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It looks to me like the A-10 in the video is in the markings of the former 104th FS of the Maryland ANG. Some 104th aircraft were retired, but some were transferred to other units. If the video is authentic (i.e., recent), then its original markings were retained by the gaining unit. (Also, the video quality looks better than what is normally seen from filming of combat.)
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Originally Posted by larssnowpharter
(Post 12058551)
The USA is moving a huge amount of hardware into theatre at the moment. This will be to pressure Iran into an agreement or to put the proverbial boots on the ground. A couple of weeks ago when the MEU was first reported as heading that way, the conversation was about Kharg Island. Then I dismissed that and suggested the islands in the SoH as being a more likely threat.
However, I think I may be wrong. There are only two ways out of this: 1. A negotiated deal that provides guarantees that the SoH stays open. 2. Securing the SoH by military force. Option 1 seems unlikely and the mood music is depressing. Trump needs something that demonstrate that he is a winner. Option 2 is being studied by the best brains at CENTCOM and elsewhere and various options will be being presented up the chain. The final call being made by the CinC. The lure of taking over the Straight will be strong and one that KSA seems to favour and may find truck with other nations. But how? I will rule out the attack on the various islands except as a prelude. The islands also sit within artillery range of the mainland. Putting troops on them just makes them targets. The County of Bander Abbas would make sense. It's coastline is where most of the anti shipping missiles are housed and the port would be a prize. Plenty of flatish farmland to the East. Limited road access along the coast or through mountain valleys to the North. Definitely a tough ask but I pray that Option 1 comes good.
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 12058671)
"Breaker Breaker..." As entertaining as the reparations part is, the history of any success with that from the USA is pretty slim, in fact, Vietnam never received any reparations, instead actually paid the US 145m towards the cost of the war waged against it. Back when civilisation was not civilised (last week?), at least pre Treaty of Versailles, reparations were not a codified concept, and since then, it didn't work out well for France, and demands through the ICJ have generally ended up on their nose in the dust. The last little item in the list, #5 puts a bit of a dagger into the heart of the problem, Brutus would be pleased. The Toga clad one less so, although if that can be spun as "we both control the strait", and put on merch, then that might get past the wicket keeper... FONOPS be damned. Accepting that might annoy the rest of the gulf states that have as much of a right to the control of the waterway as anyone else, but in all cases, consider UNCLOS as inoperable as the UNGA and UNSC. Continued access concentrates the minds of those in New Delhi, Beijing, and Tokyo, but that has as high a risk as I can imagine of rattling the cages of Manila and Taipei. Russia of course is a recipient of the largesse in sanctions relief for reasons that have not been explained, along with Iran itself, which just proves that irony is not lost on the participants of this circus. Not dull. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4cab698428.png |
Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan to end the war, according to state-run Press TV. It cited an unknown "senior political-security official" laying out five of Tehran's own conditions to bring the conflict to an end, including paying reparations for damage. They bear no resemblance to Trump's proposals, published by Israel's Channel 12 network after US officials had confirmed their existence. They include Iran committing not to build nuclear weapons and to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. "No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews [sic] is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X. Friday night will end week four, Saturday Morning will begin week five. How many more weeks will this last? How many on line betting sites have the line set at seven? |
How do the 'rates of fire' of the combatants compare please? [Not a well-worded question ................ have both sides slowed down a lot and if so, why?]
I am sure there are unofficial tallies being maintained but cannot find any. Fog of war. |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 12058437)
Sounds like they went deed into Iran for multiple targets - or had to go a long way round to avoid the severe weather in the area.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....dbdeda826f.png |
Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50
(Post 12058789)
Not talking to each other. Got it. The shooting will continue.
Friday night will end week four, Saturday Morning will begin week five. How many more weeks will this last? How many on line betting sites have the line set at seven? LW, I suspect you are being rather optimistic.
