• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

US Forces Order of Battle - 11 November

This is a "best available" order-of-battle of forces deployed in CENTCOM's part of Southwest Asia, as well as EUCOM forces in Turkey participating in Operation Northern Watch. Over time, the amount of publicly available information concerning aircraft types and specific units has diminished to the point that it is no longer possible to provide a high fidelity profile of current deployments. There are evidently significant gaps in unit identifications, as well as non-trivial uncertainties as to numbers of specific types of aircraft. The presence of significant numbers of civilian contractor personnel at various facilities in the region further complicates accounting for total personnel numbers.

Excluding forces deployed in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom, there are probably about 48,000 military personnel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, including about 400 aircraft of all types. The number of troops deployed in the area fluctuates on a daily basis, and has averaged between 20,000 and 25,000 in recent years, with typically about 200 aircraft in the region. Forces in the region include a mix of special operations forces deployed in support of US Central Command operations. To enhance force protection throughout the region, additional military security personnel are also deployed.

Ground forces include a variety of units that are normally deployed in the region, which total about 3,700 troops. Forces in the region include a Patriot missile task force with two batteries deployed in Saudi Arabia and two in Kuwait. The Army Intrinsic Action / Desert Spring training exercises routinely deploy 1,500 to 5,000 troops for rotations of several months. As of late-September 2002 a brigade rotation was in progress having just begun, ultimately this will involve as many as 10,000 soldiers in Kuwait. In addition to the 3,700 soldiers normally in the region, this troop rotation, once completed, could bring the total Army presence to nearly 14,000 soldiers. However it is possible that the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division will return to the United States. As of late-October there were roughly 10,000 soldiers based in the region, with some 6,000 in Kuwait. On 24 September 2002 it was reported that the 82nd Airborne Division had been notified to be prepared to deploy to the Gulf within two weeks.

The EUCOM Area of Responsibility includes approximately 1,700 Air Force personnel at Incrilik AB Turkey, flying Operation Northern Watch patrols. Prior to Operation Enduring Freedom, approximately 6,200 Air Force personnel were normally stationed in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. As many as 17,500 Air Force personnel may be currently stationed in the CENTCOM and EUCOM areas responsible for operations against Iraq, operating a total of about 280 aircraft of all types.

Naval units include a headquarters and shore-based units comprised of about 1,200 people at Manama in Bahrain. Nearly a thousand civilian mariners are associated with Military Sealift Command ships at Diego Garcia. During the 1990s overal Naval force personnel levels in the CENTCOM AOR typically varied between 8,000 and 15,000. Each Carrier Battlegroup, with its associated Carrier Air Wing, has approximately 11,000 sailors embarked. Each Amphibious Group has about 1,700 sailors, 1,500 Marines, and 700 Marine aviators embarked. As of late-September 2002 there was one carrier battle group in the area, and one amphibious group, for a total of slightly less than 20,000 naval personnel. These units included about 128 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. A total of about 400 Vertical Launch System cells are available for Tomahawk cruise missiles, which is roughly twice the average number typically deployed in recent years. Based on estimates of prior deployments, perhaps as many as 150 Tomahawks are actually deployed. The cruise missile force can be augmented significantly within days.

Currently, there are about 370 combatant and direct support aircraft in the Iraq [CENTCOM and EUCOM] Area of Responsibility, which total includes air to air, air to ground, dual role, direct support, and attack helicopters.

Recent Developments

On November 10, UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon comfirmed that roughly 15-20,000 troops from the 7th Armoured Brigade and elements of the 4th Armoured Brigade would begin deploying to Southwest Asia by the end of November. The units would add roughly 100 Challenger 2 main battle tanks and 100 Warrior troop carriers to the growing mass of equipment either already present or in route to the area.

Relatedly, the HMS Ark Royal returned to Portsmouth from a major series of successful exercises in the Mediterranean on Friday, November 1. Ark Royal will now undergo a maintenance period in Portsmouth that will allow her to deploy in early 2003. This previously scheduled deployment is due to take the Ark Royal to the Far East.

The Tern, a Norwegian flagged cargo vessel, reportedly departed Hampton Roads on November 8 headed for Southwest Asia carrying engineering equipment that will help with the offloading of additional combat equipment slated to head for the region in the near future.

USNS Bob Hope, a roll-on/roll-off sealift vessel carrying war materials to Southwest Asia transited the Suez Canal on November 6, 2002. It is believed that this vessel is carrying POL and other supply materials and is not carrying additional tanks or combat equipment. The USNS Fisher should be transiting in the next few days.

The Carl Vinson Battle Group is to begin its Composite Training Unit Exercise on November 6, 2002. This is a significant and startling development as the Vinson has to this point been behind the Nimitz as far as scheduled deployments are concerned. The pushing up of the schedule for the Vinson could be due to a variety of factors such as 3rd Fleet deciding to speed up the cycles for all carriers to make more ships available for Iraq or it could be due to problems that have developed with the Nimitz. Whatever the reasons the Carl Vinson could deploy as soon as January 2003.

The 124th Fighter Squadron has rotated into Incirlik in support of Operation Northern Watch, replacing the 125th Fighter Squadron which returned to the United States on November 3, 2002. The 124th is scheduled to return in 30 days.

The command ship, USS Mount Whitney may be departing for the region to support Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa. It is believed that the 400 person command element of the 2nd Marine Division will operate on this vessel until command and control facilities are built in Djibouti. This construction is believed to take roughly 60-90 days. However, the deployment of a command ship to the CENTCOM region is significant as Naval Forces Central Command does not have its own command ship and the deployment of one would be required if a significant campaign against Iraq was anticipated. The Mount Whitney is to deploy on November 12, 2002, she should arrive in the region by the end of November.

The USS Constellation and her Battle Group deployed on Saturday, November 2, for a Western Pacific deployment. The Constellation is deploying with Carrier Air Wing 2, CG 50 Valley Forge, CG 52 Bunker Hill, DDG 69 Milius, DDG 76 Higgins, DD 965 Kinkaid, FFG 43 Thach, SSN 771 Columbia, and AOE-7 Rainer. Her time of arrival in the North Arabian Sea depends on whether or not she heads directly for the region or if she makes ports of call along the way. If she heads directly to the Persian Gulf, she should arrive around 1 December, if she makes ports of call that date would be pushed back roughly two weeks to mid-December. A fire in the Constellation's engine room on or about November 9 has been determined to not require a stop at Pearl Harbor. It is still unclear as to whether or not the Connie will make a port of call at Singapore.

UK minesweepers and an auxiliary vessel have transited the Suez on or about November 5 and are now in the region.