U.S. Rushing Floating Base to MidEast

The Pentagon is quickly moving forward to convert an aging warship into a a large floating base that will be sent to the Middle East and could serve as a staging ground for commandos at a time of increasing tensions in the region. The Washington Post points out the base has been dubbed a “mothership” because it “could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs.” Although the military already has plenty of presence in the region, the significant aspect of this new base is that it could help launch secretive missions more quickly.

The Wall Street Journal notes that the base will hold drones, effectively giving the “U.S. military the ability to stage a small strike force offshore —without obtaining a permission slip from another country for access to a land base.” Although officials wouldn’t confirm the base’s purpose, it seems clear that it is part of President Obama’s efforts to emphasize smaller, specific strikes by Special Operations troops as the military budget continues to contract.

The Washington Post points out that details of the project started coming to light Tuesday, when the Military Sealift Command posted a bid request “to retrofit the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport docking ship, on a rush-order basis.” The Ponce was set to be taken out of commission after operating for 41 years but now Navy officials say the conversion of the aging warship is moving along with unusual speed and they hope to be able to send it to the Middle East by early summer.