According to the latest revelations in the USFC, related to Mr Smiths going to DC as a special prosecutor, seems that the "man who never was" strategy of sending maskirovka doesn't take much effort nowadays. We live in strange times. As much as I admire the USMC, I suspect that they would be squandered on a foreign shore if placed into harms way. Would think that sending in the Secretary of War, armed with an M1911 and his boyish enthusiasm, all by himself would be fitting. When Mr Graham coaches Bibi how to get Mr T to go to war against Iran, you may have issues at various levels, but at least, y'all have J. Kushner and Mr S. Witcoff pushing this wheelbarrow over the cliff. I do think that the opportunity for a run on popcorn exists, as gunboat diplomacy doesn't do well in our new strategic world of asymmetric warfare being a reality, where a few thousand drones Trump-ing a couple of flat tops. |
Salute!
Good to see the Ghostriders in theater, especially for the boat killing aspects. I would also like the coasties in on it with whatever they are using, but maybe it's the 130's with Hellfires or SDB's. The SBD's are lots cheaper, and the guns are really good if the tgt is fairly slow. If the Hawgs are gonna help at the Strait, they would be weapon of choice, even if the MANPADS abound. I cannot see them as players until they deploy way south, as that Israeli bse is a thousand friggin' miles away and the jet is only cruisin 300-400 KTAS. The big deal will be drone swarms if there are landings, but they have to launch from someplace in a shrt interval, and the Reapers will play a big role for warning and designating launhrs for the Hawgs and Vipers. Gonna be interesting shortly, hih? Gums sends... |
Originally Posted by petit plateau
(Post 12058798)
Clearly we are now seeing on/off/on overflight clearance by some countries. Are the permitted flight paths related to the target sets ?
AFAIK, that map is correct at least in respect of the fact that no other continental European countries are being overflown. |
A serious issue seems to be that the moment the US names someone they're talking to in Iraq the Israelis do their damndest to kill them............
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And the method of choice for the mighty U.S. Kaiser is to keep anxiously quiet, instead of just picking up the phone and call someone of a rank in the holy lands?
Added: OK, according to WSJ the phone call has taken place indeed. Israel has eventually (not confirmed) removed Abbas Araqchi and Mahammad Baquer Qalibaf from the kill list. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...ni-2026-03-26/ |
Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 12058940)
A serious issue seems to be that the moment the US names someone they're talking to in Iraq the Israelis do their damndest to kill them............
I've just heard Chief of Iranian Navy has bought the farm. |
The Kill Chain
An interesting article about why and how the Kill Chain has been speeded up leading to mistakes in targeting resulting in blue on blue and civilian casualties (not a good way to foster hearts and minds). As used in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/mar/26/ai-got-the-blame-for-the-iran-school-bombing-the-truth-is-far-more-worrying?CMP=share_btn_url]Its not the AI at fault. the human decisions that led to the killing of between 175 and 180 people, most of them girls between the ages of seven and 12. Someone decided to compress the kill chain. Someone decided that deliberation was latency. Someone decided to build a system that produces 1,000 targeting decisions an hour and call them high-quality. |
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
(Post 12058893)
It would appear that some overflights are being permitted by France, whereas some others are having to go the long way round (west of Portugal and arriving/departing Fairford via the Western Approaches).
AFAIK, that map is correct at least in respect of the fact that no other continental European countries are being overflown. |
Video seems genuine. Near but no cigar.
A U.S. Navy carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was seen engaging hostile positions along Iran’s southern coastline using its onboard cannon. During the attack, the aircraft was struck by a heat-seeking missile launched from an Iranian man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). Despite the hit, the fighter survived and continued flying — the missile’s fragmentation high-explosive warhead detonated near the tail section but failed to inflict critical damage on the aircraft. P.S. It should be noted that, likely due to a growing sense of impunity, the fighter’s crew appears to be operating with excessive boldness, conducting extremely low-altitude strafing runs with the cannon. P.P.S. After these visuals, the price of the F/A-18 Super Hornet will probably double. |
Originally Posted by 51bravo
(Post 12059072)
And the method of choice for the mighty U.S. Kaiser is to keep anxiously quiet, instead of just picking up the phone and call someone of a rank in the holy lands?
