US Ship meant for standby in Sochi out of commission.../strange/...But U.S. would still be able to respond, if Russia faces a crisis..

Ship meant for standby in Sochi out of commission....




One of the U.S. Navy ships that was supposed to be on standby to respond to possible emergencies in Sochi has been out of commission for nearly a week. A senior military official says the U.S.S. Taylor ran aground in the Black Sea.

One of two U.S. warships dispatched to the Black Sea before the Sochi Winter Olympics remains in a Turkish port after running aground last week, the Navy said Wednesday.

The frigate USS Taylor is being inspected for damage after it ran aground Feb. 12 while preparing to moor at Samsun, Turkey, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southwest of Sochi. A Turkish official said it may be repaired in a day or two.

Lt. Shawn Eklund, a Navy spokesman in Europe, said that even with the Taylor sidelined, the U.S. would still be able to respond, should Russia ask for help with any crisis. The Taylor and the USS Mount Whitney were sent to the Black Sea after an uptick in security threats around the Olympics, although the Pentagon said the U.S. warships were deployed as part of normal military planning and could perform any required missions, including communications or evacuations.

"The Navy is still prepared to render support to the Russian Federation in the event of a crisis or contingency operation," Eklund said in a phone interview Wednesday.




... keep an eye on sochi... while Ukraine is in civil war...

Last Edited by told ya on 02/19/2014 03:25 PM