Update I:
What was was previously “reportedly” is now a fact.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush to move today from the North Arabian Sea into the Arabian Gulf, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby.
American Forces Press Service:
In a statement, Kirby said the order will provide President Barack Obama additional flexibility should military options be required to protect American lives, citizens and interests in Iraq.
.The Bush will be accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun. The ships are expected to complete their transit into the Gulf later this evening, Kirby said.
.The USS George H.W. Bush left its home port of Norfolk, Virginia, in February and is operating in the Middle East region as part of an ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations, he added.
Updated Image:
A small vessel transits in front of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) as it transits the Strait of Hormuz as seen from the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58). Photo date: April 28, 2014 (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Abe McNatt).
Update II:
The State Department:
“Secretary of State Kerry spoke with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari today (Saturday, June 14) to discuss the situation in Iraq. The Secretary stressed to the Foreign Minister that the United States is committed to supporting Iraq and that the President is examining a range of options that could help the Iraqi security forces push back on ISIL advances.
He emphasized to the Foreign Minister that assistance from the United States would only be successful if Iraqi leaders were willing to put aside differences and implement a coordinated and effective approach to forge the national unity necessary to move the country forward and confront the threat of ISIL. In that light, the Secretary noted the importance of the Iraqi government ratifying election results without delay, adhering to its constitutionally mandated timeframe for forming a new government, and respecting the rights of all citizens – Sunni, Kurd, and Shia – as it fights against terrorism.
The Secretary assured the Foreign Minister that the United States was reaching out to the international community and Iraq’s regional neighbors to emphasize the threat that Iraq and the region are under from ISIL and the importance of coming to Iraq’s aid at this critical juncture.”
Original Post:
Speaking from the White House South Lawn, Obama said the United States “will not be sending U.S. troops back into combat in Iraq.” At the same time, the president will be considering a range of options on how to respond to the Iraq crisis.
Contrary to reports circulated by administration opponents, Pentagon Press Secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said on CNN this morning. “We have been doing a lot since the American troops left Iraq. The focus is a continued, sustained effort helping them with the counter-terrorism operations.”
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said that the U.S. has already been supplying weapons to Iraq and training Iraqi special operations forces in neighboring Jordan and will continue to do so.
In addition, the U.S. is providing Iraq with about $15 billion in military equipment under the foreign military sales program, including various combat aircraft
Warren:
Recently, we have sent them 300 Hellfire missiles, millions of rounds of small arms, thousands of rounds of tank ammunition. Scan Eagle surveillance platforms are on schedule for delivery later in the year…We’ve also recently notified Congress of an additional sale of $1 billion, which includes 200 Humvees
Probably too late for any near-term action will be the 36 Lockheed-Martin F-16 fighters slated for production and delivery to Iraq (the first one was delivered June 5 — below) and other aircraft such as 24 AT-6 light attack aircraft, 24 Apache helicopters, etc., approved or expected to be approved for sale to Iraq.
Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S., Lukman Faily, during a ceremony marking the delivery of the first Iraq F-16 Fighting Falcon at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility. (Photo Courtesy Lockheed-Martin)
Nevertheless, the Iraqi armed forces seem incapable of repelling or slowing down the ISIS advances.
So back to those “options” mentioned by the President.
At a London conference, Kerry said, “We have already taken some immediate steps, including providing enhanced aerial surveillance support to assist the Iraqis in this fight…We have also ramped up shipments of military aid to Iraq since the beginning of the year.”
A more “robust” option might be airstrikes against the surprisingly fast and effective ISIS advances across northern Iraq.
And indeed there are reports that the United States is moving the powerful aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush “into the Persian Gulf in coming hours to provide Obama with options for possible airstrikes.”
But one of the complications is, according to CNN, is that “U.S. officials don’t have good intelligence about where militants are. Even if they did, the militants don’t have the type of targets — command and control centers, air defense sites, military bases — that lend themselves to aerial attacks, the officials said on condition of not being identified.”
CNN lists other “targeting problems,” according to certain officials:
“• The U.S. lacks credible, specific intelligence about where ISIS fighters are;
• Using drones to strike fighters moving on vehicles still requires very specific intelligence to assure who is being struck. Moreover, they say, drone strikes can kill individuals, but they don’t change the military calculation or balance of power on the ground;
• There’s no one on the ground, such as Air Force tactical air controllers, to call in precise airstrikes;
• ISIS doesn’t have fixed positions such as command and control centers, air defense sites, military bases and radar facilities that could be hit to degrade the group’s military capability; and,
• Fighters may be spread out inside population centers, which means airstrikes could risk civilian casualties and property destruction at the hands of the U.S. military.”
Here is a look at that mighty super carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, which might be called into action soon. (Courtesy NavalTechnology.com)
The George H. W. Bush (CVN) 77 is the tenth and final ship of the Nimitz Class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
Commissioned on January 10, 2009, the George H. W. Bush carries a ship’s company of 3,200, air wing of 1,500 and “other” 500.
The overall length of the CVN 77 is 332.9 m and it has a full load displacement of 102,000t with stores, ammunition, fuel and water. Its speed is 30 knots
The carrier carries typically up to 56 fixed-wing aircraft including the Hornet, F/A-18A,C,E and F, the Grumman EA-6B Prowler and the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, and up to 15 helicopters, Sikorsky SH-60F, HH-60H Seahawk and SH-60B Seahawks.
The flight deck is 332.9 m long and 76.8 m wide. The angle flight deck is 76.8 m long. The angled flight deck allows the landing aircraft the option of accelerating safely away if required, minimizing the danger of colliding with stationary aircraft on deck.
The carrier can launch aircraft at a rate of one every 20 seconds. The deck has four C13-2 steam catapults and three mk7 mod 3-type arrester wires.
The hangar deck, (7.8 m high) has capacity for up to about 30 aircraft, depending on the composition of air wing. The ship carries 8,500 tons of aviation fuel.
The warfare systems include sensors, communications systems, aircraft control systems, armaments and other electronics systems on the ship.
The CVN 77’s combat data systems are based on the advanced combat direction system (ACDS) with communications Links 4A, 11, and 16. Weapons control is managed by three mk91 mod 1 MFCS directors for the Sea Sparrow missile.
The ship is armed with two or three Raytheon GMLS mk29 octuple missile launchers for the NATO Sea Sparrow or Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles and two mk49 guided-missile launch system mk49 for the RIM-116 rolling airframe missile (RAM). The aircraft carrier is also fitted with four 20mm Phalanx CIWSs (close-in weapon system).
The ship is steam powered, the steam being generated by the two General Electric (originally Westinghouse) nuclear pressurized water reactors type PWR A4W/A1G.
The steam drives four turbines generating a total of 209 MW, which drive four shafts. Four standby 8MW diesel engines are installed for emergency power.
Lead photo: The USS George H. W. Bush