Added: OK, according to WSJ the phone call has taken place indeed. Israel has eventually (not confirmed) removed Abbas Araqchi and Mahammad Baquer Qalibaf from the kill list. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...ni-2026-03-26/ The problem is they may find their way onto a different list....closer to home. |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 12059139)
Video seems genuine. Near but no cigar.
Second point of view showing MANPAD launch. |
Update on IRGC navy CinC:
Israeli Defense Minister Katz confirms the assassination of Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, Commander of the IRGC Navy, in Bandar Abbas. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes targeted an 8-storey building where Tangsiri was holding a meeting with other high-ranking officials in the naval branch of the IRGC. Keep an eye out for information about the deputy commander of the IRGC Navy, Ali Azmaei, and the deputy coordinator (3rd in-command), Abolghasem Valagher. Tangsiri was one of the ten most important commanders in the IRGC's leadership structure. He was responsible for enforcing Iran's dominion over the Strait of Hormuz. He would've led the defensive efforts against an American operations in the Persian Gulf. His influence extended beyond his official role. Tangsiri and many other high-ranking IRGC commanders translated their wartime decision-making into political power, filling the void left due to the assassinations of other governing officials. |
First i've read of their use. Any confirmation?
China’s “Carrier Killer” has failed spectacularly in Iran. In this conflict, Iran used Chinese-made CM-302 anti-ship missiles and HQ-series air defense systems, but they either failed to hit targets or were quickly destroyed by U.S. forces. Let’s start with earlier developments. Since February, the U.S. deployed major forces to the Middle East, including two carrier strike groups near Iran. War was on the verge of breaking out. To counter these carriers, Iran urgently purchased China’s so-called “carrier killer” CM-302 anti-ship missiles. The CM-302 is the export version of China’s YJ-12 missile. It is supersonic, has a range of about 290 km, and can strike large vessels. Beijing has long promoted it as one of the most powerful anti-ship missiles in the world. But in real combat, this “carrier killer” delivered a shocking result: zero hits! Investigations showed that many of the CM-302 missiles malfunctioned mid-flight and crashed, while the rest were easily intercepted by U.S. forces. Combined with U.S. Aegis combat systems, SM-6 interceptors, and electronic warfare, the missiles were neutralized with ease. There are even reports that Chinese technical personnel suffered casualties. The complete failure of these “carrier killers” not only damaged Iran’s confidence but also triggered global skepticism toward Chinese weapons. Rumors even suggest that Xi Jinping was furious, criticizing military engineers for pushing substandard equipment to secure funding, and launching internal crackdowns. This disastrous performance exposes a deeper issue: China’s military industry has long focused on paper performance rather than battlefield effectiveness. Weapons are not like consumer products. A sports car reaching 500 km/h proves performance. But for missiles, speed alone means nothing because if the enemy intercepts or jams it, the weapon is useless. A weapon must prove it can survive defenses and hit real targets under combat conditions. China’s approach to weapons development resembles consumer product design, chasing specs rather than real-world effectiveness. Take the CM-302: on paper, it looks impressive—290 km range, 500 kg payload. In theory, a few missiles could destroy a carrier. But that assumes the enemy is unprepared. In real combat, the opponent has layered missile defenses, electronic warfare, and early warning systems. Chinese weapons, designed without sufficient real combat considerations, collapse under these conditions, like paper tigers. This also reflects a structural weakness: China’s military has not fought a real war since the Sino-Vietnamese War. Nearly 50 years without combat means a lack of real battlefield experience, making it difficult to design weapons for actual war scenarios. As a result, Chinese weapons prioritize theoretical performance over proven effectiveness. In the global arms market, the most reliable weapons are those tested in real combat. Without that validation, even impressive specifications can be meaningless. Iran learned that lesson the hard way by buying Chinese weapons. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e01bea02e2.png |
They will learn and adapt. (Comment on their missile troubles, China).
