U.S. military forces in Europe, Middle East
The United States is moving ships and planes closer to Libya, drawing on a network of bases in Europe and the Middle East, as Western governments prepare for possible military and humanitarian action.
Here are details about the military resources Washington can call on in the region:AREA/STATIONS* BAHRAIN: U.S. Central Command-- Home to the Fifth Fleet. The small kingdom also hosts land-based Patriot missile installations.* DJIBOUTI: U.S. Africa Command-- Nearly 1,200 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. One naval air base.* GREECE: U.S. European Command-- Two naval bases, at Makri and Soudha Bay, and one air base at Iraklion.* ITALY: U.S. European Command-- 3,015 Army and 2,328 Navy personnel.-- Also headquarters for the Sixth Fleet.-- The Aviano air base south of the Alps has 42 F-16s assigned to it.* KUWAIT: U.S. Central Command-- Operations centered around outfitting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.-- Two air defense batteries with advance capability Patriot missiles.* QATAR: Refueling station and Central Command's forward headquarters* SPAIN: U.S. European Command-- Around 1,270 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. One airbase at Moron and one naval base at Rota, which provides support for U.S. and NATO ships.* TURKEY: U.S. European Command-- Around 1,500 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.-- One airbase at Incirlik and support facilities at Ankara and Izmir.-- U.S. Strategic Command also has one Spacetrack Radar at Incirlik.SIXTH FLEET-- Sixth Fleet's area of operation, which includes the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the Atlantic Ocean, usually is patrolled by frigates and destroyers. It has two aircraft carriers further southeast in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.-- The fleet is headquartered at Gaeta, Italy.-- Its command ship, the USS Mt Whitney, is the only vessel permanently assigned to the Sixth Fleet area. It can carry a crew of over 300 and transport supplies to support an emergency evacuation of 3,000 people.-- As of Tuesday, there were three U.S. ships -- two destroyers and the Mt Whitney -- in the Mediterranean.FIFTH FLEET-- The commander of the Fifth Fleet is responsible for an area of about 2.5 million sq miles (6.5 million sq km) of water area, including the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.-- Countries in the fleet's zone are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.-- The Fifth Fleet includes aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships that deploy on rotation from the United States, plus a few smaller ships based in the Gulf for longer periods.-- The Fifth Fleet protects shipping lanes in the Gulf and nearby waters. It is the naval arm of Central Command, responsible for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and its aircraft fly missions over both countries.-- The Fifth Fleet has around 30,000 personnel across the region. About 4,500 U.S. military and civilian staff work at the port and base in Bahrain, at Juffairare just southeast of the capital Manama.-- On Monday, the destroyer USS Barry moved through the Suez Canal and is now in the southwestern Mediterranean.-- Two amphibious assault ships, the USS Kearsarge, which can carry 2,000 Marines, and the USS Ponce, are in the Red Sea heading to the Suez Canal.
Last Update: March 02, 2011 10:13