Navy Flexes Its Muscles In Persian Gulf

(AP)  American warplanes screamed off two aircraft carriers Tuesday as the U.S. Navy staged its largest show of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, launching a mammoth exercise meant as a message to the Iranians.

The maneuvers with 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft were sure to heighten tensions with Iran, which has frequently condemned the U.S. military presence off its coast and is in a faceoff with the West over its nuclear program and its capture of a British naval team.

While they would not say when the war games were planned, U.S. commanders insisted the exercises were not a direct response to Friday's seizure of the 15 British sailors and marines, but they also made clear that the flexing of the Navy's military might was intended as a warning.

"If there is strong presence, then it sends a clear message that you better be careful about trying to intimidate others," said Capt. Bradley Johanson, commander of the Stennis.

"Iran has adopted a very escalatory posture with the things that they have done," he added.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military denied reports that Iran fired a missile at a U.S. ship in the Persian Gulf. The rumors of an attack had sent oil prices soaring, but Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown of the U.S. Navy 5th fleet told an Associated Press reporter that all ships in the Gulf had been checked and the rumors were untrue.

The exercises began four days after Iranian forces detained the 15 Britons for allegedly being in Iranian territorial waters near the northern end of the Gulf. U.S. and British officials insist the team was properly searching cargo vessels inside Iraqi waters.

F/A-18 fighter jets roared off the Stennis' flight deck all day, mounting a dozen rapid-fire training sorties against imaginary enemy ships and aircraft. A second task force with the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower also took part in the drills.

"These maneuvers demonstrate our flexibility and capability to respond to threats to maritime security," said Navy Lt. John Perkins, 32, of Louisville, Ky., as the Stennis cruised about 80 miles off the United Arab Emirates after entering the Persian Gulf overnight.

"They're showing we can keep the maritime environment safe and the vital link to the global economy open."

At the headquarters of the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, Cmdr. Kevin Aandahl said the maneuvers would last several days. He said U.S. warships would stay out of Iran's territorial waters, which extend 12 miles off the Iranian coast.

None of America's naval coalition partners in the region joined the maneuvers.

A French naval strike group, led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, was operating just outside the Gulf in the Arabian Sea. But the French ships were supporting NATO forces in Afghanistan and not taking part in the U.S. maneuvers, Aandahl said.

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[epiker-2009]

zootallures2,

You're calling the 9/11 attacks "fake video"?? lol Well with a statement like that and your obvious lack of understanding of basic physics, you've discredited yourself.

By the way, did you know we could have peace with the islamofascist terrorists if we just surrender and all become muslims and start worshipping a mass murdering pedophile prophet? *** Bush and the neocons for not wanting peace.

[tbweb]

--grazinggoat

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are fired from NORAD in the United States, not ships! I'm talking about a missile attack on Iran from the U.S.! With 6000 missiles coming at Iran who needs to be an expert in military attack? Even if a 6000 missile attack is wrong Iran will have to survive it to prove it! The real point is the U.S. has a lot of military capability it does not use because of world opinion so our troops die unnecessarily while the U.S. fights conflicts on enemy terms and to please world opinion! The cheap solution is to go after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he alone is driving this nuclear nonsense in Irans name, he alone should pay the price, why should Iranians suffer for his nuclear maddness? Iranians should remove Ahmadinejad themselves and do themselves and the world a favor and its cheaper too!

[grazinggoat]

I would fire around 6000 Ballistic Missiles at Iran and I'll bet a few thousand hit their mark!
Posted by tbweb

-tbweb, you seem to forget you are not an expert in strategic defense or military attack. You%u2019re presuming of simultaneously launching a 6000 intercontinental missiles which is unreal. Come on. What, do you think this is a firecracker show presented with music at New Year midnight show?

With the fastest torpedo ever, Iran can hit our ships longtime before one single missile is launched from warships, most of them Tomahawk type of missile being stored on board of warships and submarines.

[zootallures2]

epiker... They should have considered all the calculations before making the fake video. Not after.

Is (600kph+): KE=1/2mv^2 also the formula for making a 60 foot sea gull? Or is that (60ft ): Kirmit=1/2bigbird^2? I made 90 foot frogs in my grade school biology class. I'm up to 300 footers and plan to unleash them and take over the world.

[epiker-2009]

"How did aluminum planes fly completely through a steel and concrete bulding?" Posted by zootallures2

Are you stupid enough to think an airliner is as fragile as a pop-can? Do you have any idea how strong the aircraft aluminum structure has to be to carry the weight of the plane as well as survive the load factors it experiences? Combine that with high velocity (600kph+): KE=1/2mv^2 and think of the massive amount of energy you unleash on the towers. You could learn this in a grade school physics class.

[down-ndirty]

"How did aluminum planes fly completely through a steel and concrete bulding?" Posted by zootallures2

They didn't. They bounced off, became invisible, and disappeared into the Hudson River. The building was actually blown up by a demo team, however, the explosives malfunctioned and some of the upper floors blew up first. A few minutes later the remaining explosives finally blew and the building came down. Ditto for the other building. LOL!!

I'd better watch myself; I'll wind up workin' in a gas station where the torture never stops. LOL!

[tbweb]

--grazinggoat

The correct attack plan against Iran is by Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, the U.S. has thousands of them, all the U.S. would need to do is replace the nuclear warheads with conventional warheads. Next, the U.S. would need to convince Russia, China and anyone else concerned that those missiles are only heading for Iran! Even if Iran has an anti-Ballistic Missile defense, if enough of those Ballistic Missiles are fired at Iran it could not stop all of them, only some of them, and it only takes a few direct hits! I would fire around 6000 Ballistic Missiles at Iran and I'll bet a few thousand hit their mark! The U.S. can't play pitty pat with Iran!, if the U.S. attacks Iran the U.S. should attack for effect!

[grazinggoat]

...Something is up no question, Iran is too bold.
Posted by tbweb

-remember they have the fastest silkworm-style anti-aircraft-carriers torpedo? Good against other naval warships as well.

-Of course they may have the latest defensive weapon designed by Chinese, that shot down (not to say pulverised) that fffaasssst flying object (the weather satellite of their own). This technology may render Ira or any other country immune to the US air attacks by airplanes or traditional ballistic missiles.

[tbweb]

--grazinggoat

I agree completely! Iran has something up it sleve. The only possible things that matter are Russians manning Iranian TOR-M1's and Sunburns. A promise of Russian and/or Chinese support in case of military conflict. Russian and or Chinese logistical support via satellites to uncover U.S. military positions. A promise from Shiite's in Iraq to turn against Americans and support Iranian Shiite's. Iranian missile attacks against U.S. military concentrations in Iraq, namely the U.S. Green Zone in which case the U.S. military should disperse its assets and personnel. A missile attack on Israel. Worst case, in possession of a nuclear weapon from buddy North Korea! Something is up no question, Iran is too bold.

[pwrslm]

We need to be aware that Syria will try to help Iran if there is a conflict. They say Syria was the benefactor of Saddams "lost" wmd, with accounts of shipments to serveral locations in Syria.

Iran is provoking us. Its not over yet.