Roster of USN ships in S Asia relief effort ?

Thanks, Errol and Guy.

News reports last night featured the Admiral in charge
speaking about the relief flights and mentioned 30 helos operating
already, but didn't say if they were flying off of ABRAHAM LINCOLN or
BON HOMME RICHARD - I'll assume the numbers are at least correct if
incomplete.

Tentative roster based on members of WESTPAC 2005 :

CVN 72 USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN obviously can operate a lot of helos
CG 52 USS BUNKER HILL listed as 2 SH-60B
DDG 69 USS MILIUS potential 1 SH-60B
FFG 43 USS THACH listed as 2 SH-60B
LHD 6 USS BON HOMME RICHARD listed as 35-40 helicopters
LPD 6 USS DULUTH potential 4 helos
LSD 47 USS RUSHMORE potential 4 helos

15th MEU listed as 12 CH-46E, 4 CH-53E, 3 UH-1N

In addition, the 15th MEU has a bunch of engineering equipment and
water purification equipment listed.

There are supposed to be a number of US C-130s operating 24 hr in
addition to the 6 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand, and 4 more
UH-1s from Australia.

That's quite a bit of airlift, even if they have a lot of
territory to cover.

I wonder if they will fly off some F-18s to Guam and rotate in
further helos to LINCOLN ?

Is a "water lift" from LINCOLN's prodigious freshwater
generating capacity feasible ? Apparently there is already a
"breadlift" underway featuring the LINCOLN's bakery (!) .

"John S. Shinal" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Errol and Guy.

News reports last night featured the Admiral in charge
speaking about the relief flights and mentioned 30 helos operating
already, but didn't say if they were flying off of ABRAHAM LINCOLN or
BON HOMME RICHARD - I'll assume the numbers are at least correct if
incomplete.

Tentative roster based on members of WESTPAC 2005 :

CVN 72 USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN obviously can operate a lot of helos
CG 52 USS BUNKER HILL listed as 2 SH-60B
DDG 69 USS MILIUS potential 1 SH-60B
FFG 43 USS THACH listed as 2 SH-60B
LHD 6 USS BON HOMME RICHARD listed as 35-40 helicopters
LPD 6 USS DULUTH potential 4 helos
LSD 47 USS RUSHMORE potential 4 helos

15th MEU listed as 12 CH-46E, 4 CH-53E, 3 UH-1N

In addition, the 15th MEU has a bunch of engineering equipment and
water purification equipment listed.

There are supposed to be a number of US C-130s operating 24 hr in
addition to the 6 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand, and 4 more
UH-1s from Australia.

That's quite a bit of airlift, even if they have a lot of
territory to cover.

I wonder if they will fly off some F-18s to Guam and rotate in
further helos to LINCOLN ?

Is a "water lift" from LINCOLN's prodigious freshwater
generating capacity feasible ? Apparently there is already a
"breadlift" underway featuring the LINCOLN's bakery (!) .


The RN have a frigate (HMS Chatham) and the repair ship
RFA Diligence on the way. Diligence is designed to provide
forward repair and maintenance facilities to ships and submarines
operating away from their home ports, so in addition to a variety
of workshops she can also provide, fuel, water and power.

http://www.armedforces.co.uk/navy/listings/l0028.html

Keith

Aren't there also some P-3 assets involved? They may not be all U.S.
though....
Regards,

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 14:11:54 GMT,
(John S. Shinal) wrote:

Thanks, Errol and Guy.

News reports last night featured the Admiral in charge
speaking about the relief flights and mentioned 30 helos operating
already, but didn't say if they were flying off of ABRAHAM LINCOLN or
BON HOMME RICHARD - I'll assume the numbers are at least correct if
incomplete.

Tentative roster based on members of WESTPAC 2005 :

CVN 72 USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN obviously can operate a lot of helos
CG 52 USS BUNKER HILL listed as 2 SH-60B
DDG 69 USS MILIUS potential 1 SH-60B
FFG 43 USS THACH listed as 2 SH-60B
LHD 6 USS BON HOMME RICHARD listed as 35-40 helicopters
LPD 6 USS DULUTH potential 4 helos
LSD 47 USS RUSHMORE potential 4 helos

15th MEU listed as 12 CH-46E, 4 CH-53E, 3 UH-1N

In addition, the 15th MEU has a bunch of engineering equipment and
water purification equipment listed.

There are supposed to be a number of US C-130s operating 24 hr in
addition to the 6 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand, and 4 more
UH-1s from Australia.

That's quite a bit of airlift, even if they have a lot of
territory to cover.

