Iran warships headed our way
Yeah, I don’t think they would have tried this during the last president’s tenure, but Iran is sending a destroyer and a logistic helicopter carrier to our shores to send us a “message”, according to NPR quoting Russia Today;
“[Commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Adm. Habibollah] Sayyari first announced Iran would begin a naval buildup ‘near maritime borders of the United States’ in September 2011. The move is part of Iran’s response to Washington’s sizeable naval presence in the Persian Gulf.”
“The US Navy’s 5th fleet, which is responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean, is based in Bahrain.”
“‘Like the arrogant powers that are present near our maritime borders, we will also have a powerful presence close to the American marine borders,’ Sayyari said at the time.”
I’m not worried, really, I’m sure trying to station a couple of ships off our shores will probably end poorly for the sailors on those ships. I don’t see Iran being able to provision them for the extended voyage and then for their float. But, if one of their ships gets in trouble because of weather or something, we’ll get blamed for it and our own damper services will have to rescue them. I’m sure they’ll get some, but not enough, support from some of our geographic neighbors.
Category: Terror War
…There is just so much wrong with the Iranian plan that it defies description – not least of which is that they are going to have to travel roughly 9100 miles to get here via the SHORTEST route. And once they get here, they will be under the watchful eyes of the USN and USCG, whether they see those eyes or not. This is either a ‘never-gonna-happen’ for the ears of the Iranian people, or a stunt guaranteed to embarrass at best or get somebody killed at worst, and blame us either way.
Mike
They’ll go hang out with the Venezuelans or the Cubans if they need help. Like Mike says, they’ll definitely need it….
2 ships?? Wow!!! We should all be quaking in our boots!!
Those 2 will be busy trying not to run into each other for us to worry about any posturing they would do.
I saw a pic of these two vessels. The warship might be charitably called a Frigate but is better described as a Corvette, more akin to the Coast Guard cutters.
The other is a transport ship with a helo deck aft. She looks to be part oiler and part supply, and the helos they have are the big ones used to sling cargo from ship to ship.
Now, having spent time all over the North Atlantic (and parts of the south too) these guys are in for some serious weather this time of year. I most certainly would NOT want to be on that little warship as is meets those great swells. To my mind, these guys haven’t a clue what they’re heading into.
Of course, the iranians are always like that, so this should be interesting.
The US Navy on Fox News this morn was quoted, “when they get here, they will find a lot more ships.”
Iranian Morons!
AW1 Tim nails it. The “destroyer” is 1500 tons displacement. By comparison, our Perry class frigates displace 4000 tons.
…#4 AW1 Tim –
On doing some research, it seems the tanker might end up doing far better than the corvette – she’s a slightly modified RN replenishment ship, designed to serve in the Atlantic. On the other hand, that doesn’t necessarily mean her crew can handle her there….
Mike
I say let em come. I got a few buddies with bass boats and we all have enough weapons. I believe we could take em. Our psy-ops entails catapults to fling bundles of Playboy and Penthouse onboard their vessels. That’ll keep em busy, one hand anyway, for quite some time. Sailors are sailors the world around! 😀 You can’t be “mannin” them battle stations with one hand in your pants. I wasn’t Navy and even I know that.
I would love to see Iranian Underway Replenishment.
If you want to see the real deal. Go to You Tube and search “USS Hepburn Underway Refueling”.
I was the EOOW and Oil King during that UNREP.
Just sayin’.
Well, you all have to remember that they’ve already sailed the Black Sea, through the Straits of Bosporus (avoiding the Sirens,of course), and they’ve been in the Med, so they just HAVE to be able to handle the Atlantic.
Then they get to have close encounters with the Coasties. That should be fun… for the Coasties… esepcially when they have to rescue the idiots.
I was thinking that maybe we could add a couple of sloops with a few six-pounder cannons to the USCG patrol.
Or maybe add a brigantine, her sails unfurled, firing a full broadside nine-pounder salute when the Iranians go by.
John Kerry (BTW–did you know he served in Vietnam, where people SHOT AT HIM WITH REAL BULLETS?) has a yacht parked in Rhode Island (not MA–gotta avoid those taxes!) that’s bigger than either of these tubs.
Yeah, just looking at the New England seacoast this time of year, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone who didn’t have to be out there.
I’d be more concerned about Somoli pirates in a leaky whaler in the Chesapeake Bay.
I was Master Helmsman qual’d and I can tell you first hand that UNREPing during heavy seas is sketchy as hell. Trying to keep the ship on course with waves smacking you about… not fun. And our Knox class Frigate was 3200 tons displacement, so their 1500 ton “destroyer” is going to bobbing like a cork trying to maintain course.
If the Iranians get froggy and think that their “show of force” will end any differently than Operation Praying Mantis… they got another thing coming.
@2 They will definitely find safe haven in those socialist bastions of wealth and freedom on the Caribbean, assuming they make it that far. From what the Navy guys are saying, that’s a mighty big “if.” Sounds to me like the poor dumb bastards will be rowing long before they get past Africa.
