US ships ‘fully ready’ for action in Syria

American chief of navy operations says destroyers prepped for ‘vast spectrum of operations’ in case Congress gives green light

By AP 5 September 2013, 7:27 pm

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Illustrative photo of a Tomahawk cruise missile fired from aboard a US destroyer. (Wikimedia Commons)

WASHINGTON — The Navy’s top admiral says the four US destroyers off the coast of Syria are “fully ready” for a wide range of possible action.

Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday that the US ships are prepared for what he called a “vast spectrum of operations,” including launching Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets in Syria and protecting themselves in the event of retaliation.

Greenert’s role is to ensure that naval forces are properly trained and equipped; he is not in the chain of command.

The Navy says the Tomahawk missiles that could be launched by the destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean cost $1.5 million each.