WASHINGTON — Iran has expanded its naval presence in the Straits of Hormuz, the passage for an estimated 40 percent of global crude oil shipments. The U.S. Navy has determined that Iran has amassed a fleet of fast patrol boats in the 43-kilometer straits.
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Friday, June 22, 2007
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2 comments:
Think USS Cole. Or rather, cancel that thought.
Anybody who understands the capabilities of the AEGIS class carrier knows that the idea of a swarm of 'speed boats' attcking a carrier is a joke. The AEGIS system can sense, identify, track, and destroy dozens of incoming targets at one time. The targets that the system was designed for are missiles and super-sonic jets... any 'speed' boat moves like molasses in comparison.
Not that this tactic doesn't have its merits... there are many situations where such a strategy could be effective, especially given the geopgraphy of the Hormuz. Ambushing a tanker, or stopping a frontal assault, etc... yeah, this could be effective. Realitically, however, the US Navy could wipe out every craft in the straight without entering it or getting near it.
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