Power switch: Russian ships replacing Americans in Mediterranean
If you were still holding out hope for US intervention in Syria, or if you still thought that the United States was a power in this region, this ought to kill your delusions. The United States has summoned home its two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean. And
Russia has sent its most powerful warships.
The American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz was recalled from the
Persian Gulf on Friday, along with the destroyer USS Graveley from the
Mediterranean Sea. The move comes less than a week after Russia sent its
most powerful warships to the Mediterranean.
Al Jazeera reports the Nimitz moved through the Suez Canal
into the Red Sea, and is anticipated to reach the US in late December.
It was scheduled to return in August but was left in the region for a
military presence.
The US ships were assigned to the region months ago as US President
Barack Obama considered a military strike on Syrian President Bashar
Assad's regime. On Friday the US Defense Department announced their
removal, signalling the Obama administration's total abandonment of a
Syrian military option.
The move further signals a weakening of US military presence in the Middle East, precisely as Russia stands to heighten its influence.
Following cooling American relations with both Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Egypt later this month,
which many see as an attempt to replace America's role as military
provider to the country. America partially froze military aid to Egypt
after former President Mohammed Morsi was deposed.
Putin is expected to announce an arms deal during his visit, which coincides with earlier reports of a 15 billion dollar arms deal in the works for Egypt, partially funded by Saudi Arabia.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Egypt, Mediterranean Sea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Vladimir Putin
US and Russian navies to clash in Mediterranean?
Reuters reports that a US attack on Syria is likely to make
extensive use of naval assets.
If U.S. President Barack Obama decides to take military action against
Syria for using chemical weapons in its two-year-old civil war, the
initial blows likely would be delivered by four U.S. guided missile
destroyers currently in the Mediterranean.
...
Following are some of the U.S. military assets at Obama's disposal:
GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS - The United States has four guided missile
destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea - the USS Gravely, the USS
Barry, the USS Ramage and the USS Mahan. The ships can carry a maximum
of 90 to 96 Tomahawk cruise missiles if loaded only with those weapons.
The actual number they are carrying at any time depends on the mission
and what other weapons and systems are needed. Tomahawk missiles are
likely to be the weapon of choice if Obama orders a strike on Syria
because they have a range of about 1,000 miles and can be used at a
distance without a concerted effort to destroy Syria's integrated air
defenses.
SUBMARINES - The United States has 58 submarines capable of launching
Tomahawk cruise missiles, including four specifically designated guided
missile submarines capable of carrying up to 154 missiles apiece. The
Navy does not discuss the whereabouts of its submarines, but one or more
could be tapped for duty if Obama decides to carry out targeted strikes
against Syria.
AIRCRAFT - U.S. B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers are capable of carrying
conventional air-launched cruise missiles. Those could be called into
play if needed, as they have been in previous conflicts in the Middle
East, flying from bases in the United States or elsewhere. The
air-launched cruise missiles also are stand-off weapons that could be
dropped from outside Syrian territory.
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS - The USS Harry S. Truman is currently in the
northern Arabian Sea and the USS Nimitz is in the Indian Ocean. Aircraft
from the two carriers could be called into service if needed to
participate in an attack against Syria. But their participation appears
unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Russians are pouring naval assets into the Mediterranean....
What could go wrong?
Labels: Mediterranean Sea, Russia, Syria, United States, US Navy
More natural gas found off Israel's Mediterranean coast
Israel has discovered
another half trillion cubic feet of natural gas off its Mediterranean coast near the Tamar natural gas field.
A U.S.-Israeli energy consortium drilling in the eastern Mediterranean said on Sunday it found "initial indications" of natural gas at a field called Dolphin 1, although estimates have said it is much smaller than the nearby Tamar prospect.
Ratio Oil , one of the partners in the exploration group, reported to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that "initial indications" show the sands at the drill site, some 110 km off Israel's coast, contain natural gas.
The company said it was too early to determine the size of the gas layer and the quality of the reservoir. An earlier assessment provided by a consulting firm estimated that Dolphin 1 contained 0.55 trillion cubic feet of gas (tcf).
That is much smaller than the nearby Tamar field, discovered in 2009 to have 8.4 tcf of gas, which sparked an exploration frenzy in the eastern Mediterranean's Levant Basin.
...
Texas-based Noble Energy has a 39.66 percent stake in the Dolphin prospect. Avner Oil and Delek Drilling each own 22.67 percent. Ratio Oil owns 15 percent.
The same group made the world's largest off-shore discovery of the past decade at the Leviathan site last year, which is estimated to have 16 tcf of natural gas.
Hmmm.
Last week, Turkey threatened to prevent Israel from exporting natural gas to Europe. I doubt they can make good on that threat. Heh.
Labels: Mediterranean Sea, Noble Energy, oil and gas exploration
Gorgeous photo of Israel from space at night
This image provided by NASA and posted to Twitpic by astronaut Douglas Wheelock on November 7, 2010 shows a night view over the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea as seen from the International Space Station (Hat Tip:
Daily Alert).
Labels: Douglas Wheelock, Israel, Mediterranean Sea, NASA, space station
