Iran Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz
The four-foot-long, remotely guided "SeaFox" submersibles are expected to form a key element of US military strategy in the region amid mounting tensions over Iran's nuclear programme
You all can do the math, but the following
"The SeaFox, which is controlled by a 3,000-foot fibre-optic cable is also used by the Royal Navy."
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 14th Jul 2012 at 12:35.
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TBH you only have to search an area immediately in front of whichever ship you are escorting .........................
and I really don't feel that pre-positioning 4 small, very slow mine hunters in an area where someone is talking about sowing mines is anything other than common sense - the damn things will take months to get there if the balloon does go up - you might as well base them in Oman or Bahrain as at Hawaii
and I really don't feel that pre-positioning 4 small, very slow mine hunters in an area where someone is talking about sowing mines is anything other than common sense - the damn things will take months to get there if the balloon does go up - you might as well base them in Oman or Bahrain as at Hawaii
Last edited by Heathrow Harry; 14th Jul 2012 at 16:56.
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Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry
TBH you only have to search an area immediately in front of whichever ship you are escorting .........................
Thank goodness it is that simple.
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given that the USN had pretty much given up on mine hunting vessels until the first Gulf War and we only had a small fleet you'd have to assume either they didn't think it was important or useful or what they had was enough
personally I think mines are a really cheap way of causing the big boys all sorts of bother
personally I think mines are a really cheap way of causing the big boys all sorts of bother
UK MCM in the Gulf
Heathrow Harry: This three-year-old article from Janes International Defence Review remains valid in most respects. Note the bit about the SeaFox mine disposal system whose delivery to US MCM forces in the Gulf was proclaimed by the DT as a dramatic new development this week (this article linked by WEBF in post #557).In the meantime, the RN has continued to maintain an MCM HQ, forward support unit and four minehunters in the Gulf while other minehunters detected and disposed of mines off Misrata during Op ELLAMY.
The UAE ships its first oil from Fujairah following Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. | 7 Days Dubai
Not 100% the solution but moving the shipment point to the outside of the bottleneck does help ......
Not 100% the solution but moving the shipment point to the outside of the bottleneck does help ......
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Just reading the specs of that pipeline according to wiki....it equates to a flow rate of something like 2760.2 litres/second down a four foot pipeline.
Quite a potential soft target
Quite a potential soft target
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"No shortage of targets, soft and hard in the whole area if you are a suicide bomber. "
That may not even be needed
The pipeline was physically built by the China National Petroleum Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_...on_Corporation
Currently Iran's best pals in the oil industry as no-one else will invest or work there.
I may have my paranoid hat on again, but I'd be worried about the Chinese ability to disable the pipeline through back doors in the control gear
ABB provided the electricals, but I'll bet the Chinese had plenty of opportunity to hijack the system
PS - don't forget the Chinese have made threats to come to Iran's aid in the event of an attack
That may not even be needed
The pipeline was physically built by the China National Petroleum Corporation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_...on_Corporation
Currently Iran's best pals in the oil industry as no-one else will invest or work there.
I may have my paranoid hat on again, but I'd be worried about the Chinese ability to disable the pipeline through back doors in the control gear
ABB provided the electricals, but I'll bet the Chinese had plenty of opportunity to hijack the system
PS - don't forget the Chinese have made threats to come to Iran's aid in the event of an attack
Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 15th Jul 2012 at 22:43.
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Milo
I saw that China was involved in the pipeline.
China also imports a lot of oil so wouldn't want supplies cut off
- not only of oil but other things as well like Iron Ore etc.
China has it's economic weak spots / soft under belly as well which
people tend to forget.
I saw that China was involved in the pipeline.
China also imports a lot of oil so wouldn't want supplies cut off
- not only of oil but other things as well like Iron Ore etc.
China has it's economic weak spots / soft under belly as well which
people tend to forget.
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They wouldn't have to do it overtly though
Assuming Iran feels its time to create the blockade, the Chinese - at least for a short time - would need to back them if only to preserve their investments and relationships there. Blocking the pipeline by crashing the control gear would be a relatively anonymous way of helping their pals
You'd only need something akin to Stuxnet, possibly embedded into the firmware of the electronics
Assuming Iran feels its time to create the blockade, the Chinese - at least for a short time - would need to back them if only to preserve their investments and relationships there. Blocking the pipeline by crashing the control gear would be a relatively anonymous way of helping their pals
You'd only need something akin to Stuxnet, possibly embedded into the firmware of the electronics
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I read it as a scaled series of warnings including warning shots before they opened fire directly at the boat. I stand to be corrected but some media articles have different levels of detail. US media states warning shots were fired.
Either way, not a good situation for either the US or others.
Either way, not a good situation for either the US or others.
The message has been sent, intentionally or not: get too close to a US warship and they shoot at you. (FFS, it's a warship!)
I personally think that's a good message.
I am biased, of course, having spent a few years in the USN.
I personally think that's a good message.
I am biased, of course, having spent a few years in the USN.
Last edited by Lonewolf_50; 16th Jul 2012 at 20:21.
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Lonewolf.
Agree.
In this instance, the USNS Rappahannock doesn't look like a "normal" warship
and apart from being painted light grey and having 204 on it's bow, it could
easily be mistaken for an oil drilling support ship.
Agree.
In this instance, the USNS Rappahannock doesn't look like a "normal" warship
and apart from being painted light grey and having 204 on it's bow, it could
easily be mistaken for an oil drilling support ship.
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I hope there aren't any anchored at Portland for the next few weeks
Every year we have a US support ship anchor in Torbay for weeks and sometimes a month or two and 24/7 it has a security boat going round and round trying to keep small craft away!!!
It really appeals to my sense of humour as the boat's crew NEVER gives up with this task, but every day there are DOZENS of small holiday craft all going out to see this ship and seeing how close they can get.
We know why the security is there and we know why they continually circle this military vessel, but they are wasting thousands of dollars chartering that security craft as it is no easier than trying to hold back the tide, but just like King Canute the holiday makers in their boats keep coming, and the security boat keeps trying to warn them off. Perhaps one year they might realise that Torbay is a holiday resort with lots of folks playing with boats.. Yes someone might be a terrorist and yes someone might attack that ship but terrorism is also about putting fear into the mind of the innocents and just look at what is happening in the UK regarding the Olympics!!
How much is being spent, how much of our military is being sucked into this small island that is more like a fortress. We probably have FAR more military cover here in the UK than we do in the area of the Strait? We talk about Ocean being in London but are we forgetting the Bulwark being deployed off the coast if Weymouth!!
Do we seriously believe this amount of security can stop a loony tune or indeed the terror attack in the strait.
Last edited by glojo; 16th Jul 2012 at 21:18.