being able to conduct cooperative and collaborative operations around the world," the CNO said.
When you follow what our ships are doing, you can't help but notice how many public service efforts they engage in, and the training that they do with foreign navies, coast guards and ground forces. Right now the HSV Swift and the Fort McHenry are off the coast of Africa doing just that, the Fitzgerald is in Micronesia, the Nimitz is paying port visits to Japan, the San Jacinto visited Haifa, the Cole visited Malta, and so it goes. They stop to get supplies but also to create the relationships that the Admiral mentions.
Then, if the Navy needs to engage terrorists in the area, it has connections. Local militaries are familiar with the ships and the personnel and can lend a hand.
Who can forget how much the local people of New Guinnea and Guadalcanal helped the US in WWII? They knew the landscape and how to survive its challenges.
Hence, USS Reuben James is there now, thanking them and keeping the relationship going.
It seems less than dramatic, but it's an important part of the overall strategy.
The Navy has released these pictures of the Russian bombers that flew over and around the USS Nimitz recently. I wonder if the middle picture was taken from the flight deck of the carrier. Captions are quoted below each picture, courtesy of the US Navy:
"080209-N-XXXXX-003 PACIFIC (Feb. 2, 2008) One of two Russian Tu-95 Bear long rang bomber aircraft which neared the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) on Feb. 9, 2008 south of Japan. As standard procedure the carrier launched a fighter intercept of F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVN ) 11 as escort. Nimitz was transiting through the Western Pacific on a regularly scheduled deployment when the incident occurred. U.S. Navy Photo (Released)"
"080209-N-XXXXX-002 PACIFIC (Feb. 2, 2008) An F/A-18 Hornet from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) escorts a Russian Tu-95 Bear, long rang bomber aircraft on Feb. 9, 2008 south of Japan. The bomber neared the vicinity of the carrier resulting in the fighter intercept. Nimitz was transiting through the Western Pacific on a regularly scheduled deployment when the incident occurred. U.S. Navy Photo"
The USS Fitzgerald was in the Marianas yesterday, many of its sailors helping to clean up Dandan Elementary School and talk with students, reports Raquel C. Bagnol of Marianas Variety, a good source for occasional information about US ships.
The school principal, Mr. Barcinas, says the ship will be on patrol for three months and then return to Japan, its base. It is commanded by Daniel P. Dusek.
Various Web sites and newspapers have reported on the Svitzer Korsakov being taken by pirates near Somalia, and the company's Web page confirms this, but the latest reports are unclear.
They conflict in various ways, and we will have to wait and see how the events have actually unfolded.
The Navy is said to have fired on pirate skiffs going towards the Svitzer Korsakov in an effort to prevent resupply. The Navy spokesperson, however, would not confirm those reports. She did confirm that the Navy is observing, communicating with the pirates, and trying to prevent resupply.
Some sources call the tug Russian, probably because there are four Russians in the crew. One source calls it Dutch. Another correctly identifies it as Danish. A look at Svitzer's Web page identifies the company as owned by Maersk, a large, Danish shipping company. Svitzer's offices are located in Copenhagen.
It's not unusual for a crew to be multinational. In this case, the Captain is British, the engineer is Irish and the crew is Russian.
There are no recent updates on the company Web page.
So stay tuned. I will try to dig out what is happening.
