Need Help
I’m looking for some identification assistance. Upon completion of our Caribbean cruise earlier this month, waking up in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, FL, we saw this:
 and this 
.
We could not see the name on the ship, though I do know the plane in the photo on the right is an Osprey. There is also another plane in the first picture, towards the extreme right.
Anyone got any ideas on what the ship is, the name and what kind of plane it is? Also, a friend would like to know what all the barrels are on the sides…
Posted by KrisinNewEngland
On November 29th, 2007 under Military, Unfiled.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from Capo del Fuoco
Time: November 29, 2007, 1:16 pm
Kris,
How about USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). The barrels are life rafts I believe. Not up on plane recognition so I can’t help there w/o significant Google time.
Capo
Comment from Capo del Fuoco
Time: November 29, 2007, 1:18 pm
Kris,
After thinking about it, the plane is probably a USMC Harrier.
Capo
Comment from Drew
Time: November 29, 2007, 1:36 pm
It appears to be the USS Iwo Jima
http://www.iwo-jima.navy.mil/
I have no idea what the barrels are.
Comment from Drew
Time: November 29, 2007, 1:37 pm
Oh, the plane in the first picture is a Harrier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AV-8_Harrier_II
Comment from Mike
Time: November 29, 2007, 8:25 pm
What they all said…ship is the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7). Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. Aircraft is an AV-8B Harrier II Plus (I think). The Plus added the APG-65 radar and has an extended nose. A little hard to tell but I’m pretty sure that’s the model that’s on the ship.
I’m not 100% sure but the barrels appear to be life rafts.
Comment from Mike
Time: November 29, 2007, 8:35 pm
Couple of other things of note in the pictures…in both of them the white R2-D2 looking thing on top of the island is the Phalanx CIWS (Close In Weapons System) used to defend the ship against missiles.
CIWS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS
In the second picture the boxy looking mount above the Osprey is the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile , the CIWS’ replacement.
RIM-116: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Airframe_Missile
Comment from Nose
Time: November 29, 2007, 9:07 pm
The barrels are life rafts. They have a big silver “button” on the inboard side of each one. You bang the button and the raft falls out and inflates itself. Then you gotta jump. Flight deck on a carrier is 60 feet, I’d imagine about the same for an LHD. I never worried about the jump, I worried more about the other 5500 guys getting ready to jump after, or on top of, me.
Comment from Jeopardy
Time: November 30, 2007, 6:34 am
I recall in boot camp they were explaining the barrel life raft devices to us. They explained how many there were on a CVN, how many each could hold, and how many crew there are. Some quick math and we realized that there aren’t enough barrels. That was a “gulp” moment for me.
Comment from KrisinNewEngland
Time: November 30, 2007, 7:32 am
You guys rock! Thank you so much for all that info – especially the stuff about the life rafts. “Gulp” moments indeed Nose and Jeopardy! Gives a new perspective to this civilian – which happens alot in these here parts!
Comment from KrisinNewEngland
Time: November 30, 2007, 7:35 am
One more question – is the USS Iwo Jima still an active duty carrier? Sounds like it is from the Navy Military website. Which is surprising to me as Port Everglades had 4 cruise ships in port that morning. Would seem like quite a security risk for something like the Iwo Jima to be there at the same time…
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