Britain plans to send an aircraft
carrier, HMS Illustrious, to the region in early 2008.
Illustrious would be accompanied by the Type 42 destroyer HMS
Edinburgh and the Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster.
A British Defense Ministry spokesman said the Royal Navy
deployment was not linked to the emerging Western crisis with
Iran. But the London-based Daily Telegraph asserted that the
ships might be preparing for war with Teheran in the first
half of 2008.
"The purpose of the exercise is to continually improve the
Fifth Fleet skills in completing complex missions that require
capabilities broader than one ship or unit," U.S. Fifth Fleet
commander Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff said. "Naval forces
deployed here contribute to building stronger relationships
that in turn help underwrite security and stability."
Officials said the exercise would evaluate the capability
of the USS Wasp to respond to oil spills or damage to a
coalition ship in the Gulf. Under the scenario, the Wasp, an
assault vessel, would rush personnel and supplies to a
targeted area within 72 hours.
"The scenario is challenging but prepares us for a
real-world event," CTF planning officer Cmdr. Jay Chambers
said. "From the table-top discussions, which drew up plans for
how our forces will assist, to turning those plans into
action, this exercise allowed us to examine the best way to
proceed, and to proceed quickly, with providing assistance to
any requesting nation."
The U.S. Navy also said it would deploy the Harry S. Truman
Carrier Strike Group in the Middle East. The navy said the
Truman would be accompanied by the guided missile destroyers
Oscar Austin and Winston S. Churchill as well as the guided
missile cruiser San Jacinto and the submarine Montpelier.
Britain and Canada would also join the U.S. strike group,
the navy said.
"Observers believe that the spring is the last possible
moment for President George W Bush to order military strikes
against Iran's nuclear programme," the Telegraph said. "The
imminence of America's presidential election may make it
impossible for Washington to carry out an attack any later."
