USS New Orleans and Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

Mid-December saw the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) practicing loading and unloading the Marine's new expeditionary fighting vehicle (EFV).

It is designed to deliver a squad of Marines to shore from beyond the horizon, at three times, yes, three times the speed of current vehicles, drive up on shore and travel far inland, and operate as well as or better than the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.





The EFV looks amazing in the water. Essentially, it moves so fast that it looks very strange, like a tank being propelled from underneath by Godzilla. It actually hydroplanes to shore. One wonders what kind of gas mileage it gets in that configuration.


The New Orleans is a San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship. It was previously transporting automobiles owned by Navy personnel between Hawaii and the West Coast.

New Photo of USNS Arctic's Helo Rescuing Survivors

This is a new photo of the USNS Arctic's helicopter rescue of seven stranded mariners. It was performed by the "'Sea Knights' of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22," as the US Navy reports.

The rescue was in the Arabian Sea.

The Arctic is a large, fast resupply ship that can keep up with carriers, and that can resupply itself from smaller ships. The whole fleet of ships no longer has to slow way down to resupply because the Arctic is there.

As you can see, it has other capabilities, too.

USS Chaffee at Pearl Harbor

On my one trip to Hawaii one of the real thrills was flying over Pearl Harbor from the west.

I was lucky enough to be on the left side of the airplane and could look down and see row after row of US Navy ships tied up in bunches in the harbor. I couldn't help but remember that this was the flight path of one of the Japanese squadrons at the start of WWII.

This picture is of much happier times, though Sailors are still shipping off to a war. The USS Chaffee (DDG 90), a guided missile destroyer, is in the background. In the foreground is the barge of the commanding officer of Naval Station Pearl Harbor, which is making the rounds to pick up judges for the Christmas light decorating contest. You can see the Sailor's with Santa hats on the deck. Picture 20 Dec. 2007, courtesy of Ensign Theresa Donnelly.

USS Russell

The USS Russell (DDG 59), a guided missile destroyer, won the annual Christmas light contest at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii this year. The ship, decked out in all its glory, is pictured at night at the dock. Picture is courtesy of Ensign Theresa Donnelly.

USNS Arctic Rescues Stranded Mariners

The USNS Arctic is a fast supply ship that can keep up with aircraft carrier groups. While resupplying the USS Harry Truman today, it received a message from a British ship requesting help with the rescue of some sailors stranded in a raft in the Arabian Sea.

Arctic and Truman made an emergency separation, and Arctic launched two helicopters to rescue the 7 seamen, four Pakistanis and three Indians.

The keel of their dhow had snapped in high seas and the craft was sinking when they got into their raft. They were at sea two days before being spotted.