INTL The First U.S. Military Engagement in an Expanded Israeli War Has Begun - The Last Refuge

jward

passin' thru

The First U.S. Military Engagement in an Expanded Israeli War Has Begun - The Last Refuge​



Today, the sketchy Pentagon statements about the USS Carney are starting to make sense. The initial suspicions within the originating statements {GO DEEP} are well founded. Today, the Pentagon is admitting the events in the Red Sea were “much more significant” than originally outlined. Here’s the big picture, and we will go a little deeper.
The USS Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer assigned to USS Ford Carrier Strike Group 12. As part of the October 8th deployment into the eastern Mediterranean, the USS Carney took up a defensive position for the strike group by going through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Fortunately, the Carney arrived in the Red Sea, on mission, Wednesday, just hours before four cruise missiles and 15 drones entered the established defensive perimeter airspace.

The Carney’s interceptions, the defensive activity against the missiles and drones, took place over 9 hours on Wed/Thursday. All of the interceptions happened in commercial airspace, meaning the drones and missiles were targeted to fly at altitudes of commercial air travel. Obviously, the destination of the missiles and drones was/is unknown; however, the Pentagon said “potentially” targeted to hit Israel.

Now keep in mind, this report from CNN (think State Dept) is from a U.S. official that is NOT the Pentagon. Meaning this report is political in nature and slanted to provide the State Dept/political Intelligence Community perspective. Again, this is not a military report; this is a report from the U.S. political angle of government.

CNN — A US warship that intercepted drones and missiles near the coast of Yemen on Thursday encountered a larger and more sustained barrage than was previously known, shooting down 4 cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of 9 hours, according to a US official familiar with the situation.
The USS Carney, an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer that traversed the Suez Canal heading south on Wednesday, intercepted the missiles and drones as they were heading north along the Red Sea. Their trajectory left little doubt that the projectiles were headed for Israel, the official said, a clearer assessment than the Pentagon’s initial take.

A sustained barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israel from far outside the Gaza conflict is one of a series of worrying signs that the war risks escalating beyond the borders of the coastal enclave.
[…] On Thursday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the missiles were fired by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and were launched “potentially towards targets in Israel.” At the briefing, Ryder said three land-attack cruise missiles and “several” drones.
Some of the projectiles were traveling at altitudes that made them a potential risk to commercial aviation when they were intercepted, the US official said. The drones and missiles were intercepted with SM-2 surface-to-air missiles launched from the USS Carney.
US interceptions of Houthi launches are exceedingly rare, making the timing of this incident, as tensions rise in Israel, more significant. In October 2016, the USS Mason deployed countermeasures to stop an attempted attack in the Red Sea targeting the Navy destroyer and other ships nearby. In response, the US fired sea-launched cruise missiles at Houthi radar facilities in Yemen. (read more)


We have already addressed the originating problems with the Pentagon report. Just the 1,300-mile flight distance alone is problematic when attaching this origination to the Houthis. Since when did this Yemen rebel group gain missiles and drones that could target at such distances? Something doesn’t add up.
In reality, the original Pentagon statement does make sense. They don’t know where they came from, and they don’t know where they were going. However, they entered a defensive perimeter established by USS Ford, via the battleship Carney, as part of their strike group mission and formation.

With the carrier strike group in place, the proximity and overall direction of the unknown missiles and drones was a threat. So, we shot them down. That is the standard mission priority.
The political message to CNN, not from the Pentagon, is to firm up the most likely originating location as Yemen and establish the most likely destination as Israel.
However, there are multiple alternatives, one of which is alarming and would also explain the intense sensitivity of the Pentagon in using the word “potentially”; the truth is, they really don’t know. Factually, USS Carney arrived literally hours before this took place, a very fortuitous arrival on mission all things considered.

We can well imagine if the Carney was still navigating the Suez Canal at the time the missiles and drones flew overhead. We, or whoever was the target of 4 cruise missiles and 15 drones, lucked out.
Which brings us to the part of “potential” destinations. Considering the motives and intents of the hostile and opposition elements globally and regionally, there’s just as solid an argument to make that the USS Carney did exactly what it was supposed to do, defend the USS Ford strike group. Meaning, the target could have been the U.S. fleet and the USS Ford itself.
Then we look at “potential” origination. Again, the Houthi’s may have received a very recent Iranian missile capable of delivering a payload over this distance. They did not have them before, but they could be newly acquired; so, the origination could be Yemen. However, it is worth remembering that China is the #1 investor in Yemen, and has a geopolitical relationship in Yemen driven in part by a very nearby Chinese navy military base in Djibouti.