As satisfying as the strike on the Naval Commander may have been for those trying to take out the chain of command, Next Man Up is what happens and they press on. This isn't a chess game where if you knock out the bishop there isn't another one to fill in behind. Israel says it has killed the commander of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces, responsible for overseeing the weeks-long blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz trade route that has wreaked havoc with global markets and fuel prices. Alireza Tangsiri had been “blown up” along with several other senior Iranian naval figures, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday. Tangsiri was “directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz,” Katz said. Traffic through the strait has plunged more than 90%. Typically, about 150 tankers and bulk carriers would pass through each day but less than 100 have been allowed through since March 2. |
LBC news reporting that Russia is supplying Iran with fuel, medical supplies and drones.
So Trump actively supports Putin who in turn wages war against his allies and provides Iran, his enemy, with weapons that they can use against him? |
Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50
(Post 12059199)
They will learn and adapt. (Comment on their missile troubles, China).
As satisfying as the strike on the Naval Commander may have been for those trying to take out the chain of command, Next Man Up is what happens and they press on. This isn't a chess game where if you knock out the bishop there isn't another one to fill in behind. Isn't some of that due to insurance groups not covering the ships? Insurance is also available for transit through the SoH but - reportedly - has a low take up. I wonder why? |
....UAE rejects ceasefire with Iran and they will join the ground attack on Iran - Reuters/WSJ. They demand Tehran’s full threat network be dismantled first. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba confirms UAE will join efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a lifeline for global oil. Also reaffirms a staggering $1.4 TRILLION UAE investment commitment in the United States. The U.A.E. Stands Up to Iran This war requires a conclusive outcome—one that addresses Tehran’s full range of threats. The past 3½ weeks of war have confirmed what we have known for nearly 50 years—Iran’s revolution is a threat to global security and economic stability. We can’t let Iran hold the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and the global economy hostage. A simple cease-fire isn’t enough. We need a conclusive outcome that addresses Iran’s full range of threats: nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terror proxies and blockades of international sea lanes. Forty miles away, the U.A.E. stands on the front line of this conflict. Iran has launched more than 2,180 missiles and drones at the Emirates, far more than at any other country. We have one of the world’s most effective defense shields and intercept more than 95% of these attacks. Beyond our borders, Iran is striking airports, seaports and energy infrastructure. It is blockading energy shipments and supplies for fertilizer and manufacturing and threatening theme parks and cultural sites worldwide through its proxy network. We have hardened our infrastructure and built an oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. But the region needs a coordinated effort to reopen this vital passage and restore energy supplies to global consumers. This isn’t a war we wanted. Until hours before the first strike, Emirati officials undertook intensive diplomatic efforts from Tehran to Washington. We made clear to the Iranians that in the event of a war, U.A.E. territory and airspace wouldn’t be used for strikes on Iran. We knew we would be Iran’s first choice of targets. Not only because we are so near, but because we are so different. The U.A.E. is a modern, progressive, prosperous Muslim society that delivers for its people. We empower women and welcome all faiths. The U.A.E. is the argument Iran can’t win, the idea it can’t accept. The U.A.E. will endure. We will absorb this shock and accelerate economic diversification with new initiatives in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, life sciences and tourism. This includes the world’s largest data center complex, a new Guggenheim Museum and the Middle East’s first Disney theme park. S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed the Emirates’ AA/A-1+ sovereign credit rating, citing our fiscal depth, diversified growth engines and proven ability to protect investments, even in crisis. Our airlines, Etihad and Emirates, are restoring schedules and resuming flights to the U.S. We are equally committed to our investment plans in the U.S. Our $1.4 trillion commitment is firm. The stronger our economic ties to America, the stronger both nations become—and the clearer our message to those who seek to destabilize the region. Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been degraded. Its proxies have been weakened. More needs to be done to remove the missile and drone threats. And we are ready to join an international initiative to reopen the strait and keep it open. We aren’t asking the U.S. to carry the full burden. We are defending our people, protecting regional stability and global prosperity, and demonstrating that real alliances are built on cooperation and contribution, not dependency. We want Iran as a normal neighbor. It can be reclusive and even unwelcoming, but it can’t attack its neighbors, blockade international waters, or export extremism. Building a fence around the problem and wishing it goes away isn’t the answer. It would simply defer the next crisis. Mr. Otaiba is the U.A.E. ambassador to the U.S. |
.............
