US to send floating commando base to Mid-East

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military plans to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran and intensifying fighting in Yemen, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Citing unspecified procurement documents, the newspaper said the Navy is converting an ageing warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos in response to requests from the US Central Command.

Unofficially dubbed a 'mothership', the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, the report said.

Special operations forces are a key part of President Barack Obama's strategy to make the military leaner and more agile as the Pentagon confronts at least US$487 billion (S$610 billion) in spending cuts over the next decade, the paper noted.