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From: cashman@acsu.buffalo.edu (geoffrey a cashman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Iraq's Military Strength
Message-ID: <1990Aug17.023708.1350@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 17 Aug 90 02:37:08 GMT
References: <1990Aug8.030457.25888@cbnews.att.com> <1990Aug9.015928.8556@cbnews.att.com>
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From: cashman@acsu.buffalo.edu (geoffrey a cashman)

In article <1990Aug9.015928.8556@cbnews.att.com> nak%archie@att.att.com (Neil A Kirby) writes:
>
>
>From: nak%archie@att.att.com (Neil A Kirby)
>In article <1990Aug8.030457.25888@cbnews.att.com> terryy%sandstorm.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Terry Yeung) writes:
>
>>	5) What kind of assets does the U.S. have in the area?  The carrier
>>	   Independence is in the Gulf of Oman.  What other ships do we have
>>	   headed there?  I've heard that there will be three carrier battle
>>	   groups there when all the forces arrive.  True?  Which ships?
>
>    Eisenhower (sp?) tranisted the Suez canal last night with Egypt's
>    permission (Nimitz class nuclear carrier).  Independence is there, and
>    the JFK (? sudden surge of doubt in my mind) is inbound.
>
>    Also enroute is the battleship Wisconsin (sp), and a marine assualt ship.

Independence was the first to arrive and is parked off the coast of Yemen
(That's just outside the Persian Gulf).  Eisenhower did in fact pass through
the Suez and is now in the Red Sea (Slight tangent here...if I were a carrier
battle group command I don't think I'd want to be parked in something as
small as the Red Sea).  Saratoga's battle group contains the Wisconsin as well.
She is either already on station or will soon arrive.  Her station will be, or
is, the eastern mediterranean.  JFK left port this week (yesterday?) and was
said to be "conducting routine operations off the coast of Virginia" (taken
from UPI on clarinet news service), to which I say hogwash (IMHO).  

All 4 carrier battle groups have at least one Ticonderoga class cruiser. 
These are the ships with the aegis missile defense system.  Probably of 
more importance is the fact that these ships carry the tomohawk cruise
missile.  

Some of you might be saying "What can the Wisconsin due to Iraq from the
eastern mediterranean?".  Answer: (one possible one)  She has tomohawk
cruise missiles as well. 

Something to add to that:  Some Spruance class destroyers (of which there
are at least three in the area, possibly more) now have the tomohawk as 
well.

Also note:  Eisenhower has been away from home port for more than six months
now.  She is due to return home.  JFK  may relieve her if the situation
cools down a bit. 



-- 
		- Geoff Cashman
		  cashman@acsu.buffalo.edu