Coalition deploys Navy’s lethal Swiss Army Knife, sending Iran, China a message

Biden’s next actions in the Red Sea War will be significant. If we “go to war” in the Middle East, the Houthis may not attack Red Sea shipping. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a press conference in Israel on December 18, “When it comes to the Houthis, these attacks are reckless, dangerous and violate international law.”

Austin then announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, billing it as an important new multinational initiative to counter Houthi attacks. Warships from Britain, France, Japan, and other countries were already in the Red Sea. We need American leadership to strengthen our naval power.

It’s confusing there. The Houthis have been firing drones, missiles and hijackers against ships in the Red Sea for two months, and are backed by Iran’s notorious spy ships. No wonder major shippers Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and other commercial cargo carriers have suspended Red Sea sailings.

Pentagon announces new Red Sea international mission to counter escalating Houthi attacks on ships

BP currently has no intention of sending oil tankers into the Red Sea. Crude oil prices have soared. This is a sad tactical victory for Yemen’s Houthi rebels and their Iranian masterminds.

Details are light. But one thing is certain. The United States and its allies, led by the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, now have enough firepower to thwart Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea.

At the center of the action is the U.S. Navy’s Aegis guided missile destroyer, which the Navy calls a DDG.

You probably know that the guided missile destroyer USS Carney began capturing Houthi drones and rockets in October. U.S. Army Gen. Michael Eric Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, was so impressed that he flew a helicopter aboard the Kearny last week to deliver 1,000 pounds of barbecue to his crew. They quickly shot down 14 more Houthi drones on Saturday.

Today’s destroyers are very different from the brave “tin cans” of World War II. The incredible Aegis combat system was originally designed to protect aircraft carriers during the Cold War. In 1991, the first Aegis destroyer, DDG-51 USS Arleigh Burke, was launched.

The Burke-class DDG is heavily armed and has excellent sea control in rough seas. The U.S. Navy currently has 70 DDGs in its fleet, with 17 more under construction or under contract. Simply put, these guided missile destroyers and their crews are the backbone of the Navy.

The Aegis SPY-1 family of radars aboard these destroyers can track more than 100 miles above the horizon and network with other sensors. Picture sailors in ball caps and big pale green earphones sitting in the blue light of a windowless combat control center deep inside the ship.

With Aegis, these sailors can deal with everything from small Houthi drones to low-flying cruise missiles to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Of course, the DDG can also carry Tomahawk missiles for precision ground attack, fire anti-ship missiles, and track enemy submarines. It is truly a deadly Swiss Army knife in naval warfare.

So far, the Houthis, who are not great naval tacticians, have only been able to control a few drones at a time. Don’t worry, Aegis ships can handle more. A combination of missiles, guns, and electronic countermeasures would also be deadly against larger drone swarms.

This November 12, 2018 photo shows the USS Kearney floating in the Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. Department of Defense said Sunday, December 3, 2023, that an American warship and several commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea, potentially leading to a significant escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Announced. (Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Ryan U. Krezik/U.S. Navy, Associated Press)

Soon, the firing capabilities of ship-based lasers will be significantly improved. The Navy installed the first Helios laser weapon on an Aegis destroyer in 2022. Helios stands for High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Monitoring.

Basically, laser weapons can destroy guidance and control, turning drones into blind, charred Frisbees. (Yes, the Navy has discovered a way to fire a 60-kilowatt laser in a humid ocean environment. Navy lasers have been operationally tested for nearly a decade.)

Don’t forget that Aegis destroyers also carry highly accurate Tomahawk missiles, perfect for attacking Houthi military targets in Yemen.

Here’s the kicker. Mr. Biden would be wise to have the U.S. Navy send a message to Iran and then China.

Oh yeah, China is monitoring our naval operations in the Red Sea. It’s not just from Beijing. Several Chinese warships from the Anti-Piracy Force are currently anchored near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea, not far from the US Navy’s aircraft carrier Strike Group Eisenhower. There is no doubt that they are siphoning off data on US naval operations.

The tactics used by the DDG against the Houthis and their Iranian rulers speak volumes about the U.S. Navy’s ability to counter similar mischief from China in the Pacific.

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Let’s think positively. If the Houthis can disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea, imagine what the Chinese navy can do near its own shores. Nearly 100,000 ships pass through the Strait of Malacca every year, dwarfed by the 17,000 ships that pass through Bab El Mandeb. China needs the United States and its allies to send a sharp message that cutting off maritime commerce is wrong.

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, Chief Fire Control Officer (Aegis) Kenneth, assigned to the USS Kearney (DDG 64), operates the Combat Systems Coordination Console in the Combat Information Center during general quarters training, Oct. 14, 2023.・Mr. Krull is in the photo. , in the eastern Mediterranean. The US military announced on Wednesday, November 29, that a warship sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait shot down a drone launched from Yemen. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/U.S. Navy, Associated Press)

China’s navy is larger than ours. War games in the Pacific always come down to controlling sea lane access to China. However, the U.S. Navy’s DDG can dominate missile defense and attack warfare at sea. They have gained valuable live-fire experience, something China’s People’s Liberation Navy does not have, which is a good thing.

Mr. Biden risks not taking action on spiraling threats to freedom of the seas. Back in 1988, President Ronald Reagan launched Operation Praying Mantis, which decimated Iran’s significant naval power in the Persian Gulf. done. Iran has withdrawn from offshore mining and other reckless naval activities.

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China and Iran are now waiting to see what the U.S. Navy and its allies will do. Biden has an opportunity here to send a message that will resonate from the Red Sea to the Pacific.

Let’s prepare the barbecue.

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