Operation Bold Alligator tests amphibious response

Operation Bold Alligator involves three of the US Amphibious Ready Groups off the coast of the US in a joint exercise that is one of the largest in many years. The US has none Amphibious Ready Groups, do this accounts for a third of them deployed at once. Widely seen as an Iran invasion exercise.

Navy and Marine forces involved with the exercise will work scenarios involving mine warfare, countering small boat attacks and other irregular threats and fighting in shallow coastal waters, Harvey pointed out. Those threats, among others, are the hallmarks of Iranian naval forces. Reiterating Hejlik's comments, Harvey did note the Bold Alligator scenarios were "certainly informed by recent history."

Next is the current status of our Naval Forces. As you will see below (I'm out of room there) the Enterprise remains in the North Atlantic and is not (yet) deployed to the Middle East where, if you believe ATS, it is scheduled to be sunk by the Iranians. Note also that we currently have only one Amphibious Ready Group anywhere near Iran. If, indeed, an invasion is planned, we should see several of these groups head over there, which will take a good long while to pull off.

All told, we have three Carrier Strike Groups deployed. The Stennis is out of Diet Coke and is heading home to Bremerton. All the others are in port. The West Coast is completely calm and on the East Coast, we have this Bold Alligator exercise.

US Navy Carrier Strike Group Deployments:

CVN-65 Enterprise is in the Atlantic off the US Coast undergoing COMPTUEX.
CVN-68 Nimitz is now in Bremerton, PSNS, for DPIA. Non-deployable. Avail: Imminent & will home port in Everett, WA. 2/12
CVN-69 Eisenhower is in home port Norfolk.
CVN-70 Vinson is off in the Arabian Sea 5th Fleet AOR, arrived 1/17/12.
CVN-71 Roosevelt is at Newport News for RCOH & non-deployable, Avail: late 2012.
CVN-72 Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea, 5th Fleet AOR, arrived 1/12.
CVN-73 Washington is in home port Yokosuka, Japan.
CVN-74 Stennis is underway in the 7th fleet AOR. Left 5AOR 1/12.
CVN-75 Truman is home at Norfolk for DPIA & non-deployable. Avail summer 2012.
CVN-76 Reagan is undergoing DPIA at Bremerton, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, non-deployable. Arrived 1/20/12. Avail 2013.
CVN-77 Bush is deployed in the Atlantic for Carrier Qualifications 1/25/12
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CVN-78 Ford construction at Newport News. 2015, replaces Enterprise.
CVN-79 Kennedy construction at Newport News. Avail 2018, replaces Nimitz
CVN-80 Unnamed, planned, Avail 2024, replaces Eisenhower.

7 of 11 in port. 4 of 11 non-deployable

Comptuex=Composite Unit Training Exercise, generally done before a deployment.
RCOH=Refueling and Complex Overhaul, takes about four years
DPIA=Docked Planned Incremental Availability, takes six months to a year

Changes in the works:

Lincoln is changing its homeport from Everett to Norfolk.
Nimitz is changing its homeport from San Diego to Everett.
Reagan is changing its homeport from San Diego to Bremerton.

The above are all Carrier Strike Groups that normally travel with about 7-8 support ships including one cruiser, several destroyers (usually a squadron of 4), a fast attack supply ship, some frigates ,and a fast attack submarine or maybe two. The support ships are designed to protect the carrier. A CVN is about 100,000 tons displacement and can carry approximately 85 aircraft. CVNs are nuclear powered and run 25 years between refuelings, which take three years to complete.

Explanation of Areas of Responsibility (AOR)

3rd Fleet AOR – Eastern & Northern Pacific, Alaska, Bering Sea
4th Fleet AOR – Central & South America
5th Fleet AOR - The Middle East, Arabian Gulf, East Africa
6th Fleet AOR – The Mediterranean Sea, Europe
7th Fleet AOR – Asian Pacific. Indian Ocean to International Date Line

Below are the Amphibious Ready Groups/Marine Expeditionary Units. The main ship here is a "baby" carrier that is about half the size or less of a CVN, about 40,000 tons displacement. It is designed to hold helicopters and Harrier VTOL jets. These guys can pull off a minor invasion, if necessary. They usually carry a handful of tanks. Marines, by and large, are light infantry. LHA is a “Landing Helicopter Assault.” LHD is a “Landing Helicopter Dock.”

LHA-5 Pelelieu is in home port, San Diego.
LHD-1 Wasp is underway in Atlantic participating in Bold Alligator.
LHD-2 Essex is in home port, Sasebo, Japan.
LHD-3 Kearsarge is in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Bold Alligator..
LHD-4 Boxer is in home port, San Diego. Non-deployable undergoing upgrades
LHD-5 Bataan is in the Atlantic headed home
LHD-6 Bonhomme Richard is in home port, San Diego.
LHD-7 Iwo Jima is in the Atlantic participating in Bold Alligator.
LHD-8 Makin Island is in the 5th fleet AOR, reportedly near the Red Sea.
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LHA-6 America, under construction, Avail. 2014, Northrop Grumann, Pascagoula.
LHA-7 unnamed, planned, Avail. 2017, Northrop Grumann, Pascagoula.

Official Status of the Navy: www.navy.mil... (This is not always accurate.)
Carrier Locations: gonavy.jp... (Usually very accurate.)

Decommissioned carriers still floating (except one):

CV-59 Forrestal, com: 1955, decom 1993, Newport, RI, Fate: scrap or sink
CV-60 Saratoga, com: 1956, decom 1994, Newport, RI, Fate: scrap or sink
CV-61 Ranger, com: 1957, decom 1993. Bremerton, WA, Fate: scrap or museum
CV-62 Independence, com: 1959, decom 1998, Bremerton, WA, Fate: scrap or sink
CV-63 Kitty Hawk, com 1961, decom 2009, Bremerton; WA, Fate: reserve until 2015
CV-64 Constellation, com 1961, decom 2003, Bremerton, Fate: scrap or sink
CV-66 America, com 1965, decom 1996, Fate: scuttled in live fire exercise, 2005
CV-67 John F Kennedy, com 1968, decom 2007, Philadelphia, Fate: donation hold

FAQs:

Why have a home port in Everett when PSNS Bremerton is a few miles away? Because of the tide. You can only get a CVN into PSNS at high tide because Rich Passage is not all that deep and there are ferry boats in the way. If the Navy wants to get underway quickly, they need a lot of water beneath the carrier. Everett fits the bill because it is on the “main drag” of Puget Sound and 800-1000 feet deep. Just hang onto your hat and get out of the way.

But a CVN only goes 35 MPH! It says so in the specs! OK. Have you ever seen a CVN put up a rooster tail above the flight deck? 35 MPH (Cough!) Whatever you say.