Operation Prosperity Guardian: The Red Sea Cruise 2023-? But wait there's more! Iran + proxies, FAFO

[RPM 26,317]

55 minutes ago, Hal Finney said:

What’s the hold up here?

This guy ain't around anymore

[Mighty fine 169]

Saudis need to have a foreign legion like the French.  Just a fully decked our mercenary army.  The got the money for it.  Just not dudes who are willing to do bad stuff

Saudi doesn't have dudes with the will to do bad stuff...is this a serious statement? I mean, my impression is that Saudi will do any and every fucked up thing you can come up with, so long as they see it as being in their best interests.

[FartingMonk 3,606]

28 minutes ago, Mighty fine said:

17 hours ago, FartingMonk said:

Saudis need to have a foreign legion like the French.  Just a fully decked our mercenary army.  The got the money for it.  Just not dudes who are willing to do bad stuff

Saudi doesn't have dudes with the will to do bad stuff...is this a serious statement? I mean, my impression is that Saudi will do any and every fucked up thing you can come up with, so long as they see it as being in their best interests.

Saudis will steal candy from a baby.  Saudis won't still candy from the adults who are meaner than them.  

[Schulz2.0 28,951]

3 hours ago, Hal Finney said:

What’s the hold up here?
 

We need to be snuffing this out.

It affects our allies (Israelis, Euros) and the Chinese. It affects the Chinese. It doesn't really affect us. There have been plenty of people on board the "we shouldn't subsidize other countries interests", but apparently this is different.

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

We are hitting Iranian-controlled groups   Not quite the Israel/Hamas thing or Prosperity Guardian but I can see why PG partners are irritated that we won’t hit Houthi targets yet but will hit targets in Iraq and Syria   

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/25/politics/us-strikes-iraq-kataib-hezbollah/index.html

Quote

The US military carried out airstrikes on three facilities used by the Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah and “affiliated groups” on Monday night after an attack injured three US troops, leaving one in critical condition, the White House said.

A US Central Command statement said early assessments indicated that the US airstrikes, ordered by President Joe Biden, “likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.”

Quote

The Iranian-backed militant group earlier claimed credit for using a one-way attack drone to target the US forces on Erbil Air Base on Monday morning, the White House said.

A statement from US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the US airstrikes on “three locations utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities.”

 

[FartingMonk 3,606]

Well shit.  Why don't they go strike the Houthis then?  They don't want to be under our command and control groups but they want to jaw jack at something they want us to do.  Why don't they do it themselves?

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

U.S. assets, to include the USS LABOON (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.

[nineliveslost 2,753]

Are we just going to fuck around until the Houthis get extremely lucky and sink one of our ships and kill hundreds???? Hit them fucking hard and tell them to knock it off and then hit them again. 

The attacks against the navy are increasing and intensifying. FUCK THEM UP. We are being dumb

[Hate 20,106]

Yeah, I don’t get why our leadership is not taking these fuckers out. If they fire directly at a US or it’s allies flag shipped, they should be eliminated post haste.

[nineliveslost 2,753]

2 minutes ago, Hate said:

Yeah, I don’t get why our leadership is not taking these fuckers out. If they fire directly at a US or it’s allies flag shipped, they should be eliminated post haste.

Thats why I don't get it. Let them screw around with everyone else, but the first time they fire at a US ship hit them hard. Make them pay. Then go back to normal until they attempt it again. then hit them twice as hard. Dont screw with us. 

Hand on a hot stove treatment. FAAFO. 

