gCaptain - Maritime & Offshore » humanitarian_mission

Austal’s fast ferry fleet continues humanitarian relief efforts in Japan

gCaptain Staff — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:57:53 +0000

Austal’s 101 metre “WestPac Express”, which has operated as a high speed theatre support vessel with the Okinawa based Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) of the United States Marine Corps for over 10 years, is currently deployed to mainland Japan to provide support for foreign humanitarian assistance operations following the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake.

“WestPac Express” will deliver a Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP) for use in the assistance operations. A FARP is a temporary facility that allows aircraft to conduct continuous operations without having to return to an established airport to obtain fuel. The vessel will also transport additional supplies, communications equipment and personnel to be used in the relief operations.

The involvement of “WestPac Express” in the Japanese relief efforts is the latest demonstration of large high speed aluminium catamarans assisting with humanitarian support. Recently, Austal-built vessels “Osman Gazi”, “Orhan Gazi” and “Maria Dolores” were all deployed to assist in the evacuation of foreign citizens from Libya, while in early 2010, Austal-built 113m high speed catamarans, “Huakai” and “Alakai” assisted in Haitian relief efforts.

“Osman Gazi” and “Orhan Gazi” made multiple journeys between the Libyan city of Benghazi and Turkey, evacuating thousands of Turkish citizens. The two 88m aluminium catamarans were delivered to Turkish operator, Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (IDO) in mid 2007, where they have since been in operation across the Marmara Sea between Yenikapi and Bursa.

“Maria Dolores”, operated by Virtu Ferries, also made several rescue voyages between Tripoli, the capitol of Libya, and Malta. The 68m vehicle-passenger ferry has the capacity to carry up to 600 passengers and 65 cars at a time, and is capable of speeds of approximately 35 knots.

Austal Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bellamy, commented that both the Japanese and Libyan relief operations have demonstrated the capability of fast craft in enabling a rapid response for humanitarian assistance efforts.

CTF 76 Heads Maritime Response Cell Supporting Earthquake, Tsunami Relief

gCaptain Staff — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:24:25 +0000

From Task Force 76 Public Affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (NNS) — In response to the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Northern Honshu, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, directed Commander, Task Force (CTF) 76 to organize a Maritime Response cell on March 11, to coordinate U.S. Naval relief efforts out of U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) headquarters on Yokota Air Base.

As the amphibious force for 7th Fleet, CTF 76, commanded by Rear Adm. Richard Landolt, is designated as the Humanitarian and Disaster relief executive agent for earthquake and tsunami response in Japan.

“Seventh Fleet’s amphibious forces have a lot of experience with humanitarian and disaster relief,” said Landolt. “So it makes sense to use that experience to shape our response and help our ally and regional partner recover from this catastrophic event.”

In order to centralize command and control efforts for surveying affected areas, logistic support, troop and equipment transfer, and helicopter operations, representatives from CTF 76, CTF 70, CTF 72, CTF 73, and CTF 74 formed a Maritime Response cell to advise USFJ, and carry out the combined efforts of the Navy’s air, ground, and sea assets. This also allows for more effective coordination with our Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) counterparts, to ensure that the right assets are employed to affect a prompt and appropriate response.

U.S. 7th Fleet forces are assisting in search and rescue operations, surveying at-sea debris fields, and will soon assist the JMSDF with transporting vehicles, equipment, and supplies to support relief efforts.

For more news from Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron M. Pineda/Released)

hospital ship comfort returns from humanitarian voyage

John Konrad — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:44:21 +0000

Back in June we brought you the departure of one of our favorite ships, the USNS Comfort hospital ship. You can read that article including ship details HERE. Today PilotOnline has news of the ship’s return to the states. They tell us;

America’s high-tech, smart-bombing Navy could be seeing its future in a pair of hulking former oil tankers and their patchwork crews of civilian and military mariners and medical specialists.

Adm. Gary Roughead, the Navy’s chief of naval operations, on Friday told the crew of the hospital ship Comfort that its four-month cruise points the way toward other medical missions aimed at adding combat prevention to the Navy’s warfare portfolio.

“There’s another part to defending our country and another part to advancing our strategic interests,” he said, “and that’s to reach out to other people and to cooperate with other people.”

Roughead, who took over as chief last month, said fostering international goodwill has always been one of the Navy’s missions. But the Baltimore-based Comfort’s cruise, along with a similar Pacific deployment last year by the San Diego-based hospital ship Mercy, heralds an intensified effort to use the Navy to strengthen America’s image abroad, he said.

The Comfort’s medical staff treated more than 98,000 patients in or offshore from a dozen countries during its voyage, straightening teeth and fixing cleft palates, administering about 32,000 vaccinations, and dispensing more than 24,000 pairs of prescription and reading glasses.

The ship also carried a group of engineers who went ashore in several countries to dig or repair wells and sewage treatment facilities.

Read the full article HERE.