12:10 GOLD 87 USAF KC-135/R Stratotanker MAZDA 31-34 flt x4 USMC F-35/C Lightnings Airborne from RAF Mildenhall to tow towards the med for TDY to the middle east. |
An official from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the minimum age for participation in war-related support roles has been lowered to 12, according to remarks aired on state media. Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Guards in Tehran, said an initiative called “For Iran” was recruiting participants to assist with activities such as patrols, checkpoints and logistics. “Given that the age of those coming forward has dropped and they are asking to take part, we lowered the minimum age to 12,” he said, adding that 12- and 13-year-olds could now take part if they wished. The comments were broadcast as part of state coverage of the war effort. The move comes despite Iran’s commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of children in military activities. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603261604 |
Re #4350 - the Temu Torpedo?
|
@LW50:
They will learn and adapt. (Comment on their missile troubles, China). |
Originally Posted by Geriaviator
(Post 12059337)
@LW50:
Just as the Russians have done in Ukraine. Yet again I wonder what hold Putin must hold over Trump, who has turned his back on Ukraine so enabling Putin to divert drones from Ukraine and send them and know-how to Iran to attack American assets and West-facing friendly countries in the Gulf ? NVN was not an exception it was always a nationalist movement that happened to get support from the Soviet and PRC, but its people were more communal in nature than authoritarian droids. The greatest disservice the west can be to its own interests is to make the case for national unity of an oppressed group, which is what Bibi has forgotten from the history of Israel itself; uniting a population with a common hatred towards your own group doesn't end well (see Coalition Provisional Authority Order 1: De-Ba'athification of Iraqi Society; Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissolution of Entities). |
Originally Posted by ORAC
(Post 12059139)
Video seems genuine. Near but no cigar.
Second point of view showing MANPAD launch. |
Humm
So did Iran let 10 tankers sail as per Fox and Djt? Well ….What is actually going on with shipping? According to Sal https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....951da556c.jpeg |
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Translation: I've backed myself into this corner and I really don't know how to get out of it.
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It is very possible President Trump is simply telling us what is really happening.
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Military discussion here, politics to Jetblast please...
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Originally Posted by Ronald Reagan
(Post 12059576)
It is very possible President Trump is simply telling us what is really happening.
Suggest that instead, in the context of this thread, you pay more attention to what the spokespersons for CENTCOM say, and also pay attention to what they don't say. In other words, use your brain and use critical thinking. Note that in the War of Words adhering to this conflict, the Iranians claim to have shot down an F-15. But they didn't. Did you believe them when they claimed that? If you did, why? You are a target, and I am a target, in the Information Campaign being waged by multiple parties to this conflict. What defenses have you chosen to deploy? |
Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50
(Post 12059613)
........
Suggest that instead, in the context of this thread, you pay more attention to what the spokespersons for CENTCOM say, and also pay attention to what they don't say. In other words, use your brain and use critical thinking. Note that in the War of Words adhering to this conflict, the Iranians claim to have shot down an F-15. But they didn't. Did you believe them when they claimed that? If you did, why? You are a target, and I am a target, in the Information Campaign being waged by multiple parties to this conflict. What defenses have you chosen to deploy? Anyone (well, anyone serious and mostly unbiased against the United States) who has read Dr. Sean McFate's book, The New Rules of War - Victory in the Age of Durable Disruption (2019), would have been trying to track the battles in the information space at least since Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025. Without making any political statement at all, anyone with at least a secondary school education would acknowledge that a great many words in the English language have a number of denotative meanings, as well as connotative meanings. Nevertheless hours of airtime elevated "obliterated" to a kind of absolutist pinnacle, capable of only one meaning. Rare was the admission that the contents of the sites struck in that operation were seriously enough destroyed so as to be compared to an old fraternity friend of mine who, when prompted to describe the voluminous amounts of alcohol consumed over the weekend, was fond of responding that he had got "obliterated." As a skirmish, if not a more pitched battle, in the Info Campaign, this adjective manuever was instructive. Specifically, instructive about so many otherwise ostensibly intelligent persons chasing after verbalizaions without