zraver

Welcome to the Board Tom Clancy.

Now back to reality.

The facts-

We cannot airlift 2 marine divisions. hell we cant even concentrate 2 Marine divisions without tipping the US's hand.

Iran is not making A-bombs yet, but has its best SAM assets located around these targets. The smart move is to borrow a page from Nimitz and bypass them and concentrate on more important areas.

Iran has said that any use of the GCC nations or other Iranian neighbors by the US in an attack on Iran will bring retribution. ASAIK, all have said no to the US conducting offensive operations from thier territory.

Iran has at least several hundred and possibly several thousands SRBM and IRBM some are true ballistic missiles with at least limited MIRV capability.

Iran has one of the worlds largest supplies of sea mines- inlcuding some rocket mines.

Iran has hundreds of speed boats and nearly 100 FAC's that are nearly ideal for a Persian Gulf region littoral fight.

Iran has hundreds of jet aircraft including some that are a very real threat to US assets.

Iran has said it will block the shipment of tankers out of the Persian Gulf if war breaks out.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces occupy the Thunds and several militarized offshore platforms.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards members may well be suicidal, this includes runs to hijack tankers and sink them across the shipping lanes (physical block) and or drive up insurance premiums (economic block) or possibly run them at the GCC terminals.

Any overt surge by US forces including flights of B-2's lifting off from Missouri will be obvious and tip the US hand.

Iran has a plethora of anti-shipping missiles including a few hundred modern or semi modern large missiles that can threaten any surface vessel they find.

Now given those facts, if the US decides that war is the better option what will the US have to use.

If one or more VLCC+ sized vessels gets ripped apart it will be like a nuke going off in the gulf as far as ecologic damage is concerned.

Iran will probably pop missiles at Israel.

Syria might attack Israel.

6 dollar a gallon gas will be a bargain.

Offensively

4 carriers- 2 in the Gulf, 1 replacement enroute, and 1 snuck into the area (yes you can sneak a carrier). At least 1 carrier has to remain inside the Gulf to avoid giving the game away. The carrier group in the Gulf might well be doomed no matter what we do and that could mean thousands of US dead in days not years.

USS Ohio (154 cruise missile complement)

What ever planes are on normal rotation at Deigo Garcia

4 or some MARG/ARG/MEF's attached to the carriers.

about 140 Hornets and Super Hornets, a couple dozen Sea Cobras, possibly a few AV-8's, some Sea Kings

a couple of seal teams,

several extra attack subs besides whats with the carriers.

Defensively

Gulf based tac-air to protect the ingulf carrier and merchant shipping.

At least 1 Aegis system plus THAAD/PAC batteries.

JSTARS/AWACs/RIVETs. at least for the in gulf defensive fight.

Possibly- allied nations (UK/Fr/GCC) forces for protection of merchant shipping.

Now Iran does have several weaknesses. It's coastal radar net is not 100% an the radar net is even weaker in the interior.

Iranian forces on the Thunds or platforms cannot re-up thier combat power.

Iranian sea assets are individually weak and the majority will not be at sea.


wave 1 if you want to call it waves won't give a damn about Iraq. The Army is on its own. The only support it will get will be its own Apaches. Gola #1 will alays be keeping the Straits of Hormuz open.

Ground- be taking down Abu Musa and the other Thund Islands (USMC assault) and the off shore platforms (SEAL). These islands and platforms are the only place Iran can use the majority of its shorter legged anti-shipping missiles or provide reliable course correction data to the bigger missiles that can be fired from Iran proper. iran has spent a decade digging in about 4-6000 Guards troops here.

Sea- The carrier planes and attack subs will be trying to sink as much of the Iranian navy as possible in port. The subs will hunt the Iranian subs first. Cluster bombs will be the weapon of chose vs the speed boat sheds and boat crew barracks. Larger vessels will get individual missiles. However the bulk of USN air power will be doing SEAD work.

Air and Command/Control- USS Ohio several other attack subs and what ever bombers the air force has at DG will be dumping tomahawks across Iran with the emphasis on F-14, F-4, and Su-24 fields. Thy will also be hitting radio/TV transmitters, server farms, and telephone exchanges to induce friction into the Iranian communications.