Iran demonstrates sea power

| February 25, 2015

I guess the Iranians are trying to make John Kerry flinch at the talks aimed at taking away Iran’s nuclear potential by making this completely useless video which is supposed to demonstrate the danger that Iran’s navy poses to our aircraft carriers in the region.

Yeah, they should do it just like that when they try it for real. I’m sure the US Navy would love the shooting gallery. Knowing Kerry, he probably flinched anyway.

Thanks to MCPO for the link.

Category: Navy

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Atkron

All I see is a line of targets for CIWS, Sea Sparrows, Hornets, Helos, and Gunner’s Mates at the rails with .50’s.

Atkron

…oh, and don’t forget the rest of the Battle Group.

Sapper3307

It appears that the Iranian navy shops at Bass Pro Shop. Nothing wrong with that. I wonder if they have a in store credit card?

Joe Mama

It was coupon day!

3E9

Probably asked for a military discount too.

Phil

All I can think of is Billy Mitchell attacking anchored battleships that were not fighting back.
Should they try this, I suspect the Iranians will get in a few hits, followed quickly by naval aviation expressing their profound annoyance.

Harry

Well, come on, let’s be fair. When Mitchell staged that demonstration, it was held as a truth that an airplane could not sink a battleship at all. It wasn’t a demonstration of an air attack, it was a demonstration that the airplane was becoming viable strategically.

That’s not the same thing as firing dozens of missiles at a barge dressed up to look like an aircraft carrier. He dropped bombs on a real battleship and sank it.

The Other Whitey

Actual battleships that were mostly obsolete, anchored and not going anywhere, with no watertight hatches sealed, that weren’t shooting back.

All Mitchell really proved was that airplanes could hit large targets standing still. The fact that some of his ideas proved partly right in WWII has caused many to ignore the fact that Mitchell was largely fu of crap.

Ex-PH2

He was court-martialed for that, y’know.

Mark Lauer

I don’t think Mitchell was trying to show that you could sink a stationary ship with holes in it. I think he was showing proof of concept. That an aircraft could actually put a bomb on a thin target like a ship at sea. In that regard he was absolutely right, and was forward thinking. Never take away from someone who thinks outside the box. Even if you think he didn’t amount to much.

The Other Whitey

True, but Mitchell claimed it proved a whole lot more than it did. According to Mitchell, his test conclusively proved that the Navy was obsolete as an institution and should be abolished in favor of a strategic air force. He was right in that air superiority would be crucial in the future, and strategic bombing would be a vital part of any future war, but he was claiming that planes had rendered ships, tanks, and infantry obsolete. At the end of the day, he was still more crackpot than visionary.

Red Devil

Billy Mitchell was not entirely correct, but to call him a crackpot is a bit extreme. His demonstration challenged the conventional naval strategy of the day and established the viability of and need for an air service.

At the time all of the air services were being reduced. Strategic thought at the time was that in peacetime the army should be small and the Navy large- he proposed that the air arm should have an equal role in national defense- he even envisione a ‘ministry of defense’ that would oversea all three services.

He went too far in insisting that the separate air service would control all aviation, to include naval aviation, and he way overstated the capabilities of air power on its own.

MustangCryppie

Bring it on, motherfucker’s. Fifth Fleet could use a break from the routine.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

A barge with a simulated flight deck isn’t exactly the same as a US Navy Carrier group, but this is highly amusing video for our sailors to enjoy.

JacktheJarhead

It is like the ISIS video from yesterday. Needs the Yakkity Sax Soundtrack from Benny Hill. Make it more amusing.

But remember, this is from the brain surgeons who said they were going to sail a “Task Force” off our coast. And that is where right now?

If they screw with The Great Satan, they will get the horn.

Jordan Rott

I could destroy a life size model of a carrier with my bare hands I would just make the mother fucker out of paper. I always been an 11B so I don’t know shit about ships and I hate the water with a passion but I imagine whatever ships they have we had like 30 years ago when they were ships people actually used.

