Why is Iran building a mock US aircraft carrier?

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Why is Iran building a mock US aircraft carrier?

March 21, 2014 - 1:06PM Eric Schmitt


The real US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Photo: Reuters

Washington: Iran is building a nonworking mock-up of an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that US officials say may be intended to be blown up for propaganda value.

Intelligence analysts studying satellite photos of Iranian military installations first noticed the vessel rising from the Gachin shipyard, near Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, last summer. The ship has the same distinctive shape and style of the Navy's Nimitz-class carriers, as well as the USS Nimitz's No. 68 neatly painted in white near the bow.

Mock aircraft can be seen on the flight deck.

The Iranian mock-up, which US officials described as more like a barge than a warship, has no nuclear propulsion system and is only about two-thirds the length of a typical 1,100-foot-long Navy (335 metre) carrier. Intelligence officials do not believe that Iran is capable of building an actual aircraft carrier.


A satellite image showing Iran's mock-up of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in one of its naval shipyards near Bandar Abbas. Photo: Digitalglobe

"Based on our observations, this is not a functioning aircraft carrier; it's a large barge built to look like an aircraft carrier," said Commander Jason Salata, a spokesman for the Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, across the Persian Gulf from Iran. "We're not sure what Iran hopes to gain by building this. If it is a big propaganda piece, to what end?"

Whatever the purpose, American officials acknowledged Thursday that they wanted to reveal the existence of the vessel to get out ahead of the Iranians.

Navy and other American intelligence analysts surmise that the vessel, which 5th Fleet wags have nicknamed the Target Barge, is something that Iran could tow to sea, anchor and blow up - while filming the whole thing to make a propaganda point, if, say, the talks with the Western powers over Iran's nuclear program go south.

Iran has previously used barges as targets for missile firings during training exercises, filmed the episodes and then televised them on the state-run news media, Navy officials said.

"It is not surprising that Iranian military forces might use a variety of tactics - including military deception tactics - to strategically communicate and possibly demonstrate their resolve in the region," said a US official who has closely followed the construction of the mock-up.

But unlike Iran's efforts to conceal its underground nuclear-related sites, the Iranian navy has taken no steps to cloak from prying Western satellites what it is building pierside at the busy shipyard. "The system is often too opaque to understand who hatched this idea, and whether it was endorsed at the highest levels," said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Iran has sought to exploit captured or pirated US military technology in the past. Last year, Iran's political and military elite boasted that their forces had shot down an American intelligence-gathering drone, a remotely piloted Navy vehicle called ScanEagle that they quickly put on display for the Iranian news media.

Navy officials responded that no drones had been shot down by enemy fire, although the Pentagon acknowledged at the time that it had lost a small number of ScanEagles, likely to engine malfunction.

Iranian navy officials could not be immediately reached for comment as the country prepared to celebrate its New Year festivities on Friday.

When the mock-up will take its maiden voyage - if it ever does - is anyone's guess, analysts said. The vessel is nearing completion, they said, and will presumably be shipped by rail on tracks that run through the shipyard, to its destiny in the Persian Gulf just a few hundred yards away.

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US puzzled by Iran's mock-up of an aircraft carrier

By AFP | AFP – 20 hours ago

• 
  View PhotoAFP/AFP/File - Satellite imagery shows a vessel resembling an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier -- like this USS Dwight D. Eisenhower seen near Cairo, Egypt, on June 13, 2013 -- being constructed near …more

Iran is building a crude mock-up of an American aircraft carrier at a ship yard on its Gulf coast and US officials said Friday the goal of the project remains a mystery.

Iran has made no attempt to hide its "curious" construction effort near Bandar Abbas on the Gulf, as commercial satellite imagery has shown a vessel gradually taking shape, resembling the outlines of a Nimitz-class carrier, three administration officials said.

"They got this barge and threw some wood on top of it to make it look like the USS Nimitz. That's all we know for sure," a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

"We think they're going to try to get some propaganda value out of it," he said. "We find it very curious...We don't know what Iran hopes to gain by building it."

Defense officials stressed that the vessel was not a working aircraft carrier, had no nuclear propulsion system and was essentially a barge outfitted to look -- but not operate -- like a carrier.

