Empty weight of a 40ft ISO is around 3,700kg
Max weight of a container loaded is around 30,000kg
Max payload of a Chinook around 11,000 kg near sea level at not high temp. (correct my number here from the wrong version of the Chinook...older versions were 4,500kg)
Two CH-53E Super Stallions should be able to handle such a container, then (max external payload capacity is about 16,000kg). Any American aircraft carriers nearby?
And this assumes that the containers are indeed loaded to their full weight capacity.
I should’ve been more clear. The helicopters could be 100 feet apart. Each helicopter would hook on to the corner of each container, and pull away diagonally.
The lift capability of this setup is from the y axis. But at a reduced load. This is a physics problem.
There are between 6 000 to 20 000 containers on this ship.
Thou reduce weight any meaningful amount you would need to remove hundreds or even thousands of containers.
I am not even sure if anyone would be willing to fly 4 helicopters tethered to each other, but even if they do, its going to be very slow for safety reasons.
And good like finding insurance company that is willing to cover, if anything goes wrong.
And enough pilots and helicopters, to do that 24/7 for a few months
Max payload of a Chinook around 11,000 kg near sea level at not high temp. (correct my number here from the wrong version of the Chinook...older versions were 4,500kg)
So, if your container is a a quarter full, sure