Maybe we should ask the Israelis to help
/US warships come under attack in Red Sea as nearly two dozen incoming missiles and drones shot down
We have neither the will nor the capability to do anything about the Iranian proxys. the Houthis, who have shut down the red Sea and forced 90% of Suez-bound cargo traffic to forego the Canal and divert around the tip of Africa instead.
We know about the Harris/Biden/Blinken triumvirate’s refusal to wipe out the Houthi missile sites for fear of offending Iran, but we couldn’t do much about it even if we wanted to, because of the miserable shape of our navy.
It’s a shame that the Navy’s only refueling tanker in the Middle East ran aground three days ago and we have no replacement, but not to worry, our military’s on top of things and is looking for a commercial vessel as a substitute. Once located, only a few weeks of retrofitting will be needed before it’s ready to be put in use.
Compounding the problem is the fact that the Big Horn is the only oiler the Navy has in the Middle East. One shipowner told gCaptain that the Navy is scrambling to find a commercial oil tanker to take its place and deliver jet fuel to the USS Abraham Lincoln.
If the Navy resorts to using a commercial oil tanker as a temporary replacement, it would need to install a Consolidated Cargo Handling and Fueling (CONSOL) system for underway replenishment operations. This system includes specialized refueling rigs, tensioned fueling hoses, and high-capacity fuel pumps—all essential for safely transferring fuel to warships at sea. The tanker would also require robust communication and control systems to ensure precise coordination during refueling maneuvers.
Call in the IDF.