USS Fort McHenry at Naval Station Mayport. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adam Henderson.

Is USS Fort McHenry in Cairns?

23/04/2024 John Levitz 1564 Views 0 Comments USS Fort McHenry

Just a question, Why has the US vessel, Fort McHenry LCU 2020 not left Cairns Naval Base since the end Of EX Talisman Sabre 2023? It keeps popping up on Vessel Tacker/Marine Traffic every now and again.

FILE PHOTO (2014): USS Fort McHenry at Naval Station Mayport. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adam Henderson.

Hi John,

There must be a glitch in the matrix – or at least in the Vessel Tacker/Marine Traffic app you are using.

According to Wikipedia and confirmed by a US Navy press release, USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43) was decommissioned on 27 March 2021.

Wikipedia also says she was transferred to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (confirmed by photographic evidence), as of April the same year, where she was expected to be placed in ‘reserve status’.

While I believe she did participate in Talisman Sabre 2019, and may have visited Cairns that year, I further believe, based on the information I found via Google, that Fort McHenry was not a participant in TS23, nor was she in Cairns any time in the past three years.

Cheers mate,
Brian Hartigan
CONTACT Editor

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