-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:42 pm Subject: sub races New class of submarine all about mission of stealth The Associated Press 02.17.2008 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1971861/posts ABOARD THE USS OHIO — Capt. Andy Hale has just worked out and is still in a sweaty T-shirt and shorts as he stands in the battle command center. He is watching a flat-screen display that shows what's happening outside on the bow and the aft. His billion-dollar submarine — the U.S. Navy's newest twist on underwater warfare — is hovering just below the surface off the Pacific island of Guam as a submersible disappears into the dark waters, carrying a team of commandos. The USS Ohio is the first of a new class of submarine created in a conversion from 1970s vessels by trading nuclear-tipped ICBMs for conventional cruise missiles and a contingent of commandos ready to be launched onto virtually any shore through rejiggered missile tubes — against conventional forces or terrorists. The sub's cruise across the Pacific comes as China builds its submarine fleet into the region's largest as part of the bulking up of its military. The voyage is the Ohio's first deployment since the makeover, and Hale is in the odd position of showing the ship off. Commandos aboard It's odd because the sub is all about stealth. Hale can't talk about where the ship is going. The back of the ship, where the nuclear power plant is located, is off- limits. The leader of the SEAL commando contingent aboard can't be named, and the commandos themselves can't be photographed in any way that shows their faces. But, over the next few months, the Ohio will be making a very public statement, training intensively in some of the world's most crowded and contested waters and joining in exercises with America's Asian allies. Instead of hiding them, the Ohio will be showcasing its abilities to elude detection and operate too deeply and quickly to be tracked. Then it will likely do what it does best — vanish. "Submarines are the original stealth platform," Hale said. "Submarine forces have always viewed the Pacific as a very important strategic area . . . it's certainly grown in importance in the last 10 years." Just about every country with a coastline in Asia wants or has subs. China, Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Bangladesh and South Korea and North Korea either now have or are planning to acquire them. Most don't pose much of a threat to the more advanced American fleet. But that is changing. Large Chinese fleet While Russia continues to be a factor, China now has the biggest submarine fleet in the region, with nearly 60. The United States has upped its presence in the Pacific and now has more ships — and more subs — in this part of the world than in the Atlantic. But they are still outnumbered. "There are many challenges in the Pacific," Hale said. "China is certainly one of them, but it is not the only one." China's subs are mainly diesel-powered, meaning they must come up for air more frequently than U.S. nuclear-powered vessels, and their crews are not believed to be as well trained as American submariners, who spend several months at a time at sea. China's fleet is also highly focused on patrolling its own coastal waters and on dealing with potential hostilities over Taiwan, rather than with "projecting force," or trying to control faraway shipping lanes. But its the long-term goals remain opaque. Two years ago, a Chinese sub shocked the U.S. Navy by surfacing within torpedo range of the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier near the Japanese island of Okinawa. Beijing claimed the sub was in international waters and was not "stalking" the carrier, which was taking part in a naval exercise. The growing rivalry was underscored in November, when Beijing refused a scheduled port call by the Kitty Hawk's battle group to Hong Kong, forcing thousands of sailors to spend Thanksgiving at sea. In January, however, China allowed a visit to the port by another U.S. Navy vessel. Washington has repeatedly expressed concern that China is pouring money into expanding its forces. Beijing increased its military budget by nearly 18 percent to about $45 billion last year, the largest annual hike in more than a decade, and U.S. officials believe actual spending is greater. "Devil of deterrence" The Chinese, meanwhile, are closely watching to see how U.S. concern translates into changes in the U.S. Navy. When the Ohio, which is based in Bangor, Wash., docked at Guam last month, China's official Xinhua news agency called the submarine a "warehouse of explosives" and a "devil of deterrence." "If the Ohio turns west from Guam, it would need only hours to travel to the coastal waters of many Asian nations," it said. "The U.S. Navy believes the power of the cruise missile-armed nuclear submarine will be tremendous in a future war." That is exactly what the Navy wants China and others to think, and why the Ohio is in the Pacific. Major firepower "The advanced capabilities that we have brought to this ship make it a premier front-line submarine," said the Ohio's executive officer, Lt. Commander Al Ventura. "This has taken the submarine force to a whole new level." The Ohio has both vast firepower and the ability to deploy quickly to wherever it's needed. It has 24 launch tubes, 15 of which have been fitted for multiple Tomahawks — more than 100 in total. That's more than were launched in the entire first Persian Gulf War. From an offshore position in the Pacific, it could strike Pyongyang, North Korea. From the Indian Ocean, it could hit anywhere in Afghanistan. The switch to conventional missiles is a concept borne of necessity. Under a 1992 disarmament treaty, the U.S. Navy had to give up four of its 18 "boomers," huge submarines that have for decades served as mobile launch platforms for long-range nuclear missiles and were primary players in the Cold War game of cat-and-mouse between Washington and Moscow. Instead of scrapping the ships, however, the Navy converted them. The nuclear weapons were replaced with conventional Tomahawk guided missiles and several of the launch tubes refitted to deploy the Navy SEALs in submersible boats. More room available Because of the sheer size of the sub — it's 560 feet long — it has more room for its 160-member crew and dozens of commandos than an attack submarine. While still cramped and claustrophobic, sailors have bigger beds and several places for working out, which the SEALs do constantly. Among the SEALs, stealth remains a way of life. While near Guam, the SEALs conducted operations simulating an undersea launch in their submersible and a landing to assess a fictitious terrorist threat. The SEAL