Spectrum: Tension in the Gulf - the Warships Move In

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The Times (London)

July 22 1987, Wednesday Spectrum: Tension in the Gulf - The Warships Move In

BYLINE: GEORGE HILL

SECTION: Issue 62827.

LENGTH: 420 words

The Americans were uncharacteristically tight-lipped yesterday about their naval movements in the Gulf. Their Middle Eastern Force of nine ships - the guided missile cruisers Fox, Warden and Reeves, with four frigates and one destroyer - is believed to be in the vicinity of Fujairah, where two Kuwaiti tankers now flying the Stars and Stripes are waiting to pass through the Straits.

The giant 80-000-ton carrier Constellation, with a force of about eight attendant ships, is officially said to be 'in the general area of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea'. It is undoubtedly not far off, and it is an open secret that the battleship Missouri is on its way to the area, with its devastating batteries of 16-inch guns, capable of firing shells as big as a small car. But she can scarcely be expected in the crisis zone in much less than 10 days. In addition, the helicopter carrier Guadalcanal moved through the Suez Canal last week.

Britain's patrol to escort British-flag tankers through the Gulf is continuing, in spite of reports that the Royal Navy has pulled back from the Gulf to give the gathering US fleet a clear run. In the seven years since the outbreak of war, the Royal Navy has safely escorted more than 120 vessels through the zone.

Naval sources stress that Britain's operations in the Gulf are continuing as usual, in implicit contrast with the US's highly-publicized build-up. But Britain's four-ship patrol group is due routinely to be relieved in the middle of next month by a similar group already on its way, so that for a period Britain will have a double-strength force in the region.

Today the group consists of the Type 42 destroyer Cardiff, now at sea, and the Type 21 frigate Active, waiting at Muscat, just outside the missile-threatened Straits of Hormuz. They are served by the fleet Auxiliary Orangeleaf. The other fighting ship in the group, the Type 22 frigate Broadsword, is in Mombasa, Kenya, 2,000 miles from the Gulf.

It is a paradox of the crisis that the Soviet Union has a strong common interest with the US there. Neither wants to see Iran triumph. Russia has already chartered three merchant ships o Kuwait, and one was attacked last month. There is no evidence of a Soviet naval escort role, although Soviet minesweepers have been clearing Iranian mines.

The French role in the crisis is ambiguous. With three warships in the area, they have warned their merchant ships not to expect protection in the Gulf, but have agreed to escort one tanker.

LOAD-DATE: September 21, 2000

LANGUAGE: English Page 2 Spectrum: Tension in the Gulf - The Warships Move In The Times (London) July 22 1987, Wednesday