Friday Films: Joint Logistics Over the Shore -(JLOTS) Europe 2021 "Defender" and JLOTS Operation Deep Freeze 2019

Haiti Sealift: Lummus and JLOTS

U.S. Military Sealift Command article: Sealift -- Lummus and JLOTS lift hearts in Haiti:

***
The situation in Haiti reinforced the importance of Lummus' amphibious capabilities, including Navy lighterage loaded on the ship's weather decks, which consisted of powered and non-powered causeway sections that were placed alongside the ship when it arrived in theater, and then used to ferry equipment from ship to shore. This multi-vessel process of off-loading cargo at sea is called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS. Aerial photo Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Meranda Keller

Amphibious operations depend on Navy Support Element professionals - personnel with specialized training and experience in deploying, operating and repairing watercraft in the most austere conditions. Thanks to the dedication of sailors from Beach Group Two, Amphibious Construction Battalion Two, Assault Craft Units Two and Four and Cargo Handling Battalion One, all of Lummus' cargo was successfully discharged at sea aboard the lighterage and transported ashore via JLOTS.

"It was impressive to see Lummus working around the clock to get supplies ashore," said Stephan Jean-Bart, part of MSC's assessment team on assignment in Port-au-Prince. Jean-Bart normally works in the strategic planning office at MSC headquarters and has a personal stake in the relief efforts since his wife's family lives in Port-au-Prince. He added, "I am personally grateful for what MSC, and Lummus in particular, have done to help."
***

More here:

The port infrastructure in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was devastated. Because most humanitarian aid bound for Haiti goes by ship, relief supplies required another way to get ashore.

The solution was joint logistics over-the-shore, or JLOTS - offloading cargo from ships at sea and then transporting that cargo ashore via landing craft and specially designed motorized and non-motorized barges called lighterage.

Ten MSC-operated vessels supported JLOTS, including two Maritime Prepositioning Ships, both owned by MSC; two ships that were activated from the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force and under MSC operational control; one MARAD high-speed ferry; and five chartered vessels.

By mid-February, more than 1,000 20-foot containers of vital cargo and more than 170 military vehicles, all of which had arrived aboard ships, had been ferried ashore on lighterage delivered by MSC. Supplies included baby formula, medical supplies, USAID relief supplies, fuel trucks and dump trucks.
***
"The crews provided outstanding support," said Tim Pickering, MSC cargo project officer. "As a result, lives are being saved, and pain is being eased. There's great satisfaction in knowing that."

Map is from here.

Lower photos from U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Justin E. Stumberg, except last photo from MSC.

Update: Should also note the role of the forces that keep the U.S. ships supplied with fuel and food, as well as delivering vital aid to Haitians, as set out in
Unrep ships critical platforms for Haitian disaster relief.

Hat tip to Lee.

Haiti: Port Repair, Port Operations and Fuel Operations

It's been a week or so since we last looked in on how the recovery operation for Haiti's vital ports has been going (click on one of "labels" down below to see earlier reports). Since then the U.S. Navy and other cooperating forces have made substantial progress in opening up the vital sea life line to the Haitian people:

(1) Fuel Operations Resume at Haiti's Main Terminal Varreux:

WIN Group, the Haitian enterprise that owns and operates Terminal Varreux in Port-au-Prince, and SEACOR Holdings Inc. ... announced that emergency repairs have enabled crucial tanker shipments of fuel to resume to Haiti.

Restoration of Terminal Varreux's marine operations included the installation of an interim vessel mooring system, the repair and testing of critical piping systems and the revision of terminal operating procedures. Additional emergency construction at Terminal Varreux is also providing the capability to receive containerized cargoes, furthering recovery efforts.

The first tanker began discharging its initial load of fuel at the restored berth on Friday, February 5. The shipment was completed in the early morning hours on Sunday, February 7 and the vessel has departed from the terminal.

"We are all taking a deep breath now that the fuel supply to Haiti has been restored," said Youri Mevs, managing partner of WIN Group. "Without fuel the recovery effort is clearly paralyzed. We commend SEACOR for mobilizing so quickly to address this dire situation, as well as WIN Group's staff in Port-Au-Prince. They all worked around the clock through very challenging circumstances. As a result, Terminal Varreux will continue its role as a key element of Haiti's long-term recovery efforts."