[YGIFS 19,449]

The Ford CSG was put into place for humanitarian aid, protecting civilians, and supporting our allies in a conventional theater.  Over one month ago, the Eisenhower CSG was ordered into that region because CENTCOM knew this was always going to happen.  Hell's been there for 30 days because our country is way ahead of this curve.  You don't show all your cards on the first hand.  Eisenhower didn't go there to drop off more food and medical kits.  Eisenhower went there to protect shipping vessels and ports.  They saw the Houthis before they got out of bed last month.  Granted, some attack on a USN flagged vessel can obviously occur at any moment.  If we were just now, or last week, moving #2 into the region, I'd be worried that we were weak or reactionary.  But she's been there for a long while now, with her full compliment of support vessels, destroyer group, fixed wing squadrons, and surveillance aircraft (both seaborne and land-based in our friend's backyards).  HUMINT AND SIGINT collections up the wazoo, letting the JV team on the other side exhaust their very limited resources so as to limit human casualties---cargo can always be replaced.  Or so the admiral once explained.

[Brisketexan 105,066]

46 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

U.S. assets, to include the USS LABOON (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.

Random question for the fighter jock community: is an air-to-air kill an air-to-air kill, regardless of what you kill?  That is, is there some F-18 jock who has shot down 4 drones, and is itching to get a shot at #5 so he can claim to be an ace?

[Trey3216 15,345]

On 12/23/2023 at 8:13 PM, FartingMonk said:

Pretty much hit the nail on the the head with that.  The military especially the Navy is all about CYA until retirement.  They can't and won't make decisions.  It also doesn't help that Tommy Dumbass the Senator from Alabama has held up a ton of high ranking appointments to the NSC and other leadership roles so the guys who are actually running it are just treading water until the real guys show up

Nice fucking CR journey there.  Thanks.  I wonder if Captain Jello Time is doing all he can to not be cast as a warmonger.  The wait and see trickle down on supplying Ukraine seems to show that.  

[kevwun 15,764]

I mean everyone in the senate had enough of his act.  It's not CR if everyone think he's a dumbass.

[Trey3216 15,345]

4 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I mean everyone in the senate had enough of his act.  It's not CR if everyone think he's a dumbass.

I think he's a dumbass.  But let's be serious here.....

[YGIFS 19,449]

Okay, then he's a serious dumbass 

[FartingMonk 3,606]

My politics swing pretty much to the right.  But we can't talk about ineptitude in military leadership without someone who actively held up 100 or so appointments out of spite and you call that CR'ing it?  Just calling a spade a spade.  But I thank you because when the guys on the left call me a trumpkin and the guys on the right call me a libtard.  It means I'm still capable of independent thought. So no sir Mr @Trey3216 thank you.

[FartingMonk 3,606]

None of this shit would have happened if they didn't force retire Captain Crunch.  He would have made a great admiral.  He just didn't know how to play the game.

[YGIFS 19,449]

Captain Crunch never had the makings of a varsity admiral.  

[thunderlounge 7,813]

Them berries did him in. 

[Brisketexan 105,066]

Just now, YGIFS said:

Captain Crunch never had the makings of a varsity admiral.  

What I can't understand is how you clueless fuckers just skip right past the "Ooops!  All berries!" crunchberry scandal.  It happened on his watch, he takes the fall.  That's how this shit works.

[FartingMonk 3,606]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

What I can't understand is how you clueless fuckers just skip right past the "Ooops!  All berries!" crunchberry scandal.  It happened on his watch, he takes the fall.  That's how this shit works.

He took the fall for Berrygate.  If you know the inner machinations of the military industrial complex.  Northrop Grumman made too much berries and to keep their stock price high.  They dumped it on the Navy.  Wrong place wrong time for Mr. Crunch

[YGIFS 19,449]

I thought his promotion got held up because of the "Deep Sea Crunch" scandal involving subsurface warfare tactics and discontinued cereals.  

Sadly, this is a higher level analysis than is actually taking place in our Senate regarding flag officer promotions during a time when we may be possibly operating 3-4 active CSG in theater.  In the very near future.  But yes, we lack a projection of strength around the world.  Well yeah, Destroyer groups sometimes have that problem when there's no fucking 0-6's around because of a cereal famine.  Thanks a lot coach Dipshit!  /rant

Alright, good thing we left behind some surveillance RE-3's in the sandbox awhile back.  They're recommissioned and have been circling above for weeks before this all started.  Almost like we're hearing from the intel communities of the U.S. and our Allies.  Sometimes the strongest kid on the street is the one who listens.  

