Big naval hostage rescue exercise in Atlantic
Even JTF 2 will be there:
Canadian and American military forces and security agencies will take part later this month in a massive exercise where they will be faced with a mock hostage-taking at sea.
About 3,000 people from both sides of the border are slated to take part in the scenario, which will take place in both Canadian and international waters for four days beginning June 24.
"I’m going to run, at the end of this month, the largest domestic security exercise that Canada has ever done — it’s called Frontier Sentinel," Rear Admiral Dean McFadden, commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic, said Tuesday.
From this side of the border, the RCMP, the military, the Canada Border Services Agency, the coast guard and Transport Canada will be involved. The U.S. navy, coast guard and Justice Department will also take part.
"I will be pushing ships to sea," Rear Admiral McFadden said. "A boarding party will move. It will move from a ship that it is not normally embarked in."
Even Canada’s elite Joint Task Force 2 commandos will monitor the exercise in case the scenario turns out to have links to terrorism, the admiral said.
The USS Wasp, an American amphibious assault ship [a really, really Big Honking Ship] due in Halifax next week, will take part in the exercise...
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 1:46 p.m.
4 Comments:
Kind of ironic that an actual hostage-taking took place with a US warship (of similar class to the Gunston Hall) within spitting distance. Ultimately they broke off pursuit when the pirates entered Somali territorial waters and the right of hot pursuit ceased.
Too bad we'd never fund a Wasp-class LHD instead of an LSD. You can cram much more hardware into the LHD and still pack a significant offensive punch of 6 STOVL fixed-wing birds, 16 heavy-lift helos, 4 attack helos and 4 utility slicks. Plus three LCACs to get everyone ashore.
The LSDs only net you 2 heavy-lift helos and 4 LCACs in the well deck. They are a little more advantageous in terms of crew size though. =)
and then we have this
http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=120719
sorry truncated the URL
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U.S. Navy Awards Northrop Grumman $2.4 Billion Contract to Build New Amphibious Assault Ship LHA 6
PASCAGOULA, Miss., June 1, 2007 -- The U.S. Navy today awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $2.4 billion fixed-price incentive contract for the detail design and construction of the amphibious assault ship, LHA 6. Work will be performed primarily at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and ship delivery is scheduled for 2012.
Artist's rendition of the amphibious assault ship, LHA 6
Artist's rendition of the amphibious assault ship, LHA 6
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.primezone.com/noc/
"This contract award reinforces the U.S. Navy's confidence that we have recovered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and are capable of meeting the warfighters' needs in a timely and cost effective manner," said Philip Teel, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector. "We are proud to have been the sole provider of these ships since USS Tarawa (LHA 1), commissioned in 1976.
"This contract is not only important to our employees, our company and our community but also to the sailors and U.S. Marines who will operate these ships in defending our nation's freedom," Teel continued.
"The workforce on the Gulf Coast has a proud history of success in building amphibious ships for the United States Navy. I am pleased that Mississippi continues to maintain its partnership with the Navy and Northrop Grumman in providing innovative and state-of-the-art vessels for the U.S. Marines defending our country," said U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi.
"Geared around mobility and the need to quickly project naval power throughout the globe, the LHA program is essential for meeting 21st Century security threats," said U.S. Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi. "The program is a big part of our Gulf Coast's ongoing economic recovery as well. Since Hurricane Katrina, we've seen many national and international companies show confidence in our state's skilled workforce, creating hundreds of new jobs. This contract is a reaffirmation of Mississippi's longstanding shipbuilding industry and the professional men and women who continue that tradition. I know the U.S. Navy and the American taxpayer will once again be well served by Northrop Grumman, and I look forward to the day this ship is delivered."
The LHA 6 will replace one of the aging LHA 1 class of amphibious assault ships. Like its predecessors, it will be able to operate as the flagship for an expeditionary strike group. Ships of this type may also play a key role in the Maritime Pre-Positioning Force (Future). Northrop Grumman has built five LHAs as well as seven USS Wasp (LHD 1) class ships. The Pascagoula shipyard is currently building an eighth LHD, Makin Island.
LHA 6 design modifications optimize aviation operations and support activities. Removal of the well deck provides for an extended hangar deck with two wider high bay areas, each fitted with an overhead crane for aircraft maintenance. Other enhancements include a reconfigurable command and control complex, a hospital facility, additional aviation fuel capacity, and numerous aviation support spaces.
These changes equip the ship to be an integral part of joint, interagency and multinational maritime forces. It will be configured to support landing force elements as well as various naval amphibious command and control and support organizations.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 122,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.
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Now that's a honking big through-deck cruiser:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible_class_aircraft_carrier
Sort of reminds me of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex_class_aircraft_carrier
Mark
Ottawa
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