Amphibious hovercraft
Photo: Port of Haifa
Watch: USS Iwo Jima deploys hovercrafts at Haifa Port
Haifa residents marvel as the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship shows off its amphibious capabilities, deploying hovercrafts within the Port of Haifa for a short military exercise.
Haifa residents received Thursday morning a front row seat for the impressive capabilities of the American aircraft carrier USS Iwo Jima, which dropped anchor
Wednesday at the city's port, as hovercrafts emerged from the ship and commenced an impromptu drill in the port area.
One of the main tasks of the ship, which has recently participated in the massive joint 2018 Juniper Cobra exercise held this month, is to bring landing forces to coast with such vehicles. Each of them can carry hundreds of soldiers ashore.
Amphibious hovercrafts deployed by USS Iwo Jima (צילום: דוברות נמל חיפה)
Ynet military correspondent Yoav Zitun added that the concluding ceremony for the joint exercise was held Thursday.
During its several day visit to the country, the USS Iwo Jima helicopter carrier was docked at the Haifa port. The 257-meter-long ship was brought into port by the port's aisle with the aid of three tugboats.
The Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, will remain in Haifa harbor for four days.
Amphibious hovercraft (Photo: Port of Haifa)
In the port and in the city of Haifa, workers prepared in advance for the arrival of the ship—particularly for the 2,000 sailors and soldiers on board.
Dozens of buses were summoned to take the crew members for tours throughout the country, and the businesses in the Lower City and Haifa beaches made sure they were able to accommodate the larger-than-usual number of visitors.