Jordan Rott

What they need to do is build a life size version of Iran they can move to when we wipe the current Iran from existence

TopGoz

^+1000!

UpNorth

“Knowing Kerry, he probably flinched anyway”. GMTA, that was my first thought. I wonder if the pResident saw this and flinched also.

Old Trooper

Remember a while ago, when we had that picture of a mock up aircraft carrier being built in Iran? Well, now we know what they were building it for.

Doc Savage

And in doing so probably blew 1/2 their annual defense budget to demonstrate the superiority of a dozen Bass boats against a stationary barge that didn’t fire a shot in return.

Makes me glad to live in Minnesota…..I don’t have to fear them invading up the frozen Mississippi. ( sarc)

Old Trooper

I don’t know, Doc. When I left this morning for work it was -5, so I don’t know how glad I am to live here. 🙂

Rerun0369

Whatever happened to that little flotilla they were sending to patrol our coast last year?

Mayhem

Lesse that was what 6 guys in 3 rubber liferafts; 2 of which drowned, 2 starved to death when they ran out of saltine crackers and I think the surviving 2 made it back to shore and are now married to each other.

Mr. Blue

Well, it’s the Iranian navy, so rum is forbidden, and Ahmed dropped the lash overboard…

Ex-PH2

Oh, those ‘warships’? I use that term loosely.

Well, according to my personal spies, they got to the Straits of Hormel, ran into some big salami waves, didn’t like the service offered, and went home after declaring pizza in their time.

This was because they got to the Atlantic and realized they bit off more than they could chew.

Rerun0369

Mmmmmmm…..pizza

FatCircles0311

Our correct response after such a horrific and unprovoked attack on our armed forced should be switch and total annihilation of all naval assets and capabilities of Iran.

Instead we negotiate for these scumlords to obtain nuclear weapons when they are openly at war with us.

QM1

They do realize that we don’t just send these aircraft carriers out there all by their lonesome right? Any carrier strike group would have a field day with these targets.

I can hear the Filipino Monkey voice talking into the radio right now.

“Why you so stupid?”

Climb to Glory

Oh wow. Now, if only the Iranians can do that to a Nimitz Class aircraft carrier that isn’t sitting dead in the water. Or one that is surrounded by a battle group consisting of guided missile cruises, guided missile destroyers, subs and other fine U.S warships. Good luck with that. Those little speed boats ain’t gonna cut it. They will merely be speed bumps. Fuck off, you bunch of goat fuckers.

OC

Molon Labe dudes, Molon Labe.

OC

A Proud Infidel®™

OOH, they sank a homemade mockup of an Aircraft Carrier. Did they build it with mock armor? Stupid bunch of goat-molesting santorum-swilling fleabags!

CC Senor

I’m reminded of the scene in “Battle Of The Bulge” when Robert Shaw’s character is shown a model of a Tiger tank and he remarks that Germany is the world’s best toy makers.

Ex-PH2

In reviewing that video, I don’t think they actually sank anything except their own boats. And I didn’t see any missiles hitting anything, either. Saw them launched, but no target impact.

I used to watch bunker buster bombs on Discovery Science. I kind of miss that stuff. But, after all, NASA has flameballs and if we can just figure out how to keep them coherent, we can probably do something useful with them besides roast marshmallows evenly.

ByrdMan

Am I mistaken or at the 3:40 mark do they hit their own boat with one of their “shells”?

Ex-PH2

I saw that, too, and wondered if they know how and where to aim.

ByrdMan

“The Islamic Republic of Iran extends its deepest condolences to the family of Habib Grabbasandwich. Private Grabbasandwich was killed in a training exercise while bravely showing the American capitalist infidel pigs the true strength and prowess of the Iranian Navy. He is survived by his pet donkey, Lil’ Habib.”