Terminal Varreux is located five miles from the epicenter of the devastating January 12 earthquake, and suffered damage to its piers and facilities, but the bulk of the port's 18 storage tanks were undamaged. Terminal Varreux's tanks have a total capacity of approximately 45 million gallons.

(2) Port salvage and repair ops:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Feb. 21, 2010) An aerial view of the logistical area near the port in Port-au-Prince. Several U.S. and international military and non-governmental agencies are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Meranda Keller/Released)

(3) Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) is moving cargo:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Feb. 20, 2010) Service members conducting joint logistics over the shore operations at the main seaport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti off-load construction vehicles and equipment assigned to the U.S. Army 7th Sustainment Brigade from the British-flagged Crowley Shipper. Several U.S. and international military and non-governmental agencies are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kim Williams/Released)

(4) American sailors, solidiers and Marines are moving food and water to the people of Haiti - by trucks and by strong backs:

PORT-AU-PRINCE Haiti (Feb. 22, 2010) Operations Specialist 2nd Class Roberto Piedra, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, and Haitian citizens offload rice at Varreoux Beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. ACB-2 is conducting construction, humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Meranda L. Keller/Released)

(5) From Gitmo, other sailors are helping the Haitians:

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Feb. 18, 2010) Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Jose Gomez, assigned to Navy Reserve Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 13, loads lumber to a crane to be transported to Haiti. More than 180,000 board feet of lumber was sent to support Operation Unified Response. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael B. Watkins/Released)

All this work is helping the Haitians. See here:

- WFP and partners have reached over 3.7 million people with food assistance since the start of the response; some 102 community out-patient care centres for the treatment of severely acute malnutrition, along with 18 mobile units, are operating throughout the country.

- WASH partners are currently reaching 850,000 people with 5 litres of water a day, covering 83 per cent of the target population. . .

UPDATE: UK sends RFA Largs Bay:

The British amphibious landing ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary Largs Bay arrived off Haiti loaded with essential stores and equipment in aid of the earthquake victims yesterday, Thursday 18 February 2010.
RFA Largs Bay

The ship's mission is on behalf of the Department for International Development, Save the Children and the International Federation of Red Cross.

The 16,160-tonne ship sailed from the Sea Mounting Centre at Marchwood, near Southampton, on 3 February tasked with delivering bulky items that are not suitable for air freight.

Her cargo includes 5,700 sheets of corrugated iron to build much-needed shelters, 40 vehicles and 15 containers of general stores.

Hat tip to Lee and Charles.

Haiti: Improved Navy Lighterage System Arrival

DVIDS Daily News Update: Navy Causeway Ferries in Haiti





Great increase to cargo throughput.

Hat tip to : Lee and Charles.

UPDATE: Why it matters (one of the damage Haitian container cranes in the background):

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Feb. 4, 2010) Haitians watch as members of Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 deliver humanitarian aid in the main seaport of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. ACB-2 is conducting construction, humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Lussier/Released)

Haiti: Logistics Over the Shore

From Fleet Forces Command, some video (at the bottom) from Admiral Harvey here:

Right now, we have 28 US ships on station, underway, or preparing to get underway in support of OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE. As you can see from the Force Laydown slide, we are joined by ships from many other nations. The importance of building partnerships and executing our maritime strategy has paid great dividends in developing this multinational response.

The slide he refers to is below (click to enlarge):

Haiti: Psst! Want to get into the disaster relief shipping business?

Hey, buddy! Want to get into the disaster relief shipping business?

Got a few thousand lying around?

An opportunity exists here to acquire a landing craft type vessel suitable for toting deck loads of containers to various beaches...

LOA: 170' (51.8 m)
Year: Mfg-1999 Model-1999
Mfg. Length: Mfg: MARINER MARINE
Model: Landing Craft
Draft: Max 7' (2.1 m)
Speed: / 11 knots
2xCaterpillar 3412 671 HP
Tonnage: 422
Fuel Cap: 40000 g (151400 l)
Water Cap: 15000 g (56775 l)
Sleeps: 9
Holding Tank: 2000 g (7570 l ) Heads: 2
Flag: St. Kitts

Asking price is $1,900,000 US...

And, you know, Haiti and many islands in the Caribbean are in seismic hot spots...

