Washington deepened its involvement in the Saudi-led air war in Yemen

 

 

 

Demonstrations against Houthis in Yemen in January 2015 (Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Map locating the latest clashes in Yemen, with updated toll ©I. Véricourt / V. Lefai (AFP/File)

Shiite Huthi rebels pictured in the Crater district of the the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on April 5, 2015 ©Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP/File)

Washington deepened its involvement in the Saudi-led air war in Yemen   Wednesday as aid agencies scrambled to deliver help to civilians caught up in the campaign now heading into its third week. The Red Cross has warned of a "catastrophic" situation in main southern city Aden where militia loyal to fugitive President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi have been holding out against Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies within the security forces. Scores of people have been killed or wounded in the street fighting in the heart of the port city and aid agency Doctors Without Borders said it feared many more had been unable to reach hospitals. +5 Yemeni fighters opposing the Huthi rebels hold a bullet belt in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on April 8, 2015 as clashes continue to rage in the embattled city ©Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP) The main Shiite power Iran, which has strongly opposed the Saudi-led intervention, stepped up its efforts for a negotiated settlement with a visit to Saudi ally Pakistan by Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. Islamabad has so far deflected appeals by Riyadh to join the coalition of nine -- mainly Sunni -- Arab countries intervening in Yemen, for fear of deepening sectarian divisions at home and across the Muslim world. US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was stepping up weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing in support of the Saudi-led coalition. "Saudi Arabia is sending a strong message to the Huthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force," Blinken told reporters in the Saudi capital late Tuesday. "In support of that effort we have expedited weapons deliveries," he said after talks with Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials. A US defence official told AFP that Washington was sending primarily precision-guided munitions. The coalition launched its air war on March 26 as the rebels and their allies closed on Hadi's last refuge Aden, prompting him to flee to neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Riyadh accuses Tehran of backing the rebels and has vowed to bomb them into surrender to prevent them establishing a pro-Iran state on its doorstep. But the rebels have powerful allies within the security forces who have remained loyal to longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, forced from power in 2012 after a bloody, year-long, Arab Spring-inspired uprising. Eight rebels and three loyalist militiamen were killed in clashes in Aden overnight, a military source said. Saudi-led warplanes also bombed rebel positions at the city's international airport and the huge Al-Anad air base to its north, another military source said. - Qaeda fears - Al-Anad was a key monitoring post in Washington's longstanding drone war against Al-Qaeda until it withdrew its troops as fighting intensified last month. The deepening conflict has raised fears that the jihadists will exploit the power vacuum. Last week, Al-Qaeda seized much of Hadramawt provincial capital Mukalla. On Tuesday, they attacked one of the last loyalist strongholds in the city. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter acknowledged on Wednesday that the fighting in Yemen was complicating Washington's counter-terrorism efforts but vowed they would go on regardless. "Obviously it's always easier to conduct CT ops when there is a stable government willing to cooperate," he said. "That circumstance now obviously doesn't exist in Yemen but that doesn't mean that we don't continue to take steps to protect ourselves. We have to do it in a different way, but we do and we are." As Iran's top diplomat prepared to visit, Pakistan said it would take its time deciding whether to accept the Saudi request to join the coalition. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan was "not in a hurry" to decide and that diplomatic efforts were under way involving Turkey and Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has expressed support for the coalition without providing military forces, held talks in Tehran on Tuesday. "We both think war and bloodshed must stop in this area immediately and a complete ceasefire must be established and the strikes must stop," his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani said after their meeting. Pakistan faces a tricky dilemma, as it has long enjoyed close ties with Riyadh and has benefited hugely from the oil-rich kingdom's largesse. But it has called for a negotiated solution, saying it does not want to take part in any conflict that would worsen sectarian divisions in the Muslim world. +5 Yemeni fighters opposing the Huthi rebels look at smoke rising from buildings in the southern city of Aden on April 8, 2015 ©Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP) +5 Supporters of the southern separatist movement and the Saudi led-coalition conducting air raids on rebel positions check a vehicle at a checkpoint in Aden on April 7, 2015 ©Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP) +5 Yemenis gather around a burnt car after it was targeted by a drone strike killing three suspected al-Qaeda militants on January 26, 2015 in a desert area east of Sanaa +5 Smoke and flames rise allegedly from Shiite Huthi rebels camps located on Aser mountain following an airstrike by the Saudi-led alliance on April 6, 2015 in the Yemeni capital Sanaa ©Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File) Iran has sent two warships to the waters off Yemen while the US has accelerated moves to supply weapons to the Saudi coalition as foreign powers get drawn deeper into the conflict. The Alborz destroyer and Bushehr support vessel sailed from Bandar Abbas to the Gulf of Aden today with military bosses claiming the move is designed to protect Iranian shipping from piracy. It comes as Saudi Arabia continues to lead a bombing campaign to oust the Iran-allied Houthi movement which has taken most of Yemen and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh. Scroll down for video  +12 Smoke billows from a Saudi-led airstrike on Sanaa, Yemen earlier today amid reports Iran has sent a navy destroyer and another vessel to the Gulf of Aden +12 Conflict: Yemeni supporters of the southern separatist movement fire towards Houthi rebels during clashes in the northern Dar Saad neighbourhood of the southern Yemeni city of Aden today +12 A Houthi fighter aims a weapon upwards as smoke rises from a building after a Saudi-led airstrike on a street in Sanaa, Yemen Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies have imposed an air and naval blockade on Yemen in a two-week campaign that has been condemned by Iran, which has called for dialogue. The Iranian ships will patrol the Gulf of Aden, south ofYemen, and the Red Sea, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in comments cited by Press TV Meanwhile, Washington deepened its involvement in the conflict as aid agencies scrambled to deliver help to civilians caught up in the campaign now heading into its third week. The Red Cross has warned of a 'catastrophic' situation in main southern city Aden where militia loyal to fugitive President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi have been holding out against Houthi Shiite rebels and their allies within the security forces. Yemenis search for survivors under the rubble after air strike +12 Gunfight: A man fires towards Houthi rebels. Eleven people were killed in Yemen's main southern city Aden overnight in clashes between rebels and forces loyal to fugitive President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi +12 Scores of people have been killed or wounded in the street fighting in the heart of the port city of Aden Scores of people have been killed or wounded in the street fighting in the heart of the port city and aid agency Doctors Without Borders said it feared many more had been unable to reach hospitals. The main Shiite power Iran, which has strongly opposed the Saudi-led intervention, stepped up its efforts for a negotiated settlement with a visit to Saudi ally Pakistan by Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. Islamabad has so far deflected appeals by Riyadh to join the coalition of nine - mainly Sunni - Arab countries intervening in Yemen, for fear of deepening sectarian divisions at home and across the Muslim world. US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was stepping up weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing in support of the Saudi-led coalition. 