Iran To Launch A "Hormuz Closing" Maneuver

[Kunal Biswas]

Operation Praying Mantis

Operation Praying Mantis


On 18 April, the U.S. Navy attacked with several groups of surface warships, plus aircraft from the carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), and her ASW/AAW escort USS Truxtun (CGN-35). The action began with coordinated strikes by two surface groups.

One surface action group, or SAG, consisting of the destroyers USS Merrill (DD 976) and USS Lynde McCormick (DDG 8), plus the amphibious transport dock USS Trenton (LPD-14) and its embarked Marine Air Ground Task Force, was ordered to destroy the guns and other military facilities on the Sassan oil platform. At 8 am, the SAG commander, who was also the commander of Destroyer Squadron 9, ordered the Merrill to radio a warning to the occupants of the platform, telling them to abandon it. The SAG waited 20 minutes, then opened fire. The oil platform fired back with 8-barrelled 23mm ZSU-23 guns. The SAG's guns eventually disabled some of the ZSU-23s, and platform occupants radioed a request for a cease-fire. The SAG complied. After a tug carrying more personnel had cleared the area, the ships resumed exchanging fire with the remaining ZSU-23s, and ultimately disabled them. Cobra gunships completed the destruction of enemy resistance. The Marines boarded the platform, and recovered a single wounded survivor (who was transported to Bahrain), some small arms, and intelligence. The Marines planted explosives, left the platform, and set them off. The SAG was then ordered to proceed north to the Rakhsh oil platform to destroy it.

Action continued to escalate. The Joshan, an Iranian Combattante II Kaman-class fast attack craft, challenged USS Wainwright (CG-28) and Surface Action Group Charlie. The commanding officer of USS Wainwright directed a final warning (of a series of warnings) stating that the Joshan was to "stop your engines, abandon ship, I intend to sink you". Joshan responded by firing a Harpoon missile at them.[5] The USS Simpson (FFG-56) responded to the challenge by firing two Standard missiles, while Wainwright followed with one Standard missile.[5] The attacks destroyed the Iranian ship's superstructure but did not immediately sink it, so USS Bagley (FF-1069) fired a Harpoon of its own; the missile did not find the target. SAG Charlie closed on the Joshan, with Simpson, then Bagley and Wainwright firing guns to sink the crippled Iranian ship

Two Iranian F-4 Phantom fighters then approached the Wainwright. One fighter left the area soon after the cruiser placed its 55B Fire Control Radar in search mode. The second fighter made a low-altitude approach towards the warship, which responded by firing two SM-2 missiles at the fighter. One hit the Iranian aircraft, blowing off part of its wing and peppering the fuselage with shrapnel. The Iranian pilot managed to land his damaged airplane at Bandar Abbas

Sahand fired missiles at the A-6Es, and the U.S. Intruders replied with two Harpoon missiles and four laser-guided Skipper bombs. USS Joseph Strauss fired a Harpoon. Most, if not all of the shots scored hits, causing heavy damage and fires. Fires blazing on Sahand's decks eventually reached her munitions magazines, causing an explosion that sank the vessel.

The Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burns after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing II from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58). The ship was hit by three Harpoon missiles plus cluster bombs.

Late in the day, the Iranian frigate IS Sabalan (F73), departed from its berth and fired a surface-to-air missile at several A-6Es from VA-95. The Intruders then dropped a Mark 82 laser-guided bomb into the Sabalan's smokestack, crippling the ship and leaving it burning. The Iranian frigate, stern partially submerged, was taken in tow by an Iranian tug, and was repaired and eventually returned back to service. VA-95's aircraft, as ordered, did not continue the attack. The A-6 pilot who crippled the Sabalan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Admiral William J. Crowe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for these actions against the Sabalan and the Iranian gunboats

An aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burning on 18 April 1988 after being attacked by aircraft of U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 11 in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58)

Similar engagement happens in past, I hope Iranians are smart enough not to engage US forces..
US wont heisted to attack even in Russian presence, " Retaliation " with PGMs from Ships..

 

[asianobserve]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...from-mining-hormuz-strait-commander-says.html

U.S. Would Block Iran From Mining Hormuz Strait, Commander Says
Bloomberg
February 13, 2012

"The U.S. Navy would move to stop any Iranian attempt to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz or Persian Gulf as an "act of war" the international community wouldn't tolerate, the U.S. Navy's top Gulf commander said."

 

[asianobserve]

Iran Sanctions Tighten as Shippers Stop Loading - Bloomberg

"Sanctions on Iran are tightening after Overseas Shipholding Group, Frontline Ltd. and owners controlling more than 100 supertankers said they would stop loading cargoes from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' second-largest producer.

xxx"

 

[W.G.Ewald]

The Navy Is Getting Its Forces Ready For Iran In The Strait Of Hormuz

The global signs of a coming military conflict with Iran continue to build, and today the U.S. Navy made clear its intentions by announcing it's sending four additional mine countermeasure ships to the Strait of Hormuz.

Stars and Stripes reports the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he's sending the mine ships in addition to four airborne mine countermeasure helicopters.

Iran has already warned that one of its first steps in closing the Strait of Hormuz, and choking off 40 percent of the world's oil supply, will be to mine the strait and deploy its fleet of small electronic submarines.

Greenert was recently aboard the USS John C. Stennis when it was tailed through the strait by the Iranians and came away from that ride thinking "[W]e could do better setting the theater. I wanted to be sure ... that we are ready..."

To get "ready" Greenert is also bringing upgrades to mine neutralization vehicles, submarine torpedoes, optics, and weapons to counter the swarm maneuvers employed by the Iranian navy.