In the meantime, Crowley Marine has been moving cargo to the shore, as noted here:

Crowley Maritime Corporation, working under contract with the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), successfully discharged 12 20-foot containers of relief supplies across a beach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti today in an experimental lightering operation. The success of this operation, which involved lifting the containers from a Crowley container ship anchored in the harbor to a smaller, shallow-draft landing vessel for transport and discharge over the beach, paves the way for container shipments directly into Port-au-Prince next week.

"Today's operation was an important milestone in reestablishing direct container shipments into the heavily damaged port," said John Hourihan, Crowley's senior vice president and general manager of Latin America services. "The port survey conducted Monday by a team from our TITAN Salvage subsidiary was spot on in terms of identifying a suitable location in the port where we could safely discharge the cargo."

"USTRANSCOM values the innovative solutions that our contractors are implementing to rapidly facilitate humanitarian assistance in support of the Haitian people," said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Lally, director of operations for the command.

The Crowley container ship Marcajama, which offloaded the containers today, is scheduled to return to Port Everglades, Fla. over the weekend and load more relief cargo under contract with USTRANSCOM. The ship will then return to Port-au-Prince in the middle of next week and discharge containers via the proven lightering method utilizing two shuttle vessels.

Future cargo operations in the port should improve substantially in the coming weeks. Crowley is mobilizing two 400-foot-long, 100-foot-wide flat deck barges, along with two Manitowoc 230-ton crawler cranes in the United States for USTRANSCOM that will be brought into Port-au-Prince to serve as a makeshift dock for future cargo operations. The first barge and crane in Orange, Texas should arrive in Haiti on or about Feb. 4. The second deck barge is being outfitted in Lake Charles, La. and will arrive by mid-Feb.

"The diverse resources of the Crowley organization are being brought to the table in response to this emergency," Hourihan said. "We are working closely with USTRANSCOM, USAID, FEMA and other organizations to provide the assets, services and technical expertise they need to accomplish their missions."

Relief cargoes are being consolidated and stuffed into containers at Crowley's Miami warehouse and distribution center. Containers delivered by Crowley in Rio Haina, Dominican Republic this week are being trucked over the border into Haiti. And more shipments - 179 20-foot containers and 11 40-foot containers for USTRANSCOM - are due in Rio Haina Sunday morning.

"The combination of direct shipments into Port-au-Prince and shipments into Rio Haina that are then trucked over the border is now resulting in a steady flow of aid," said Hourihan.

Other material is flowing through military channels, including the US Army and Navy working as a team:

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Jan. 29, 2010) U.S. Navy Seabees assigned to Navy Cargo Battalion (NCHB) 1 and U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 97th Transportation Company load pallets of water aboard U.S. Army landing ship Aldie (LCU 2004). Aldie is delivering relief supplies to Haiti from the ferry landing at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Naval Station is a logistical hub providing support for Operation Unified Response, a joint operation providing humanitarian assistance following a 7.0 Magnitude earthquake that devastated the country Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton/Released)

100129-N-7918H-053 GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (Jan. 29, 2010) A Navy Seabee assigned to Navy Cargo Battalion (NCHB) 1 steps out of the U.S. Army landing ship Aldie (LCU 2004), assigned to the U.S. Army 97th Transportation Company. The Seabees and Soldiers are loading pallets of water for transportation to Haiti to support Operation Unified Response, a joint operation providing humanitarian assistance following a 7.0 Magnitude earthquake that devastated the country Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John K. Hamilton/Released)

CARIBBEAN SEA (Jan. 28, 2010) Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) transfer pallets of food rations from Carter Hall to U.S. Army Landing Craft Unit 2001. Carter Hall is conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage near Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hendrick Dickson/Released)

And some JLOTS equipment in action:

Equipment operators assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) Seven offload equipment from Naval vessels anchored near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. NMCB Seven is conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage near Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nicholas Lingo/Released)

Whatever works.

