Budget turmoil and the automatic sequestration cuts impacting the Pentagon will not affect the military’s ability to attack Syria, spokesman George Little said yesterday.
Even though fiscal 2013 has been a “very turbulent budget year,” the military is well poised to carry out potential strikes to deal with an important national security threat, Little told reporters. The Pentagon has been operating under continuing budget resolutions that keep spending at levels of the previous fiscal year, and on top has had to endure the sequester cuts that kicked in on March. 1.
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| A Tactical Tomahawk fires from the USS Halsey (DDG-97) destroyer during testing. The missiles are seen as the weapon of choice for possible strikes on Syria. Photo by U.S. Navy. |
“When it comes to sequestration and budget uncertainty, when this country decides to come together and take military action for a just cause that’s rooted in the legitimacy of a very strong international norm, then we’ll find a way to fund it,” Little said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told lawmakers on Wednesday the cost of attacking Syria would be in the range of tens of millions of dollars.
President Barack Obama has announced he intends to hit Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed more than 1,400 civilians in areas near Damascus Aug. 21. He had previously described the use of such weapons in Syria’s two-year long civil war as a “red line.”
The Navy has deployed four Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) guided-missile destroyers to the Mediterranean Sea within striking distance of Syria. The ships, the USS Stout (DDG-55) , USS Gravely (DDG-107), USS Barry (DDG-52) and the USS Ramage (DDG-61), are each capable of firing dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
It is widely believed the precision Tomahawks will form the essence of any assault on the regime.
The Raytheon [RTN]-built missiles cost $1.2 million to $1.5 million apiece, the higher figure for ones launched from submarines. It’s unclear, however, whether any subs are in the area and could be directly involved in a military campaign to punish al-Assad, as the Navy does not publicly discuss submarine operations.
The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier, along with several other vessels, has entered the Red Sea in route to positioning itself for possible action against Syria, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said yesterday. The Nimitz battle group was on its way home before being diverted. He said extended carrier-based air operations would increase routine weekly costs by about $15 million.
In 2004 the Navy introduced the Block IV version of the missile known as the Tactical Tomahawk, which is GPS navigated and has the ability to loiter or be redirected to alternate targets. It has a range of 1,000 miles.
“It is quite a good capability,” Greenert said at an appearance at the American Enterprise Institute. “We have quite a few of them out there.”
The Navy also continues to deploy the older Block III version, which relies on terrain mapping to find and strike its pre-programmed target and has range of 800 miles.