Sorghum Crow of Sorghum Crow's General Store picked up this article:
U.S. Navy steps up fuel deliveries to Gulf forces
LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. military has stepped up chartering of tankers and requests for extra fuel in the U.S. Central Command area, which includes the Gulf, shipping and oil industry sources say.Is this Cheney and his drive to attack Iran before his term is out? What is going on?
A Gulf oil industry source said the charters suggested there would be high naval activity, possibly including a demonstration to Iran that the U.S. Navy will protect the Strait of Hormuz oil shipping route during tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme.
The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) has tendered for four tankers in November to move at least one million barrels of jet and ship fuel between Gulf ports, from Asia to the Gulf and to the Diego Garcia base, tenders seen by Reuters show.
It usually tenders for one or two tankers a month to supply Gulf operations, which include missions in Iraq.
The MSC, asked for comment, confirmed the tenders and said there was nothing abnormal about current requirements in the Gulf, where it has a large military presence and which is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.
A fifth hire request was recently cancelled, it said.
Fuels specified to be moved between Gulf ports include JP5, high flashpoint jet fuel, used to power F18 fighters aboard aircraft carriers.
"They have been very active," said a ship industry source, familiar with the MSC tender process, who asked not to be named.
"Out of the multiple charter requirements they issue, they usually do maybe one or two (tankers) a month in the Gulf. They were quiet over the summer months," he said.
4 comments:
Maybe they are just stocking up before the prices go up, but I doubt it.
The Air Force grounded F-15s over a possible airframe safety issue and the FA-18s had to take over their roles, so that is part of it.
The Navy also responded to the Bangladesh cyclone/hurricane, and a new carrier group is arriving on rotation.
If they are going to start sailing through the strait of Hormuz, they better be fully fueled, because there is no maneuver room in the Persian Gulf and you waste a lot of fuel in turning in tight corners with a carrier. [The carrier is nuclear, but the auxiliary ships will need to keep position.]
Thanks for the info Bryan. That makes things a bit less alarming. I think my cousin's son-in-law is in the new carrier group if he's not there already.
Good to know, Bryan, thanks. I'll stop digging now...
Post a Comment