Special ACB2 UPDATE:

Sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 bring cargo into the port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Causeway Ferry 116. The cargo was offloaded from the Military Sealift Command maritime prepositioning unit USNS 1st. Lt. Jack Lummus (T-AK 3011) and is supporting Operation Unified Response, a humanitarian assistance effort to Haiti in the aftermath of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Logistics Support Specialist 1st Class Kelly Chastain/Released)

BAIE DE GRAND GROVE, Haiti (Jan. 28, 2010) A Seabee assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, embarked aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), removes rubble from a collapsed church in Baie De Grand Grove, Haiti. Carter Hall is conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Monique Hilley/Released)

A Haitian boy watches as Seabees assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 offload pallets of meals-ready-to-eat from Landing Craft Unit (LCU) 1663. The multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) is on station in Haiti along with the amphibious dock landing ships USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) as the Bataan Amphibious Relief Mission supporting Operation Unified Response, a joint operation providing military support capabilities to civil authorities to help stabilize and improve the situation in Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the island nation on Jan. 12, 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Hendrick Dickson/Released)

Haiti: Some JLOTS Components in Use

U.S. Navy sailors, Marines and soldiers are working hard to find a means to improve the flow of disaster relief supplies into Haiti. Following are some Navy photographs of the effort to use tools in the military system to put needed materials on the beach.

Photo caption first two photos:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Jan. 24, 2010) Sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, from Little Creek, Va., depart the Military Sealift Command maritime prepositioning ship USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus (T-AK-3011) after onloading equipment and supplies off the coast of Port-au-Prince. Jack Lummus and ACB-2 are supporting Operation Unified Response in the aftermath of an earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Justin E. Stumberg/Released)


The above photos show a powered component of the JLOTS/INLS system carrying equipment from USNS Lummus and then improvised system to marry a warping tug with a pontoon for delivery of a container. The heavy duty machine getting ready to move the container is a some form of a Rough Terrain Cargo Handler (RTCH) (generally pronounced "wretch").

It appear full JLOTS implementation is pending arrival of several other recently activated MSC/MARAD ships carrying additional components and cranes.

The port workaround is necessary because the main port for Haiti is broken, as the following pictures demonstrate:

The port in Port-au-Prince is left in shambles by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. The U.S. military is working to restore the port to working order. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Daniel C. Pearson/Released)

(Jan. 25, 2010) Service members working with U.S. Marine Corps 8th Engineer Support Battalion use a bulldozer to remove submerged container boxes. Military engineers are conducting salvage and repair operations in the main seaport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during Operation Unified Response. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chris Lussier/Released)

Below, sailors are trying to find another place that may work for supply efforts:

PETIT TROU DE NIPPES, Haiti (Jan. 23, 2010) Sailors assigned to the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) assess the feasibility of docking supply ships in a bay near the village of Petit Trou De Nippes, Haiti. Normandy is participating in Operation Unified Response, a multi-national humanitarian and disaster relief operation following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker/Released)

Haiti relocating homeless, port repairs needed

Haiti relocating homeless, port repairs needed:

Haitian officials are planning a massive relocation of 400,000 people from makeshift camps to the outskirts of the capital as the U.S. government tackles repairs to the damaged main port — dual efforts to help residents survive the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake.

The plan to temporarily relocate thousands is aimed at staving off the spread of disease at hundreds of squalid settlements across the city where homeless families have no sanitation and live under tents, tarps or nothing at all.

***
To that end, the U.S. Army, Navy and Coast Guard are looking to repair the Haitian capital's only functional industrial pier, which is key to the country's receipt of massive aid shipments. Officials say success of the project, which involves underwater construction teams and Navy divers surveying the damage, also is critical to the nation's long-term recovery.

Only four ships have been able to dock at the partially damaged pier since the earthquake. Unloading is lengthy and difficult because 15-inch wide cracks run through the dock, allowing only one truck to drive on it at a time. The port's cranes now tip dangerously into the sea or were rendered useless.

The word I have heard is that USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus will be arriving today with the vital military "insta port" stuff. More on "insta port" here, here and by clicking on label "JLOTS" below.

How about shipping some FEMA trailers down to Haiti for housing? That might put some American workers back to work and they are lot better than the tents the NGOs love to set up.

And, by the way, there seem to be about 17,000+ available. See here, here and here. Might as well put them to some good use and improve many Haitians standard of living.

JLOTS: the video

Haiti: USNS Lummus to deliver relief

Military Sealift Command reports that USNS Lummus to deliver relief to Haiti:

U.S. Navy Maritime Prepositioning Ship USNS 1ST LT Jack Lummus is loading cargo at Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 18-19 in support of international disaster relief efforts underway in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Lummus is loading supplies and equipment from both the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as cargo from other U.S. government agencies.

