U.S. Donates Equipment and Training to UN Helicopter Crews

Islamabad, January 22, 2006: U.S Disaster Assitance Centre Pakistan - The United States recently donated 150 Helicopter "sling" load nets to the United Nations. These nets will allow UN helicopters to double the amount of relief supplies they deliver to quake affected areas.

Along with the nets, U.S Marine Logistics Group 3 from Okinawa, Japan is now training UN and Pakistani military ground crews in Muzaffarabad and Chatterplain to efficiently and safely build sling loads.

"Using sling loads saves a great deal of time", Col. Bob Johnson , Commander Task Force Eagle, the U.S helicopter relife Forces. "We are supporting our partners by training ground crews how to use external string loads for supply operations. This will maximize the UN's flight time and allow more supplies to me move forward."

By switching to sling loads UN helicopters will be able to increase the number of daily fligts. When the American Chinook helicopters began using sling loads, the amount of humanitarian assitance delivered per day doubled. Today the American airlift operations exceed the UN's 100 tons per day requirement.

"This is collective effort", said Rear Admiral Michael LeFever, Commander, U.S. Disaster Assistance Centre Pakistan. "We all want to make sure that adequate supplies are on hand throughout the earthquake areas despite winter weather. Sling loads make that possible."

For more information contact CDR Gary Kirchner at Disaster Assistance Centre. Public Affairs Operations Cell 0300-501-2623.