'Saudi Arabia is sending a strong message to the Houthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force,' Blinken told reporters in the Saudi capital. +12 Firefighters jet water on to a burning building after eyewitness reports that it had been hit in an air strike +12 A girl runs for shelter during an air strike in Sanaa. Saudi Arabia is leading a bombing campaign to oust the Iran-allied Houthi movement which has taken most of Yemen 'In support of that effort we have expedited weapons deliveries,' he said after talks with Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials. A US defence official told AFP that Washington was sending primarily precision-guided munitions. The coalition launched its air war on March 26 as the rebels and their allies closed on Hadi's last refuge Aden, prompting him to flee to neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Riyadh accuses Tehran of backing the rebels and has vowed to bomb them into surrender to prevent them establishing a pro-Iran state on its doorstep. But the rebels have powerful allies within the security forces who have remained loyal to longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, forced from power in 2012 after a year-long, Arab Spring-inspired uprising. Eight rebels and three loyalist militiamen were killed in clashes in Aden overnight, a military source said. Saudi-led warplanes also bombed rebel positions at the city's international airport and the huge Al-Anad air base to its north, another military source said.  +12 Bomb site: A man surveys a damaged building hit in an airstrike organised by a Saudi-led alliance +12 Wreckage: A man inspects the twisted remains of a building hit in an airstrike Sanaa, Yemen +12 Washington is stepping up weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing in support of the Saudi-led coalition  Al-Anad was a key monitoring post in Washington's longstanding drone war against Al-Qaeda until it withdrew its troops as fighting intensified last month. Last week, Al-Qaeda seized much of Hadramawt provincial capital Mukalla. On Tuesday, they attacked one of the last loyalist strongholds in the city. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter acknowledged on Wednesday that the fighting in Yemen was complicating Washington's counter-terrorism efforts but vowed they would go on regardless. 'Obviously it's always easier to conduct CT ops when there is a stable government willing to cooperate,' he said. 'That circumstance now obviously doesn't exist in Yemen but that doesn't mean that we don't continue to take steps to protect ourselves. We have to do it in a different way, but we do and we are.'   +12 A heavily armed Yemeni fighter walks near the entrance to Aden. The Red Cross has warned of a 'catastrophic' situation in the city As Iran's top diplomat prepared to visit, Pakistan said it would take its time deciding whether to accept the Saudi request to join the coalition. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan was 'not in a hurry' to decide and that diplomatic efforts were under way involving Turkey and Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has expressed support for the coalition without providing military forces, held talks in Tehran on Tuesday. 'We both think war and bloodshed must stop in this area immediately and a complete ceasefire must be established and the strikes must stop,' his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani said after their meeting. Pakistan has called for a negotiated solution, saying it does not want to take part in any conflict that would worsen sectarian divisions in the Muslim world.

Middle East crisis deepens as the US warns it will not 'stand by' while Iran supports rebels in Yemen Secretary of State John Kerry hits out at Iran's support of Houthi fighters But adds that Washington is not looking for a confrontation with Tehran Saudi-led coalition starts third week of air-strikes against rebels in Yemen Pentagon has started daily aerial refuelling for warplanes in the coalition The Middle East crisis deepened today as the US warned it will not 'stand by' while Iran supports rebels in Yemen. Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington would not accept foreign interference in the country in a direct criticism of Tehran's backing of Shiite Houthi fighters. It comes as a Saudi-led coalition continues to pound anti-government forces in Yemen at the start of a third week of bombing. +10 US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that the US will not 'stand by' while Iran supports rebels in Yemen +10 A member of the Saudi border guard is stationed at a look-out point on the Saudi-Yemeni border today. A Saudi-led coalition is continuing to pound anti-government forces in Yemen Mr Kerry told PBS television: 'There have been - there are, obviously - flights coming from Iran. Every single week there are flights from Iran and we've traced it and know this. 'Iran needs to recognise that the United States is not going to stand by while the region is destabilised or while people engage in overt warfare across lines, international boundaries in other countries.' The United States has backed the Saudi-led campaign, which launched air strikes last month as the rebels advanced on Yemen's main southern city of Aden after seizing the capital Sanaa. President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled Aden for Saudi Arabia during the Houthi advance and the city has since seen heavy clashes between pro and anti-government forces. Riyadh has accused Tehran, the major Shiite power, of backing the rebels in a bid to establish a pro-Iran state on its doorstep. But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif insisted his government wanted a swift end to the fighting, which has cost more than 640 lives since March 19, according to the World Health Organization. +10 Military force: Saudi army tanks are seen deployed near the Saudi-Yemeni border, in southwestern Saudi Arabia +10 Patrol: Saudi guards drive tanks and armed vehicles along the border with Yemen Mr Kerry, fresh from world powers striking a framework agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme, said Washington was not looking for confrontation with Tehran. 'But we're not going to step away from our alliances and our friendships and the need to stand with those who feel threatened as a consequence of the choices that Iran might be making.' In another sign of growing US support for the Saudi effort, the Pentagon said it had started daily aerial refuelling for warplanes in the coalition. The first refuelling flight took place on Tuesday night with a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker providing fuel for a F-15 fighter jet operated by Saudi Arabia and an F-16 flown by the United Arab Emirates, spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said. NUCLEAR DEAL NOT GUARANTEED, WARNS IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that last week's framework accord with world powers was no guarantee of a final nuclear deal. And President Hassan Rouhani said separately that the Islamic republic would not sign any final agreement unless 'all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the same day'. 