commander said the simulations were not aimed at any particular country. Still, he said, it's not just idle training. "This capability has been used before, and it will probably be used again," he said. --------------- US sends 3 warships to Mediterranean as tensions mount http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204213986210&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Posted on 02/29/2008 The US Navy is sending at least three ships, including at least one amphibious assault ship, to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday the deployment should not be viewed as threatening or in response to events in any single country in the volatile region. "This is an area that is important to us, the eastern Med," he said when asked about news reports of the ship movements. "It's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity there for a while," adding that "it isn't meant to send any stronger signals than that. But it does signal that we're engaged, we're going to be in the vicinity, and that's a very, very important part of the world." Another military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because full details about the ship movements are not yet public, said a Navy guided missile destroyer, the USS Cole, was headed for patrol in the eastern Mediterranean, and the USS Nassau, the amphibious warship, would be joining it shortly. Another military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because full details about the ship movements are not yet public, said a Navy guided missile destroyer, the USS Cole, was headed for patrol in the eastern Mediterranean and that it is accompanied by two refueling ships. The Cole is equipped to engage in a variety of offensive actions, including anti-aircraft and land attack missions. Another group led by the USS Nassau, an amphibious warship, is headed in that direction on a normally scheduled deployment and some or all six ships in the Nassau group might operate in the eastern Mediterranean also, the official said. The officer said a third ship would go later, but he did not identify it by type or name. A Navy news release said the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group entered the 6th Fleet's operational area on Monday. Besides the Nassau, the group included a guided missile cruiser, two guided missile destroyers and two other amphibious warfare ships. The amphibious warfare ships can carry thousands of US Marines. The US 6th Fleet, whose area of operations includes the entire Mediterranean, is based at Naples, Italy. The decision to send the ships appeared to be a not-too-subtle show of US force in the region as international frustration mounts over a long political deadlock in tiny, weak Lebanon. The United States blames Syria for the impasse, saying Syria has never given up its ambitions to control its smaller neighbor. The presidential election in Lebanon has been delayed 15 times. Just this week the date was pushed back to March 11. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to visit the Middle East next week. Michel Aoun, a major opposition leader to the US-backed government in Beirut, said the ship movements looked like a calculated show of force by the United States. "There is no need for it," Aoun was quoted as saying by the Al-Manar television of his Hizbullah allies. Other Arab countries appear to be becoming involved in the Lebanese impasse. Syria is to host an Arab summit in Damascus in late March, and pro-US Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt reportedly are threatening to boycott if no president is elected in Lebanon by then. This could be a tactic by the Saudis and Egyptians to force Syrian concessions in Lebanon to save the summit. The Syrians so far have said the summit will go ahead as planned, regardless of who refuses to attend. Mustafa Alloush, a member of the Lebanese Parliament from the US-backed majority, told the majority's Future television that neither the government nor the anti-Syrian majority had any links to the dispatching of the Cole. "But we remind what caused the situation to bring the American equation into the arena," he said, blaming Syria indirectly for inviting such American intervention. "It (the deployment) could be aimed directly at Syria or a declaration by the United States of America that it could be part of this equation that could develop if conditions remain the way they are," Alloush said. Mullen was asked whether the deployment of the ships was linked to the timing of the Lebanese election. "To say it's absolutely directly tied would be incorrect, but we are certainly aware that elections out there are both important, and they are due at some point in time," he replied. And when asked whether Syria is the reason for the deployment, he said, "It's not specifically sent to any one country, as much as it is to the region itself." The Cole was rebuilt after being almost sunk in a terror attack in Aden, Yemen, in October 2000. It was re-commissioned in April 2002 and went on its first post-attack deployment in November 2003. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the deployment of the Cole is meant as "a show of support for regional stability." He added that President George W. Bush is concerned about the situation in Lebanon. The Cole is sailing to the region from Malta. http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1978128/posts >From open source information, the ships in question appear to be: USS Cole USS Nassau USS Bulkeley USS Ross USS Ashland USS Nashville USS Philippine Sea 2 Navy tankers (The submarine USS Albany is believed to be with the Nassau group.) http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1978128/posts This is actually quite serious. First of all, the Russians have 3 ships to the north at the Syrian port. Its something to consider. Second, Israel is going to put the hurt on in Gaza. Clearly, these ships are there as a deterrent to prevent Hezbullah from opening up a second front while Israel mops up Hamas in Gaza. But, Iran may have no choice. We (US, Israel, NATO to a degree) are going to systematically remove Iran’s chips from the ches board. Israel is going to wipe out Hamas. In return, Iran almost has to activate Hezbullah to open fire. That is when the US will be ready to pound them, or Israel will pound them. If not, then Iran loses Hamas and is left only with Hezbullah, who will get pounded later. The wildcard is Russia. But if we (or Israel) are on the road to attack Iran in the next year or two or 3, we/they need to remove Hamas and Hezbullah first so that they cannot open up new fronts in the war against Islamic terrorists and their supporters. Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home.
