Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military’s Central Command has decided to
enhance naval assets in the Gulf amid threats by Iran.

Officials said Central Command was working with the Defense Department
to organize a commando force that could rapidly respond to missions in the
Gulf region. They said naval teams would be supported by a warship assigned
to serve as a command and control facility in the Gulf as well as the
Arabian Sea and Red Sea.

“This fulfills a long-standing requirement from U.S. Central Command going back to the tanker wars of the late 1980s,” U.S. Fleet Forces Command spokesman Capt. Chris Sims said.

The Pentagon reported the development of what was called the Afloat Forward Staging Base in a budget briefing paper on Jan. 26. The document said the platform would be deployed to “support missions in areas where ground-based access is not available, such as countermine operations.”

Under the program, the Navy would convert the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock ship, into a floating C2 facility for Gulf security. Officials said the navy also intended to construct up to two floating bases, which measure 765 feet, or 233 meters, and designed to contain the MH-53E, a mine-sweeping helicopter. The platforms, which could begin construction in 2014, were expected to be contracted to General Dynamics.

Officials said the focus would be on the transformation of Ponce, meant
to have been decommissioned in March. On Jan. 24, the Military Sealift
Command issued Requests for Proposals to convert and modernize Ponce, with
bids submitted by Feb. 3. Sea trials of the upgrade, including navigation
systems, have been planned for April.

“This is a longstanding request that, with the opportunity now before
us, we are fulfilling,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Jan. 27.

  Afloat Forward Staging Base, Capt. Chris Sims, Central Command, Defense Department, John Kirby, U.S. plans two floating bases for rapid response Gulf ops, USS Ponce