U.S. Navy delivers tanks, supplies to Norway for NATO exercise
MV Sarawak was the first of two giant cargo ships carrying U.S. Army tanks, and other equipment, supporting the Army's participation in NATO exercise Strong Resolve 2002. MV Louise Russ was the second ship to arrive Feb. 26.
"It took all the tugs' power to hold the ship in position and safely move it pier-side," said Military Sealift Command, Northern Europe's operations officer Paul Weitenberg, on-site for the cargo operations. "There was heavy snow and strong winds-it took a great deal of skill by the tugs' crew."
Overall, MSC ships delivered more than 7,000 tons of military hardware to Strong Resolve, held March 1-15 in Norway and Poland. 12 NATO countries participated in Norway, while 13 NATO and 12 partnership-for-peace nations participated in Poland.
The exercise, held every four years, includes naval, ground and air forces, and tests NATO's ability to respond to two different crises at the same time-a collective defense operation in Norway invoking NATO's "Article Five," or, an "attack on one, is an attack on all," collective defense policy, and the deployment of a NATO-led Combined Joint Task Force in Poland to mediate between warring countries beyond NATO's area of responsibility.
U.S. Army 'snow-cat' all-terrain vehicles, trucks, trailers, and tanker trucks loaded with jet fuel rumbled down the roll-on/roll-off ramps of both ships.
"All the equipment necessary to perform and survive operations in winter conditions," Weitenberg said. Bad weather had little impact on cargo operations in Norway, however, as both ships were off-loaded in a matter of hours.
Cargo was loaded in Bremerhaven, Germany, Feb. 18 and 21 respectively, by Military Sealift Command, Northern Europe, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and the Military Traffic Management Command's 950th Transportation Battalion, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Military Sealift Command provides ocean transportation for the U.S. Department of Defense, and often contracts commercial cargo vessels to move military hardware around Europe, Scandinavia, parts of Africa and parts of the Middle East. For more information on Military Sealift Command, Europe, refer to the command's homepage at www.msc.navy.mil/msceur.
(FROM MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND - EUROPE)
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