Posted on 03/29/2024 1:20:35 PM PDT by rxsid
“Huge Problem”: The Pentagon’s Rapid Wartime Response Cargo Ships Are Trapped in Baltimore After Bridge Collapse
By Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge • Mar. 29, 2024
(ZeroHedge)—Two high-speed military cargo ships are stuck in the Port of Baltimore following Tuesday morning’s collapse of the 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge. The major US East Coast port has been paralyzed for several days as the bridge collapse prevents inbound and outbound vessel traffic along the harbor’s channel.
Using the automatic identification system, or AIS, data that tracks commercial vessels, three bulk carriers, two general cargo ships, one vehicle carrier, one tanker, and four Ready Reserve Force vessels (RRF), along with the container ship Dali that struck the bridge, are trapped in the harbor, according to the shipping blog gCaptain.
The three bulk carriers include:
The vehicle carrier is:
The tanker is:
The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Force vessels include:
According to the military blog The War Zone, (TWZ), Algol class vessels are “some of the fastest cargo vessels of their general size anywhere in the world.” These ships are part of the RRF, a subset of vessels within MARAD’s National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) that provide surge sealift capability to the Pentagon for overseas conflicts.
TWZ said the activation process of RRF vessels takes about five to ten days. The vessels are operated with a skeleton crew until called upon.
RRF are stationed at major marine ports around the US.
TWZ noted the Algol class vessels have been called into action several times over the last three decades:
Algol class have been called upon multiple times since they entered US service. Just five of these ships were responsible for transporting 20 percent of US cargo sent from the United States to Saudi Arabia during the first phase of Operation Desert Shield in the immediate run-up to the First Gulf War. The ships would go on to deliver 13 percent of all cargo that arrived in Saudi Arabia from the United States in the full course of that conflict.The US military subsequently used Algols to support operations in Somalia and the Balkans in the 1990s, as well as the opening phases of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in the early 2000s.
Breitbart News’ Kristina Wong reported on Thursday that “The Department of Transportation will not say how many National Defense Reserve Fleet Ships are Stuck” in the Baltimore harbor.
Baltimore Bridge Mess: DOT Will Not Say How Many National Defense Reserve Fleet Ships Stuck https://t.co/Nz7FPPQ2QT via @BreitbartNews— Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) March 28, 2024
The current readiness of the RRF fleet is unknown. And just like that, part of America’s RRF fleet was taken out not by a missile or suicide drone, but a container ship that allegedly suffered a catastrophic ‘electric issue’. America’s enemies are taking note.
The Chinese.
Well...they certainly have the means and motive.
Why are zero of these ships US flagged?
Just blow the wreckage [after removing the ship of cargo].
They already sold off all the emergency oil to power their fantasy fleet
Watching all this happen, the collapse of infrastructure and now failing military capability... it’s like I’m back in college reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
As long as China, Russia, Iran, and N. Korea play nice for the next year....we'll be fine.......
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Looks like a test run to me. Crippling our economy and paralyzing Naval activity in one fell swoop looks like a win-win for them to me. They learned from the Covid market disruptions. As Sun Tzu wrote, the Supreme Art of War is to win without fighting.
I know some good old boys who could have that channel opened up in 12 hours.
Problem is they don’t use preferred pronouns so the govt probably won’t call them.
All just a terrible coincidence!
It’s only two of the eight total Algol vessels, and if they really need to leave, the Seabees and the Army Corps of Engineers can likely have the shipping channel clear in a day. It would take much longer to remove all of the wreckage from the river, but clearing *just* the channel enough to get those ships out is doable in an emergency.
There are 118,000 ships in the world. Only 115 are US flagged.
Blame politicians and unions.
There is a story that some of the cargo on the container ship had hazardous materials.
Well of course. Cause this was just an accident according to the Chinese FBI....
nothing to see here....just coicidence...we’re just paranoid....everything is alright and normal.
Hell, they did that on a regular basis during WWII clearing Italian and French ports.
Underwater reconnaissance, demolition, and removal of obstructions are all primary elements of the USN SEAL mission. From that perspective, this is just a temporary impediment.
Anyone hear the adage of all eggs in one basket.
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