I wonder if they will fly off some F-18s to Guam and rotate in
further helos to LINCOLN ?

Is a "water lift" from LINCOLN's prodigious freshwater
generating capacity feasible ? Apparently there is already a
"breadlift" underway featuring the LINCOLN's bakery (!) .

In article ,
(John S. Shinal) wrote:



That's quite a bit of airlift, even if they have a lot of
territory to cover.

What are the airports closest to the disaster area that can handle large
cargo aircraft that can carry helos that can't self-deploy?
\

Howard Berkowitz wrote:

What are the airports closest to the disaster area that can handle large
cargo aircraft that can carry helos that can't self-deploy?

One at Bandar Aceh; the runway was blocked by a cargo jet that
had struck debris - now cleared, and accepting flights. The other
airports are all smaller, from what I've heard.

In article ,
(John S. Shinal) wrote:

Howard Berkowitz wrote:

What are the airports closest to the disaster area that can handle large
cargo aircraft that can carry helos that can't self-deploy?

One at Bandar Aceh; the runway was blocked by a cargo jet that
had struck debris - now cleared, and accepting flights. The other
airports are all smaller, from what I've heard.



Hopefully they are getting high-priority shipments of logistic
management gear; there was a report they were down to one operating
forklift. Yes, they had plenty of volunteer labor for unloading, but
that's slow and delays the turnaround of the transports.

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
Hopefully they are getting high-priority shipments of logistic
management gear; there was a report they were down to one operating
forklift. Yes, they had plenty of volunteer labor for unloading, but
that's slow and delays the turnaround of the transports.

15th MEU has these :

4 TRAMs (10,000 lb. Capacity Forklifts)
2 Four Thousand lb. Capacity Forklifts
3 D-7 Bulldozers
30 Five-ton Trucks
1 Dump Truck
4 Logistical Vehicle Systems (LVS)

in addition to 60-odd HMMWVs. The videos I saw showed 'bucket
brigade' lines of people moving huge piles of supplies. I don't think
the early shipments were palletized, I imagine the next ones will be
as things ramp up.

"John S. Shinal" wrote in message
...
Howard Berkowitz wrote:
Hopefully they are getting high-priority shipments of logistic
management gear; there was a report they were down to one operating
forklift. Yes, they had plenty of volunteer labor for unloading, but
that's slow and delays the turnaround of the transports.

15th MEU has these :

4 TRAMs (10,000 lb. Capacity Forklifts)
2 Four Thousand lb. Capacity Forklifts
3 D-7 Bulldozers
30 Five-ton Trucks
1 Dump Truck
4 Logistical Vehicle Systems (LVS)

in addition to 60-odd HMMWVs.

It's not clear from the reports (Fox, Sky, BBC, ITN)
whether any of this 'moving' equipment has reached the
shore-areas yet. Certainly some Blackhawks have been
shown (at Banda Aceh). Unfortunately the pointy-end
reporter seem to be using video-phones with jerky
updates and pixelation artefacts - so it's hard to
discern unit identifiers - particularly as 'all-the-world'
has gone down the tone-down route.
[I'm well aware that lots may be happening behind or round-
the-corner from the reporters' camerafolk}

The videos I saw showed 'bucket
brigade' lines of people moving huge piles of supplies. I don't think
the early shipments were palletized, I imagine the next ones will be
as things ramp up.


This is a two-edged sword; a pallet _will_ require a pallet-handler
albeit even a hand-operated one. Lots of two-foot sized boxes _can_
be manhandled and distributed using the most basic of power ...
manpower.

[Having taken delivery of a palletised crate just prior to
Christmas, I can assure you that there's nothing more
frustrating then having a _big_ crate thirty-odd feet from
where is needed ... and no accessible route between them]

--

Brian

"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(John S. Shinal) wrote:



That's quite a bit of airlift, even if they have a lot of
territory to cover.

What are the airports closest to the disaster area that can handle large
cargo aircraft that can carry helos that can't self-deploy?
\

ITN News were talking of heavy airlift assets staging through
Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur with smaller aircraft shuttling
into Banda Aceh .

That airport seems to be fairly primitive, it was closed most
of today after a 737 hit a water buffalo on the runway.
The Buffalo survided and legged it into the jungle , the
737 was left with a collapsed wheel on the runway.

Keith

Keith Willshaw wrote:

The Buffalo survided and legged it into the jungle , the
737 was left with a collapsed wheel on the runway.

Interesting, Wild 1 Technology O

Best regards from Italy,
Dott. Piergiorgio.