In 2017, China established its first overseas naval base in the small East African country of Djibouti. The base, where perhaps 2,000 Chinese troops are stationed only a few miles from the U.S. Navy’s own Djiboutian base, Camp Lemonnier, set off alarm bells in Washington about Africa’s role in China’s growing military profile. (link)

China has been selling weapons to Yemen as part of the geopolitical alignment between Iran, Russia and China. China also supports the current status of peace between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and has been working diligently to keep all of their interests aligned.
Were the advanced missiles part of the relationship between China and Yemen?… Or were they Iranian? The former seems increasingly likely, the latter not quite as much.
So, with the Pentagon admitting they are not certain, and with the State Dept motive to downplay the significance, let’s put the process together.

China would have a solid motive for supporting Yemen in the actual targeting of the USS Ford. What faster way to bring the U.S into yet another engagement than by targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group. For Yemen and the Muslim Brotherhood, this would be medal of honor level success, exceeding any joyful targeting of Israel.
The U.S., in this scenario the great satan, is pulled into yet another protracted Middle East quagmire along with prior commitments to Ukraine. Now, with both a European and Middle East conflict, the beneficiaries would be Iran, Russia, China, the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey, Syria and the list goes on from there. This diverts all U.S. resources away from the Pacific Theater and leaves Taiwan as easy pickings. Smiling panda.
Guess who else would benefit.

Last point, notice how in this scenario no one’s fingerprints are actually -directly- on any of this. Plausible deniability is everywhere.
Funny how that happens?…
Posted in Big Government, Big Stupid Government, China, Conspiracy ?, Deep State, Election 2024, Iran, ISIS, Islam, Israel, Joe Biden, media bias, Military, Notorious Liars, Terrorist Attacks, Uncategorized, USA, Yemen
 
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Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
China would have a solid motive for supporting Yemen in the actual targeting of the USS Ford. What faster way to bring the U.S into yet another engagement than by targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group. For Yemen and the Muslim Brotherhood, this would be medal of honor level success, exceeding any joyful targeting of Israel.
The U.S., in this scenario the great satan, is pulled into yet another protracted Middle East quagmire along with prior commitments to Ukraine. Now, with both a European and Middle East conflict, the beneficiaries would be Iran, Russia, China, the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey, Syria and the list goes on from there. This diverts all U.S. resources away from the Pacific Theater and leaves Taiwan as easy pickings. Smiling panda.
Guess who else would benefit.
The entire article is very important but I keep going back to "10% for the big guy". And you have to wonder how much Obama was raking in off the top. Then the Clinton connection goes back to the 90s.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
USS Carney has 90 VLS tubes. They can be loaded with a variety of munitions. So most likely not all of those 90 tubes are filled with SAMs. Probably some Tomahawks and ASROC munitions. Per this article they shot down 19 missiles and drones. VLS cant be reloaded underway and they dont carry spares. How many more SAMs are in those tubes? If I was the Houthis I would keep sending drones and crappy missiles until the Carney is out of SAMs and then send the good stuff.
 

OldArcher

Has No Life - Lives on TB

With the godless bunch facing Israel and the United States, it’s just a matter of time. Will our people run out of “special munitions,” before our enemies cry, “No Mas, No Mas?” How long before our enemies begin the mass slaughter of innocents here, in this country?

Only God knows. Prepare, train, be ready for anything and everything. Pack heavy, walk light. Remember- if you’re in Heaven, you’re no earthly good…

OA
 

Red Baron

Paleo-Conservative
_______________
USS Carney has 90 VLS tubes. They can be loaded with a variety of munitions. So most likely not all of those 90 tubes are filled with SAMs. Probably some Tomahawks and ASROC munitions. Per this article they shot down 19 missiles and drones. VLS cant be reloaded underway and they dont carry spares. How many more SAMs are in those tubes? If I was the Houthis I would keep sending drones and crappy missiles until the Carney is out of SAMs and then send the good stuff.
Good points.

The "Standard" Navy anti-air missile is hopelessly over matched to fire against some lawn mower engine drones or fertilizer fueled bottle rockets.

A few swarms of junk rockets and drones will quickly deplete the Navy air defenses.
 

Samuel Adams

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The entire article is very important but I keep going back to "10% for the big guy". And you have to wonder how much Obama was raking in off the top. Then the Clinton connection goes back to the 90s.

And we still pretend that “politics” at the individual level (voting) matter.

Take three steps back and re-evaluate.

Appreciate that we are far……FAR beyond the hope-in-futility level of depravity that the 99.5% cling to…..for dear life.

It’s over, and we witness the rot in full force.
 

Abert

Veteran Member
Good points.

The "Standard" Navy anti-air missile is hopelessly over matched to fire against some lawn mower engine drones or fertilizer fueled bottle rockets.

A few swarms of junk rockets and drones will quickly deplete the Navy air defenses.
This era of drone warfare is something new and it has been shown by both Russia and Ukraine that even the best AD systems can be overcome by massive missile, drone, decoy launches. This knowledge is now well known and we can expect it to be used going forward - on all sides.
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The entire article is very important but I keep going back to "10% for the big guy". And you have to wonder how much Obama was raking in off the top. Then the Clinton connection goes back to the 90s.