Ex-PH2

Are they driving jet skis? I didn’t see a full-sized aircraft carrier, but I did see a lot of hoo-hah and smoke and not much else. I guess they don’t know that real aircraft carriers have armaments aboard ship and know how to use them, never mind the strike force group.

And we could just update a couple of Iowa class battleships and pound ’em.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj-15O-BTDw&feature=player_embedded

This little home movie gave me a chill.

David

back when we had four of ’em going, I remember reading an article that mentioned that each Iowa-class battleship carried more firepower than the combined Japanese-US Pacific FLEETS did in WWII. They may be considered obsolete, but to my mind they are still one of the best in-your-face force projection platforms ever built. See one off your coast, you can duck or run. That’s about all.

JimW

With are new rail guns, the irainins would only hear the sound of bubbles coming from those floating bathtubs they call boats, as they sink. The lasers would simply cut all the boats some new drain holes. They are quite effect at destroy missiles too. So really no need to even fire a shot from any of are conventional guns. Maybe to humanly put the survivors down so they don’t drown. I’m compassionate after all.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

BTW, last time I sailed the Persian Gulf, we destroyed the Iranian Navy “in 30 minutes or less” kinda like Domino’s and that is how they fell as well.

So in review:

Game on!

GFY, based on my calc you are in for some tactical Nuke massage!

I am calling for limited TAC NUKE WAR on all who dare!

Now of course if you wish not to play … Game off!

Let’s see see how our Jewish Brothers are treated next week.

If they are disrespected any more …

Jordan Rott

1988?

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Yes Sir!

Jordan Rott

I need to get you and all these other Old Vets into a museum somewhere so when I am your age I can examine all of your fossils.

Jordan Rott

I meant for there to be more to that post. Did their ships do any damage to you guys at all or even stand a chance?

Legans

Cool, Master Chief. I was there in 88 aboard USS Dubuque and Wimbrown 7. I was a Marine in MAGTF 3-88.

Ernie

A few observations. 1) about 2min in, the ballistic missiles launched, but I don’t recall seeing them strike anything. 2) You could here people in the background doing the “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” like they were watching a fireworks show…funny. 3) After all those “attacks”, I didn’t see it sink…can’t sink a model?

B Woodman

And to add to the general and specific sentiments above, let’s not forget the RADAR and SONAR, which gives us beyond-line-of-sight and over-the-horizon detecting capabilities.

Sneak up on a US carrier group? Pfffft. Good luck with that. I’d pay good money to see that little attempt (and the aftermath). Pop the beer top and the popcorn, pull up the folding chair. Gonna be a hellova show.

68Whiskey

When I was a child, I used to make little boats out of tin foil, float them onto a pond near my house, and try to sink them by throwing pebbles. As a result, I suspect I’m probably to be a Fleet Admiral in the Iranian Navy.

John D

Damn- Heard “In the Navy” by the Village People the whole time I watched that- now I can’t get it out of my head.

AW1Ed

Cluster munitions falling like autumn leaves, so pretty!

Silentium Est Aureum

Oh, those kids in the bathtub playing with their toys.

So cute.

Rock8

The Gulf ain’t that big and I am sure we knew what was going on before it even started. It would have been real funny if we dropped our own MOAB right on the model. And with a straight face we would explain that we could never risk a carrier being captured so we had to scuttle it!

Ex-PH2

Yes, but… what if the MOAB had NOT USN markings on it?

What if… well, what if it had, um, say, Iranian Navy markings on it?

Do you think they’d buy it?

SFC D

Why waste a perfectly good MOAB when a 500 lb rock would work just as well?

Ex-PH2

Good point. Or how about a full day’s load of trash from New York City and Chicago combined?

Mr. Wolf

You know some Grande Mufti is standing there going ‘prepare to witness the powers of this FULLY OPERATIONAL battle station!’