'What has been done so far does not guarantee an agreement, nor its contents, nor even that the negotiations will continue to the end,' said Khamenei, who has the final word on all matters of state. After a week of gruelling last-ditch negotiations, Tehran and the six powers agreed on April 2 on the framework of a deal to be finalised by the end of June reining in Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions. 'Everything is in the detail, it may be that the other side, which is unfair, wants to limit our country in the details,' Khamenei said, in his first comments on the deal. +10 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that last week's framework accord with world powers was no guarantee of a final nuclear deal Playing down expectations of a deal after the interim accord - which sparked celebrations in the streets of Iranian cities - Khamenei said he had not taken any position until now as 'there is nothing to take a stance on'. 'Officials say that nothing has been done yet and there is nothing binding. I am neither for nor against.' Under the outline text agreed in the Swiss city of Lausanne between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 powers - the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany - Iran must significantly reduce its number of centrifuges in exchange for a suspension of sanctions. The outline was a major breakthrough in a 12-year international crisis over Iran's nuclear programme. 'I have always supported and still support the Iranian negotiating team,' Khamenei said. 'I welcome any agreement that protects the interests and greatness of the nation, but having no agreement is more honourable than an agreement in which the interests and greatness of the nation is damaged.' +10 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic republic would not sign any final agreement unless 'all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the same day' He said that retaining a civil nuclear industry in any agreement was vital for Iran's future development. 'The nuclear industry is a necessity, for energy production, for desalination, and in the fields of medicine, agriculture and other sectors,' he said. In a potential obstacle to any final deal, Rouhani said his country wanted sanctions lifted on the day of the implementation of any agreement. 'We will not sign any agreements unless on the first day of the implementation of the deal all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the same day,' he said. The pace at which the sanctions will be lifted is one of the outstanding issues that still has to be agreed in the final accord. Western governments, which have imposed their own sanctions over and above those adopted by the United Nations, have been pushing for it to happen only gradually. 'In return for Iran's future cooperation, we and our international partners will provide relief in phases from the sanctions that have impacted Iran's economy,' US Secretary of State John Kerry said last week. Rouhani, who was speaking on Iran's National Nuclear Technology Day, reiterated that his government remained determined to develop its civil nuclear programme. 'We will have a tanker sortie every day,' Warren said, adding that all flights will be outside of Yemeni air space. The air strikes killed at least 14 rebel fighters in Aden overnight Thursday at positions near the northern edge of the city, a source in pro-government forces told AFP. Air strikes also hit a military camp in the southern Shabwa province that was seized by the Houthis' main allies - security forces who have remained loyal to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, a local official said. The official had no information on casualties among the forces loyal to Saleh, who has been accused of joining with the Houthis after being ousted from power in 2012 after an Arab Spring-inspired uprising. Yemen has been wracked by conflict since Saleh's ouster, with Hadi unable to assert government authority in a deeply tribal country riven by divisions. +10 Supporters of the Shiite Houthi militia brandish their weapons in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Washington has said it will not accept foreign interference in the country Authorities in Yemen had for years allowed Washington to carry out a drone war against AQAP but US forces pulled out of the country amid the latest unrest. Al-Qaeda has taken advantage of the chaos to seize control of some areas and carried out a series of deadly attacks on both government forces and the Houthis. As the fighting and air campaign drag on, concern has been growing for what aid workers say is a mounting humanitarian crisis. Some aid trickled in to Aden by ship on Wednesday but efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross to organise flights of cargo planes into Sanaa have so far failed. In Aden, witnesses have said the situation is dire, with bodies lying in the streets and mosques calling through loudspeakers for help. Smoke and flames rise from Shiite Houthi rebel camps following an airstrike by the Saudi-led allianceearlier this week +10 A Yemeni child receives treatment at the burns unit of a hospital in Sanaa, following a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition earlier this month Diplomatic efforts have stepped up to resolve the conflict, with the Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers pledging to work to find a negotiated solution. Zarif laid out a four-stage plan for talks, calling for an immediate ceasefire followed by humanitarian assistance, dialogue among Yemenis and the formation of an 'all-inclusive government'. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also quoted on Thursday as calling for a regional effort to end the fighting. 'The groups in Yemen should meet and work on possible solution. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran should be involved in efforts for a diplomatic solution,' Erdogan was quoted as saying by Turkish media. Aid agency received approval from Saudi-led coalition to enter Yemen It has been negotiating for weeks to deliver emergency food and supplies 11 days of coalition airstrikes on Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi rebel positions have left more than 500 people dead and many more displaced News comes as Pakistan begins talks to join the coalition of Sunni nations The Red Cross hopes to bring vital medical supplies and aid workers into Yemen after receiving approval from the Saudi-led military coalition, an ICRC spokeswoman said. The aid agency has been negotiating for a week to deliver life-saving supplies and equipment to Yemen, where the coalition has conducted 11 days of air strikes against Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthis. The coalition now controls the country's ports and air space. The UN last week said that more than 500 people had been killed in two weeks of fighting in Yemen. On Saturday it called for a 24-hour humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow aid to reach people cut off by air strikes and to save the lives of 'streams of wounded'. But hopes of getting aid into the country by tomorrow are fading, as they seek clearance from Arab states waging the air strikes and hunt for planes prepared to fly to Yemen. +15 Air strikes: It is thought about 500 people have been killed in two weeks of fighting in Yemen - but so far, the International Red Cross has not been able to gain entry to the Middle Eastern country +15 Carnage: The aid agency has been negotiating for a week to deliver life-saving supplies and equipment to Yemen, where the coalition has conducted 11 days of air strikes against Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthis +15 People stand on the rubble of houses destroyed by an air strike in Okash village near Sanaa over the weekend +15 Supporters of the Houthi rebels raise rifles as they shout slogans against the Saudi-led air strikes in Sanaa +15 Discussions: Pakistan is currently in talks about whether to enter the conflict - but the country's political leaders, like Imran Khan, who leads Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party,  are urging diplomacy +15 'Dialogue for peace': Members of Pakistan's civil society chant slogans against the Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen, during a demonstration, in Lahore 'We are still working on getting the plane to [the Yemeni capital] Sanaa. It's a bit difficult with the logistics because there are not that many companies or cargo planes willing to fly into a conflict zone,' said Marie Claire Feghali, a Red Cross spokesperson. The ICRC is aiming to get 48 tonnes of medical supplies into Yemen by plane. It is also trying to get staff by boat from Djibouti to Aden, but fighting has complicated efforts. Earlier today in Riyadh, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said arrangements had been made for at least one Red Cross aid delivery yesterday morning, but the ICRC - which deploys 300 aid workers to the Arab peninsula's poorest country - had pulled out of the arrangement. 