[FartingMonk 3,606]

Damn the HouthKrsipies full speed ahead!

[NAVY 6,740]

It’s the holidays so I expect a lot of drunk posting. 

While some of you write dumb shit on the internet, the world’s finest Navy is on duty. 

Aye aye 

 

[FartingMonk 3,606]

Drink to the foaaaammm!

[thunderlounge 7,813]

Farewell to all these joys

[FartingMonk 3,606]

Well shit.  Let's get this bitch started.

 

Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh 

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

 

[RPM 26,317]

 

[Johnny Chimpo 478]

Playing stupid and waiting for them to get lucky and hit us with a missile is not going to go well for us. 

[Parliament 14,243]

Ya think? 

[956 Worldwide 34,702]

Maybe we’re about to nut up? It’s pretty silly that we are still in warning mode.

 

[InkaUtexas 25,862]

Heard today, assets are already in Yemen. Gotta find the sights before you can fuck them up

 

 

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

Interesting how things played out, from CNN:

Four small boats originating from “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” attacked the Maersk Hangzhou with small arms and attempted to board the merchant vessel, according to a statement from US Central Command on Sunday, which added that a security team on board had returned fire.

CENTCOM said helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and Gravely responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s distress call, the second in less than 24 hours, and were fired on by the Houthi boats.

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area,” the statement said, adding that there was “no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

[Pescado_Rojo 19,413]

24 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Interesting how things played out, from CNN:

Four small boats originating from “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” attacked the Maersk Hangzhou with small arms and attempted to board the merchant vessel, according to a statement from US Central Command on Sunday, which added that a security team on board had returned fire.

CENTCOM said helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and Gravely responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s distress call, the second in less than 24 hours, and were fired on by the Houthi boats.

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area,” the statement said, adding that there was “no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

[InkaUtexas 25,862]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

Interesting how things played out, from CNN:

Four small boats originating from “Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen” attacked the Maersk Hangzhou with small arms and attempted to board the merchant vessel, according to a statement from US Central Command on Sunday, which added that a security team on board had returned fire.

CENTCOM said helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and Gravely responded to the Maersk Hangzhou’s distress call, the second in less than 24 hours, and were fired on by the Houthi boats.

“The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area,” the statement said, adding that there was “no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.”

SAS bud asked why they let one go. His take is fuck it, let those on shore wonder.

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

Signs are pointing to something building up.  Houthis vowing revenge for the US Navy killing their boat crews.   More ships getting into position.  

Quote

An Joint-Statement is reportedly expected to be made in the coming hours by the United States, Britain, and an Unknown European Country, announcing that they are in Final Preparations for a Large-Scale Military Operation against the Houthi Terrorist Group in Yemen which will include the launch of Hundreds of Missiles and Airstrikes against Pre-Planned Targets in Western Yemen and the Red Sea.

I think that’s a bit optimistic, but he’s going off of reports by some mainstream news organizations.  Still, all the ships moving in or moving around are basically tantamount to Chekhov's gun.

Houthis:

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

Called Iran out by name,  maybe related to the Iranian “motherships” that are engaged in intelligence gathering and target acquisition 

Side note: a few drones shot down over American bases in Iraq.

Edited January 1 by atomheartbevo

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

 

 

https://twitter.com/Schizointel/status/1741630388022206764

Total Houthi Missiles and Drones intercepted by ship as of 12/31/2023.

• USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) x5 drones
• USS Carney (DDG-64) x33 drones x4 ASBM
• HMS Diamond D-34 x1 drone
• FS Languedoc (F-653) x1 drone
• USS Laboon (DDG-58) x10 drones X3 ASBM X2 LACM
• USS Eisenhower Helicopter x3 Boats
• USS Eisenhower F/A-18 x6 drones (possibly one or 2 missiles)
• USS Mason (DDG-87) x1 drone x1 ASBM
• USS Gravely (DDG-107) x1 drone x3 ASBM

Total drones and missiles launched by Houthis to date

• x72~ Drones
• x17~ ASBM
• x2 LACM
• x1 ASCM

Shot down by warships

• x61 Drones
• x11 ASBM
• x2 LACM

 

[InkaUtexas 25,862]

Iran moved a frigate into the red sea. We sank its sister ship, hope this one gets home and this shit does not escalate.

