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USS New Orleans Arrives in U.S. 7th Fleet AOR

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS111129-03
11/29/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dominique A. Pineiro, Amphibious Squadron 5 Public Affairs

USS NEW ORLEANS, At Sea (NNS) -- Amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) crossed the international dateline into U.S. 7th Fleet's area of responsibility (AOR) Nov. 27.

While operating in the AOR, New Orleans and embarked Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will be expected to accomplish a variety of missions supporting the nation's maritime strategy including humanitarian assistance, and promoting peace and stability in the region.

Cmdr. Dennis Jacko, commanding officer of New Orleans, said the ship offers any theater commander a unique form of "one-stop shopping" to help support any operation, combining all the capabilities of a naval combatant, and the power projection capability of embarked Marines and their aircraft.

"New Orleans offers not only tremendous combat capability, but also serves as a versatile platform for theater security cooperation events," said Jacko. "We are able to provide engagement opportunities with both friendly naval forces as well as a land based component with the Marines of the 11th MEU that we are carrying."

New Orleans is assigned to Amphibious Squadron 5, commanded by Capt. Humberto L. Quintanilla II, and along with embarked 11th MEU Marines, the ship is deployed as part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group.

Commissioned in 2007, New Orleans is the second of the San Antonio-class transport dock ships. Its warfighting capabilities include a state-of-the-art command and control suite, substantially increased vehicle lift capacity, a large flight deck, and advanced ship survivability features that enhance its ability to operate in the littoral environment.

The 7th Fleet AOR includes more than 52 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian oceans, stretching from the international date line to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

More than half of the world's population lives within the 7th Fleet AOR. In addition, more than 80 percent of that population lives within 500 miles of the oceans, which means this is an inherently maritime region.