Allah may have a bad day after that

B Woodman

Nice Star Wars reference

Ex-PH2

Any attack made by the USA against this ship would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they have obtained. This ship is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it. [Paraphrased, of course. 😉 ]

11B-Mailclerk

Admiral, here are your rules of engagement:

If attacked by unknown forces, sink every vessel in that entire force.

If attacked by a known force, sink every vessel in their entire navy, wherever they may be located. Any other forces directly contributing, on land sea or air, are fair game.

When in doubt, attack.

Enigma4you

A little food for thought.

When is the last time a US Navy ship was sunk due to Enemy fire?

Hell even when we want to sink one of our own old carriers it aint easy, and thats with charges placed by engineers and all the doors open.

Should the US decide to hit Iran there will not be a damned thing they can do to stop it or lessen the damage.

Roger in Republic

Enigma, I would think the last navy ship destroyed by any enemy would have come at the battle of Okinawa in April or May 1945. Just a guess.

Ex-PH2

It could be the USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser, which delivered Little Man to Tinian on July 26, 1945 and was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese sub on July 30, 1945, after a stop at Guam on its way to Leyte Gulf.

Or it could be the submarine USS Bullhead (SS-32), which became the last U.S. Navy ship sunk by the enemy during WWII.

Then there’s this: USS Magpie (AMS-25) blew up after striking a mine off the coast of Korea on Sept. 29 1950, claiming the lives of 21 members of the crew. Ships hitting mines during the Korean Conflict would also cost the U.S. Navy the USS Pirate (AM-275), USS Pledge (AM-277), USS Sarsi (ATF-111) and USS Partridge (AMS-31).

On Jan. 23, 1968, North Korean forces swarmed and captured the USS Pueblo (AGER-2), claiming that the intelligence ship had violated its territorial waters. It just was not sunk.

And we must not forget the Cold War. While returning to the U.S. from a Mediterranean deployment in May1968, the USS Scorpion (SSN-589) disappeared near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The Navy conducted an extensive search, but on June 5 declared that the submarine and crew of 99 were presumed lost. The wreckage was eventually discovered, but the cause of the sub’s destruction still has not been determined. Some investigators believe that a malfunctioning torpedo may have been to blame, but others theorize that the sub was involved in a confrontation with a Soviet sub in which the Scorpion was fatally damaged in a collision.

A more extreme theory holds that the Soviets suspected that the U.S. was responsible for the sinking of the K-129 earlier in the year, so the Scorpion was sunk in retaliation.

(Source: USNI)

Jedipsycho (Certified Space Shuttle Door Gunner)

The Iranians are idiots. All they had to do was make Daniel A. Bernath (catheter addict, not an honorary, pretend or imaginary CPO or even decent pilot) skipper of that vessel, put him on board, and it would have gone down like a 2 dolla ho in under 2 seconds. No missile required.

AbnGramps82

All I saw was a few missiles, a helicopter, and flock of jet skis and a “model” aircraft carrier that was still floating. Not even shooting back, just floating. Did they all miss or was the model that good?

Red Devil

i have no doubt that the Navy could handle this theat. However, it serves as a reminder that even in times of ‘peace’ we have to maintain and modernize our force.

The Brits learned this the hard way in the Falklands War when they found themselves fighting an enemy with modern weapons at the extreme range of their operational reach.

WRT the Iranians, these boats may be joke but they are developing systems that could be a threat someday:

http://www.janes.com/article/42880/pentagon-report-says-iran-is-fielding-anti-ship-ballistic-missiles#.VO8xXGeY_dA.mailto

AndyFMF

What if the point of this wasn’t to demonstrate swarm tactics, but to sink a large metal signature in the gulf……thereby providing the perfect hiding spot for a/several diesel sub/s?

…..and the subs don’t have to be Iranian. They could be Chinese or Russian.

My theory needs a sonar tech’s input…..I’m just a dirt sailor.

David

gotta actually sink something for that theory to work.

Semper Idem

Gee, nice pinata party the Iranian Navy threw. ;o)