U.S. High Speed Vessel Arrives In Zamboanga, Unloads Tons Of Fresh Humanitarian Supplies For Poor Muslim Areas In Southern RP

Photos by Zamboanga Journal

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 21 Jun) A United States Navy High-Speed Vessel (HSV-Joint Venture) arrived Wednesday in Zamboanga City and unloaded fresh supplies to support an ongoing joint humanitarian mission between American and Filipino soldiers in the troubled southern Philippine region.

The 11,000-ton vessel, Joint Venture, was visiting the Philippines to support a joint humanitarian and civic projects effort, dubbed as, "Project Bayanihan."

Commander Kathy Wright, a U.S. military spokesperson, said the ship was carrying humanitarian supplies destined for locations in the southern Philippines, including the Sulu Archipelago. "The supplies will be unloaded in various ports, including Zamboanga, throughout the coming months," she said.

These supplies, she said, included hospital beds, medical supplies and school books, donated by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Books Across the Sea program, and several nongovernmental organizations, including Knightsbridge International, the 3P Foundation, and the Makati Rotary Club. Wright said the Filipino military will help to distribute these important supplies in Sulu.

"The mission of the Joint Venture supports the longstanding ties between the United States and the Philippines , as well as the two nations' continued commitment to work together for those in need of humanitarian assistance," she said.

It was the third time the catamaran-hulled high-speed vessel was in Zamboanga City since October last year. The 338-foot HSV Joint Venture last docked in Zamboanga City on October 27 where it unloaded humanitarian supplies worth more than $750,000 or about P42 million.

"We are happy to be back," said Commander Thomas Shaw, of the HSV Joint Venture, told the Zamboanga Journal.

The HSV can carry up to 400 troops and about 800 tons of military vehicles and equipment, including helicopters. The HSVs were used in the Iraq invasion and Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand in May last year.

The U.S. military is also considering adding a dozen more HSVs to its fleet and spread these high-speed battalions around the world, with base in Asia, so that it could move troops and equipment very quickly to areas of conflict.

The HSVs are manned by an all-Army crew, from deck personnel, who deal with cargo, to engineers who operate and maintain the engines, and electronics, three cooks, a medic and two communications experts. HSVs can also be used as a mother ship for Special Forces operations. The HSVs are faster than most ships, with a top speed of almost 50 knots. The catamaran hulls draw only about 11 feet of water, making the ship ideal for missions in shallow coastal waters.

The United States and Australia are concerned about the spread of al-Qaeda-affiliate Jemaah islamiya militants in Southeast Asia, particularly in Philippines , Malaysia and Indonesia and even Thailand and pose increasing threats to its citizens and interests in the region.

The US is helping the Philippine military fight terrorism in the troubled region, where two Jemaah Islamiya bomb makers Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who masterminded the 2002 Bali bombings, are believed to be hiding or in the company of Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

Filipino and U.S troops had held anti-terror exercises in the southern Philippines since 2001 that resulted to the killing and capture of many Abu Sayyaf militants. Washington is helping Manila fight homegrown terrorism by providing training to soldiers as part of its security assistance.