BLUEJACKET
Banned Idiot
Here is some background of what may happen in '07-
The rhetoric was already loud and clear earlier this year- now it's just "quiet before the storm"!
The mission of Carrier Task Force (CTF) is similar to that of a carrier strike group, but much larger in scale and scope: to deter and dissuade aggression, keep sea-lanes open for commerce, and conduct maritime security operations. The carrier task force is part of "training like we fight". As the Navy looks at different hot spots overseas, the best response to many scenarios requires a multi-carrier task force. The purpose of training as a CTF during JTFEX is to provide warfare commanders with the greatest capability and staying power for fighting the global war on terrorism with a dual-carrier, combat-ready, maritime force.
Air power “persistence” is essential. During normal cyclic flight operations, a pilot spends a significant amount of time transiting to and from target areas. With the enhanced capabilities the CTF provides, by alternating air plan flight cycles, the CTF is able to maintain a nearly constant air presence over the targeted areas. It is difficult for one CVW to conduct flight operations for much more than about 12 hours before having to stop. However, with the combined striking power of two CVWs, the CTF is able to conduct air operations over a continuous 24-hour cycle. During the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom, USS Enterprise (CVN 65) was operating with USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) off the coast of Afghanistan. When the order to launch air strikes arrived, together, both CVWs flew 24-hours a day. ..
Carrier Task Force Background
The term Carrier Task Force has previously been applied in several other ways. It has been used to refer to a group of ships centered on a single aircraft carrier, a group more properly designated a a Carrier Battle Group [BATRU] or more recently a Carrier Strike Group [CSG].
In June 2006 USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) cruised side-by-side in the Western Pacific Ocean as part of a formation of 15 ships comprised of the three aircraft carriers and their respective carrier strike groups. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is currently participating in Valiant Shield 2006, a major military exercise off the coast of Guam involving 28 Naval vessels including three carrier strike groups. Approximately 290 aircraft and more than 20,000 service members from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard are taking part in the exercise. The term "Carrier Task Force" was not invoked in this context.
Now at the time, Iran was casually engaging the Soviet Union's MiG-25 reconnaissance aircraft in small skirmishes near the Caspian Sea. Our decision to sell our technology to Iran was a nice way for us to shaft the Soviets without actually getting our hands dirty. Unfortunately for us (and much to the chagrin of the US intelligence community, I imagine), the Iranian Revolution occurred shortly after the sale. Overnight, Iran went from being our buddy to being our enemy, and we had just sent them some of our most coveted military technology. We managed to hold back 1 of the 80 aircraft, and 430 of the missiles, but still... it wasn't long before the Soviet Union had obtained at least one Phoenix and one Tomcat from Iran. Their MiG-31 fighters and AA-9 missiles bear a striking resemblence.
Anyway, the sale of the F-14 and AIM-54 to Iran ended up being a huge mistake, but it did result in the only real combat use of the Phoenix—against Iraq as part of the drawn-out Iran-Iraq war. Whereas the US Navy has used the misssile twice, both times unsuccessfully, the Iranian Air Force has fired the Phoenix in combat approximately 80 times with an estimated success rate of 80%.
The rhetoric was already loud and clear earlier this year- now it's just "quiet before the storm"!
Last edited:
