I guess landing craft to take supplies ashore is not sexy enough.

[thunder rising]

The airport is clogged, the docks are unusable. There must be a beach head someplace that landing craft could use.

The aircraft carriers act as additional landing strips (for former Navy pilots) and shuttle stuff ashore with the landing craft.

I haven't heard a word about using them. Just thinking ya'know.

[Sinistrous]

1. I believe the ROROs are on their way.

(Roll On, Roll Off)

[thunder rising]

3. Remember, the docks are not usable!! Kind'a rules out RORO's

[haele]

8. RO-ROs don't need docks. They just need to get within a couple hundred feet

of somewhere that the trucks can drive on or off from.

They've got a shallow draft and these really nifty ramps that extend out about 150 - 200 feet. If you can get a few solid sheets of metal on the sand to somewhat solid ground, and another fifty/hundred feet of pontoon (which the first ship should be carrying to establish a landing site) over shallow water, you can have yourself a beachhead you can land on. If the water is deep enough - twenty feet is needed, I believe, but don't quote me - they may not even need the pontoons.

I'm sure either the Carl Vincent or the Bataan (which should be there today) have already got the harbor re-sounded and a spot picked out where a ship like that can get close.

Haele

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. The Mexican Navy is bringing this one as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5tqHIfI7ww

Well you know she can extend a landing dock as well... after all she was one of ours as well...

[haele]

13. Yup, an older version of the current Merchant Marine ships. Looks like 120 ft or so of ramp.

That's length from the stern to the landing spot. The ramp itself is longer.
I was working NASSCO on the peir over when they were finishing up USNS Bridge and saw them testing her extending docking system. She was pulled out to the end of the pier and landed the final segment of telescoping ramp at the entrance, a good 100 or so feet from her stern. I was told she had 3 segments that would extend her ramp out to a usable 50 ft each extention. Add a few pontoons or a boat ramp, and you've got yourself a usable wharf.

Haele

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Actually she is a military ship

Here you go she is formerly the USS Newport and she went up to the Gulf Coast too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Newport_(LST-1179)

That is ironic, but hey.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. What do you think the FIRST MEU is riding?

Problem is that they are still on the way... that pesky problem of getting from point A to Point B.

[thunder rising]

4. I guess first Obama would have to create the unit. I don't see a 1st MEU in existence

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. There is a Marine Unit on the way.

and the first MEU is the First Marine Expeditionary Unit...

and sue me, they are deploying the 22nd Marine Expeditionary...

http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/01/haiti-quake-marines-prepare-to-deploy-to-haiti-for-relief-effort/

Still you think they can move faster than they already are?

Question... how long do you think it takes to get an IPOD from the factory to your store where you can buy it? Yes it is an apt comparison, you have no idea... and you have no clue in this case either. Logistics is logistics is logistics, whether I am moving IPODS or Marines... it still TAKES TIME.

Oh and here is a link to the wiki page of the 1st MEU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Battalion_1st_Marines

[thunder rising]

6. Didn't really mean to piss in your corn flakes. But this wiki page doesn't list them

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Expeditionary_Unit

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. That is the EXPLANATION to what an MEU is

good, at least you are now looking at things.. that is an improvement, I think

Here is a hint for you. the First is the OLDEST unit in the USMC...

Anyhow, now that we have established it is the 22 that is going... how much faster than they are actually moving do you want them to move? You do get this point that there is a physical distance and that you cannot just move them from here to there that fast, can't you?

You understand basic oh Physics, don't you? Can you read a map? Do you have an idea of spacial relationships?

[krispos42]

10. I actually was thinking...

... of C-130s and C-17's doing that little trick where they swoop down really really low over the ground with the ramp deployed, then they push a sled of supplies with a drogue chute attached out the back. The slipstream grabs the chute and yanks the sled out and onto the ground, where it then skips across the ground until it somes to a stop.

Low-altitude Parachute Extraction System, it's apparantly called.


Here's a C-130 dropping off a tank. Doesn't come within 10 feet of the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgg3iRaVnbw



They have miles of beaches there, right? Okay, so you parachute a couple of companies of the 82nd onto the beach, they secure several drop areas, and the C-130s roll in with pre-loaded trucks of supplies. Later on, once enough trucks are on the ground, they simply bring in pallets of supplies to refill the delivery trucks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Look at some aerial photos

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/14/world/20100114-haiti-imagery.html

Look by tomorrow things will scale up once again, as more resources are coming in.

They scaled up by orders of magnitude today... they will scale up tomorrow.

[krispos42]

12. Neat little features the NYT has there.

And damn, it looks crowded. Those beaches don't look very wide, either.


Shit. :-( I had hoped...

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. I am sure some young LT thought the same thing

what about a very low level drop?

The anfibs will be there by Monday... and they are bringing also a nice unit with deep sea drivers to fix that port. Won't look pretty, but when they are done it will work.

At that point a civi cargo ship will be able to come in.

And I pointed to the second Mexican Ship that will get there by Wednesday if my math holds since it does have limited anfib capacity... and it was one of ours. So that thing, I asked my hubby, he is a vet of the navy, can be used to land things as well... from ships that cannot reach the physical beach.