The United States and Britain have deployed more than a quarter of a million military personnel in the Gulf region in preparation for a possible attack on Iraq.
Around 225,000 US and the majority of Britain's 45,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen are said to be in the region, but no exact figures have been given.
Following is a breakdown of the main deployments.
US navy: There are six aircraft carriers - five American and one British - within striking distance of Iraq, bringing to nearly 500 the number of US naval and air force warplanes near Iraq.
The US carriers Kitty Hawk, Abraham Lincoln and Constellation are in or near the Gulf and the Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman are in the Mediterranean.
A sixth US carrier, the Nimitz, left San Diego on March 3rd headed for the Gulf, leading a battle group of six warships. The group carries about 8,500 personnel.
US carriers typically deploy about 75 planes, including about 50 attack aircraft. Each warship is shepherded by half a dozen or so cruisers, destroyers and submarines with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Nearly 800 additional medical staff have been ordered to join the US Navy hospital ship, Comfort, which is also in the region, bringing it up to its 1,000-bed capacity.
Some 13 missile-firing US Navy vessels, including at least three attack submarines, have passed through the Suez Canal since Friday to join more than 60 other US ships already arrayed in the Gulf region.
US personnel: Nearly 100,000 US army soldiers and marines are in Kuwait.
About 10 ships with equipment for the Fourth Infantry Division, comprising about 30,000 soldiers, have been waiting off Turkey.
As of March 12th, the Pentagon had mobilised 188,592 reservists, many of whom are heading to the Gulf.
Central command: US Central Command chief Gen Tommy Franks, who would direct any war on Iraq, has his headquarters near Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar. The mobile "CentCom" command post is staffed by more than 1,000 US communications personnel and several hundred British counterparts.
Airbases: Several radar-avoiding F-117A "stealth" attack jets are now doing practice flights at Al-Udeid.
US B-52 bombers began arriving in Britain in recent days.
Other B-52s along with B-1 bombers are already in the Gulf.
B-52 and B-1 long-range bombers and radar-avoiding B-2 stealth bombers are also stationed on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
The US Air Force has sent F-15C fighters, F-15E attack jets, F-16 fighters, A-10 attack jets, Predator unmanned spy planes and radar aircraft.
The United States has bases in Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia.
British forces: Some 45,000 personnel, including Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, have been committed. The Ministry of Defence said on March 13th the "majority" had reached the Gulf.
The main British ground- fighting force numbers some 26,000 and will be led by 1 UK Armoured Division headquarters, deployed with one of its three brigades.
Britain has sent a 16-ship naval flotilla carrying 4,000 Royal Marines, plus a Fleet Submarine. The naval fleet, manned by 4,000 sailors, is led by the aircraft carrier, Ark Royal, loaded with troop-carrying helicopters rather than fixed-wing jets.
Britain's Royal Air Force component in the Gulf numbers 100 fixed-wing aircraft, including Hercules transport aircraft, Tornado and Harrier jets, supported by about 7,000 personnel. - (Reuters)