USAID is providing more than 120 pallets of relief supplies, and more than 400 16-ounce bottles of propane for the shipment.

The Marine Corps is providing cargo to support the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit as it gives humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti. The cargo includes dump trucks, bulldozers and other heavy equipment. The Marine Corps is also providing electrical generators, water purification units, lumber and building materials, and limited medical supplies.

In addition, the Army is providing three containers of port opening equipment, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing four medical resupply vehicles and more than 90 pallets of relief supplies, including kitchenware and plastic sheeting. The U.S. government is also providing containers carrying 24,000 gallons of gasoline and 24,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

The ship will also transport Navy lighterage - motorized and non-motorized barges - to transport the Lummus' cargo to shore.

It appears my earlier thought that the Seabee ship SS Cape May might be used to carry the Improved Navy Lighterage System was incorrect (I hope no one lost any money making bets on that) and the INLS will be carried on Lummus.

More on the INLS here:

The lighterage system was developed during World War II and a redesign began in the early 1990s.

"Our troops needed a platform that could perform faster, safer unloads in higher sea states," said Larry Mendlow, technical director for the Sealift Support Office at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, which developed the new system with input from MSC.


The new lighterage system is better able to operate even in sea state three — defined by winds of 14-15 knots and waves 3.5 to four feet. In addition, the new system's motorized ferry travels at up to 12 knots, 8.5 knots faster than previous ferries.

"They took the old system and made huge adjustments, increasing maneuverability, speed and stability so that beach groups will have a steadier, faster platform to work from," said Capt. Harry Bolton, Lopez's civilian master who has 33 years of experience in command of MPS.

Overhead photos of MSC lighterage by Michael Alston, ship with INLS astern by Lt. Cmdr. Bryan E. Heller.

One question that needs to be asked is why in the hell it has taken so long to get INLS moving to Haiti? It was one of my first thoughts (see here) on hearing the major port of Haiti was fouled, and I'm just an old retired hack.

As a MARAD spokesman was quoted in one other post, each ship can carry more than what 400 aircraft can. The US military should quit screwing around with Haitian airports and work on Haitian ports.

UPDATE: Nice Wall Street Journal article that gets the point here:

Getting the port even partially operational would allow officials to speed deliveries of humanitarian aid and supplies and relieve the airport, also making it easier to resume commercial flights to Port-au-Prince. Two other Haitian terminals, used to bring in fuel, have also been heavily damaged, said Reginal Villard, a Port-au Prince shipping agent.

Relief organizations and commercial shippers are chomping at the bit to get cargo in and unloaded. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard told Mr. Villard he could unload a barge carrying 123 containers of emergency aid towed by a tugboat from Alabama through Puerto Rico to Port-au Prince. But it would have to be done gingerly, he was told.

Crowley Maritime Corp., a Jacksonville, Fla., shipper which operates throughout the Caribbean, said it will conduct a test beach landing on Friday. A Crowley ship carrying 12 containers loaded with water and ready-to-eat meals will anchor off Port-au-Prince, a spokesman said. A smaller vessel, with a crane aboard, will be waiting to unload the containers and carry the supplies to the beach.

Crowley also plans to bring a barge in by Feb. 2 and "put it on the beach to have it serve as a makeshift dock," the spokesman said.

Crowley is going to do its own JLOTS, I suppose.

Haiti: Crane ships and more ordered to Haiti

H/T: GCaptain and to Ken Adams (see comments). DOT Press Release here.

MARAD ships are getting ordered to Haiti:

The U.S. Maritime Administration
announced Monday that MV Gopher State, MV Cornhusker State (photos to left) and SS Cape May will join OPDS Petersburg from California and M/V Huakai from Hawaii.

“Sending these ships will help those on the front line of this effort save as many lives in Haiti as possible,” Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said. “These ships will add crucial capabilities by supporting operations to move large volumes of people and cargo.”

Acting Maritime Administrator David T. Matsuda added, “These ships and skilled crews are ideally suited to assist in Haiti by providing unique capabilities. One cargo ship can carry as much as 400 fully loaded cargo planes.”

During today's Blogger Roundtable, LTG Keen discussed the severe fuel shortages adding the complexity of humanitarian operations in Haiti. The immediate solution is OPDS Petersburg.

