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430 Tomahawk Missiles In the Persian Gulf Area: More than Enough to Start a War
24 April 2012
A widely distributed story first posted by Russia Today on April 20th reports that the US Navy has as many as 430 Tomahawk land attack missiles deployed in the Persian Gulf region. There are two aircraft carrier battle groups currently deployed in Southwest Asia, the USS Enterprise and the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Enterprise is reported to be in the Persian Gulf with its escort ships, which are estimated to be carrying about 130 Tomahawk missiles. The Lincoln’s escort ships are reported to be carrying a similar number of missiles. The cruise missile submarine USS Georgia, equipped to carry up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, is also reported to be in the same waters. It was sighted in port in Diego Garcia, the US-British naval base in the middle of the Indian Ocean on April 11. At least one US attack submarine, equipped to carry up to 12 Tomahawk missiles is also reported to be in the region. The Tomahawk missile carries a 1,000 pound high explosive warhead and has a range of about 1,000 miles, so while 430 of them could do some damage, it would be plenty enough to start a war, the target, of course, being Iran. Meanwhile, the US and Jordan are set to kick off a nearly month-long military exercise that will reportedly include participation from 17 nations in all. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey is in Amman to discuss the exercise and other topics, to include strengthening military ties and improving coordinated handling of threats, terrorism and crises, with his Jordanian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Mashal Mohammed Zabin. Hundreds of US Marines are already in Jordan, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. The exercise is set to run from May 7 to May 28 and is to involve some 8,000 military personnel in all. The top Navy brass have warned that the period from late April through early September is a danger period, during which Israel could launch an attack on Iran, followed by orders from President Obama for the U.S. military to "finish the job." According to one senior Navy source, in addition to the forward-based naval assets, the President would order the use of the longrange B-2 bombers and other elements of the U.S. strategic strike force. |