USNS Montford Point exercises capabilities during Rim of the Pacific operations
As Rim of the Pacific 2014 (RIMPAC), a multinational maritime exercise that takes place in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands, headed into its underway phase off the coast of Hawaii, the USNS Montford Point (MLP 1) tested state-of-the-art sea basing capabilities 2,500 miles away near San Diego as part of RIMPAC's Southern California element, wrote James Marconi, Military Sealift Command Public Affairs, in a blog post on the MSC website.
The USNS Montford Point is operated for MSC by Ocean Ships, Inc. and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
From July 8 to 10, the USNS Montford Point participated in testing exercises with Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) and the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) from Assault Craft Unit Five based at Camp Pendleton. Working off the coast of Camp Pendleton, just north of San Diego, the ship conducted timed docking and launching exercises with the Marine crafts, Marconi wrote.
The exercise is part of a series of tests being conducted with the MLP until the ship becomes fully operational, he wrote.
"Being included in RIMPAC 2014 is a great opportunity for Military Sealift Command and the relatively new capabilities of the Mobile Landing Platform," said Cmdr. Ray Franklin, operations officer for Military Sealift Command Pacific. "Exercises like RIMPAC give us the opportunity to demonstrate our support to the fleet and the Navy's missions that are on the horizon."
This year marks the 24th RIMPAC exercise that began in 1971. Twenty-three nations, 49 surface ships, 6 submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate, including units from the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the People's Republic of China, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.
A Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 transports Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles to the mobile landing platform USNS Montford Point (MLP 1) as part of an amphibious operations demonstration during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 off the coast of Camp Pendleton, California. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Joshua Scott/Released
A Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicle launches from the USNS Montford Point. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Joshua Scott/Released
Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles disembark from a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5 onto the USNS Montford Point. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Joshua Scott/Released
Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles aboard the USNS Montford Point prepare to deploy. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Donnell Evans/Released