This move will double the number of minesweepers in the Persian Gulf, but Greenert declined to call the deployments a surge, as when forces are built up for a planned operation, instead telling reporters: "I'm not going to define it as a surge. You called it a deployment, how's that"

Mine countermeasure ship: USS Warrior

 

[Zebra]

Pentagon's backup plan places hundreds of Tomahawks near Iran

Read more: Pentagon's backup plan places hundreds of Tomahawks near Iran


By Anne Sewell
Apr 23, 2012

While Iran continues to deny that it is developing nuclear weapons, Washington is still concerned about the region and has now deployed approximately 430 Tomahawk missiles in the Persian Gulf.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has reported that their plan for Iran "will be successful" according to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
In an interview between Blitzer and Panetta, it was advised that Washington has not yet dropped its "all options stance" on Iran. The Pentagon still fears that Tehran may be building nuclear weapons.

Panetta said: "We are prepared with all options on the table if we have to respond," and added "there are plans to deal with Iran if the country does not give up its nuclear ambitions. I don't think there is any question that if we have to implement that plan, it will be successful."
In a practical approach, two U.S. aircraft carriers, several submarines, battle groups and additional marines will be deployed in the Gulf. Both the Pentagon and the U.S. Navy have said that the commissions are "routine".
However, Interfax news agency said that the group, headed by the USS Enterprise, has taken at least 130 Tomahawk missiles to the Persian Gulf.
Another group of warships led by the USS Abraham LIncoln is carrying many similar long-range cruise missiles and was last reported to be patrolling the Arabian sea. The U.S. Navy says this is to provide air support to NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Along with these ships, the submarine USS George is also in the area and is estimated to be carrying 154 Tomahawks. A second submarine which is assigned to an amphibious assault group apparently has some 12 cruise missiles on board.
This makes a total of at least 430 Tomahawks, which have a range of 1,700 km in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
In combination, these Tomahawk missiles are able to totally take out Iran's air-defense system and to turn the country's military airfields to rubble.
While Washington says that the first round of nuclear talks with Tehran gave "positive feelings", there has been no alleviation in the sanctions imposed on Iran's economy.
Iran continues to deny that it is attempting to build nuclear weapons and stresses that it is the country's right to produce nuclear energy for power and medical needs.

Pentagon's backup plan places hundreds of Tomahawks near Iran

 

[ejazr]

What is interesting is that AK Anotony's recent visit to Saudi Arabia has aspects of mine clearing operations and training as part of their discussions

IndiaÂ’s Arab sprint - Indian Express
.
.
An interesting aspect of the bilateral understanding reached between Anthony and Prince Salman is that India and Saudi Arabia would also undertake joint research and projects in the field of hydrography, exchanging information on nautical cartography and hydrographic surveys of coastal areas, ports, harbours and designated sea areas. In the near term this would also facilitate de-mining!
.
.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

US Navy Fires on Ship in Persian Gulf, One Dead - ABC News

An American Navy ship fired on a boat in the Persian Gulf today, killing one person and injuring three others aboard the craft, a U.S. naval official told ABC News.

A spokesperson for the Navy's 5th Fleet, which is based in nearby Bahrain, said that a security team aboard the oil supply ship U.S.N.S. Rappahannock fired a .50 caliber machine gun at a "small motor vessel after it disregarded warnings and rapidly approached the U.S. ship" off the coast of Jebel Ali, a city approximately 30 miles from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The Navy is investigating the incident as details continue to emerge. A Navy official said the offending vessel was a white pleasure craft, but a UAE official told ABC News it was a fishing boat with four Indians and two Emirates on board. There doesn't appear to be any indication the incident was terror-related, the UAE official said.

The Navy official said it's not uncommon for Iranian speed craft to harass U.S. ships in the region, but in this case the boat wasn't Iranian.

 

[Armand2REP]

Not to worry, France is sending CdG to join several US carriers to put Iran in its place...

 

[asianobserve]

NEW UAE PIPELINE BYPASSES STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ
Oil shipments can now reach terminal on Gulf of Oman, bypassing Strait of Hormuz and Iran's threats to blockade it.
New UAE pipeline bypasses Strait of Hormuz - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Based on last year's figures, 17 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day [EPA]

The United Arab Emirates has inaugurated a pipeline to pump oil from east coast terminals, bypassing the strategic Strait of Hormuz which Iran has threatened to shut down, state-run WAM news agency reported.

The first shipment of 500,000 barrels of oil from the Habshan fields in Abu Dhabi emirate were pumped through the pipeline to Fujairah oil terminal on the Gulf of Oman, where it was loaded on a tanker headed for Pakistan, on Sunday.

Energy Minister Mohammad bin Dhaen al-Hameli attended a ceremony in Fujairah for the launch.

Fears of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz have intensified amid repeated threats by Tehran to close the strategic outlet in retaliation for Western efforts to choke off its oil exports to rein in Iran's nuclear programme.

Media reports in Tehran earlier this month said Iranian MPs endorsed a bill banning Europe-bound tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to punish EU nations which have slapped sanctions on Iran.

On Thursday, US officials said the United States has deployed a fleet of robot subs in the Gulf to prevent Iran from blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz with mines in case of a crisis.

The US military has been bolstering its presence in the region and sent four mine sweeper ships in early June, joining four other mine sweeping vessels already in the region, according to its Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.

And in late April, a squadron of F-22 stealth fighters was sent to an air base in the United Arab Emirates.

Last week, senior Abu Dhabi oil official Ali Jarwan said the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline would be fully operational in August. Construction of the 360km pipeline began in 2008.

In late May, Fujairah ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sharqi told the AFP news agency the pipeline will have an initial capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) rising to a maximum 1.8 million bpd.

The UAE's current production is about 2.5 million bpd.