What are OPDS ships? See here:

Today planning for petroleum delivery to combat shore areas is on-going. As noted here, the basic system is the Offshore Petroleum Discharge System (OPDS). OPDS defined:

Provides a semipermanent, all-weather facility for bulk transfer of petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) directly from an offshore tanker to a beach termination unit (BTU) located immediately inland from the high watermark. POL then is either transported inland or stored in the beach support area. Major offshore petroleum discharge systems (OPDS) components are: the OPDS tanker with booster pumps and spread mooring winches; a recoverable single anchor leg mooring (SALM) to accommodate tankers of up to 70,000 deadweight tons; ship to SALM hose lines; up to 4 miles of 6-inch (internal diameter) conduit for pumping to the beach; and two BTUs to interface with the shoreside systems. OPDS can support a two line system for multiproduct discharge, but ship standoff distance is reduced from 4 to 2 miles. Amphibious construction battalions install the OPDS with underwater construction team assistance. OPDS are embarked on selected ready reserve force tankers modified to support the system.

All of which means that the Navy runs a pipeline to the beach from a mooring buoy offshore to which product tankers can connect and pump their cargo to storage facilities operated by the Army on the shore. This system is operated by the Military Sealift Command:

The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command awarded a $26.6 million contract with options to Edison Chouest Offshore, based in Galliano, La., for the time charter of one Offshore Petroleum Discharge System, or OPDS.

The OPDS consists of two ships -- a support ship and a tender -- that work together to pump fuel for U.S. military forces from a commercial oil tanker moored at sea to a temporary fuel storage area ashore.

To begin the process, the 348-foot support ship and 165-foot tender work together to install up to eight miles of eight-inch-diameter flexible pipe. Next, the support ship positions the tanker for safe off-load operations. While the tender holds the tanker in place, the tanker's lines connect to the flexible pipe through the support ship. Booster pumps aboard the support ship increase the pressure of fuel, pushing the fuel to shore.

The OPDS is especially valuable in areas where fuel piers are unavailable, and tankers are unable to tie up ashore to off-load fuel. The OPDS can pump up to 1.7 million gallons of fuel per day.

The system has been recently exercised. And, no, that ship is not sinking, it's just positioning itself to offload the Single Anchor Leg Moor component of OPDS.

Comparison of "old" OPDS with new contract OPDS:


From PowerPoint presentations which can be reached from here and here.
The new system allows for use of other tankers, greater offshore distance and more flexibility.

Two of the ships are Auxiliary Crane Ships (ACS) and will substantially add to the ability to move cargo from ship to shore.

Cape May is a Seabee class barge carrier - which, I think might prove to be perfect for transporting JLOTS barges, as seen in the nearby photos, the Navy Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) can fit nicely onto barges, but the deck of Cape May is of a size that INLS can be "mother shipped" on deck.

Deck loading for Cape May is a feature of its design:





As noted here:

SEABEE carriers are capable of embarking barges at the stern using winch-driven lift platforms with a load-carrying capacity of more than 2,000 metric tons. Barges are loaded, usually in pairs, by being floated into the dock-like afterbody of the ship over the lowered lifting platforms, then lifted up to deck height, from where they are rolled into the ship on very flat rail-mounted trolleys. This type of transfer is thus known as "lift and roll". The Lykes Line's SEABEE ships can stow thirty-eight barges on three decks. Special fittings allow the upper deck to be loaded with containers instead of barges. SEABEE ships are able to carry containers and other cargoes on deck, but these ships do not have on-board lifting gear for such cargoes.

And here:

The SEABARGE (SEABEE) is arranged much differently from the LASH in that it has three decks on which the cargo barges or container flats are stowed. Barges are brought to each deck level by a stern elevator and are moved internally within the ship by the Transporter (conveyor) System. Two barges can be loaded or discharged in a cycle of about 40 minutes. SEABEE barge ships can carry up to 38 sea barges (97'6" long x 35' wide x 16'11" high). The elevator capacity is 2,000 LT. The SEABEE ship is the preferred ship to transport landing craft, utility, and lighter, amphibious resupply, cargo 60 ton. The military advantages of barge carriers include their suitability to carry either unit equipment, sustaining supplies, or ammunition; the ability to carry amphibious lighterage; and the capability to preload the barges before ship arrival and to discharge cargo from the barges at relatively austere port facilities, after the ship has sailed. Their military disadvantages include a complete dependence on a single, very complicated mechanical system for barge discharge; the barge's dependence, once afloat, upon the availability of towage; and the overall unsuitability of the barges for towing outside harbors or other protected waters.