[FartingMonk 3,606]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/exclusive-us-bring-back-gerald-r-ford-aircraft-carrier-eastern-mediterranean/story%3fid=106021259

 

 

This is what the US Navy didnt want people to know.

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

41 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

This is what the US Navy didnt want people to know.

If they didn’t want people to know, then why did they announce it?  It’s not exactly something you can keep quiet anyways since she’s making port calls throughout the Mediterranean. Hell, she was in Crete the day after Christmas, so it’s not like she was hanging off the coast of Israel like she was early on when there were concerns Israel/Hamas would affect the Mediterranean area.  She’s pushing 250 days of deployment, and the Navy prefers to keep their deployments to 9 months or less, especially true since the Ford is the first in her class, and this is wrapping up her first actual full-length major deployment.  

The Eisenhower and her group are the ones who will be bearing the brunt of any actions towards Yemen/Iran, and those are the ones you should be watching.  There appear to be more ships, both American and others, making their way towards that part of the world.

[FartingMonk 3,606]

The Ford is probably going to get mothballed if shit keeps happening.  

[Gatorubet 30,185]

So- it’s the Final Countdown?

Edited January 2 by Gatorubet

[Bevo 13,566]

On 12/27/2023 at 11:41 AM, atomheartbevo said:

U.S. assets, to include the USS LABOON (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.

Eventually we will get hit if we continue the "Do not fire unless fired upon" policy. It will invigorate the Iranian supported rebels, Iran, and quite possibly even Sunni terrorist groups. So it seems to be a really ill advised policy. I blame it mostly on the Obama holdovers in this administration. I don't think Biden is this conservative in potential conflicts.

What does Global Affairs say is the geopolitical reason?

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

4 hours ago, FartingMonk said:

The Ford is probably going to get mothballed if shit keeps happening.  

So the Ford is wrapping up her first full-length deployment, both as a ship, and as the lead ship of her class, and it's been relatively smooth, and they should be mothballed?

 

[atomheartbevo 89,628]

6 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Eventually we will get hit if we continue the "Do not fire unless fired upon" policy. It will invigorate the Iranian supported rebels, Iran, and quite possibly even Sunni terrorist groups. So it seems to be a really ill advised policy.

I kind of wonder if they are waiting for something to happen and then use that as their green light.  Them attacking the ships should be enough - quite a few of us are old enough to remember what happened in 1988.

edit: for the kids, go look up Operation Preying Mantis.

Here's a look at an Iranian frigate from back then:

 

Edited January 2 by atomheartbevo

[FartingMonk 3,606]

13 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

So the Ford is wrapping up her first full-length deployment, both as a ship, and as the lead ship of her class, and it's been relatively smooth, and they should be mothballed?

 

Yep.  Major issues.  They can't find a dry dock berth for her is one reason they kept her out.  I'll keep my mouth shut about the rest.

[Bevo 13,566]

1 minute ago, atomheartbevo said:

I kind of wonder if they are waiting for something to happen and then use that as their green light.  Them attacking the ships should be enough - quite a few of us are old enough to remember what happened in 1988.

Yeah, I just don't get it. Why would you send so many ships to just take a defensive posture? It is said to prevent escalation, but it isn't really deterring anything. It is like going goose hunting (where we are the geese) on a cold blue northern day. The hunter can't help but fire a shit ton of shells, because why not? They probably won't hit anything because the birds are out of range, but you never know.

And eventually, the birds are going to go home to roost. We aren't going to be at sea forever. Maybe we are just preventing Iran from moving troops towards Israel and limiting missile and drone attacks on Israel to Syria without any direct attacks from Iran.