Maybe they just wanted an excuse to make a port stop in Bermuda.
Does anyone have an over/under on them getting past the Azores?
Bobo, on top of the sea or beneath it? 🙂
The Atlantic Ocean will quickly separate the chaff from the seed.
That’s not a place to sail just for sheets and giggles or to impress the world.
Hanging off shore Norfolk or King’s Bay Ga. might get more attention than they desire and a trip into the Bermuda triangle should be enlightening for the Iranian’s.
Now if they start acts of piracy or stopping ships on the high seas for fun and games perhaps they will get a lesson on manners.
Maybe we should consult with our very own, semi-resident expert, Commander Monkress at All Points Logistics, and get his input?
I say invite them in for a port call.
Introduce their sailors to civilization…and by civilization, I mean, hookers and booze.
Ask them if they need a tow…..
Speaking of the Bermuda triangle, it is true that experiments have been run on why ships and airplanes disappear in that area.
It was shown to be directly related to thawing of frozen methane sequestered on the Atlantic floor, moving to the surface and creating wave motion that swamped those ships and sank them, whereas the airplane engines were deprived of oxygen and shut down, causing a splashdown and sinking.
And I’m not referring to tiny boats of small yacht-sized ships. I’m referring to large cargo ships as well as a cruise ship. The most recent was the Sovereign of the Seas, a cruise ship.
Won’t surprise me a bit if that corvette hits that area and founders in the water. The Atlantic and Davy Jones show no mercy to idiots.
AW1 Tim, first tour I was a SH-2F helo crewman, flying out of Norfolk and off of Knox class frigates. They weighed in at over 4000 tons, and as a class had to be retro-fitted with a “Hurricane Bow” because of the damage one suffered- in the winter, in the Atlantic. The ASROC launcher (big box affair for rocket assisted ASW torpedoes) was carried away off of Cape Hatteras during one of our famous Nor’Easters.
These poor bastards have no idea what they’re in for.
Maybe this cruise will end up qualifying the boat’s Skipper and crew for a Darwin Award or at least an Honorable Mention by the time it’s all said and done?
Seriously, as i see it, Iran is acting like a chihuahua messing with a PO’ed Rottweiler!!
Never been a real fan of deep waters and ships but, I’ll bet the Atlantic gives them one hell of an experience. That’d be their “Rotweiller” LOL!
Given the Iranian Navy’s experience, I think Atlantic alone can tear them up like a PO’ed Rott, a Doberman, and a Pit Bull all at the same time!
Coastal sailors.
None of you have asked the most important question: do the Iranians know that when they approach US ports they have to fire off a harbor cannon to alert the harbor master they’ve arrived?
I hate to wish ill will upon those young Iranian sailors whose leadership has fashioned them as the chewy part of a shit sandwich. Nobody deserves that.
I have a feeling that the trip across the Atlantic will take the piss right out of any warlike intentions they may have had. For their sake, I hope so.
This is a dumb stunt planned by idiots. Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Send a fast attack to trail them all the way here, and when they breach the territorial mark inside our waters-blow em sky high. A MK48 ADCAP should do nicely. 1 EA, upon use.
http://www.seatow.com/
Iran got into a pissing contest in the 80s wit hte US.if I remember correctly we sunk one damaged one and never they never ever saw us.
They do have some Russian Kilo subs that are still a threat. They have gotten aid from China and North Korea.
I say let the Crew have liberty in NY, Miami, and the Bahamas. Or hell let them go into Norfolk and see what we have in port just sitting. Show them the mothball fleet. our old shit is better than their best new.
Iran got into a pissing contest in the 80s wit hte US.if I remember correctly we sunk one damaged one and never they never ever saw us.
They do have some Russian Kilo subs that are still a threat. They have gotten aid from China and North Korea.
I say let the Crew have liberty in NY, Miami, and the Bahamas. Or hell let them go into Norfolk and see what we have in port just sitting. Show them the mothball fleet. our old shit is better than their best new.
Do whatever you can to convince them that we’re reviving diesel-driven subs and torpedo planes. Run a demo offshore some place.
Even if they were to make it to the US Coast, I wonder how quickly B. Hussein 0bama would send the likes of “Lurch” Kerry, Nanny Lugosi, and Reid to Teheran to apologize as well as blame Bush & the GOP for any mess that occurred?
Any U-Boats still out there in the Atlantic?
#8 Sparks
Don’t forget the packages of pork and bacon. Maybe even helo lift a couple of live porkers (4 hooves, not two legs) to their decks.
Just drop Nanny Lugosi and Hitlery Rodham on board, they’ll surrender in a heartbeat, but alas, that could be considered as “Excessive Cruelty”!!
Let’s see if they even make it across the Atlantic in the first place. Then set up a blockade.
I think it’s it’s just cute that they brought supply ship with them.
Even in the days of sail, ships were more self-sufficient than that.