New carrier berth part of Guam expansion

[unhappycamper]

The Navy will have to make significant infrastructure improvements to allow carriers to dock in Guam. The carrier Ronald Reagan is shown here pulling into Agana Harbor off the coast of Guam in 2008.


New carrier berth part of Guam expansion
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 13, 2009 8:31:42 EST

SAN DIEGO — Navy officials want to build a deep-draft wharf in Guam’s main harbor that would better accommodate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers when they visit.

The new berth at Polaris Point, on the eastern side of Apra Harbor, is part of the military’s plan to expand naval waterfront facilities, build expeditionary training ranges on the nearby island of Tinian and house a large military force, including 8,600 Marines who will shift to Guam from Okinawa.

Navy officials outlined the plans in a draft environmental impact statement that analyzes the environmental effects of the planned military buildup in the island archipelago. Officials studied 16 sites around Apra, Guam’s seaport along the central-western coast.

The final EIS will be completed by summer after a series of public hearings in the Mariana Islands in January.

The berth, plus associated pierside support, would allow a carrier to spend more days in port in Guam, where the military is bolstering its forces in the western Pacific region. The Navy wants to support a carrier as many as 63 “visit days” each year, a jump from the average of 16 days at the existing Kilo Wharf. The existing pier can support carriers, but not for extended periods.


Rest of artile at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/navy_guam_121309w/