LCAC's

[Jim]

Wondering if any of these are enroute to New Orleans? Seems they would
be ideal for getting survivors our of difficult areas.

[Yofuri]

Jim wrote:
> Wondering if any of these are enroute to New Orleans? Seems they would
> be ideal for getting survivors our of difficult areas.

I heard the Bataan was going in with a full well deck.

http://www.bataan.navy.mil/tech.htm

Rick

[Paul]

"Jim" > wrote in message
...
> Wondering if any of these are enroute to New Orleans? Seems they would be
> ideal for getting survivors our of difficult areas.

I agree they would be helpful, as would anything that can float right now.

But an LCAC is fairly wide.... Smaller craft would be better suited I
think, perhaps RIB's like the SEALS use?

Helomech

[Thomas Schoene]

Jim wrote:
> Wondering if any of these are enroute to New Orleans? Seems they
> would be ideal for getting survivors our of difficult areas.

USS Bataan is in the Gulf already, with a small number of helicopters (looks
like just the two SAR MH-60s or HH-60s plus some MH-53s, no Marine helos).
Haven't seen any indication that she has landing craft embarked. She was
doing an AMCM exercise (PANAMAX 2005) that ended a week or two ago, followed
by some local ops in the Carribean (all per the ship's website).

The Iwo Jima ready group is en route now as well, with elements of Assault
Craft Unit Two embarked. But ACU-2 is LCUs, not LCACs. So it looks like
maybe no LCACs at the moment. Given the difficulty of carrying passengers
on LCACs, the Marine boat company's Rigid Raiders or RIBs might be more
useful anyway, assuming they are present. Reports indicate that the ships
loaded very fast, with only partial cargo loads, so they may not have the
Marines and their equipment aboard.

--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when
wrong to be put right." - Senator Carl Schurz, 1872

[Andrew C. Toppan]

On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 17:29:00 -0700, Yofuri >
wrote:

>I heard the Bataan was going in with a full well deck.

BATAAN has LCUs (at least, one LCU), so probably not LCACs.

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=27539

--
Andrew Toppan --- --- "I speak only for myself"
"Haze Gray & Underway" - Naval History, DANFS, World Navies Today,
Photo Features, Military FAQs, and more - http://www.hazegray.org/

[Andrew C. Toppan]

On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 18:29:39 -0400, Jim > wrote:

>Wondering if any of these are enroute to New Orleans? Seems they would
>be ideal for getting survivors our of difficult areas.

Presumably among the ARG that left Norfolk today, there are LCACs. CNN
or AP reported that hovercraft are en route, but their reports are
notoriously inaccurate.

But the utility of LCACs in this situation is questionable....they are
big, and very dangerous for people to be around. They cannot operate
around flooded houses, highways, power lines, and trees without
destroying themselves. You cannot pick up people into an LCAC, you
would kill them with the fan blast and flying debris. Small boats are
undoubtedly the best way to get to the surivors.

LCACs would be useful for shuttling equipment, materials, supplies and
people from the ships offshore into the port of New Orleans.

--
Andrew Toppan --- --- "I speak only for myself"
"Haze Gray & Underway" - Naval History, DANFS, World Navies Today,
Photo Features, Military FAQs, and more - http://www.hazegray.org/

[Andrew C. Toppan]

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 00:46:20 GMT, "Thomas Schoene"
> wrote:

>useful anyway, assuming they are present. Reports indicate that the ships
>loaded very fast, with only partial cargo loads, so they may not have the
>Marines and their equipment aboard.

Indeed, they sailed something like 24 hours after the announcement
they would go. Even (optimistically) assuming an additional 24 hours
pre-notice for mobilization, there simply isn't time to mobilize an
entire Marine force and all their gear, and load it on the ships, in
24-48 hours.

They probably grabbed pre-staged humanitarian and construction
equipment, and bugged out to head south. There will be plenty of
equipment and troops down there anyway...there are lots and lots of
Army and Marine bases within a couple days driving distance. Driving
is quicker anyway....even from the far end of the east coast, one can
drive to NOLA in a couple days with alternating drivers. The utility
trucks headed down from New England will be there before the ships
from Norfolk.

The ships will be most useful for the supplies they carry, and as good
solid platforms for rescue operations and temporary berthing, messing,
communications, etc.

--
Andrew Toppan --- --- "I speak only for myself"
"Haze Gray & Underway" - Naval History, DANFS, World Navies Today,
Photo Features, Military FAQs, and more - http://www.hazegray.org/

[Guest]

LCAC's are now landing in Gulfport,Miss. I have had the same thought
as you and thank goodness it is finally happening.
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