Three of the five US Army ships that left the US coast a month and a half ago are now off the coast of Israel and Gaza, to build the temporary floating pier. These include the USAV Matamoros and USAV Montereyboth of which are Runnymede-class large landing craft, and the General Frank S. Besson, which is a slightly larger logistics support vessel (LSV). They have been joined by several other larger US Navy ships, and the group of vessels is expected to grow. The UK said it is sending a vessel to help with the effort.
The US Pentagon press secretary Maj.-Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Thursday that the “US military vessels to include the USNS Benavidez “have begun to construct the initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea.”
CNN also reported that a senior military official confirmed that “we are on track to begin delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza from the sea in early May.” This could see 90 trucks per day disembark and eventually reach 150 trucks per day. This would ostensibly mean increasing the number of trucks entering Gaza by 50% and 25%, over the usual average of some 200-400 a day.
The coterie of ships is now on its way to complete the mission. Ryder made reference to a new ship that has joined the armada and is now off the coast of Gaza, according to vessel-tracking websites. The USNS Benavidez is a 290-meter Bob Hope-class roll-on-roll-off cargo ship. She left port in Newport News, Virginia, in the US on March 21. Several other vessels also left in March, destined for Gaza.
USNI News said that “Military Sealift Command ships Fool and USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK-3010)” departed from the US for Gaza. During the trip, the Bobo suffered an engine room fire in April and had to return to port. The Baldomero Lopez is a 204-meter ship that can carry cargo, gear, and equipment.
The Benavidez is part of the US Department of Transportation, US Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Ready Reserve Fleet. It brought some of the components of the modular floating pier that is being built by the US Army’s 7th Transportation Brigade. The US Army is building the pier under its unique capability known as Joint Logistics-Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS.
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