Officials said the Iranians have previously used barges in military exercises and later broadcast television footage of the vessels being blown up with missiles.

The project was first reported by the New York Times, which quoted officials speculating the Iranians may blow up the fake carrier for television cameras as a propaganda exercise.

"It is not surprising that Iranian naval forces might use a variety of tactics -- including military deception tactics -- to communicate and possibly demonstrate their resolve in the region," said a third US official, who asked not to be named.

Commercial satellite photos show a ship under construction in Gachin shipyard on the Gulf and more recent images reveal a vessel with the unmistakable design of a Nimitz-class carrier, along with fake aircraft parked on the deck.

The puzzling project came to light at a moment of lowered tensions with Iran and intense diplomacy, as Washington and major powers try to broker an agreement with Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

Over the past year, Iran has stepped back from assertive maneuvers in the Gulf, officials said, as previously Iranian speed boats had sometimes swarmed around US warships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

[American Patriot]

to blow it up for testing. Duh.

[Ryan Ruck]

Well, I can't see how they could expect to get any accurate test results since they couldn't know the real construction of one, unless Russia or China has supplied that information to them.

I could see them using it to come up with covert avenues to carry out a terrorist attack.

As has been mentioned before I could also see it being used to blow up for film purposes. Let's face it, we've all seen the pathetic examples of typical Iranian film making and CGI (remember the Photoshopped multiple missile launch?) so, as expensive and wasteful as it is, actually filming a near lifesize model being destroyed might be the only way they can get a decent propaganda video.

[American Patriot]

Well, I said "to blow it up" and wasn't necessarily leaning toward "test data" - except for the PR data they might gather.

[Avvakum]

Well, I can't see how they could expect to get any accurate test results since they couldn't know the real construction of one, unless Russia or China has supplied that information to them.

I could see them using it to come up with covert avenues to carry out a terrorist attack.

As has been mentioned before I could also see it being used to blow up for film purposes. Let's face it, we've all seen the pathetic examples of typical Iranian film making and CGI (remember the Photoshopped multiple missile launch?) so, as expensive and wasteful as it is, actually filming a near lifesize model being destroyed might be the only way they can get a decent propaganda video.

Anybody see youtube video scenes of a movie made recently by the Islamic Republic of "Jesus"? It was made to offset the popularity of Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" in Iran. Pathetic, lol.

Nobody does propaganda as well as Hollywood does.

[Ryan Ruck]

Anybody see youtube video scenes of a movie made recently by the Islamic Republic of "Jesus"? It was made to offset the popularity of Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" in Iran. Pathetic, lol.

LOL! No. I can only imagine how epically bad it is.

Nobody does propaganda as well as Hollywood does.

Very true. From what I heard on Glenn Beck's show today, the new Noah movie fits this bill to a "T".

[American Patriot]

I heard otherwise about Noah... that it was a "true to life" story.

But who knows?

[Ryan Ruck]

It was directed by an atheist. Need I say more?

Yes? In a story about a flood caused by God, God isn't mentioned once.

Those were just the two off the top of my head. There's a whole host of other issues. Glenn spent well over an hour going over them.

I'm not the most religious person around but if you're going to do a Biblical movie to take money from Christians, stick to the actual story.

Sorry for the off-topicness...

[American Patriot]

No problem Ryan. Actually it's good to know.

[Malsua]

A quick recap of Noah is in order.

1. It is an environmental film. Think "The Day after Tomorrow" with biblical themes, except no bible and no God.
2. There is no mention of God or any diety or father, or anything in the film. None. Nada. Apparently Noah was reading some chicken bones, held his finger in the air and figured out that the planet was going to flood everyone out.
3. Darren Aronofsky, who I generally enjoy as a director is such a hollywood environmentalist nut job that he banned bottled water from the set.
3a. Just as in every case of environmentalism there are always unforeseen consequences when common sense is slaughtered on the alter to Gaia, ie. Emma Watson and others getting Dysentery and shitting their brains out. Poor Hermione having a case of the explosive shits because the director is a Gaian zealot is quite humorous to me.
4. The movie invented the entire story, short of a boat, a flood and some animals.
5. The movie was not about saving that last people in God's grace, it is about saving the poor innocent animals from the evils of man.


