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Sirius Super Puma pounces on opportunity

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NAPLES, Italy (USTCNS) --- On July 10, USNS Sirius and her Super Puma made a headache for USS Enterprise go away.

The 'Big E' was conducting replenishment at sea with the USNS Sirius, a member of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF). The Enterprise's supply officer, Navy Cmdr. Bill Dawson was in a fix. His department had to move an E-2C's T-56 427 retrograde engine over to the Sirius for transport back into the supply system. The same powerplant used on P-3's and C-130s, a T-56, on its engine stand, weighs in at two tons.

In the past, NFAF ships like Sirius carried active-duty Navy aviators that flew the CH-46. Enterprise's Supply knew from experience that 4,000 pounds was above the maximum payload of the CH-46's. For a while, the 'Big E' considered asking the CH-53E folks of HC-4 out of Sigonella to do the job. The drawback was that it would take some time to coordinate their services.

Initial unfamiliarity with the Super Puma and its capabilities had left it out of the discussion. After sorting through many of the options, the Supply department asked the Sirius if the contract Super Pumas could handle the load.

The Sirius cheerfully replied, "Ready to answer all bells!"

After test rigging and lifting in the Enterprise's hangar bay to guarantee correct center of balance, Dawson's team moved the engine to the flight deck early in the morning of July 10 to place it at the end of a 300 pallet underway replenishment package. As the Supply department waited, the Sirius worked through the pallets.

At the end of the evolution, the Super Puma hooked up to the engine. The contractors expertly lifted the cargo off Big E's flight deck without a hiccup and with plenty of power to spare. The movement of the engine to Sirius was smooth and quick.

After the completion of the lift, Dawson signaled, "the pilots are the most professional, focused, safe, and easy to work with group of helo pilots we have seen. Evolutions are quick, precise, efficient, [with] very little breakage due to rough handling of pallets. These guys are true pros ... My flight deck team is fast and efficient, but even they have trouble keeping up with the pace the Pumas can sustain during VERTREP evolutions. I am a believer."

USNS Sirius is operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command and is one of six Combat Stores Ships. The ship is 524 feet in length and displaces 16,792 tons.

(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND - EUROPE PUBLIC AFFAIRS)

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