'There was a trip fixed for them at nine this morning ... They informed us, after the time was set, of a request to delay the flight,' Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri told reporters yesterday, adding that this was because the company from which they had chartered the plane could not fly to Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition says it has set up a special coordination body for aid deliveries and asked NGOs and governments to work with it to ensure humanitarian aid can be brought into Yemen and foreign nationals can be evacuated safely.    The news comes on the same day as war-weary Pakistan began talks to enter the conflict after its staunch Saudi allies issued an urgent request the country join the expanding coalition of Sunni Muslim nations fighting Shiite rebels in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the special session of parliament last week, saying any decision on intervention could only come after proper debate. However, Pakistan's political leaders - including former cricketer Imran Khan, the head of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party - are calling for diplomacy and a negotiated settlement, saying it does not want to get involved in any conflict that would inflame sectarian tensions.  Intervention: Saudi soldiers take their position at Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen earlier today Running away: Yemenis flee from the international airport neighborhood in the capital Sanaa Under attack: Smoke and flames rise allegedly from Shiite Huthi rebels camps Warzone: Yemenis stand beside trucks destroyed by an airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition targeting Houthi rebel positions in Hais district in the western port city of Hodeidah yesterday Blast: A Yemeni soldier inspects a truck destroyed by the Saudi-led coalition in Hodeidah yesterday +15 Grief: Yemeni women visit the graves of their relatives of Houthi supporters killed during recent fighting. The UN last week said that more than 500 people had been killed in two weeks of fighting in Yemen Hundreds evacuated from Yemen as Al Qaeda seizes base This morning Pakistan's parliament begins debating a Saudi plea for military help in Yemen - a request that pits Prime Minister Sharif's Saudi allies against a war-weary Pakistani public. Since Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's main Sunni Muslim power, asked Sunni-majority Pakistan to join a Saudi-led military coalition that began conducting air strikes last month against largely Shi'ite Houthi forces in Yemen, Sharif has hedged his bets. He has said repeatedly he will defend any threat to Saudi Arabia's 'territorial integrity' without defining what action such a threat might provoke. 'They're looking to satisfy Saudi expectations at a minimal level,' said Arif Rafiq, a Washington-based adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute. 'They're unlikely to be part of any meaningful action inside Yemen. Maybe they will reinforce the (Saudi) border.' 'HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT WATER AND ELECTRICITY?' Twelve days of fighting has not only killed hundreds of people, but cut off water and electricity and led UNICEF to warn Yemen is heading towards a humanitarian disaster. For the people trapped between the warring sides, the arrival of the ICRC could not come soon enough. Street fighting and heavy shelling have torn through the streets of In Aden - the last bastion of support for the Saudi-backed Hadi - for days. Sixty people were killed in heavy fighting on Sunday alone, according to reports. Residents claim a foreign warship had shelled Houthi positions on the outskirts, but a spokesman for the coalition in Riyadh said its vessels were helping civilian evacuations, not shelling the Houthis. Nevertheless, food, water and electricity shortages have mounted across the city, where combat has shut ports and cut land routes from the city. 'How are we supposed to live without water and electricity?' pleaded Fatima, a housewife walking through the city streets with her young children. She clutched a yellow plastic jerry can, like dozens of other residents on the streets and in queues seeking water from public wells or mosque faucets after supplies at home dried up. In Dahlea, just north of the city, air strikes hit a local government compound and a military base on its outskirts, which were both taken over by Houthis. Residents said buildings were on fire and reported loud explosions. But militia fighters said coalition planes also dropped supplies - the first time they had done so outside Aden - including mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, rifles, ammunition, telecommunications equipment and night goggles. Residents near al-Anad air base, once home to U.S. military personnel fighting a covert drone war with al Qaeda in Yemen, said dozens of Houthi and allied fighters were withdrawing north after the site was bombed by coalition jets. Meanwhile, at least eight people were killed in an air strike before dawn in the suburbs of the northern city of Saadah, home of the Houthi movement which spread from its mountain stronghold to take over the capital Sanaa six months ago. A Houthi spokesman said the dead included women and children. Local officials said strikes also hit air defence and coastal military units near the Red Sea port of Hodaida, and targets on the outskirts of Aden. They also hit a bridge on the road south to Aden, apparently trying to block the Houthis from sending reinforcements to their fighters in the city. Crater: Yemeni men inspect a hole allegedly made during an airstrike carried out by Saudi jets yesterday Armed: A Yemeni gunman stands beside trucks destroyed by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike targeting Houthi rebels in the Hais district of the western port city of Hodeidah yesterday Destroyed: Trucks destroyed by Saudi warplanes are seen near the city of Hodeidah in Yemen yesterday

Navy's $7bn stealth ship hits the waves And the Rustbucket Fleet

 

 

 

