Well, time to get the Navy "instant port" teams into action. See my earlier post Aid to Haiti: Port Broken? JLOTS could help.
Need cranes? Navy crane ships should be underway. Photo: SS Cornhusker State (ACS-6), SS Flickertail State (ACS-5) tied up at the Moon Engineering Corporation pier on the Elizabeth River, Norfolk, VA., 21 July 1994 for routine overhaul.US Department of Defense photo # DN-ST-95-00962 by Don Montgomery USN Ret.
About the crane ships:
Description
The six auxiliary crane ships are U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force ships that can be quickly activated to support military sea transportation needs. These self-sustaining ships are useful in ports that have limited, damaged or undeveloped port facilities. When activated, they come under operational control of Military Sealift Command.
Features
The auxiliary crane ships are converted container ships with three twin boom pedestal cranes which can lift containers or other cargo from themselves or adjacent vessels and deposit the cargo on a pier or lighterage.
Background
The ten Keystone State Class ships are conversion crane ships the first of which was completed in 1984 and the last of which was completed in 1997. Five of the ships were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1990-91. USNS Gopher State acted as a temporary Army prepositioning ship in 1994. Four of the ten ships have been deactivated and transferred to the reserve fleet.
Update: Thanks to Ken Adams and Fred Fry for the linkage to the MSC ACS site.
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