The Bush connection goes back to the 80s. Does that crime family get to play, anymore? Did Clinton annex them? So confusing keeping up with these snakes. Makes my hair hurt.
 

jward

passin' thru
hmm.

David B. Larter
@DavidLarter

It's a truism but we did it just as a morale booster after particularly difficult weeks, or just because the guy who runs Breakouts from the freezers and refrigerators thinks they are getting freezer burned. I suspect they've had a stressful couple of weeks.


OSINTdefender
@sentdefender
Rumors are that the Crew onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the Eastern Mediterranean have been served Steak & Lobster tonight for Dinner which is usually reserved for either Holidays (Which today isn’t) or News which is expected to Lower the Crew’s Morale like a Deployment Extension or possible something else.
 

kochevnik

Senior Member

Setup for a Showdown​

Russia responds to the US Navy’s provocative move into the Mediterranean:
As the Israel-Gaza conflict escalates, with the expected involvement of various regional powers, the inclusion of global ones after the United States sent a massive naval force to the Eastern Mediterranean was guaranteed. And indeed, this now includes Russia which decided to send its superfast, high-flying MiG-31 jets to patrol the Black Sea. Namely, on October 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced that Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) will deploy MiG-31K/I (interceptors modified into strike fighters) armed with 9-A-7660 “Kinzhal” air-launched hypersonic missiles (usually given the unconfirmed Kh-47M2 designation) in response to large-scale US naval deployments. Although this doesn’t immediately indicate that the jets are on combat duty to tackle the possible involvement of US forces, the “Kinzhal’s” range and speed are more than enough to jeopardize American assets.
With the USS “Dwight D. Eisenhower” Nimitz-class supercarrier (CVN-69) joining the USS “Gerald R. Ford” (CVN-78), the US Navy now operates two carrier strike groups (CSGs) in the Eastern Mediterranean. Combined, both vessels can carry up to 180 aircraft, in addition to other ships escorting them as part of the CSGs. This massive force is a threat to Russian allies in the region, particularly Syria, and by extension, Moscow’s forces deployed in the Middle Eastern country.
The MiG-31s armed with “Kinzhals” and flying over the Black Sea cover the entirety of the Eastern Mediterranean without going anywhere near American CSGs. Namely, although estimates vary significantly, the “Kinzhal’s” range is up to 2000 km, meaning that the MiG-31K/I strike fighters are capable of launching the hypersonic missiles well beyond the range of any US ship-based air defenses, interceptors or similar assets.
It should be noted that the US Navy also sent the USS “Bataan” (LHD-5) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC – Special Operations Capable) and additional naval forces.
The USS “Bataan” can also carry up to 20 aircraft, further reinforcing the already massive US presence in the area. In addition, the 26th MEU has at least 1600 marines, although its full combat strength is up to 2400. Apart from these, the Pentagon deployed other assets such as the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” attack jets, F-15E “Strike Eagle” strike fighters, as well as the B-1B “Lancer” long-range bombers. The latter were sent from their home base in Texas on October 12 and forward deployed to RAF (Royal Air Force) Fairford airbase in the United Kingdom. From there, “Lancers” could launch strikes against targets across the Middle East and elsewhere, jeopardizing at least half a dozen countries in the region.
As previously mentioned, all of the aforementioned assets are a threat to Russian forces deployed in the area, as well as to Moscow’s allies, particularly Syria. It should be noted that the forces Washington DC sent so far are absolutely unnecessary against Hamas.
This underlines expectations that the Middle East will be the second front in WWIII. Most of the US forces arriving in nominal support of the incipient Israeli offensive in Gaza – and quite possibly Syria and Southern Lebanon as well – are not only useless against Hamas, but against Hezbollah as well.
Since Russians have resolutely refused to directly engage the NATO in Ukraine, it appears that the neoclowns are determined to find a way to provoke them into open war in a manner that they can’t resist.
image-55.png

When military leaders make their final, fatal mistake, it is usually the sort of action that has hitherto been very successful for them. The cautious leader fails to act when he must, the aggressive leaders bites off more than he can chew. Israeli officers are indoctrinated in the romance of the bold and daring stroke that wins the war, and revere aggressive generals like Dayan, Sharon, and Patton. This is why I am beginning to suspect that instead of simply beginning the ground offensive in Gaza, we’re going to see a bigger, more comprehensive attack on two or more fronts that is intended to catch Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah by surprise.
The presence of the US military would be to ensure that the IDF holds its gains by keeping Iran and Russia from defending their allies. I tend to doubt, however, that the US forces still command the respect that used to render them such a compelling deterrent.
 
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