thinking why they may have been spoken in certain words and not others. So just reflecting on the range of meanings conveyed by any given word or phrase is one line of defense. Then there is the defensive value found not in what we know - what is said publicly - but in what we do not know. In the operation to apprehend and extract the Maduro husband-and-wife dictatorship from Caracas, ordinarily reliable press reports noted that special forces activities were involved. I doubt that many among the cadres of veterans of such units have much trouble deducing what weapons, maneuvers and capabilities were deployed and utilized. But the public in general - minus Tom Clancy imagery, I think most folks imagine little more than Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High (1949). So as a line of defense, this is a reminder to constantly, always, keep in mind that by necessity, CNN or Fox (etc.) aren't reporting on the totality of what's happening or has happened. And recall that the Caracas operation involved heavy presence of aviation assets. It is significant, imo, that the operation followed the several obliterations (yes, using the word on purpose here) of alleged drug-running boats. Much hue and cry resulted in the information space, and noting this in no way, shape, manner or form detracts from or negates the several important questions these boat kills implicate. And obviously aviation assets were deeply and fundamentally involved. And then note, the Caracas operation followed. Is there a parallel looming, larger in scope and consequence? First massive infliction of destruction and degrading of adversary military capacities and capabilities through correlatively massive air power, then, another special forces strike enabled, supported and protected by high-capability airborne and MEU elements? I have no crystal ball and I especially don't have one that speaks, reads or thinks in Farsi. In other words, keeping an open mind about what has happened - because it isn't all reported and so much reporting is driven by agenda, beyond bias - and about what may be coming, is a deliberate mindset. And more intensely so, with regard to aviation assets and the air domain. [Edited to correct media reference & minor typos] |
Whilst on the subject of "obliteration", may I remind all about the true meaning of "decimation".
To decimate your opponent is to kill one in ten. That means 90% survive. |
Originally Posted by CISTRS
(Post 12059677)
Whilst on the subject of "obliteration", may I remind all about the true meaning of "decimation".
To decimate your opponent is to kill one in ten. That means 90% survive. Definition of DecimateDecimate originally referred to a Roman military punishment where every tenth soldier in a unit was executed. Over time, the meaning has evolved significantly.Current MeaningToday, decimate is commonly used to describe the act of drastically reducing or destroying a large part of something. This can apply to populations, resources, or even industries. |
Originally Posted by Ronald Reagan
(Post 12059576)
It is very possible President Trump is simply telling us what is really happening.
|
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/27/ira...ps-middle-east
Pentagon weighs sending 10,000 more combat troops to the Middle East The White House and the Pentagon are considering sending at least 10,000 additional combat troops to the Middle East in the coming days, according to a senior U.S. defense official. Why it matters: If the Trump administration decides to send extra troops, it will significantly increase the number of combat soldiers the U.S. has in the region. It is another signal that a U.S. ground operation in Iran is being seriously prepared. The massive surge in ground troops is being considered as President Trump says the U.S. is negotiating with Iran on a deal to end the war. Iranian officials haven't agreed yet to hold a high-level meeting with the U.S. and they are suspicious that the U.S. diplomatic push is another trick. The U.S. defense official expects the decision to be made next week and said the troops will be from different combat units than the ones which have already been sent to the region…… ThePentagon is developing military options for a "final blow" in Iran that could include the use of ground forcesand a massive bombing campaign, Axios reported. Trump hasn't made a decision yet on pursuing any of these scenarios, but sources say he's ready to escalate if talks with Iran don't yield tangible results soon. More reinforcements, including several fighter jet squadrons and thousands of troops, are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days and weeks. One Marine expeditionary unit will arrive this week and another is now deploying. The command element of the 82nd Airborne Division has been directed to deploy to the Middle East with an infantry brigade consisting of several thousand troops. |
Open source information indicates that USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-404) was recently - perhaps still is - moored at Diego Garcia. This is a MSC Large RORO vessel of the Bob Hope class designed to move heavy military equipment. Other vessels of the same class appear to be in US ports.
There are many storage sheds on Diego Garcia. Typically the class can carry up to 60 tanks and 1000 trucks plus a shedful or two of containers. |
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