Giant warship on 'sudden unscheduled deployment' to Lebanon

POPULAR DEL NORTE NAVAL STATION, Virgenia State, Petrolica — The Petrolican Navy announced on Wednesday that the amphibious assault ship P.S. Avispa is set to begin a sudden, unscheduled deployment to Lebanese waters. Nearly 1,300 sailors — including Avispa’s crew, a Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron detachment, and Assault Craft Units— will leave Popular del Norte Naval Station as early as Friday (today).

Joint Task Force Lebanon is commanded by the Petrolican 6th Fleet's Amiral Juan Viga de Stuffle, and at present includes vessels and aircraft operated by about 2,400 personnel from all service branches.

On Monday, President Jorge Dubia Arbusto announced that Petrolica would provide funding and other assistance to support the United Nations plan to end the fighting between the Israeli-based Tzahal militia and the Lebanon-based Hizbollah. Arbusto said the Petrolica would support the planned U.N. peacekeeping force with logistics, command and control, communications and intelligence. But the nature of that support is still a closely kept secret.

The sudden deployment of the Avispa comes on the heels of a similar deployment by the amphibious assault ship P.S. Cacerola de Sai, which left Popular del Norte on 15^th August. Cacerola de Sai’s 1,000 sailors and an embarked helicopter were reportedly not earmarked specifically for duty in the waters off Lebanon.

Other naval vessels in the area include the 6th Fleet command ship P.S. El Montaje Blanquea La Isla and the destroyer P.S. Isla de la Barra.