November 3, 2005: USNS Arctic T-AOE-8 in the Atlantic Ocean conducting a replenishment at sea with USS Harry S. Truman CVN-75 and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69. (Photo from Maritime Quest)Dave Majumdar, National Interest: Navy Nightmare: Could Iran Sink a U.S. Aircraft Carrier?
Could Iran actually sink one of the U.S. Navy’s mighty flattops?
The United States is accusing Iran of testing rockets near one of its aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf as it passed through the Straits of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denounced the Iranian actions as “highly provocative.” But could Iran actually sink one of the U.S. Navy’s mighty flattops?
According to CENTCOM, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval vessels conducted live-fire drills less than 1,500 yards away from the Nimitz-class carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), the Arleigh Burke -class destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) destroyer and the French frigate FS Provence on Saturday. Moreover, civilian shipping traffic was in the area.
“Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognized maritime traffic lane is unsafe, unprofessional and inconsistent with international maritime law,” said CENTCOM spokesman Commander Kyle Raines in a statement. He noted, however, that the Iranians were clearly not firing in the direction of the U.S. ships.
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WNU Editor: Mines have always been proven effective in disabling large ships. So why not an aircraft carrier.