Navy's $7bn stealth ship hits the waves: America's largest ever destroyer leaves dry dock for the first time USS Zumwalt launched into the waters of the Kennebec River in Maine on Monday Little fanfare as official ceremony was canceled due to government shutdown Christening rescheduled for the spring, but the ship won’t be delivered to the Navy until 2015 Looks like no other warship with angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts Designed to maintain U.S. naval supremacy for decades to come The USS Zumwalt, the largest stealth destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy, was launched into the waters of the Kennebec River in Maine for the first time on Monday. The DDG-1000 and other stealth destroyers of the Zumwalt class feature a wave-piercing hull that leaves almost no wake, electric drive propulsion and advanced sonar and missiles. They are longer and heavier than existing destroyers - but will have half the crew because of automated systems and appear to be little more than a small fishing boat on enemy radar. Down the road, the ship is to be equipped with an electromagnetic railgun, which uses a magnetic field and electric current to fire a projectile at several times the speed of sound. But cost overruns and technical delays have left many defense experts wondering if the whole endeavor was too focused on futuristic technologies for its own good. They point to the problem-ridden F-22 stealth jet fighter, which was hailed as the most advanced fighter ever built but was cut short because of prohibitive costs. Its successor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, has swelled up into the most expensive procurement program in Defense Department history. 'Whether the Navy can afford to buy many DDG-1000s must be balanced against the need for over 300 surface ships to fulfill the various missions that confront it,' said Dean Cheng, a China expert with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research institute in Washington. 'Buying hyperexpensive ships hurts that ability, but buying ships that can't do the job, or worse can't survive in the face of the enemy, is even more irresponsible.' The Navy says it's money well spent. The rise of China has been cited as the best reason for keeping the revolutionary ship afloat, although the specifics of where it will be deployed have yet to be announced. Navy officials also say the technologies developed for the ship will inevitably be used in other vessels in the decades ahead. But the destroyers' $3.1 billion price tag, which is about twice the cost of the current destroyers and balloons to $7 billion each when research and development is added in, nearly sank it in Congress. Though the Navy originally wanted 32 of them, that was cut to 24, then seven. Now, just three are in the works. 'Costs spiraled - surprise, surprise - and the program basically fell in on itself,' said Richard Bitzinger, a security expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. 'The DDG-1000 was a nice idea for a new modernistic surface combatant, but it contained too many unproven, disruptive technologies.' The U.S. Defense Department is concerned that China is modernizing its navy with a near-term goal of stopping or delaying U.S. intervention in conflicts over disputed territory in the South China Sea or involving Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province. China is now working on building up a credible aircraft carrier capability and developing missiles and submarines that could deny American ships access to crucial sea lanes. The U.S. has a big advantage on the high seas, but improvements in China's navy could make it harder for U.S. ships to fight in shallower waters, called littorals. The stealth destroyers are designed to do both. In the meantime, the Navy will begin deploying smaller Littoral Combat Ships to Singapore later this year. Officially, China has been quiet on the possible addition of the destroyers to Asian waters. But Rear Adm. Zhang Zhaozhong, an outspoken commentator affiliated with China's National Defense University, scoffed at the hype surrounding the ship, saying that despite its high-tech design it could be overwhelmed by a swarm of fishing boats laden with explosives. If enough boats were mobilized some could get through to blow a hole in its hull, he said.   The first-in-class Zumwalt, the largest U.S. Navy destroyer ever built, floats off a submerged dry dock in the Kennebec River, on Monday The Zumwalt looks like no other U.S. warship, with an angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts ‘It's absolutely massive. It's higher than the tree line on the other side. It's an absolutely huge ship - very imposing. It's massively dominating the waterfront,’ said Amy Lent, executive director of the Maine Maritime Museum, who watched the process from her office down river from the shipyard. The Zumwalt looks like no other U.S. warship, with an angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts. ‘The Zumwalt is really in a league of its own,’ said defense consultant Eric Wertheim, author of the ‘The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World.’ Workers at Bath Iron Works, part of General Dynamics, will continue working on the ship throughout the winter. The shipyard hopes to hold a rescheduled christening in the spring, with sea trials following in the fall. Bath Iron Works plans to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2015. Like a giant nose, the forward hull body of the first-in-class Zumwalt, the largest U.S. Navy destroyer ever built, juts out of its dry dock in Bath, Maine In action: An artist rendering of the USS Zumwalt class destroyer which will be one of the more heavily armed and expensive ships in the U.S Navy Originally envisioned as a ‘stealth destroyer,’ the Zumwalt has a low-slung appearance and angles that deflect radar. Its wave-piercing hull aims for a smoother ride. The 610-foot ship is a behemoth that's longer and bigger than the current class of destroyers. It was originally designed for shore bombardment and features a 155mm ‘Advanced Gun System’ that fires rocket-propelled warheads that have a range of nearly 100 miles.  Thanks to computers and automation, it will have only about half the complement of sailors as the current generation of destroyers. Critics, however, felt the Navy was trying to incorporate too much new technology - a new hull, computer automation, electric propulsion, new radar and new gun - into one package. At one point, the program was nearly scrapped because of growing cost. Eventually, the program was truncated to three ships, the Zumwalt being the first. The first-in-class Zumwalt features an unusual wave-piercing hull, electric drive propulsion, advanced sonar and guided missiles, and a new gun that fires rocket-propelled warheads as far as 100 miles Bath Iron Works hopes to hold a rescheduled christening in the spring and plans to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2015 With its fearsome array of weapons, radar evading silhouette and $7billion price tag, this is one of America's most deadly - and expensive - warships ever. Equipped with guns capable of firing warheads 100 miles, stealth features, and engine able to generate enough power to run 78,000 homes, the U.S. Navy is hoping it with guarantee its naval supremacy for decades to come. After embarrassing troubles with its latest class of surface warships, the Navy is hoping for a winner from a new destroyer that's ready to go into the water. So far, construction of the first-in-class Zumwalt, is on time and on budget, something that's a rarity in new defense programs, officials said.  The christening of the ship bearing the name of the late Admiral Elmo 'Bud' Zumwalt was canceled earlier this month because of the federal government shutdown. Fearsome: The $7billion first-in-class Zumwalt rises from the dry docks in Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine Hulking: First-in-class USS Zumwalt is the largest U.S. Navy destroyer ever built The public christening ceremony featuring Zumwalt's two daughters will be rescheduled for the spring. Admiral Zumwalt served in destroyers during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. As the nation's youngest chief of naval operations, appointed at age 49 by President Richard Nixon, he fought to end racial discrimination and allowed women to serve on ships for the first time. Like its namesake, the ship is innovative. It is so big that Bath Iron Works built a 106-foot-tall, $40 million 'Ultra Hall' to accommodate its large hull segments. The ship is 100 feet longer than the existing class of destroyers. It features an unusual wave-piercing hull, electric drive propulsion, advanced sonar and guided missiles, and a new gun that fires rocket-propelled warheads as far as 100 miles. Unlike warships with towering radar- and antenna-laden superstructures, the Zumwalt will ride low