Europe's Lifeline:Return of the Convoy

The U.S. 2nd Fleet,on behalf of US Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR),and Military Sealift Command (MSC) have been conducting convoy operations in the Atlantic Ocean.It's a skill set that was perhaps best exemplified during the two World Wars of the twentieth cenury,but has lately regained relevance in an era of renewed great power competition,in which sealift remains an essential component of logistics for the warfighter.
Recently a number of US Navy assets have been involved in a simulated convoy across the Atlantic.First,the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69),Patrol Squadron-4 (PV-4),as well as a submarine cleared the maritime battlespace prior to the convoy transit,the Navy said.Then,escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72),the convoy,consisting of cargo vessels USNS Benevidez (T-AKR 306),MV Resolve and MV Patriot,executed an Atlantic crossing in a scenario representing an opposed transit of cargo and/or troops.
According to ADM James G. Foggo III,commander,US Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) and US Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF):
This exercise allows us to sharpen our ability to move critical resources across the Atlantic,from the United States to Europe.As I have said before,logistics is the sixth domain of warfare,and a crititcal part of any successful operation or exercise.*
Added CAPT Andrew Fitzpatrick,commander,USS Vella Gulf:
Practicing convoy operations flexes a blue-water,high-end skill for the first time in many years,enabling us all to operate on,above,and below the sea in a contested environment.*
PV-4 flies P8-A Poseidon aircraft,undertaking maritime patrol;anti-submarine warfare;and Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions.Established in 1943,it is based at NAS Whidbey Island,Oak Harbor,Washington,and most recently saw action in the Gulf War,Iraq War and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).

Iranian Boats Challenge US and Royal Navy Ships in Strait of Hormuz - can Iran really close the strait?

On 4 March 2017,an Iranian fast attack speedboat got within 600 yards of the USNS Invincible,a Special Missions ship of the US Navy-led Military Sealift Command,a US defence official revealed.The Invincible,which is crewed by civil service mariners,is a missile surveillance ship.It has two radomes:a large one on its stern,and a smaller one on its bridge area.These contain dual band radars that can track ballistic missiles.The US had imposed sanctions on Iran when it tested a new ballistic missile in February,so conceivably this most recent harassment incident was in response to that.
In the first phase of the incident,an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack speedboat got within 600 yards of the Invincible and stopped dead in the water,blocking the Invincible's path,so that it had to steer around the Iranian boat to avoid a collision.Part two of the drama unfolded when another Iranian fast attack craft got within 350 yards of one of three Royal Navy ships escorting the unarmed Invincible,and the British ship,too,had to change course.Both Iranian obstructive actions were considered unsafe and unprofessional.The Iranian vessels ignored repeated attempts to contact them.*
In addition to its ballistic missile test in February,Iran has also recently installed a Russian S-300 missile defence system that can shoot down third and fourth generation fighter aircraft,but not fifth generation such as the F-35 Lightning II.*
Iran has made several threats to close the Strait,through which about 20% of the world's oil supply flows;but can it actually do so?In 2012,US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey said that Iran has invested in capability that could,in fact,for a period of time block the Strait of Hormuz,which narrows at one point to only 54 kilometers/32.4 miles across (one estimate said Iran could close or impede the Strait for up to a month).At the same time,however,we've invested in capabilities to ensure that if that happens,we can defeat that.*
The US Military Sealift Command exists to support the warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations.MSC provides on-time logistics;strategic sealift;as well as specialised missions anywhere in the world,under any conditions,24/7,365 days a year.With unified resolve,MSC says,we boldly sail the world's oceans to provide essential assured logistics and service support to the warfighter as the nation's premier maritime transport organisation.*
The current commander of MSC is Rear Admiral Dee L. Mewbourne,USN.Commander,MSC Central is Captain Edwin D. Kaiser,USN.Some of the MSC ships have blended civil service/military crews;others,such as Invincible have purely civil service mariner crews.

Maersk Line,Limited Plays Important Role in Military Transport

A.P. Moller-Maersk Group is a Danish global conglomerate that operates in about 130 countries with around 108,000 workers.It is active in fields from shipping and energy,to logistics,retail and manufacturing.Its U.S. subsidiary,Maersk Line,Limited,based in Norfolk,Virginia,is a major U.S. defense contractor,playing an integral role in military transport by U.S. flag merchant vessels.MLL employs about 900 U.S. merchant mariners daily on the largest U.S. flag fleet in commercial service.
MLL's first government contract came in 1983,when it converted and operated five military prepositioning ships.Today,MLL does flexible and end-to-end distribution of U.S. government cargo,including military sustainment and humaintarian aid,as well as complex unit moves and assorted breakbulk items.MLL manages and charters a fleet of tankers and heavy-lift multi-purpose vessels for a wide range of government and commercial cargoes.
With its technical expertise,MLL also applies proven program management and lifecycle strategies to optimise the performance of maritime assets,reducing total ownership costs and increasing operational reliability.The Farrell Lines MLL subsidary provides pure car/truck carriers under U.S. flag for the global distribution requirements of the U.S. armed forces.MLL is deeply committed to the U.S. military,the U.S. Merchant Marine and the maritime industry.Its corporate values include continuous improvement and environmental stewardship.
Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby is Commander,Miltary Sealift Command,with which Maersk Line,Limited works so closely.MLL is an integral part of military contingency planning.

U.S. Ship Harassed

The USNS Impeccable,a Special Missions ship,was challenged by five Chinese boats in the South China Sea.The Chinese came dangerously close to the Impeccable;one of their boats got within 25 feet,or 7.62 meters,of her.The Chinese also strewed debris in the path of the U.S. ship and blocked her in,surrounding her.China accused the Impeccable of engaging in illegal activity.China considers most of the South China Sea to be its territorial waters,but the U.S. and many other countries dispute this.The USNS Impeccable has a merchant mariner crew,plus military personnel to carry out its special mission of ocean surveillance.The Impeccable tows sensor arrays and maps the ocean floor with the data they collect.The mapping is used for submarine navigation and antisubmarine warfare.The Impeccable is unarmed.She is part of the Military Sealift Command,an organization that provides utility ships for a wide array of government needs.The MSC is under a Navy admiral.