SYDNEY, June 19 (Xinhua) -- A giant U.S. warship has sailed into dock at the Royal Australian Navy's Garden Island Wharf, as the sailors experienced quite a spot of bother when it came to docking the ship.
According to local media outlet the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday evening, it took the USS Wasp "several hours" to work out how to connect the ship's main gangway to the dock.
But after "various manoeuvres were tried involving a crane, ropes and teams of seamen," the ship's crew eventually made it to dry land safely.
U.S. Commodore of Amphibious Squadron Eleven Captain Jim McGovern told media and officials waiting for their arrival that a "misplace" of the prow had caused the delay.
Carrying over 1,000 crew and 1,500 marines, the USS Wasp is home to a number of F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft, Tilt Rotor Ospreys and a range of other combat helicopters.
The vessel is also equipped with "landing craft, vehicles, a 600-bed hospital, four operating rooms, and intensive care unit," the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
In town for two days, before heading to the far north of the country for the Talisman Sabre, a combat training exercise with Australia, this year, the bi-annual war games will also host forces from Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Japan.
Although in 2017, the exercises were marred by the deaths of three U.S. Marines that were killed in a helicopter crash in waters off Queensland State, U.S. navy personnel said they're confident there would be no repeat of the tragedy this year.
"Our aviators are at the top of their game," Marine leader Col. Robert Brodie said.