to the water to minimize its radar signature, making it stealthier than others. Deadly force: Armed with up to 80 Tomahawk cruise missiles and designed to back up Marines on amphibious missions the USS Zumwalt is so expensive only three will be built Resembling a 19th century ironclad warship the USS Zumwalt uses a 21st century version of a 'tumblehome' hull USS ZUMWALT: EQUIPPED TO DOMINATE THE SEAS FOR DECADES Displacement: 14,564 long tons (14,798 t) Length: 600 ft (180 m) Beam: 80.7 ft (24.6 m) Draft: 27.6 ft (8.4 m) Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30 gas turbines driving Curtiss-Wright generators and emergency diesel generators, 78 MW (105,000 shp); two propellers driven by electric motors Speed: Over 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) Weapons: 20 × MK 57 VLS modules, with a total of 80 launch cells RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), four per cell Tactical Tomahawk, one per cell Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC), one per cell Two × 155 mm/62 caliber Advanced Gun System 920 × 155 mm rounds total; 600 in automated store with Auxiliary store room with up to 320 rounds (non-automatic) as of April 2005 70–100 LRLAP rounds planned as of 2005 of total Two × Mk 110 57 mm gun (CIGS) Originally envisioned for shore bombardment, the ship's size and power plant that can produce 78 megawatts of electricity - enough to power 78,000 homes - make it a potential platform for futuristic weapons like the electromagnetic rail gun, which uses a magnetic field and electric current to fire a projectile at seven times the speed of sound. There are so many computers and so much automation that it'll need fewer sailors, operating with a crew of 158, nearly half the complement aboard the current generation of destroyers. 'The concept of the Zumwalt is sort of a bridge between the traditions of the past and the new world of networked warfare and precision guided munitions,' said Loren Thompson, defense analyst at the Lexington Institute. 'It's not so much a radical concept as it is an attempt to pull off a full range of missions with a ship that has one foot in the present and one foot in the future.' The Navy once envisioned building more than 20 of the ships. But the ship has so many sophisticated features and its cost grew so high that senior Navy officials tried to kill the program. Instead, it was truncated to just three ships, the first being Zumwalt. The Zumwalt will cost more than $3.5 billion - about three times that of current destroyers - but the program has not been beset by big cost overruns or delays, officials said. The fact that construction has gone smoothly is a relief for the Navy, which has dealt with embarrassing troubles on its new class of speedy warship, dubbed the 'littoral combat ship.' Those smaller ships, designed to operate close to shore in littoral waters, have been plagued by escalating costs, production delays and mechanical problems. What you get for $7 billion dollars: A guide to the USS Zumwalt's unique features A model of the Zumwalt Class destroyer to be built by Bath Iron Works and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is displayed during a contract signing ceremony at the Pentagon Mission modules that give them the flexibility to perform roles including anti-submarine warfare and minesweeping are not ready, even though the first ships have been commissioned. 'That ship is a total disaster,' said Norman Polmar, a naval historian, analyst and author. Against that backdrop, shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works have been toiling away on the Zumwalt, the first entirely new ship built on the banks of the Kennebec River since the original Arleigh Burke was christened more than 20 years ago. Dan Dowling, president of Local S6, which represents 3,200 shipbuilders, said it's been a challenging project with a new hull design, composite materials and new technology. 'It is a radical departure from what we've known. Whether the Navy is satisfied with the design of the ship is up to them. We can only build what they asked for,' he said, adding, 'I hope they'll be pleased with it. We'd like to build as many of them as we can.' The keel plate for the USS Zumwalt-class destroyer the destroyers will be a new class of multi-mission U.S. Navy surface combatant ship designed to operate as part of a joint maritime fleet seconds. HMS Daring, pictured here leaving BVT on the Clyde in 2007 Daring's 152m length is equivalent to more than 16 buses and she is as high as an electricity pylon. The ship's onboard power plant can supply enough electricity to light a city the size of Leicester. Its fuel tanks have a volume equivalent to approximately half that of an Olympic swimming pool. Daring contains 220 beds, 26 sofa beds, 22 single beds and has its own hospital facilities complete with operating table. Trials: HMS Daring on the River Clyde It is fitted with one bath, 44 showers, 54 toilets and 100 wash basins. Enough carpet has been fitted to cover nearly two five-a-side football pitches. It is fitted with enough electrical cable to circle the M25 motorway three times and has 404 telephones onboard.

The Royal Navy's newest and most advanced ship is being sent to the Gulf for her first mission amid heightened tensions with Iran over threats by Tehran to block a busy shipping lane. The Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring, which has a 'stealth' futuristic design to help avoid detection, is to join the British presence in the region, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. The dispatch of the ship comes days after Defence Secretary Philip Hammond warned the regime that any attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz would be 'illegal and unsuccessful' and would be countered militarily if necessary. Hard to spot: The vessel, pictured during a training mission, employs a 'stealth' design to help avoid detection by radar and is the first to be built using this specification Trial run: The ship's testing included an extensive eight-week operational sea training course which the ship and crew passed in November Scheduled to leave Portsmouth next Wednesday, the £1 billion destroyer, also carries the world's most sophisticated naval radar, capable of tracking multiple incoming threats from missiles to fighter jets. The vessel has been fitted with new technology that will give it the ability to shoot down any missile in Iran's armoury, according to The Telegraph. An MoD spokesman said: 'The Royal Navy has had a continuous presence East of Suez for many years, including the Armilla patrol and its successors since 1980. 'While the newly-operational Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring is more capable than earlier ships, her deployment East of Suez has been long planned, is entirely routine and replaces a Frigate on station.' The second Type 45, HMS Dauntless, will also be available to sail at short notice. HMS Daring completed four years of sea trials and training late last year and is the first of six new destroyers which will replace the Type 42 vessels which started service in the 1970s. The vessel, with a crew of 180, is the first to be built with a futuristic design that makes it difficult to detect using radar. It also has a large flight deck which can accommodate helicopters the size of a Chinook as well as take on board 700 people in the case of a civilian evacuation. HMS DARING: THE FACTS AND FIGURES OF THE £1BILLION VESSEL Context: First of six new destroyers, replacing Type 42 vessels from 1970s History: Completed four years of sea trials, but this is the first mission Cost: £1 billion because everything was needed in massive measures - fitted with enough electrical cable to circle the M25 motorway three times and has 404 telephones onboard Length: Daring's 152m length is equivalent to more than 16 buses and she is as high as an electricity pylon Weight: 8 tonnes -  approximately 40 tonnes of paint was need to cover an area of 100,000 square meters of steel Design: Futuristic design makes it difficult to detect using radar Speed: Max speed of 28+ knots Capability: Can sail 3,000 nautical miles, operating for three days and returning home without the need to refuel. Its fuel tanks have a volume equivalent to approximately half that of an Olympic swimming pool Protection: World's most sophisticated naval radar and can carry 48 anti-air missiles called Sea Vipers Power: Generates enough electricity from its gas and diesel engines to power a city the size of Leicester Troops: 60 special forces troops and an take on 700 people in a civilian emergency Space: Large flight deck which can accommodate helicopters the size of a Chinook Time: More than 2.25 million man hours have been spent fitting out the ship Interior: Enough carpet has been fitted to cover nearly two five-a-side football pitches and the vessel has one bath, 44 showers, 54 toilets and 100 wash basins The 8,000 ton destroyer will carry 48 high-tech Sea Viper anti-air missiles that can also be used to shoot down fighters as well as sea skimming missiles. It will also carry a Lynx helicopter capable of carrying Sea Skua anti-ship missiles and is capable of carrying 60 special forces troops. Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, described Daring as a 'world beater' in The Telegraph.  'This warship has an unbelievably capable ability to track targets, spot the most dangerous and identify them for its missiles to take out. It's highly, highly capable. I would like to see the Type 45s show their potential in the region' he added. Iran has threatened to block the 34-mile wide strait, pictured, in retaliation for a planned EU trade embargo on Iranian oil Tension in the oil shipping lanes of the Gulf looks set to increase amid signs that Iran, Israel and the US will hold military exercises designed to test weaponry and tactics. And the US and European Union are still planning to press ahead with oil sanctions on Iran. On Friday, Tehran’s defence minister announced that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps will hold large-scale exercises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf in February. Called 'the Great Prophet', the exercises are expected to be more extensive than Iranian naval manoeuvres in the Sea of Oman that ended this week. IRAN-USA/SHIELD - Factbox and illustrations of Iran's ballistic missiles with map illustrating potential range. RNGS. (SIN02) The Iranian announcement came as it emerged that the US and Israel are gearing up for a major missile defence exercise in the next few weeks. The drills, called Austere Challenge 12, are designed to improve defence systems and co-operation between the forces and would be the largest ever held by the two countries. Israel has deployed the Arrow system, jointly developed and funded with the U.S., which is designed to intercept Iranian missiles in the stratosphere, far from the country. A statement from the Israeli military said: ‘U.S. European Command routinely works with partner nations to ensure their capacity to provide for their own security and, in the case of Israel, their qualitative military edge.’ This week Philip Hammond, the UK's Defence Secretary, warned the regime in Tehran that Britain will not tolerate the ‘very significant consequences’ if it fulfils a threat to block the Strait of Hormuz. Speech: Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has warned the regime that any attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz would be 'illegal and unsuccessful' and would be countered militarily if necessary He signalled that such action would be blocked by force of arms. Mr Hammond used a speech in Washington to warn Iran that any move to close the key Gulf trade route would be opposed by the Royal Navy. ‘Any attempt by Iran to do this would be illegal and unsuccessful,’ he said in a speech at the Atlantic Council. Then in a television interview, Mr Hammond said he wanted to send a ‘very clear message to Iran’ that the UK would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be closed. The Royal Navy operates mine clearance vessels in the Gulf as part of a joint taskforce based in Bahrain. He said: ‘We are an integrated part of the naval taskforce in the Gulf and one of the missions of that taskforce is to ensure that those shipping lanes remain open. 'Any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would be illegal and we need to send a very clear message to Iran that we are determined that the Strait should remain open.’ More than 15million barrels of oil pass through the narrow stretch of water between Iran and the United Arab Emirates every day. Iran has threatened to block the 34-mile wide strait in retaliation for a planned EU trade embargo on Iranian oil. The planned embargo is an attempt to persuade Iran to abandon plans to develop a nuclear weapon.     US Navy's largest ever 'stealth' destroyer heads out to sea on its maiden voyage The USS Zumwalt launched from Bath Iron Works in Maine on Monday morning The 600-foot-long destroyer cruised along the Kennebec River to the Atlantic on its first voyage The ship, which weighs 15,000 tons, has taken four years to build at an estimated cost of $4.3 billion Engineers will test the computer and power systems aboard the Navy's first 'all-electric' warship The unique angular design is intended to fool radars into classing it as a fishing vessel   The largest destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy headed out to sea for the first time Monday, departing from shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine and carefully navigating the winding Kennebec River before reaching the open ocean where the ship will undergo sea trials. More than 200 shipbuilders, sailors and residents gathered to watch as the futuristic 600-foot, 15,000-ton USS Zumwalt glided past Fort Popham, accompanied by tugboats. Kelley Campana, a Bath Iron Works employee, said she had goose bumps and tears in her eyes. 'This is pretty exciting. It's a great day to be a shipbuilder and to be an American,' she said. 'It's the first in its class. There's never been anything like it. It looks like the future.' +11 On its way: The U.S. Navy's first Zumwalt-class destroyer leaves the Kennebec River in Maine on Monday morning - passing a crowd of spectators - as it heads out to sea for the first time to undergo sea trials +11 Big moment: The first Zumwalt-class destroyer, the USS Zumwalt is the largest ever built for the Navy and cost an estimated $4.3 billion +11 Heading out to sea: The 600-foot-long destroyer cruised along the Kennebec River to the Atlantic on its maiden voyage +11 Spectators line the shore in Phippsburg, Maine, on Monday morning to witness the ship is headed out to sea for sea trials Larry Harris, a retired Raytheon employee who worked on the ship, watched it depart from Bath. 'It's as cool as can be. It's nice to see it underway,' he said. 