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CNN Sunday Morning

The Possible Role of Amphibious Assault Ships in Afghanistan

Aired October 28, 2001 - 07:24   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Marine and Navy officers will tell you amphibious assault ships can play a role in the U.S. war on terrorism because of their speed and flexibility. CNN's Paul Vercammen is aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard for a training exercise. And he joins us -- or he shows us why amphibious capabilities are not a long way from those images of "Saving Private Ryan."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crowded in fog, built for speed, the USS Bonhomme Richard is honing its skill...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the shuttle one, right?

VERCAMMEN: ... at launching hell and help from the air or sea.

CAPT. STANLEY DE GEUS, BONHOMME RICHARD: Fast reaction, good range, combat troops onboard to quickly, and effectively, and efficiently strike at a particular objective.

VERCAMMEN: Since the September 11 terror attacks...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been picking up the pace in training.

VERCAMMEN: ... training has intensified for Marines and sailors assigned to this more than 800-foot long amphibious assault ship positioned five miles off the coast near San Diego.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone's really anxious, really nervous, and really ready and really prepared.

VERCAMMEN (on-camera): The commanding officers aboard this vessel stress this is not your grandparents' armed forces. This amphibious assault vehicle can launch a lot of troops and a lot of cargo almost instantaneously, and send boats hop-scotching far inland.

(voice-over): Land-locked targets are well within reach of amphibious warships because they can establish base camps, refuel and resupply.

COMMODORE CHRISTOPHER AMES, USS BONHOMME RICHARD: We can open the door for even a larger force to come in. We can kick the door down, let's say, at an airport, seize the airport and then let our sister services flow in -- the Air Force, the Army -- to take an even larger beachhead.

VERCAMMEN: Some Navy officers refer to the Bonhomme Richard as three acres of floating, sovereign U.S. soil. It's manned by up to 1,100 sailors and carries up to 2,000 Marines. The Bonhomme Richard and its sister ships can provide humanitarian assistance and medical aid through large onboard hospitals.

While beyond the enemy horizon, the Richard can quickly airlift troops via helicopter above and behind enemy lines, send out carrier jets to provide firepower, and launch a modern-day Trojan horse, the LCAC, Landing Craft Air Cushion.

The hovercraft travels up to 48 miles per hour fully loaded, carrying everything from assault amphibian vehicles, to tanks, to trucks, along with dozens of Marines. The Navy reports the hovercraft can reach more than 70 percent of the world's coastline.

LCACs hit the beach with a cloud of dust, and quickly return to their motherships to reload.

COL. CHRISTOPHER GUNTHER, USMC: No more of the sort of "Private Ryan" vision where its landing craft across the beach and a very slow move inland. Now we have a capability to be much more precise and much more rapid, and much deeper operational capabilities.

VERCAMMEN: Colonel Gunther believes Navy, Marine or Blue Green Teams may soon become key players in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

GUNTHER: It just stands to reason when you look at the ranges that are involved and the dynamics of the war against the Taliban and the al Qaeda network, the places you have to go to get to them are a long ways inland.

VERCAMMEN: The initial springboard for Marine expeditionary forces can often be on amphibious assault ships out at sea, out of sight, and out of enemy reach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CAO, what's the status of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

VERCAMMEN: Paul Vercammen, CNN, Oceanside, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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