US military manoeuvres

CollapseNet continues to say this is just a storm in a tea cup rather than a threat to world peace. You decide.

Naval Update: T-Minus One Week Until Arabian Sea Destination Reached

Zero Hedge,

4 October, 2012

The news surrounding the Middle East, particularly Iran and Syria, may come and go in waves, but for the most part it is loud political grandstanding, jawboning and largely noise. 

Or rather, it will be noise until these two catalytic events occur: the third US Aircraft carrier (CVN-74 Stennis) and the second big deck amphibious warfare ship (LHA-5 Peleliu), both dispatched as of several weeks ago with a destination the 5th US Fleet headquartered in Bahrain, reach their target - the Arabian Sea, located by the Straits of Hormuz and right next to Iran. 

As the following naval update map from Stratfor shows, both are now within a week of reaching their destination: conveniently so with at least two weeks to go until the presidential election. 

Needless to say, once on location, the naval and airborne support for any offensive operation, especially those launched during new moon cycles, will be simply suffocating.

This report seems to contradict the previous one, in that it said that the Stennis is in the China Sea

Two Carrier Groups Are Now Operating In The China Sea

Business Insider,

4 October, 2012

The USS George Washington and the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier strike groups (CSGs), a flotilla of five ships and more than 10,000 Navy personnel are now operating in the conflict ridden South China Sea area.

The news was announced by the Navy a few days ago, but is now making the rounds in Asian media outlets, and generating as much speculation as it is concern.

The Washington will be operating in the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyutai islands controlled by Japan, but claimed by both Taiwan and China.

The Stennis will be operating south of the Diaoyutai's in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes between China and its regional neighbors have been making headlines for months.

There is speculation that the carrier assignments could just be coincidence, and while that's possible it's just as likely that the U.S. is doing it's part to fulfill three separate treaty obligations to allies in the region.

Ralph Jennings at The Christian Science Monitor points out that the U.S. is "obligated by security pacts or acts of Congress to help defend Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines – all located off the east coast of rising military power and US cold-war rival China."

In addition to the carrier groups, and two air wings comprising about 120 aircraft, Focus Taiwan reports the amphibious assault ship the USS Bonhomme Richard and two escorts are operating in the nearby Philippine Sea.

Whether the U.S. is looking to reassure Japan, keep China in check, or simply rotating ships around a new schedule, there's little doubt many are taking consolation in the fact that the U.S. generally deploys three carriers to a region when planning for war.