The USNS Abraham Lincoln strike group, currently in the Middle East, is without any means of refueling after the oil tanker USNS Big Horn ran aground off the coast of Oman. The Big Horn is the only tanker in the entire Middle East, and the Navy is currently scrambling to come up with a replacement.
Should I mention that our most important ally in the Middle East might be at war with Iran in a few hours?
Initial Reports that the USNS Big Horn (T-AO-198), the only Replenishment Oiler with the U.S. Navy currently Deployed to the Middle East, has “Run Aground” off the Coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea and suffered possible Serious Damage; with her currently being Towed to Dubai pic.twitter.com/V0rkcxBK5E
— Greta_USA (@DEI_Greta) September 24, 2024
“USNS Big Horn sustained damage while operating at sea in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations overnight on Sept. 23. All crew members are currently safe and U.S. 5th Fleet is assessing the situation,” according to a statement from a Navy official provided to Sam Lagrone at USNI News.
The military has an $800 billion budget, and we have one — exactly one — refueling tanker in the entire Middle East?
So no big deal, right? We can just hire a commercial tanker to refuel the strike group and carry aviation fuel for the 90 fixed-wing and helicopters that the Abraham Lincoln carries.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple.
If the Navy resorts to using a commercial oil tanker as a temporary replacement, it would need to install a Consolidated Cargo Handling and Fueling (CONSOL) system for underway replenishment operations. This system includes specialized refueling rigs, tensioned fueling hoses, and high-capacity fuel pumps—all essential for safely transferring fuel to warships at sea. The tanker would also require robust communication and control systems to ensure precise coordination during refueling maneuvers.
This retrofitting process is no small feat. It requires significant modifications to the commercial vessel, enabling it to withstand the unique stresses and operational demands of pumping fuel while sailing at full speed. Moreover, a U.S. Merchant Marine crew trained in CONSOL UNREP procedures—a complex and high-risk operation—would need to be flown to the Middle East to supervise the operation. This adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging situation.
Also, commercial oilers are a lot slower than Navy tankers, making Abraham Lincoln and the other ships in the strike force extremely vulnerable to missile and submarine attacks.
It's unbelievable. The Navy might be forced to lay up 17 ships, including an oil tanker, because of a lack of Merchant Marine sailors to crew them. There are five brand new John Lewis-class oilers ready to be launched or that have been launched, but numerous problems keep them in dry dock.
Official Navy and Military Sealift Command sources have repeatedly assured gCaptain that the John Lewis program is on schedule. However, two marine inspectors who have examined the new oilers tell gCaptain they’re encountering numerous problems, delaying the vessels’ overseas deployment. Despite the lead ship, USNS John Lewis, being launched in January 2021, it’s currently sitting idle at a repair shipyard in Oregon. As of today, none of the new oilers have been cleared to leave the continental United States.
The Pentagon is asking for $114 million for DEI initiatives. That wouldn't even cover the cost of a paint job for an oil tanker. It's not the money wasted on these ludicrous politically correct programs that have brought us to this dangerous point. It's the incompetence in civilian management. And that rests with the current president and his vice president.
We can only pray that a world war doesn't break out in the next few days, or the United States military will be in a world of hurt.
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