'Hopefully, it will perform as advertised.' Bath Iron Works will be testing the ship's performance and making tweaks this winter. +11 'IIt's the first in its class. There's never been anything like it. It looks like the future': said Kelley Campana, a Bath Iron Works employee +11 Futuristic: Resembling a 19th century ironclad warship the, USS Zumwalt uses a 21st century version of a 'tumblehome' hull +11 Hulking: First-in-class USS Zumwalt is the largest U.S. Navy destroyer ever built and took four years to complete. It is now being tested +11 The Zumwalt looks like no other U.S. warship, with an angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts, among many other features USS ZUMWALT: EQUIPPED TO DOMINATE THE SEAS FOR DECADES Displacement: 14,564 long tons (14,798 t) Length: 600 ft (180 m) Beam: 80.7 ft (24.6 m) Draft: 27.6 ft (8.4 m) Propulsion: Two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30 gas turbines driving Curtiss-Wright generators and emergency diesel generators, 78 MW (105,000 shp); two propellers driven by electric motors Speed: Over 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) Weapons: 20 × MK 57 VLS modules, with a total of 80 launch cells RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), four per cell Tactical Tomahawk, one per cell Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC), one per cell Two × 155 mm/62 caliber Advanced Gun System 920 × 155 mm rounds total; 600 in automated store with Auxiliary store room with up to 320 rounds (non-automatic) as of April 2005 70–100 LRLAP rounds planned as of 2005 of total Two × Mk 110 57 mm gun (CIGS) For the crew and all those involved in designing, building, and readying this fantastic ship, this is a huge milestone,' the ship's skipper, Navy Capt. James Kirk, said before the ship departed. The ship has electric propulsion, new radar and sonar, powerful missiles and guns, and a stealthy design to reduce its radar signature. Advanced automation will allow the warship to operate with a much smaller crew size than current destroyers. All of that innovation has led to construction delays and a growing price tag. The Zumwalt, the first of three ships in the class, will cost at least $4.4 billion. The ship looks like nothing ever built at Bath Iron Works. The inverse bow juts forward to slice through the waves. Sharp angles deflect enemy radar signals. Radar and antennas are hidden in a composite deckhouse. The builder sea trials will answer any questions of seaworthiness for a ship that utilizes a type of hull associated with pre-dreadnought battleships from a century ago. Critics say the 'tumblehome' hull's sloping shape makes it less stable than conventional hulls, but it contributes to the ship's stealth and the Navy is confident in the design. Eric Wertheim, author and editor of the U.S. Naval Institute's 'Guide to Combat Fleets of the World,' said there's no question the integration of so many new systems from the electric drive to the tumblehome hull carries some level of risk. Operational concerns, growing costs and fleet makeup led the Navy to truncate the 32-ship program to three ships, he said. With only three ships, the class of destroyers could become something of a technology demonstration project, he said.  The goal is to deliver it to the Navy sometime next year. 'We are absolutely fired up to see Zumwalt get underway. The Zumwalt looks like no other U.S. warship, with an angular profile and clean carbon fiber superstructure that hides antennas and radar masts. Originally envisioned as a ‘stealth destroyer,’ the Zumwalt has a low-slung appearance and angles that deflect radar. Its wave-piercing hull aims for a smoother ride. +11 A model of the Zumwalt Class destroyer built by Bath Iron Works and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is seen displayed during a contract signing ceremony at the Pentagon +11 The ship has electric propulsion, new radar and sonar, powerful missiles and guns, and a stealthy design to reduce its radar signature +11 The first Zumwalt-class destroyer, the largest ever built for the U.S. Navy, heads down the Kennebec River after leaving Bath Iron Works       America's rustbucket Reserve Navy: The haunting 'ghost' merchant ships sent to the scrapheap The United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet was set up after the Second World War in 1945 The fleet can be activated within one to four months to aid in national defense and emergencies At its height in 1950, the NDRF consisted of 2,277 ships, reduced to 230 by 2007, and 122 in April last year These rusting 'ghost' ships are the last remnants of what was once the United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet, set to protect and serve in the hour of need. The NDRF was set up in the wake of the Second World War, and at its peak in the 1950s, the fleet consisted of nearly 2,280 ships moored across the United States. But as the need for the fleet has diminished, so has the number of vessels, and today, just over 120 ships remain, posing a risk to the environment in the bays where they are moored. Scroll down for video +10 Ghost ships: A number of the remaining ships in the United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet lay moored in James River, Virginia +10 Helping hand: The United States' National Defense Reserve Fleet was set up after the Second World War in 1945, in order to provide back-up in case of war or national emergencies +10 Diminished: At its height in 1950, the NDRF consisted of 2,277 ships, reduced to 230 by 2007, and 122 in April last year The ships, jokily known as the 'Mothball Fleet', is so rarely used that many of the ships are falling apart, creating naval graveyards rather than emergency fleets. At its height in 1950, the NDRF consisted of 2,277 ships at eight anchorage sites: James River, Virginia; Beaumont, Texas; Suisun Bay, California; Stony Point, New York; Wilmington, North Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; Astoria, Oregon; and Olympia, Washington. Out of these eight, only James River, Beaumont and Suisun Bay exist today. Long years of neglect and disuse have turned these ships into near wrecks, with flaking paint polluting the waters with heavy metals and hazardous chemicals. The worst affected is the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, where less than 50 ships remain. At its peak, in 1952, the bay had 340 ships anchored. Today, less than 50 ships remain, slowly polluting the bay, which is a critical environmental area for fish and wildlife. The federal Maritime Administration has pledged to dismantle the fleet at Suisun Bay, with 25 ships in the worst condition taken out within two years and the remainder to be scrapped by the end of 2017. The 'ghost' merchant ships of National Defense Reserve Fleet   +10 Reduced: Out of the original eight anchorage sites, only three; James River, Virginia; Beaumont, Texas and Suisun Bay, California remain +10 Pollution: The worst affected mooring side is Suisun Bay in California where less than 50 ships remain, slowly releasing toxins into the bay +10 Going, gone: At its peak, in 1952, the Suisun Bay, California site had 340 ships anchored - today, less than 50 ships remain +10 The federal Maritime Administration has pledged to dismantle the fleet at Suisun Bay, with 25 ships in the worst condition taken out within two years and the remainder to be scrapped by the end of 2017 The NDRF was established to serve as a reserve of mainly merchant vessels to be activated for national defense and national emergency purposes. The vessels can be activated within 20 days to four months, in order to provide shipping during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises. Throughout its first thirty years, the National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels were activated to help transporting coal and grains in times of shortage, and ships were brought in during the Korean War, the 1961 Berlin crisis and the Vietnam War. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the National Defense Reserve Fleet was augmented by the Ready Reserve Fleet (RFF) to provide for military emergencies. Since then, ships have been activated to support U.S. troops and transport cargo in the Gulf War in 1990 and aided in several humanitarian disasters in the new millennium. In 2005, four National Defense Reserve Fleet ships were used for relief operations in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and five years later, six were used in the wake of the devastating earthquake  in Haiti. Its most recent operation took place in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when two National Defense Reserve Fleet training vessels were called in. As of April 30, 2014, only 122 vessels are left in the NDRF, and their numbers are reducing still. +10 Zombie ship: One of the ships moored in Suisun Bay, California is covered in rust, slowly eating up the once-gray paint +10 No life: Long years of neglect and disuse have turned the ships into near wrecks, with flaking paint polluting the waters with heavy metals and hazardous chemicals +10 The ships, jokily known as the 'Mothball Fleet' is so rarely used that many of the ships are falling apart, creating naval graveyards rather than emergency fleets