This blogsite has devoted much attention to the new weaponry being built and deployed by the Gog-Magog alliance identified in Ezekiel 38 as the modern alliance of Russia, China, Iran and their allies. The western alliance of the USA/NATO and their allies (identified as “Israel” or “the house of Israel” in Ezekiel 38-39) has mostly been disarming itself or dissipating its military strength in Asian wars. However, this blog has some good news to report. The USA is beginning to deploy a new ultra-modern type of warship which has very unusual characteristics. Called a “Littoral Combat Ship,” these new ships have the ability to fight in waters as shallow as twenty feet deep. Its hull has a “trimaran” design and it is capable of speeds in excess of 45 mph (some reports mention 60 mph is possible).
With a length of 418 feet, these are not small ships! The first link below describes the basic characteristics of the ship, and the second link reveals the very unusual-looking hull. The first ship of this class, the USS Independence, was commissioned earlier this year, and the Navy intends to build 55 warships of this new design. The third link below offers visual footage of the new ship at sea.
Two things come to my mind as I consider this new ship. It offers unusual capabilities to the US Navy, but it also is uniquely vulnerable. When it is operating close to enemy shores in shallow water, it will be vulnerable to any and all land-based weaponry. I hope that it was built with exceptional defensive systems because it will need them to operate that close to enemy shores. I hope it has a defense against the many new types of Chinese cruise missiles and the Russian-made, supersonic, “sizzler” cruise missile. This ship will not only have the unusual ability to engage an enemy close to its shores, but it’s ability to operate in shallow water will also mean that it can travel deep into a nation’s land mass via navigable rivers. The ship has torpedoes, missiles, and helicopters. With helicopters it can deploy US Marines inland as well. Its most immediate assignment might be the type of warfare that looms in the Persian Gulf. Iran has a strategy to attack US warships with swarms of small craft and suicide vessels. The USS Independence, if it is ready for operations, could attack the bases of all these ships right at the shores of Iran. My final thought is, I’m sure, shared by many readers. I wonder what weapons systems and capabilities this ship has that are classified (not acknowledged in any press release).
At any rate, its good to see a new major combat warship being deployed by “our side” as we head deeper into the latter days of this age.
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50586
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK-Nt6abUIo
