Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG (Derek E. Terveer) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Sealift for Desert Shield Keywords: war sealift ships desert shield Message-ID: <1991Jan22.021408.21906@cbnews.att.com> Date: 22 Jan 91 02:14:08 GMT References: <1991Jan16.013547.10502@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Home System (One of the Eternal Champions); Eagan, MN, 55123-2507, USA Lines: 58 Approved: military@att.att.com From: det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG (Derek E. Terveer) cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) writes: >To supply the current force level in the Gulf for combat operations >will require 100 to 150 shiploads of dry cargo per month, plus 10 >to 15 tankers per month (yes, really - to meet naval and aircraft >fuel needs). This breaks down to the arrival of 25 to 30 cargo ships >per day in SA to sustain combat operations. Hmmm, i don't follow the math here. Perhaps you have a typo somewhere? I figure that 150 cargo + 15 tankers = 165 ships/month = 165 ships/30 days = 5.5 ships/day. How did you get 30 ships per day?? >How many ships are needed to meet this requirement? Assume a trip >(one-way) of approx. 6,000 miles (US to SA). The average speed of >the ships would be about 10-15 knots per day, for a distance of ^^^ I think you mean per hour. >about 360 nautical miles per day. The one-way trip would take that is 360 miles at 15/hr. The avg of 10 to 15 is 12.5, which means "about 300 miles/day" >about 17 days. about 20 days at 300 miles/day >Total transit time would be: >Load in port of origin ......... 2 days >Crossing to SA .................17 days >Unloading in SA ................ 2 days >Return trip ....................17 days > --------- >TOTAL 38 days >For 30 arrivals per day, this would require > 30 ships/day x 38 days = 1,140 ships 5.5 ships/day x 41 days = 225.5 ships >I am ignoring the tanker problem, because currently there is a large >surplus of tanker capacity worldwide; tanker capacity should not >pose a problem. >The question is, do we currently have the sealift capacity? Here are For 30 arrivals per day, i am not certain that "we" have the port capacity. We quite possibly have the port capacity for 5.5 arrivals/day. -- Derek "Tigger" Terveer det@hawkmoon.MN.ORG - MNFHA, NCS - UMN Women's Lax, MWD I am the way and the truth and the light, I know all the answers; don't need your advice. -- "I am the way and the truth and the light" -- The Legendary Pink Dots