A batch of unmanned speedboats for Iran's Mosquito Fleet
The Telegraph today carried a story headlined: "The tiny island of Kharg that could let Trump beat Iran without sending a single soldier," claiming to offer insight into the latest thinking of 'experts' on how to progress the war on Iran. Like most war stories it took a simplistic view of what could be a near impoosible task.
When serious export of Iranian oil started it was soon met by a problem. Iran’s coast is relatively shallow. Big tankers have a lot of draft. It was thus troublesome for Iran’s oil industry to deliver large loads of crude oil to big ships.
The answer to this problem was Kargh Island a tiny, flat, featureless islet surrounded by deep water, some 15 miles off the Iranian coast. The government in Tehran, incollaboration with the oil companies built a termina able to load very large crude oil carrying vessels on the island. Today 90% of all Iran's petroleum products are handled by the Kargh Island Terminal.
For decades dimwit American politicians and military leaders have dreamed of fetching Kharg to thereby get control over Iran’s oil production: In an interview with a British newspaper back in 1988, an up-and-coming New York property mogul named Donald Trump was asked about his plans for the future.
Never one to be lost for words he, boasted that he might one day run for president and vowed to win back “respect” for America on the world stage. He also had stern words for the theocratic regime of Iran’s Islamic Republic, already a sworn enemy of America in the wake of the 1979 US hostage crisis.
“They’ve been beating us psychologically, making us look a bunch of fools,” Trump told The Guardian. “One bullet shot at one of our men or ships, and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”
Several figures of the current Trump administration have likewise opined that the taking of Kharg would give the U.S. a hold over all Iranian oil exports – now and in future.
However the American leadership is skirting some serious optic problems which have
been vastly underplayed in US & western media, and so are
effectively unknown to the population at large. These factors point to a long war, energy shortage and a global economic crisis.
JCOS (Joint Chiefs of Staff) Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, yesterday emphasized three U.S. objectives in Iran:
destroying Iranian ballistic missile and drone capability, striking
‘deeper into Iran’s military and industrial base’ and continuing to
decimate Iran’s navy to allow maritime traffic through the Strait of
Hormuz.”
Aside from Iran’s Navy being far from the sole obstacle effecting Hormuz
Maritime traffic, the Pentagon must eventually deal with the presumed
destruction of all or most of their regional bases – which, again, few people outside government and the military know anything about.
Kargh Island for example is too close to the mainland to be taken easily, modern shore based artillery located many miles back from the coast could easily reach ships attacking the island. Hormuz, already partly blocked by Irainan Navy ships sunk by US and Israeli bombing raids is effectivly closed to shipping from hostile states and could remain so for many months, causing prolonged chaos in the global economy Iran was never going to be a pushover.
And in both cases there is an even more deadly threat to the naval personnel manning the ships inolved in leading the allied advance. Iran has developed, or rather revived, an unconventional naval strategy known as the “Mosquito Fleet.” Instead of relying only on large warships to defend its waters, Tehran has focused on builing a fleet of hundreds — possibly thousands — of small, high-speed attack boats designed to challenge much larger naval forces in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The term “Mosquito Fleet” refers to a large number of small, fast, heavily armed boats operated mainly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC Navy). These boats are: Equipped with anti-ship missiles, Capable of speeds between 50 to 110 knots (approximately 90–200 km/h,), Small enough to maneuver quickly and approach larger vessels. Because of their speed and size, they can rapidly close in on larger warships, launch missiles, and retreat before facing a full counterattack.
Iran’s Mosquito Fleet strategy is specifically designed to exploit the
vulnerabilities of a billion-dollar carrier like the USS Abraham
Lincoln. Shore based Iranian commanders conceal large groups of these fast-attack crafts in civilian fishing
ports, specialised underground maritime bases carved into the Persian
Gulf cliffs, and even simple truck trailers.
These vessels can be wheeled out, launched from a random beach, and
begin attacking a tanker or destroyer within minutes. The U.S. cannot
target every garage along a 1,300-mile coastline. Iran possesses
thousands of these boats, many of which are now unmanned kamikaze
vessels packed with hundreds of kilograms of explosives.
While a U.S. destroyer’s Aegis combat system may be one of the best in
the world, it has its limits. If 50 boats attack from 50 different
directions simultaneously, the ship’s guns simply can’t pivot quickly
enough to engage them all. It only takes one boat getting through to
cause a USS Cole-type disaster.
A U.S. Hellfire missile costs approximately $150,000, while a single
Iranian speedboat may only cost about $20,000. If the U.S. has to fire
500 missiles to stop a swarm, they end up spending millions to destroy
plastic boats. Iran can produce these vessels faster than the U.S. can manufacture high-tech missiles.
Trump and Wright both made high-profile claims regarding naval escorts
and unblocking the Strait of Hormuz. When Wright deleted his post and
the Navy confirmed that no escort occurred, it sent a clear signal to
the markets and Tehran that the U.S. is currently unable or unwilling to
enter the kill zone of the narrow straits.
Game and second set to Iran.
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