The Sea Barge (SEABEE) transportation systems operate similar to a containership. In these systems, cargo is stowed in unitized barges. The barges are then stowed aboard a barge carrier. One major difference between containerships and barge carriers is the amount of cargo that lighters or barges can handle. SEABEE barges have cubic capacities of 40,000 ft3 (30 160 m3). The SEABEE system has an elevator to load its barges.

The SEABEE system operates similarly to the LASH system. Barge stowage is configured for deck loading. Barges are stowed and discharged by a stern-mounted, submersible 2,400-LTON (5,376,000 lb, 2 400 000 kg) ship's elevator. Barges are transferred from the elevator platform on one of the three decks for stowage by two large transporters. Each SEABEE carrier has a capacity of 38 barges; however, only 24 barges are currently available per vessel. In addition, the SEABEE ship can carry logistics-over-the-shore lighterage on its weather deck. (emphasis added)

From the DOT Press Release: M/V Huakai is a new high-speed passenger and vehicle ferry capable of speeds of nearly 40 knots in the open ocean. It was obtained by the Maritime Administration when a Hawaiian ferry company failed and abandoned it. Since late last week it has been undergoing preparations in Norfolk, VA.

UPDATE: DOD Bloggers Roundtable with LTG Keen: (warning - auto opening podcast)

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with Lt. Gen. P. K. (Ken) Keen, Commander Joint Task Force Haiti. Lt. Gen. Keen provided an update of ongoing U.S. military disaster relief operations in Haiti. SOUTHCOM is closely monitoring the situation and is working with the U.S. State Department, United States Agency for International Development and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and other national and international agencies to determine how to best respond to this crisis.

JLOTS can be pushed forward as port assessment continues. "Getting the ports open is absolutely critical..."

Haiti: JLOTS ordered up

I have an unconfirmed report that the tools for JLOTS including various crane ships have activated.

See Without the Port, JLOTs could help

Army JLOTS photos (to right) by Mike W Petersen.

Photos below provided by reader/commentator Leesea:






All show crane ship operations in conjunction with JLOTS. If you are going to move heavy equipment for infrastructure tear downs and repair, camp site building and the like, you need all this stuff.

UPDATE: Using Roll On-Roll-Off ships with INLS will get much needed earth movers on the shore.

UPDATE: More on JLOTS here (describing a 2006 exercise):

Logistics-Over-the-Shore (LOTS) operations discharge strategic vessels without the benefit of a fixed port. Large ships are anchored in mid-stream while a floating platform called a Roll-on/Roll-Off Discharge Facility (RRDF) is deployed next to the ship's ramp. The cargo is downloaded onto the RRDF and then loaded onto smaller watercraft called lighterage and transported directly to the beach or temporary piers. Both the Army and Navy have assets to conduct LOTS operations.

What it looks like with a Roll-On Roll-Off ship:



Photo caption:

USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-304) anchored off the coast of Red Beach in Camp Pendelton, CA., 24 July 2008, with the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility attached to the improved Navy lighterage system during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. JLOTS 2008 is an engineering, logistical training exercise between Army and Navy units under a joint force commander as a means to load and unload ships without the benefit of deep draft-capable, fixed port facilities. US Navy photo # 080724-N-1424C-197 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 24, 2008) by MC2 Brian P. Caracci.

And more on the Army side here:

Soldiers with the 331st Transportation Company from
Fort Eustis, Va., "stab" the beach with the Army Trident Pier July, 21 during Joint Logistics Over the Shore 2008. The Trident Pier is a floating causeway that will allow Soldiers and Sailors to move rolling stock and shipping containers from ships anchored at sea onto the shore using an improvised port. The critical training the Soldiers and Sailors receive allows them to quickly and efficiently move equipment from ship to shore for military missions or humanitarian assistance when a port is nonexistent or has been destroyed. (Photo by Sgt. Stephen Proctor, JTF8 Public Affairs)

And, of course, a video:


No other country in the world can bring this sort of "ready now" equipment to a disaster area.