JOINT LOGISTICS OVER-THE-SHORE (JLOTS) – INTERNATIONAL
News:
“How the United States
plans to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza”
What's in the news?
●
The United
States, as part of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) project, is
planning to construct a floating pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the
delivery of humanitarian aid.
Joint
Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS):
●
It is a military project by the US Department of Defence.
Objective:
●
To enhance the military’s capacity for logistics operations in regions where
there is a lack of adequate fixed port facilities.
Operational
Features:
●
These operations involve teamwork among
military branches. The navy transports and secures goods, while the army or
other agencies handle tasks like building infrastructure and delivery.
●
JLOTS uses special equipment like floating causeways and barges to move
cargo between ships and shore, even in challenging areas.
Significance:
●
It is especially useful during
humanitarian and disaster relief efforts when quick delivery of aid is essential.
●
The US military has used JLOTS before in Kuwait, Somalia, Haiti and Central America
for disaster relief missions.
JLOTS
in Gaza:
●
The floating pier in Gaza will be
constructed without any direct US
military involvement.
●
Instead, the US will collaborate with Fogbow, a private company led by former
military and intelligence personnel.
Components:
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The project will have two main parts: a
floating dock and a pier about 548 meters long with a causeway.
●
Floating
Dock:
○
The steel floating dock will be
transported by a roll-on, roll-off ship, designed for heavy cargo.
○
While the pier links to the shore, the
dock can be positioned up to a kilo meter away, preventing aid ships from
getting stuck in shallow coastal waters.
●
Pier
and causeway:
○
After the ship unloads aid on the dock,
smaller Logistics Support Vessels (LSVs) will ferry the cargo to the floating
pier or jetty connected to the shore.
○
The pier will feature a causeway extension
to prevent vehicles transporting aid from getting stuck in soft sand.