Monday, September 10, 2007

Report: USS Nimitz, Truman strike groups heading to Persian Gulf to join USS Enterprise

Above: Jets line the flight deck of the USS Nimitz in its Persian Gulf deployment in June. The total carrier strength in the Gulf has ranged from one to three strike groups this year. The USS Nimitz and the USS Stennis strike groups conducted major war games involving 17,000 personnel in the Persian Gulf in May. The games culminated in an amphibious landing exercise in Kuwait, just a few miles from Iran. The USS Nimitz has just completed participation in two separate 'war games', one off Guam and one in the Indian Ocean. The USS Truman is currently undergoing carrier qualifications in the Atlantic.

Two US carrier-strike groups are bound for Persian Gulf region, bringing number back to three

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that from the third week of July, the only American strike force- carrier in the Persian Gulf-Arabian Sea region was the USS Enterprise. By the end of September, it will be joined by the USS Nimitz and the USS Truman Strike Groups. Our sources note that with their arrival, three American naval, air and marine forces will again confront Iranian shores at a time of crisis in the military and civilian leadership of Iran - signaled by the abrupt change of Revolutionary Guards Corps commanders, rising Israel-Syrian tensions and a troubled situation in Lebanon.

The Nimitz left the region to take part in large-scale Malabar 2007 II exercise with five Asian nations, termed by Indian military observers “the first step towards establishing Asian NATO. Since the maneuver ended Friday, Sept. 7, the Nimitz has been on its way back to the Persian Gulf. The Truman group, made up of 12 warships and submarines, including a nuclear sub, with 7,600 sailors, air crew and marines aboard, has just completed a long series of training exercises and is preparing to set out for its new posting. It carries eight squadrons of fighters, bombers and spy planes...

The combined naval strike groups include the Monterey-CG 61 guided missile cruiser, the USS Barry DDG 52 and USS Mason-DDG 87 guided missile destroyers, the USS Albuquerque-SSN 706 fast nuclear strike submarine and the combat logistical USNS Arctic T-AOE 8.

Read the rest at Debka

Navies take stock as Indian Ocean war games end

A massive peacetime military exercise ended in the Indian Ocean on Sunday as navies from five nations including the United States disengaged from mock battles.

The USS Nimitz, the world's largest supercarrier, had already withdrawn from the Bay of Bengal, where navies from Australia, India Japan and Singapore as well as the United States launched the drill on Tuesday.

The end of the six-day exercises code-named "Operation Malabar" was marked by mock battles involving fighter jets from supercarrier the USS Kitty Hawk and India's aircraft carrier INS Viraat and other strike groups near the strategic Malacca Straits, officials said...

"The details will not be revealed," he told AFP, referring to the results of the aerial dogfights and simulated sea battles in the Bay of Bengal.

Read the rest at AFP Google

Nimitz Completes Exercise

The five-nation Malabar war games are being conducted on rules and procedures compliant with the requirements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Indian naval and air force officers disclosed in interviews aboard the aircraft carrier today...

The USS Nimitz has completed its deployment for this exercise and is now headed to the Persian Gulf. It left the exercise area at 1 am on Friday.

Read the rest at the Telegraph India

Related Link:
Bush on Iran: 'We will confront this danger before it is too late'

Related Link:
Analysis: U.S. strategy on Iran now based on failure in Iraq

Related Link:
UN Ambassador Khalilzad: Mideast instability could lead to world war; Says could be 10-20 years before Iraq 'in a position to stand on its own feet'

Related Link:
Rice: Saudi arms deal important to protect U.S. allies from Iran

Related Link:
Report: U.S. to designate Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organization

Related Link:
Reports: $20 billion arms sale part of 3-step plan to contain Iran; Includes U.S. bases in Iraq, doubling of Saudi, Kuwait military

Related Link:
Reports: Iran to buy 250 advanced fighter jets from Russia

Related Link:
Rice: $20 billion Arab arms sales 'will help bolster forces of moderation... to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region'

Related Link:
Report: White House seeks $20 billion arms sale for Saudis, others; Promises $30 billion in aid to mollify Israel

Related Link:
Report: Cheney pushing for air strikes against Iran

Related Link:
Bush warns Maliki on trusting Iran; Calls Iran 'dangerous'; Says 'there will be consequences' for Iranian involvement in Iraq

Related Link:
Report: Recently departed Nimitz, Stennis along with Kitty Hawk in war game excercise to practice Iran assaults

Related Link:
Enterprise arrives in Middle East as lone carrier; Nimitz, Stennis head to Pacific

Related Link:
Reports: $20 billion arms sale part of 3-step plan to contain Iran; Includes U.S. bases in Iraq, doubling of Saudi, Kuwait military

Related Link:
Amphibious strike group leaves Monday for Middle East to 'deny terrorists use of the maritime environment'

Related Link:
Report: Stealth bombers to be fitted with 'bunker buster' bombs

Related Link:
Source: Cheney convinces Bush to strike Iran before end of term

Related Link:
Reports: Navy announces deployment of Enterprise strike group to Persian Gulf; Conflicting reports on if it will join or replace Stennis or Nimitz

