Compass Points - Boomer in the Med
Tomahawk missiles arrive?
Compass Points - Boomer in the Med
Tomahawk missiles arrive?
November 6, 2023
.
The Jerusalem Post is reporting on the announcement by US Central Command that a US Ohio Class submarine, a "boomer" has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean:
.
======================
.
The US issued an unusual announcement that an Ohio-class nuclear submarine had arrived in the operational area of the US Central Command, and the command published a photo of it passing through the Suez Canal, on Monday.
The identity of the submarine was not disclosed, and it is not known whether it is one of the four submarines that carry Tomahawk cruise missiles or of the 14 submarines that carry the Trident-II ballistic missiles, but it is still a significant addition to the American deterrence force in the region, and the ability to attack if necessary.
-- The Jerusalem Post
.
======================
.
Most of the Ohio class subs carry ballistic missiles, but the SSGN variant in 22 tubes, 7 missiles per tube, carry a total of 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
.
Author Caleb Larson, writing for The National Interest has reported,
.
======================
.
The Ohios are often referred to as the Navy’s “boomers” owing to their extended patrol and nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capability. However, not all of the Navy’s Ohios are nuclear-armed: in 1994, the four oldest Ohio-class submarines underwent a conversion process to equip them with a special operations support and land attack capability in place of their nuclear payload. To that end, those submarines had their Trident nuclear missiles removed and replaced with shorter range, non-nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles, which freed up space to support up to 66 special operations personnel, in general Navy SEALs or Marine Raiders.
-- Caleb Larson, The National Interest
.
======================
.
Some Ohio class submarines carry Tomahawk cruise missiles. Some Navy ships carry Tomahawk cruise missiles. Some Air Force bombers carry Tomahawk cruise missiles. When US Combatant Commanders need Tomahawk cruise missiles, they will never think first of the Marine Corps. Navy subs and ships and Air Force bombers can carry enormous numbers of Tomahawks, but neither the Navy nor the Air Force can serve as the Nation's global, 9-1-1 force-in-readiness.
.
======================
.
The Marine Corps is not now and never will be the primary repository for Tomahawk missiles. Each armed service must develop their strongest capabilities, the capabilities that can meet the requirements of the Combatant Commanders. When each armed service focuses on what they do best, then together all the armed services will keep the Nation safe. The key is for the Marine Corps and all the armed services to stay tied to the Combatant Commanders and their critical requirements.
-- Compass Points - Errant Missile
.
======================
.
Compass Points wishes safe travels to the boomer in the eastern Med. The Marine Corps should never waste time or money trying to mimic what the other services already do better. And the other services can never approach what the expeditionary, global, mobile, combined arms force of Marines does best.
.
- - - - -
.
The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com) 11/06/2023
US nuclear submarine has arrived at the Middle East - The Pentagon
By HAIM ISROVITCH/MAARIV ONLINE
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-771860
.
- - - - -
.
The National Interest (nationalinterest.org) 01/24/2022
The Navy's Underwater Boomers Are Unstoppable
By Caleb Larson
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/navys-underwater-boomers-are-unstoppable-199630
.
- - - - -
.
Compass Points - Errant Missile
Stay tied closely to critical requirements.
July 27, 2023
https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-errant-missile
The "boomer" in the Middle East is concerning. The question here is the "boomer" there to deter Hamas or Iran? What warhead is on the end of those Tomahawks? If Iran is the threat, then what is the intelligence community telling us?
Israel, on Oct 6th, suffered a major failure in intelligence. The US also suffered a major intelligence failure with the collapse of Afghanistan. In any event, stationing Carriers, MEUs, and Boomers off shore is a significant application of deterrence and gets everyones attention. Is the boomer there to deter Hamas or Iran? Maybe both?
Where’s there is one, more may be found near by. As unfortunate as an expanded war in the Near East would be, perhaps we should “lean into” the notion that such an occurrence is entirely possible, maybe probable, and have our house in order should it come to that. Reinvigorating the Selective Service System would be a good first step.