The United States is sending aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to Haiti to assist the relief effort there. The ship is underway and expected to arrive off the coast of Haiti Thursday, US Southern Command (Southcom) said Wednesday.

Apart from the aircraft carrier, the US military has also sent a Coast Guard helicopter to evacuate four critically injured US Embassy staff. Elements of the Air Force 1st Special Operations Wing are being deployed Wednesday to the international airport at Port au Prince, Haiti's capital, to provide air traffic control capability and airfield operations.

The Navy has also sent a P-3 Orion aircraft to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the area affected by the earthquake.

Southcom said it will deploy a team of 30 people to Haiti, in support of relief efforts in the aftermath of Tuesday's devastating earthquake. The team includes engineers, operational planners, a command and control group and communication specialists. Additional Navy ships are underway to Haiti.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2010)