THE UNITED STATES HAS A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF NAVAL AND AIR ASSETS IN THE MIDDLE EAST RIGHT NOW. THE PENTAGON SAYS THOSE FORCES ARE “POSTURED TO SUPPORT THE DEFENSE OF ISRAEL AND PROTECT U.S. TROOPS AND ASSETS IN THE REGION.”

ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS IS STILL MOSTLY CONTAINED TO GAZA, AND THE BACK AND FORTH ATTACKS WITH HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON SEEM TO BE DYING DOWN AFTER ISRAEL PREEMPTIVELY STRUCK THOUSANDS OF WEAPONS AND LAUNCHERS AT DOZENS OF SITES IN LEBANON.

STILL, AS LONG AS IRAN AND ITS AXIS OF RESISTANCE CONTINUE TO ATTACK ISRAEL, THERE ARE FEARS THE WAR IN GAZA COULD EXPAND INTO A WIDER REGIONAL CONFLICT.

WHICH IS WHY JUST THIS WEEK SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN TOLD HIS COUNTERPART IN ISRAEL, TWICE, THE US RESOLVE TO DEFEND ISRAEL IS “IRONCLAD.”

SO LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT AN IRONCLAD COMMITMENT MEANS IN TERMS OF NAVAL AND AIR ASSETS.

WE’LL START IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, SINCE THAT’S CLOSEST TO ISRAEL.

IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA THE UNITED STATES NAVY HAS FOUR GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS AND THE WASP ARG, OR AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUP.

EACH OF THE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS IS CAPABLE OF TAKING OUT BALLISTIC MISSILES, DRONES, CRUISE MISSILES AND OTHER AERIAL THREATS.

AND THE WASP ARG/MEU, WHICH IS THE ARG AND THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT ASSIGNED TO THE ARG, CONSISTS OF THREE SHIPS AS WELL. THE USS WASP AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP, THE USS NEW YORK AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK AND THE USS OAK HILL DOCK LANDING SHIP.

THE WASP IS LIKE A MINI AIRCRAFT CARRIER FOR THE MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT ASSIGNED TO THE ARG. SO IT CAN LAUNCH F-35Bs, HELICOPTERS AND OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE TWO OTHER SHIPS IN THE ARG ARE DESIGNED TO GET THE MARINES AND THEIR EQUIPMENT TO SHORE IF THE NEED ARISES.

NOW, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE PERSIAN GULF AND GULF OF OMAN, OR THE WATERS RIGHT IN IRAN’S BACK YARD.

HERE THE NAVY HAS TWO GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS, THE MCCAIN AND THE MICHAEL MURPHY, AS WELL AS TWO CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS–THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

NOW, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, EACH OF THOSE CSGS CONSISTS OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE CARRIERS IS ESCORTED BY THREE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS. AND THE TEDDY ROOSEVELT CSG ALSO HAS A GUIDED MISSILE CRUISER STEAMING ALONGSIDE IT AS WELL.

LOTS OF SHIPS, AND THOSE CARRIERS ALSO CARRY LOTS OF PLANES.

THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAS 1 SQUADRON OF F-35Cs AND 3 SQUADRONS OF F/A-18 SUPER HORNETS. THE ROOSEVELT CARRIER AIR WING CONSISTS OF FOUR SQUADRONS OF F/A-18 SUPER HORNETS.

AND SOMEWHERE IN THIS REGION IS A SQUADRON OF F-22 RAPTORS, JUST WAITING TO DEFEND THE SKIES. AND YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THIS LITTLE GUY OVER HERE, THAT’S THE USS GEORGIA –A NUCLEAR POWERED SUBMARINE THAT CAN SHOOT CRUISE MISSILES, IS ALSO SOMEWHERE IN THESE WATERS…JUST WAITING TO DISPENSE FREEDOM.

NOW YOU MAY NOTICE THERE IS A OBVIOUS LACK OF U.S. NAVAL ASSETS IN THE RED SEA RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THERE ARE NO ALLIED SHIPS IN THE AREA. THE BRITS AND THE FRENCH BOTH HAVE NAVAL ASSETS IN THE RED SEA.
AND BOTH THE SAUDIS AND JORDANIANS INDICATED THEY WOULDN’T LET IRANIAN WEAPONS FLY THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACES.

SO, THE US FORCES ARE BEING PUT WHERE THEY CAN DO THE MOST HELP;
NEAR IRAN TO TRY AND TAKE OUT WEAPONS EARLY, AND NEAR ISRAEL TO TAKE OUT ANY THREATS THAT SLIP THROUGH THE FIRST WAVE OF DEFENSE OR COME FROM AREAS CLOSER TO ISRAEL–LIKE LEBANON, IRAQ, OR SYRIA.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. IF YOU WANT MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ABOUT ISRAEL, IRAN AND THE TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY OR LOG ON TO SAN.COM