US Response to Japan

The US Navy has dispatched 8 ships in response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan today.

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
USS Chancellorsville (CG 62)
USS Preble (DDG 88)
USS Essex (LHD 2)
USS Germantown (LSD 42)
USS Tortuga (LSD 46)
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49)
USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)

There are around 17,000 Marines in Japan that may be called to use, and I suspect we will be hearing about the USS George Washington (CVN 73) soon.

Because this is HA/DR and the US has so many assets forward deployed in the region, it will be interested to see what the Military Sealift Command footprint looks like as this evolves over the next few days. I have doubts that we will see any more warships sent to Japan, but we might see a lot of interesting MSC vessels sent, or chartered, in support.

The US Air Force has 3 air bases and about 100 helicopters in Japan that may also be called in for assistance.