An Old Ship Readies For Battle

The United States won't launch military strikes from Saudi bases, but there is plenty of firepower already in the Persian Gulf. Among the recent additions to the U.S. presence there is the aircraft carrier Independence, the oldest, and one of the most potent, ships in the Navy's arsenal.

The Independence took the place of the U.S.S. Nimitz that left Sunday afternoon. That leaves two U.S. Navy carriers to do the heavy hitting if an attack is ordered on Iraq, far less than the five carriers the U.S. had for Desert Storm.

But Navy officers say that's enough to inflict major damage. "We can make a significant impact to an air campaign with less airplanes, less weapons, better knowledge of what the targets are, and better capability to kill them," one admiral told CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton, travelling aboard the Independence.

The Independence carries the full complement of 50 combat aircraft. Those planes are equipped with smart bombs and high-tech targeting, capabilities the Navy lacked in Desert Storm.

On board, there is a feeling that those aircraft will be used. "It's got our attention," said one sailor. "I would say this one seems pretty serious from where we are."

Although it has only been in the Gulf a few days, the Independence is already prepared should an attack be ordered.

Commissioned 39 years ago, the Independence is the oldest ship in the U.S. fleet.

The ship was there for the Cuban missile crisis. It was in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Grenada. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, it was the first ship on the scene.

The Independence will be decommissioned this fall, but before that happens, it may face one last battle.

Written By CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton. ©1998, CBS Worldwide Inc., All Rights Reserved