Related Link:
Reports: USS Enterprise strike group to join Stennis, Nimitz

Related Link:
Reports: Riots in Iran over gas rationing; Rationing due to war fears; Revolutionary Guards in Iraq

Related Link:
Report: Israeli air force training for Iran strike

Related Link:
'Senior American Military Officers': Plan for Iran strike in place; Air Force, Navy to play primary roles

Related Link:
Kuwait says it won’t allow U.S. attack on Iran from territory

Related Link:
Iran threatens U.S. Mideast bases if attacked

Related Link:
Report: Joint U.S.-Israel exercises aimed at Iran

Related Link:
Perspective: Navy Works to Keep Lines Open to Iran

Related Link:
Sources: Iran planning large-scale retaliation if U.S. attacks

Related Link:
'Sources': Cheney senior aide promoting plan to provoke Iran into military response against U.S.

Related Link:
Nine US warships with 17,000 personnel enter Gulf in show of force

Related Link:
Security Analyst to UK Lawmakers: Iran drawing up plans to strike European nuclear plants

Related Link:
Report: Fallon vetoed increased Gulf presence, opposes Bush moves on Iran

Related Link:
Cheney 'warns' Iran on visit to USS Stennis

Related Link:
Official: Kuwait has built food stockpile, taken precautionary measures in event of U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Rice: Military option still open on Iran

Related Link:
USS Nimitz strike group arrives in Persian Gulf

Related Link:
U.S.: Iran Can Target Missile at U.S., Europe in Less Than 8 Years

Related Link:
Eisenhower strike group heading home

Related Link:
Source: Larijani tells Maliki Iraq 'part of the United States' and 'part of the danger' to Iran

Related Link:
U.S.: Iran world's biggest sponsor of terrorism

Related Link:
Iran's top national security official in surprise visit to Iraq for talks with leaders, Maliki

Related Link:
Bahrain: Plans ready in event of U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Bahrain, U.S. hold largest mass casualty drill ever

Related Link:
Report: Kuwait preparing contingency plan for U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Guided missile destroyer USS Chafee leaves for Persian Gulf to join Nimitz

Related Link:
General Holmes: U.S. has military capability for war with Iran, but attack not 'a desired military activity right now'

Related Link:
Report: U.S. offered U.K. to conduct aggressive air patrols over Iran

Related Link:
Stennis group leaves Persian Gulf for Arabian Sea

Related Link:
Israeli Military Intelligence Chief: Iran preparing for U.S. attack in Summer

Related Link:
U.S. orders 3rd carrier to Persian Gulf, says Nimitz to 'replace' Eisenhower

Related Link:
U.S. launches Persian Gulf 'war games' aimed at Iran

Related Link:
Senior Commander: U.S. rules of engagement would have called for fighting in HMS Cornwall incident

Related Link:
Perspective: Iran can harass but not block Hormuz ships-experts

Related Link:
Perspective: Analysts say Iranian military obsolete

Related Link:
Report: Israel, U.S. hold large-scale joint missile defense exercise

Related Link:
Report: Iran poised to strike in wealthy Gulf states if U.S. attacks

Related Link:
Inelligence Chief McConnell: Iran training Iraqi insurgents in I.E.D. use at sites in Lebanon, Iran

Related Link:
Gulf countries deny giving air space for Israeli attack on Iran

Related Link:
Israel to hold nationwide nuclear attack drill

Related Link:
Report: 3 Gulf states agree to Israeli overflights en route to Iran; Turkey urged to allow U.S. overflights, ground attack

Related Link:
UK Defense Sources: Widespread Pentagon opposition to attack on Iran

Related Link:
Report: Pentagon panel plans for attack on Iran with 24-hour notice; Special op teams operating between Iraq and Iran

Related Link:
Report: Israel seeks U.S. okay for Iran attack

Related Link:
UK Military Sources: Massive attack on Iran could come 'any day'

Related Link:
Navy Commander Walsh: US Gulf buildup result of Iranian 'provocations'

Related Link:
USS Stennis joins Eisenhower in Gulf as 'warning' to Iran

Related Link:
Report: U.S. attack plans for Iran include destroying naval, air bases, most of 'military' infrastructure

Related Link:
Report: Pentagon panel plans for attack on Iran with 24-hour notice; Special op teams operating between Iraq and Iran

Related Link:
Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters

Related Link:
Iran's Elite Guard to Hold 'Asymmetrical' War Games

Related Link:
Sources: US in advanced stages of planning for attack on Iran; Able, ready to strike in the Spring

Related Link:
Iran's Top Authority: Iran will target U.S. interests world-wide if attacked

Related Link:
U.S. strike group transits Suez on way to buildup in Persian Gulf

Related Link:
Analysis: U.S. and Iran on the precipice

Related Link:
'Senior Pentagon Officials': Air force preparing for aggressive tactics against Iranians in Iraq

Related Link:
Analysis: Surging towards Iran