By Larry Shaughnessy, CNN Pentagon ProducerAugust 30, 2011 8:36 a.m. EDT

Aboard The Uss Wasp (CNN) — Three U.S. Navy ships were stationed a short helicopter ride from New York Harbor as the sun rose Tuesday, ready to lend a hand to states ravaged by Irene.

Located just over the horizon from New York Harbor, the USS Wasp, the USS New York and the USS San Antonio are on call should civilian authorities need their help in northern New Jersey, southern New York and Connecticut, Rear Adm. Kevin Scott told CNN.

The MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters on board are ideally suited for search and rescue missions.

Some of the MH-60s come equipped with a highly sensitive infrared camera that could help a pilot spot the body heat of a person trapped by flood water in a tree or on the roof of a car.

If sent in to help, the helicopters would carry Navy divers who are trained for water rescues.

The ships could sail up or down the East Coast if help is needed outside the tri-state region, Scott said.

While the ships may return to port without ever receiving orders to assist, Scott said this mission has been extremely valuable for the Navy, because it gives the Navy a chance to apply what it learned about humanitarian relief after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Because the Navy is busy with missions all over the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and the fight against fighting piracy off Somalia, this kind of training is rare.

Sailors aboard the Wasp brushed up on their disaster response skills Monday as helicopter pilots practiced takeoffs and landings on the flight deck.

The Tiger Team — a group of sailors from all over the ship who volunteered to go ashore and help hurricane victims — got refresher briefings on everything from how to handle disaster victims to how to chain saw safety to how to deal with news reporters.

The training is scheduled to start again first thing after breakfast Tuesday, Scott said, unless orders for real-life hurricane relief interrupt.

Tags: ABOARD, AGAIN, August, civilian authorities, cnn, COAST, deck, disaster, disaster response, disaster victims, FIGHTING, Flight, flight deck, flood water, Group, hand, HARBOR, helicopter, helicopter pilots, helicopter ride, hurricane, hurricane relief, hurricane victims, infrared camera, Iraq, Jersey, Katrina, landing, mission, Monday, Navy, navy ship, navy ships, navy warship, navy warships, New Jersey, New York, New York Harbor, News, News, North, Pentagon, rear adm, rescue, rescue missions, sail, sailors, San Antonio, Scheduled, sea, Station, take, takeoffs and landings, team, thing, tiger team, Training, tri state region, Tuesday, u s navy ships, USS New York, uss san antonio, uss wasp, victim, Victims, Vol, volunteer, war, warships, water, World