Iran’s Mock US Aircraft Carrier Really Sunk, In Front Of Bandar Abbas Port
Iran’s mock aircraft carrier sunk, and in the wrong place, H.I. Sutton reported.
New imagery from yesterday shows the capsized #IRGC replica of the Nimitz Class Carrier appears to have listed more outside of Bandar Abbas Port, #Iran. She appears more listed here than previous imagery from the 31st July. The depth here is a reported 14m. Fun to reclaim…. pic.twitter.com/tKTHJAaGCS
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) August 2, 2020
According to the expert, it shouldn’t have sunk, at all. Since it’s aim is to be sunk more than once, in a, sort of, joyous occasion that shows that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy can sink an actual US warship at any time.
“The Iranian armed forces, particularly the IRGC-N (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy) delight in attacking the mock U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. It makes their war games more dramatic. And it may be intended to symbolize that they could, if called upon, sink an American carrier. The carrier itself, actually an elaborate target barge, is not intended to sink, however. It is meant to be reusable and has been symbolically ‘destroyed’ twice already. But now it really has sunk. And in very much the wrong place.”
The satellite imagery shows the mock warship capsized and stricken.
The image is taken from above, and shows that the carrier is listing at about 90 degrees. The starboard (right-hand) side is facing upwards. As you look at the image, the carrier was heading from right to left of the image when it succumbed to the waves.
And it didn’t sink because of a strike, presumably. It was being towed back to Bandar Abbas, after it was attacked when it sank.
Sebastien Roblin wrote on July 31st that the vessel was “listing steeply to one side, with nearly half of the flight deck submerged.”
It is quite large, still smaller than a US super-carrier, it has more than one US navy markings painted on it.
It was built in 2013-14 and then dramatically ‘destroyed’ during war games in February 2015. Recently it has been repaired in Bandar Abbas and towed back out to sea.
It was attacked again on July 28th, as part of the ‘Prophet Mohammed 14th’ war games.
The IRGC Navy’s specialty is smaller attack boats that swarm the enemy, and as such it was circled, presumably by then 100 new vessels Iran unveiled in June, and it was hit by missiles.
“The location of the sinking will likely create a serious headache for the Iranian Navy and IRGC-N. It is just outside the harbor entrance to Bandar Abbas, near to the main approach channel.”
The water there is approximately 45 ft deep, which is shallow. This makes it worse for Iran because it cannot be left to sink. It is so shallow that other ships face a very real risk of catastrophic damage if they sail over it.
So it will have to be salvaged. But the effort required, and time, will strain Iranian resources.
According to Sutton, “with such a bad place to have a wreck, it will be telling of Iranian capabilities if it is left there a long time.”
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