| To: Bilow who wrote (44981) | 9/18/2002 12:30:55 AM |
| From: Bilow | of 276325 |
| |
Hi all; The Navy's Sealift program is not being used to prepare for a secret war with Iraq. Instead, all of the fast sealift cargo ships are in "reduced" status, which means ready to use after a few days work, but not doing anything. All the large medium-speed roll-on / roll-off ships are in "reduced" status except for the Benanvidez which is still under construction. The only significant Sealift ships moving around are the tankers, but the US military burns fuel constantly, even in peacetime. Here's the full list of ships, with displacements:
USNS Name Displ. Type Status
-------------------- ------ ------------ -------
Algol T-AKR 287 55,350 Fast Sealift Reduced
Altair T-AKR 291 55,350 Fast Sealift Reduced
Antares T-AKR 294 55,350 Fast Sealift Reduced
Bellatrix T-AKR 288 55,355 Fast Sealift Reduced
Capella T-AKR 293 55,355 Fast Sealift Reduced
Denebola T-AKR 289 55,355 Fast Sealift Reduced
Pollux T-AKR 290 55,355 Fast Sealift Reduced
Regulus T-AKR 292 55,355 Fast Sealift Reduced
Benavidez T-AKR 306 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Building
Brittin T-AKR 305 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Fisher T-AKR 301 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Gilliland T-AKR 298 65,000 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Gordon T-AKR 296 65,000 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Hope,Bob T-AKR 300 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Mendonca T-AKR 303 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Pililaau T-AKR 304 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Seay T-AKR 302 62,069 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Shugart T-AKR 295 54,298 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Yano T-AKR 297 54,298 LMS Ro-Ro Reduced
Buck,Paul T-AOT 1122 39,624 Tanker Pacific
Cobb,Samu T-AOT 1123 41,500 Tanker Pacific
Gus,Darne T-AOT 1121 39,624 Tanker Atlantic
Gianella T-AOT 1125 39,624 Tanker Europe
Green Wav T-AK 2050 9,521 Container Far East
Matthiese T-AOT 1124 39,624 Tanker Far East
Montauk 5,780 Tanker Far East
Sagamore 7,100 Container Far East
Sea Mark III 550 Down Range Atlantic
Strong Texan 5,454 Container Pacific
http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/inventory.asp?var=PM5
The Bob Hope recently went through practice against gas attack in Charleston:
http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2002/August/bobhope.htm
This link shows that the MSC guys are training rather than secretly moving huge amounts of materiel to the Middle East (what would Congress say, LOL!!!):
http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2002/August/seahawk02.htm
The USNS Comfort, rather than getting ready for wounded in the Gulf, is fixing Estonian denture problems in the Baltic:
http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2002/August/comfort.htm
Rescuing dogs in the Pacific (not between the US and the Middle East, LOL!):
http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2002/August/dog.htm
Read about all the shipments around the Middle East here: (not much)
http://www.msc.navy.mil/sealift/2002/August/centcurrents.htm
They used the Denebola to house and feed emergency personnel in November 2001 at NYC:
http://www.amo-union.org/Newspaper/Morgue/11-2001/Sections/News/denebola.htm
There has been no activation of the "reduced" vessels. Nor has shipping been particularly good this summer:
http://www.amo-union.org/Newspaper/Sections/Views/Index.htm
-- Carl |
