A Bold New Idea For a Naval Humanitarian Force

I don't want to add a lot of commentary on this article until I think about it for awhile, but I think it is a very interesting idea nonetheless. Since it is not part of the members section of Proceedings, anyone who signs up can read it.

The article, titled "A Great White Fleet for the 21st Century" is a very interesting read. I would dare say this is the article that leaves non subscribers to Proceedings no excuse to sign up for the free content.

In the first decade of the 20th century, President Theodore Roosevelt sent the original Great White Fleet, consisting of 16 battleships that were distinctly painted white, around the globe to display the military might of an emerging world power. "Widely considered one of the greatest peacetime achievements of the U.S. Navy," this fleet conducted a 43,000-mile, 14-month circumnavigation from 1907-1909 that included 20 port calls on six continents. Interestingly enough, in the final leg of its voyage, the original Great White Fleet responded to a devastating earthquake in Messina, Sicily. Once the ships arrived on the scene of this natural disaster, the "Sailors did everything they could to assist the beleaguered city."

Now, one hundred years after the original Great White Fleet, this name can be recycled to meet the challenges of a new century. Instead of displaying the military might of one nation, this new Great White Fleet can be international in nature, and consist of humanitarian platforms that work together with nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations (NGOs/IGOs) to ease human suffering. Centered on the capabilities of the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19), this new humanitarian force can consist of hospital ships, high-speed craft, airlift platforms, and even old amphibious ships that are converted to fulfill a hospital ship mission.

....

Beginning in the Pacific theater, we suggest the following four steps be taken to make this vision a reality:

1) Persuade Japan, Russia, China, India, and Australia to take the lead with us in building an international Great White Fleet.

2) Leverage the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program to help fulfill the vision of an international Great White Fleet.

3) Develop and execute humanitarian-centric, multi-national exercises to train the Great White Fleet and build humanitarian assistance and disaster response capability.

4) In pursuing this vision, leverage the resident expertise within the Pacific Command at the Asia-Pacific Center For Security Studies (APCSS) and the Center for Excellence for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE).

Read the whole thing. Very interesting idea if you ask me. Makes me wonder, would China commit their new Type 920?