The Build-Up To War Continues, Russia Furious That U.S. Navy Destroyer Approaches Syria Without Notification

US Deploys Truman Carrier Strike Group And 7 Warships With Cruise Missiles To Mediterranean

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) is being deployed to the Mediterranean Wednesday, where it will join the USS Donald Cook off Syrian territorial waters.

The aircraft carrier will be accompanied by guided-missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Farragut (DDG 99), as well as the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60). The Destroyers USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) will join the HSTCSG later, according to a statement by the US Navy. 

The Sachssen-class German frigate FGS Hessen (F 221) will also operate as part of the strike group during the first half of the deployment.

In addition to USS Donald Cook, the U.S has now dispatched USN Carrier Strike Group 8 to the Mediterranean/#Syria:

- USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier
- Carrier Air Wing VII
- USS Hué City missile cruiser
- x6 Arleigh Burke-class Destroyers
- x1 Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate pic.twitter.com/5C0tyDlTkO

— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) April 10, 2018

It is worth noting that it will take approximately 6-7 days for the group to cross the Atlantic at 30 knots, plus another 3-4 three days once it arrives in the Mediterranean, to reach Syria, suggesting a full-blown on attack may not take place until after April 22 or so.

The strike group, carrying 6,500 sailors and Carrier Air Wing One, will cruise alongside the German frigate FGS Hessen during the first half of the deployment. The German ship conducted a brief mission with the Harry S. Truman in 2010, the Navy said according to Stripes.com

This will be the first extended deployment for the Harry S. Truman since wrapping a 10-month maintenance period last July. The mission will include "maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts alongside allies and partners," and they will "provide crisis response capability and increase theater security cooperation and forward naval presence" in the Middle East and Europe, according to the statement. 

The Harry S. Truman will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, which wrapped up its four-month deployment to the Middle East last month, and is operating in the Western Pacific.

The Harry S. Truman, which is assigned to the Navy’s Fleet Forces Command, last traveled to the Middle East in 2015 to join the anti-Islamic State mission Operation Inherent Resolve before returning home in 2016. -Stripes

Yesterday, guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook armed with 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles anchored off of Syrian territorial waters, and has reportedly been "harassed" by low-flying Russian warplanes, which have buzzed the "Arleigh Burke" class warship at least four times according to CNN Turk.

Russia Furious As U.S. Navy Destroyer Approaches Syria Without Notification

Late on Monday we reported that US Navy Destroyer, USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as the Aegis missile defence system, was approaching the port of Tartus in Syria, which doubles as the location for the Syrian logistics base of the Russian Navy. According to CNN Turk, the US destroyer was at at a distance of 100 km from the port, as of Monday.

The destroyer, which left the Cypriot port of Larnaka and was headed for the Syrian shore, was reportedly buzzed by Russian warplanes which circled above the US warship four times.

To be sure, Russia is concerned, and seemingly angry, that another showdown may be imminent. According to Pravda, the Chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee Vladimir Shamanov said that the United States did not notify Russia of the approach of the group of US warships to the Russian naval base in Tartus.

"A group of ships of the US Navy has appeared at a distance of 150 miles from the Tartus region. It is common in international practice potential participants of events in the area should be notified accordingly in advance. We have not been notified, although we had legally ratified the agreement on two bases in Tartus and Khmeymim," the official said.

"Moreover, US President Donald Trump said that he would think about the missile attack on Syria despite any resolutions at the UN Security Council. All this smells of something are outside the framework of universally recognised international norms," Shamanov added, suggesting that Russia is preparing for a Syria attack.

More troubling is that also on Monday, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said that the Americans would have to deal with  "serious consequences" should they attack Syria.

"We have repeatedly warned the American side about highly negative consequences that may follow if they apply weapons against the legitimate Syrian government, and especially if the use of these weapons - God forbid, affects our military men, who legally stay in Syria," the Russian Ambassador to the UN said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.