Must See Episode of Sal Mercogliano’s “What’s Going On With Shipping?”

This is, I believe, a very informative video. In addition there are some things that are worth noting,

  • Deployed forces: Typically the US Navy has about a third of its fleet deployed and about one quarter actually underway. If you look at the list of ships that appears at time 5:45 to 6:30 you will see 23 destroyers involved in this operation. None of these destroyers are in the Pacific. The US navy has about 82 destroyers and cruisers. A third of 82 is 27.3, so there cannot be a lot of surface combatants deployed in the Pacific. This only accounts for two of the eleven aircraft carriers, Ford in the Eastern Med and Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The George Washington carrier strike group is in their homeport in Japan, but that is the only carrier strike group and essentially the only destroyers assigned to 7th Fleet. There is not a lot left if say China attacked Taiwan.
  • Weapons effect: This video contains a couple of interesting reports of weapons effect. The rapid sinking of the Iranian corvette (time 17:45) with very heavy loss of life was not unexpected considering the target was small and was probably not at general quarters. The effects of the attack on an LNG carrier using an unmanned surface vessel (USV) time 22:00) were I believe surprising–surprising the crew escaped and only one tank was blown out.
  • Merchant vessel losses in the Persian Gulf: There are lot of merchant vessels “trapped” in the Persian Gulf including ships that are tied up, but losses of these ships has been surprisingly light. A small number of ships have successfully transited the Hormuz Strait without being attacked. Maybe Iranian targeting is not so good, but maybe they will regroup and get better.

1 thought on “Must See Episode of Sal Mercogliano’s “What’s Going On With Shipping?”

  1. Those shortsighted arrogant Ivy League policy makers and planners that first neutered our FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry Frigates then eliminated them from the inventory too early . . . DEPRIVING us (the US Navy) of our low cost multi-warfare Escorts…the youngest was USS Ingraham (FFG-61), and was commissioned in 5AUG89 and decommissioned in 30JAN15. 

    Now these same people want to send ships that do not even have the capability of a WWII Destroyer Escort into the fray to ESCORT merchants in some of the most dangerous environments.  Qualified to make decisions at this level, or be involved in the process at any level at all?  I am ASHAMED of our NAVSEA that did this, and continues to do such things!!!

    We cannot just build DDG-51s.

    …maybe Elon should just build our new Escorts. I do not think HII is up to the task which has the Great NSC HM&E and lacking combat system for Escorts.

    Just my 2₵.

    TORCH OUT

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