How many Carriers will the US and its Allies send to the Gulf in case of War? Right now the US has 3 Aircraft Carriers in the region (USS Harry S. Truman, USS Constellation, and USS Abraham Lincoln)The UK is sending the Ark Royal. Also, the Theodore Roosevelt is enroute and the FNS Charles de Gaulle is to join it for a exercise??? Further the George Washington is back out to sea for work ups? The USS Nimtz & USS Carl Vinson are also working up in the Pacific. The word is that the USS Kitty Hawk will head to the Gulf soon to be replace by Carl Vinson. Note: Why send the Kitty Hawk to the Gulf to be replaced by the Carl Vinson? Just send the Carl Vinson direct! The Kitty Hawk can be deployed quickly from Japan if necessary. Regardless, this would be quite a Naval Force! With the need for large numbers of tactical aircraft. I could see such a large Carrier based force being deployed. Hopefully, they won’t be needed. Here’s my best guess…….
US Navy*
USS Constellation
USS Harry S. Truman
USS Theodore Roosevelt
USS Abraham Lincoln
USS Kitty Hawk (or USS Carl Vinson)
USS George Washington
USS Nimtz
French Navy
FNS Charles de Gaulle
Royal Navy
Ark Royal
*Note: This doesn’t count several American LHA’s and LHD’s equipped with US Marine Corp. Harriers
To summarize 8-9 Big Aircraft Carriers. (including the French?) Plus the Ark Royal from the Royal Navy. Supported by several Amphibious Carriers (LHA’s and LHD’s) with Harriers!
By: ELP - 12th February 2003 at 04:15
RE: How many sorties a day?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-02-03 AT 04:18 AM (GMT)]Yeah, you better appologize Sauron 🙂 (j/k) Anyway that was then, this is now. Today every jet flying off of those carriers will in most cases have a PGM or 2. A carrier commander recently said that because of PGMs like JDAM that the Carrier Air Wing has so much more effective firepower then it did during Desert Storm.
I would say most of the fixed targets that they need to take out will be gone after the first night.
By: ELP - 12th February 2003 at 04:09
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
With a lot of USAF tankers Arthur }>
By: Sauron - 11th February 2003 at 20:58
RE: How many sorties a day?
Tom
I had no particular point in mind other than to draw attention to something I believed might be interesting.
Sorry if the report disturbed you.
The SH reference was a joke. Sorry about that too!
Regards
Sauron
By: Tomcat111 - 11th February 2003 at 19:04
RE: How many sorties a day?
And, what is the document showing?
That each USN combat aircraft flew at least on sortie a day on average through the whole campaign – as opposed by 1 sortie each second day by all the land-based aircraft?
Somehow, I don’t see your point…
By: Sauron - 11th February 2003 at 18:13
RE: How many sorties a day?
djcross
Given your remark about carrier sortie rates during the Gulf War perhaps you would be interested in the GAO report on carrier operations.
You guys remember the GAO don’t you? – at least all you Super Hornet slaggers do I am sure. These pencil necks are the fountain of all wisdom about all things concerning US military issues.
Anyway, you can read it for yourselves.
HTTP//www.fas.org/man/gao/nsiad98001/a5.htm
Regards
Sauron
Long live the Super Hornet!
By: Barak - 11th February 2003 at 17:35
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
That’s even besides the point. The big advantage of a carrier is, as we all now, is that it is mobile. No real need for land based airfields, although of course that would be preferable.
By: Arabella-Cox - 11th February 2003 at 16:53
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
>As each carrier costs several $billion dollars why not just
>build an air base in Kuwait?
So Iraq can launch a first-strike with FROG’s, Scuds, Al-Salahs and MRL’s? Not likely. Kuwait is a sitting duck for even the shortest-range BM’s in the Iraqi arsenal.
Turkey is the best option for the USAF.
Launch at Twilight – “Thermal Crossover”
By: munnst - 11th February 2003 at 04:19
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
As each carrier costs several $billion dollars why not just build an air base in Kuwait?
By: Arthur - 10th February 2003 at 21:23
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
Bad news is that some of those carriers will be equipped with Subpar Hornets. Ah well, the Euphrates and Tigris are large rivers so i guess it will be possible to reach out and touch Baghdad from a F/A-18E/F carrier after all… }>
By: djcross - 10th February 2003 at 21:10
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
The bad news is carrier-based air has a dismal sortie rate driven by flight time and limited tankers. During Desert Storm, each US carrier averaged 14 bomb-dropping sorties a day.
The good news is those few USN bomb-droppers will be using JDAMS and Paveway 2 & 3s. Most sorties flown during DS were with iron bombs with a low Ph & Pk.
By: BME330 - 10th February 2003 at 16:22
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
At least the “paella” squadron is a blue water squadron….
Attachments:
By: Arabella-Cox - 9th February 2003 at 22:36
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
The British have got the best carrier near the Gulf. They’ve got a time-share on the island of Cyprus.
Launch at Twilight – “Thermal Crossover”
By: Geforce - 7th February 2003 at 11:38
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
Yeah like a pasta and a paella squadron }>.
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th February 2003 at 23:59
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
Your right, I haven’t heard anything about the Italians or Spanish sending Carriers? They both would fit perfectly in a Task Force with the Royal Navy……
By: Geforce - 6th February 2003 at 08:41
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
The FNS Charles de Gaulle will be used in combat, no doubt about that. Maybe we can even see the Rafale into action. What about the Spanish and the Italian carriers, will they be used?
By: Bhoy - 6th February 2003 at 02:39
RE: 9 Aircraft Carriers to Gulf?
as I understood it from the News yesterday, the Charles de Gaulle isn’t actually going to the Gulf, it’s going for manoeuvers in the Eastern Med (although that’d potentially also be within striking distance of Iraq)
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February 6, 2003 at 2:15 am