I have no issue at all with Hollywood making any movie their wish. The only reason however that this movie will have any type of box office is because it's called NOAH. Every child in America hears about Noah's ark. If Hollywood were brave, they would have called it "FLOOD" and done whatever they wanted. Of course it would have been a big flopperroonie, so the hypocrisy is rich. They have to use the bible to promote a movie about biblical characters...they just don't want to acknowledge the source material.

[Ryan Ruck]

Mal nailed it.

The only thing this movie has in common with the Biblical story of Noah is water and a big boat.

[American Patriot]

Ok, makes sense.

I guess it ain't gonna be something I go see then.

There was a "disclaimer" played on the radio about it the other day. I wish I could remember what they said now.

[American Patriot]

Wait, here it is....

“The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the Book of Genesis.”


In other words, and based on Mal's description, this is simple another lie.

[Malsua]

The richest irony is that if you watch interviews with Darren Aronofsky, he mentions how he held true to the bible story to the extent possible. Then he makes a movie that doesn't mention the bible or god. It's some sort of weird logic he's twisting to get there and I'm quite sure it all fits nicely for him.

I think as an action adventure movie, it's probably pretty good. Aronofsky's movies make you think and I love him for that. It just irks me that he can't take the last step and utter on film the word God.

I will see the movie once it's out on blu-ray and I can strap on the ole peg leg.

[Ryan Ruck]

Glenn is talking about this again.

I forgot about the rock people!

[MinutemanCO]

Excellent analysis gents. I actually got laughing out loud at Malsua's review in post #11. I'd like to add one thing to the stream of irony flowing here... Unless I miss my guess Aronofsky is Jewish, thus linking him even more intimately to the biblical account of Noah.

The richest irony is that if you watch interviews with Darren Aronofsky, he mentions how he held true to the bible story to the extent possible. Then he makes a movie that doesn't mention the bible or god. It's some sort of weird logic he's twisting to get there and I'm quite sure it all fits nicely for him.

I think as an action adventure movie, it's probably pretty good. Aronofsky's movies make you think and I love him for that. It just irks me that he can't take the last step and utter on film the word God.

I will see the movie once it's out on blu-ray and I can strap on the ole peg leg.

[MinutemanCO]

OOPS. Fake aircraft carrier.

[Avvakum]

Well, we were taking about boats and propaganda, lol.

To bring this kind of full circle, the Iranians are going to be pissed by the 'Noah' movie I think, because he's one of the pre-mohammad islamic prophets too according to them and Aronofsky probably has taken liberties with the story too much even for them, we'll see.

[vector7]

Iran commander says fleet can destroy U.S. warship in 50 seconds

Revolutionary Guard naval commander says Iran has been building and destroying replicas of US ships for years

May 6, 2014 2:00PM ET
by Michael Pizzi @michaelwpizzi

Iran has developed the capacity to destroy a U.S. warship on less than a minute’s notice, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said Tuesday in comments that were met with skepticism by military experts in the West.

In the latest threat that Iran’s hardline military forces have levied at U.S. presence in the region, Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi told semi-official Fars news agency that his forces have been building replicas of U.S. frigates and aircraft carriers for years in order to practice blowing them up.
His forces, which patrol the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz — a major oil supply route — but are separate from the Iranian navy, have the capacity to sink U.S. vessels in that area in 50 seconds, he said.

“We practice the same drills on replica aircraft carriers because sinking and destroying U.S. warships has, is and will be on our agenda,” Fadavi said. “Aircraft carriers are the symbol of America’s military might…so it’s natural that we want to sink the carriers.”

The revelations from the admiral appeared to solve the mystery of satellite imagery published by CNN in March depicting a model of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, complete with planes, docked in Iran’s Gachin shipyard. Iranian media had reported the ship was “part of the décor” for a movie from esteemed director Nader Talabzadeh about the 1988 downing of an Iranian Air plane by the USS Vincennes.

More:
http://america.aljazeera.com/article...ip-threat.html