Iran has towed its replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier into the strategic Strait of Hormuz, satellite photographs indicate.

The replica, similar to one used in 2015 for bombing exercises to demonstrate that Iran can strike U.S. aircraft carriers, was moved on Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.

Iranian state media have made no mention of the action. A tugboat pulled the model, believed to be a barge with a covering simulating an aircraft carrier, into the strait from the port city of Bandar Abbas, Sky News reported.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the area, remains "confident in our naval forces' ability to defend themselves against any maritime threat," said Commander Rebecca Rebarich, 5th Fleet spokesperson.

"We cannot speak to what Iran hopes to gain by building this mock-up, or what tactical value they would hope to gain by using such a mock-up in a training or exercise scenario. We do not seek conflict, but remain ready to defend U.S. forces and interests from maritime threats in the region."

The simulated aircraft carrier resembles the 980-foot-long USS Nimitz, except that it is shorter by about 300 feet.

The dummy vessel carries 16 replicas of fighter planes on its deck, satellite photos indicate, and is similar to a target used in a 2015 military exercise. In that exercise, Iranian troops fired machine guns and rockets from speedboats, and eventually sank the fake carrier with a surface-to-sea missile.

The genuine USS Nimitz and its carrier strike group entered the 5th Fleet area of operations last week as a presence in the Middle East. The United States generally stations at least one aircraft carrier and its strike group in the area.

Related Links
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

U.S. airstrike in Somalia kills seven Islamic State terrorists
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 22, 2020
A U.S. airstrike in northern Somalia killed seven Islamic State members, U.S. African Command said on Wednesday. The airstrike came after an IS raid "attacked partner forces in a remote location near Timirshe, Somalia" on Tuesday, about 90 miles southeast of the city of Bosasso, AFRICOM said in a statement. Officials noted that no civilians were killed or injured, and did not mention if U.S. personnel were wounded in the attack. "We continue to apply pressure on terrorist groups a ... read more