US NAvy T-AKR Roll on/Roll Off military sea lift vessels

tphuang said:

Is any of these guys stationed in Baltimore's inner harbour? I was over there this weekend and was convinced that I saw two of them.

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Jeff Head said:

You may have seen some of these MSC vessels...could ahve been the FSS, LMSR, or regular RORO vessels. All of them are very large and altoghter there are about 40 of them or so.

But, as Popeye says, it's not because Baltimore is their "home port."

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maarrkk said:

I would prefer China over USA

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Jeff Head said:

We have just talked about the 27 really large vessels here. There are another couple of dozen "smaller" RORO and other similar vessels (weighing in the 30,000+ ton range) that do the same.

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timepass said:

What are those vessels are… could you elaborate further with the details with PICs of these babies, please.

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Military Sealift Command's

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is an essential element in the U.S. military's readiness strategy. Afloat prepositioning strategically places military equipment and supplies aboard ships located in key ocean areas to ensure rapid availability during a major theater war, a humanitarian operation or other contingency. MSC's 30 prepositioning ships support the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency.
Prepositioning ships provide quick and efficient movement of military gear between operating areas without reliance on other nations' transportation networks. These ships give U.S. regional combatant commanders the assurance that they will have what they need to quickly respond in a crisis - anywhere, anytime. During a contingency, troops are flown into a theater of operations to rapidly employ the cargo from these ships.
Many of MSC's prepositioning ships are able to discharge liquid, containerized or motorized cargo both pierside or while anchored offshore by using floating hoses and shallow-draft watercraft, called lighterage, that are carried aboard. This allows cargo to be ferried to shore in areas where ports are non-existent or in poor condition and gives the nation's military forces the ability to operate in both developed and undeveloped areas of the world.
Prepositioning ships include a combination of U.S. government-owned ships, chartered U.S.- flagged ships and ships activated from the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force. All prepositioning ships are crewed by U.S. civilian mariners who work for ship operating companies under contract to the federal government.
While most active ships in MSC's Prepositioning Program strategically place combat gear at sea, there are other ships, including:

• Two high-speed vessels - one that transports Marines, their combat vehicles and their associated gear in and around the Far East; and a second that serves as a platform for a variety of missions worldwide.
• A chartered offshore petroleum distribution system ship that can deliver fuel from up to eight miles offshore; and
• Two aviation logistics support ships that are activated as needed from reduced operating status to provide at-sea maintenance for Marine Corps fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft

Prepositioning Ships For All U.S. Forces

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  support the U.S. Marine Corps;
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  support the U.S. Army; and
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  support not only those three agencies contained in the name, but also the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army.

Strategic Locations
Most MSC prepositioning ships are strategically located in two geographic areas and assigned to one of two Maritime Prepositioning Ship squadrons:

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  is located at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean; and
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  is located in the Western Pacific Ocean.

MSC's two aviation logistics support ships and some of the LMSRs are kept in reduced operating status and berthed in the U.S.

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bd popeye said:

Here's the info you need. edited for content..follow the link for the full article.

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