The Atlanta Journal-Constitution February 09, 2003
TARGET IRAQ: PREPARING TO MOVE IN
By Wayne Snow
The United States is building a formidable force for a possible strike against Iraq. By conservative estimates, 85,000 American troops, 450 aircraft and three aircraft carrier battle groups are in the area. Many more are on the way. About 170,000 U.S. military personnel either are headed to the region, have been ordered to deploy or have been put on alert.
GRAPHIC: Graphic: U.S. PERSONNEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Since Sept. 11, 2001, information on U.S. troop movements has become harder to track. As the possible war with Iraq draws nearer, that difficulty has increased. GlobalSecurity.org, which specializes in defense issues and provides weekly updates on troop strength, said it is now impossible to provide a "high-fidelity" profile of current deployments. Its numbers are lower than the cumulative number being reported by The Associated Press. AP quotes unnamed Pentagon sources as saying about 125,000 military personnel are in the region. The numbers in this graphic are based mainly on GlobalSecurity.org's best estimates as of this week.
1. ARMY
The United States normally has about 3,700 ground forces in the region. The Army now has about 25,000 troops on the ground. Included are Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. About 95,000 more soldiers are in the pipeline. Most are expected to go to Kuwait.
2. AIR FORCE
The United States may have as many as 20,000 Air Force personnel stationed in areas responsible for operations against Iraq, including about 1,700 at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. There are about 280 aircraft of all types.
3. NAVY
The Navy has three aircraft carrier battle groups, one amphibious task force and one amphibious group in the region. Total naval forces, including Marines, are estimated at about 47,000 personnel, 325 helicopters and aircraft and about 600 Tomahawk cruise missiles. About 15,500 Marines, 40,000 sailors, 310 aircraft of all types, 62 naval vessels, 41 sealift or cargo vessels and 1,000 more cruise missiles are on the way.
WHERE ARE THE CARRIERS?
An aircraft carrier battle group typically includes one or more attack submarines, cruisers, destroyers, frigates and supply ships. The companion ships are there primarily to protect the carrier and its roughly 80 warplanes, but most also carry missiles for long-range strikes. The Constellation is in the Persian Gulf, the Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea, the Harry S. Truman is in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Theodore Roosevelt and Kitty Hawk are on the way.
..............................BATTLE GROUPS ..............................Constellation....Harry S. Truman Aircraft carrier.................... 1..............1 Guided missile cruisers..............2..............1 Guided missile destroyers............2..............3 Destroyers.......................... 1..............2 Guided missile frigates..............1..............1 Supply ships........................ 1..............2 Attack submarines....................1..............2 ............................ Abraham Lincoln.. Theodore Roosevelt Aircraft carrier.................... 1..............1 Guided missile cruisers..............2..............2 Guided missile destroyers............1..............3 Destroyers.......................... 0..............0 Guided missile frigates..............2..............1 Supply ships........................ 1..............1 Attack submarines....................1..............0
Kitty Hawk
Information on the makeup of the Kitty Hawk Battle Group is not available.
Map of the Middle East identifies the countries and their major cities that house U.S. military operations, as well as Iraq and its neighbors. The northern and southern no-fly zones in Iraq are indicated. The map pinpoints the locations of major and minor U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Bases in the area, Special Operations (regionally based), and aircraft carriers at sea: Harry S. Truman, Constellation, Abraham Lincoln.
Note: Exact locations of carriers not known.
Information boxes are included for the following countries:
DIEGO GARCIA
The United States uses the British territory in the Indian Ocean as a forward staging area for both ships and planes.
DJIBOUTI
A new Horn of Africa Task Force is to be established under the 2nd Marine Division. It will have multinational personnel and probably will focus more on the war on terrorism than Iraq.
OMAN
U.S. forces fly out of al-Seeb, Thumrait and Masirah air bases and store large amounts of supplies at the three bases.
SAUDI ARABIA
The United States has a major aerospace operations center at Prince Sultan Air Base. Although Saudi Arabia was a major U.S. staging area in the Gulf War, it may deny the U.S. use of its territory in a new attack.
KUWAIT
Kuwait is home to the headquarters of Army Forces Central Command. Most U.S. ground forces will go to Kuwait
BAHRAIN
Bahrain is headquarters for Vice Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of Navy forces in the region, and Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston, commander of Marine forces in central Asia and the Persian Gulf. It also is home to a Navy SEAL unit.
QATAR
Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, commander of the U.S. Air Force in the region, is based in Qatar. Al Udeid Air Base is the largest forward-positioning U.S. base outside the United States.
Note: Headquarters of Special Operations reported to be in Qatar.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The United States uses bases in the UAE to support the southern no-fly zone in Iraq.
TURKEY
The United States patrols Iraq's northern no-fly zone from a base at Incirlik.
Sources: U.S. Navy, Center for Defense Information, Associated Press, GlobalSecurity.org / MICHAEL DABROWA / Staff; Photo: The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with its full air wing on deck during training maneuvers Tuesday.
Copyright © 2003, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
