Military aid: Help from near and far

Among the countries providing military hardware are:

Bangladesh

* Bangladesh has sent 111 soldiers to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and a further 46 will move in a day or two.

* Two C-130 aircraft and two Bell-212 helicopters will carry the soldiers, rescue equipment, anti-diarrhoea medicine, water purifying tablets, food and tents to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Germany

* Medical evacuation plane (35 personnel, including medical staff) now on third mission evacuating Germans from Thailand.

* Second evacuation plane since yesterday.

* Mobile hospital in Aceh. Eight personnel assessing site, team likely to be in place by end of the week (team typically of 120 medical staff).

* Supply ship Berlin (with 150 crew) heading to region from Horn of Africa. Due in Aceh at start of next week, bringing aid supplies and water treatment equipment. It also has 45 beds and an operating theatre, plus two helicopters.

India

* The Indian military, the world's fourth largest with 1.3 million men and women under arms, has put at least 16,000 personnel into its biggest relief operation, which extends also to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia.

From the Navy:

* 32 ships including frigates, destroyers and survey ships to tsunami-hit areas, carrying medical equipment, medicine, food, blankets and water. Includes two ships, one a hospital ship sent to Aceh, five to Sri Lanka, and three ships to the Maldives.

* Most of the 10 ships sent abroad are equipped with helicopters.

From the Air Force:

* At least 5000 airmen and 41 aircraft are involved, including seven giant IL-76 transports, 16 helicopters, 15 AN-32 transport aircraft and three smaller Avro transports.

* The IL-76s are being used to ferry supplies and troops to Sri Lanka. The Air Force has lifted over 10,000 tonnes of relief supplies, including water, food packets, tents, clothes, medical equipment and generators.

From the Army:

* More than 5500 soldiers.

* A number of medical teams have gone to Sri Lanka. An Army mobile hospital has been lifted to Sri Lanka.

Pakistan

* Pakistan plans to send 500 military personnel in medical and engineering teams to Indonesia and Sri Lanka. After an initial deployment by air, heavy equipment to be sent by ship.

* A field hospital comprising about 60 doctors and paramedics and a company of engineers will be sent to Indonesia.

* A similar deployment would then be made to Sri Lanka.

United States

* About 12,600 US military personnel have joined relief efforts in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, many on board ships carrying clean water, food and dozens of helicopters.

* Most US military relief efforts being organised from an air base in U-Tapao, Thailand.

* As of Tuesday there were 21 US ships involved, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and helicopter carrier USS Bonhomme Richard, supplying aid with 80 aircraft.

* More than 6100 personnel were on the Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying ships near Banda Aceh.

* So far, US military personnel have delivered 195,000kg of supplies.

* Fourteen cargo planes were taking food, supplies and equipment to supply hubs in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

* US military plans to double to about 90 the number of helicopters being provided for the disaster relief effort, the head of US Pacific Command said.

- REUTERS