Report: Pentagon plans floating military base in Mideast

As tensions rise between the U.S. and Iran over its nuclear ambitions, the Pentagon is preparing to bring a decommissioned assault ship back into duty for possible deployment to the Mideast

The plan, first reported in the Washington Post, would create a floating base for commando teams who might deployed against Somali pirates, and other threats. The action is also a possible counter move for Iran's continued threats to shut down a key oil pipeline, the Strait of Hormuz.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Navy is planning to convert a decommissioned amphibious ship, the Ponce, to be used as the mothership. It is expected to be ready to head to the area by June 1.

The amphibious assault ship Ponce had been scheduled to be decommissioned after a 40-year career. In December, it returned to Norfolk Naval Station for the decommissioning. The Ponce was led by 28 commanding officers, crewed by more than 18,400 sailors, and has transported more than 24,500 Marines.

Panetta: U.S. to cut 100k ground forces

Lt. Cmdr. Mike Kafka, a spokesman for the Navy's Fleet Forces Command, declined to comment on the report to the Washington Post.

The move comes on the same week after a Navy SEAL operation that freed two Western hostages in Somalia. Analysts say such covert operations are representative of the Obama administration's pledge to build a smaller, more agile military force that can carry out surgical counterterrorist strikes to cripple an enemy.

The amphibious assault ship Ponce is seen in this Dec. 2, 2011 file photo. The ship had arrived at Norfolk Naval Station to be decommissioned after a 40-year career. But reports are now coming it that it might be sent to the Mideast as a floating base for commando operations.

/ AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot

That's a strategy much preferred to the land invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan that have cost so much American blood and treasure over the past decade. The contrast to a full-bore invasion is stark: A small, daring team storms a pirate encampment on a near-moonless night, kills nine kidnappers and whisks the hostages to safety.

Special operations forces, trained for such clandestine missions, have become a more prominent tool in the military's kit since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that led to the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Pentagon leaders outlined a plan Thursday for absorbing $487 billion in defense cuts over the coming decade by shrinking U.S. ground forces, slowing the purchase of a next-generation stealth fighter and retiring older planes and ships.

In a bid to pre-empt election-year Republican criticism, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the plan shifts the Pentagon's focus from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to future challenges in Asia, the Mideast and in cyberspace. More special operations forces like the Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden will be available around the world, he said.

[gypsy0032]

Vote Ron Paul. That's the only way any of this changes. Of course it's easy to talk about change. It's harder to step up and make the choice to see change come about.

[nbcnews]

Note to Obama and the Pentagon. It may not be such a good idea to put that many personnel and war ships in one spot so close to Iran just in case they do have a usable nuke. It doesn't even have to travel that far.

[noloyalisti]

Hey maybe Iran should plan a base off the Atlantic coast near Washington DC. How's that sound?

[worldcitizen1]

This is insane, there is no need of another war! So many US citizens are so easily manipulated it's pathetic.

[noloyalisti]

It is scary that multi-national corporations and the the Top 1% who run them can propagandize the uneducated American Sheeple so easily. Unbelievable.

[fedup12]

We are absolutely DYING to have another base over there. We should just annex Israel and be done with it.

Gets more foreign aid than some states in America already anyway.

And they already control Washington.

[joe1022joe]

You know, every time the Dems are running up to an election they start talking about cutting the military. Clinton cut the military using a Dem Party flack as Sec of Defense. We got the disaster at Mogidishu. A Seal team is good. Very good. But they are not enough to fight a war. The Dems are willing to weaken our military to free up $$ to support their lefty organizations such as ACORN. This is not a winning strategy for a great nation.

[thechooch1]

joe1022joe silly post. The cut in the defense budget was driven by the budget committee not being able to reach an agreement on spending cuts and revenue increases. It has nothing to do with your President or Secretary Clinton.

[fedup12]

Do you want to destroy America by continuing debt at the current levels. Defense alone is as big as those nasty social programs you hate like SS, Medicare, Medicate and especially welfare.

So defense should have as big a target on its back as those other programs.

But it sounds like you want to continue our debt. Fake conservative.

Ron Paul 2012.

[longtree-2009]

why not use an existing aircraft carrier? they have better defensive technology than this old ship. would think think this old ship would be easier to sink or blow up than an aircraft carrier.

[kimb54]

We need to deploy battle groups quickley is why they can't be a base. The use of a ship like this perfect for for the mission at hand. P.S. There will be battle group in he region.

[baileyccc]

That's the way ya do it.

[farmerbb]

I suspect a ship like the Ponce could LAUNCH some types of drones, which could monitor small vessels in the area, to see if they are really fishing boats. But could it retrieve them ? Drones would be a relatively inexpensive way to check out the intentions of potential pirates. And target them if necessary. If one of those pirate vessels suddenly disappeared, not many people would know, and perhaps no one would care.

[bobnjersey]

[The plan, first reported in the Washington Post, would create a floating base for commando teams who might deployed against Somali pirates, and other threats.]
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isn't that what an aircraft carrier is? one of the eleven they currently have ... with the myriad of support ships in each carrier group can't serve this purpose?

maybe one of the 27 frigates ... or 75 submarines ... or even the 60 destroyers?

nope ... let's drop a pile of of that borrowed chinese treasury money on this old hulk we were planning on cutting up.

more wasted money in the name of security.

just up the retirement age ... lay off some more teachers ... and bust a union or too to pay for it all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy