LCS Key to Rebalance in Pacific Interview with ADM Jonathan Greenert, USN
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Page 1
Volume XXIX, Number 2 July 2013
LCS Key to Rebalance in Pacific
Interview with ADM Jonathan Greenert, USN
by CAPT Edward Lundquist, USN (Ret)
Chief of Naval Operations ADM Jonathan Greenert, Spoke with This ship was conceived as a focused mission, fast, modular re-
CAPT Ned Lundquist, Grace Jean of Jane’s, and Michael Fabey of configurable combatant to address three capability gaps in the
Aviation Week and Space Technology Onboard USS FREEDOM (LCS littoral against the asymmetric threats of mines, submarines and
1) on May 14, 2013 at Changi Naval Base in Singapore small armed surface vessels. Are we still addressing those three
capability gaps?
We’ve heard some criticism about some engineering problems We are addressing those three. I would hesitate to call them capa-
on Freedom on her transit out here to Singapore. bility gaps, but rather an evolution to the next level of performance.
She’s done fine so far. There are material issues We’re finding that as special operation
here and there on the ship and, in fact, I was forces have been on board, this ship is
just talking to the Commanding Officer and I compatible with lot of their equipment,
asked him, “How do you think the number of including their RHIBs and the things
things you have under repair at any given one that they use to deploy. We found that
time compare with your experience on cruisers just through technology and watching
and destroyers?” He said, “You know, frankly, you can bring manning modules on
it’s about the same.” We’ve had some element board to provide extra berthing, so
of a unique problem on the first ship of every you could embark a SEAL team. Down
class. The failures don’t disturb me, I find this in the mission bay, you see the weight
is a pretty reliable ship overall. What we are set and work out equipment, so special
seeing are problems with systems we’re not operations teams can stay fresh and
so familiar with. What kind of cooler is that? ready to do their mission.
What’s a splitter gear? What’s this line shaft?
The Marines were talking about go-
We’ll have to work through bugs, which is really ing back to what we used to call the
a lot of the reason why we’re here to deploy stinger team – which takes an advanced
the Freedom this early all the way to Southeast phase of visit, board, search and sei-
Asia. Deployment is a big deal. When we talk zure (VBSS) vessel takedowns. We’re
about the rebalance of Asia Pacific, a lot of expanding that concept into counter-
people are thinking ballistic missile defense piracy, counter-smuggling, and, to a
in northeast Asia; or the latest cutting edge certain extent, counter-terrorism. We
weapons like our new P-8 maritime patrol CNO holds press conference onboard will deploy the Fire Scout unmanned
aircraft, operating out of Kadena and the Joint USS FREEDOM in Singapore. aerial vehicle on LCS, but it’s being
Strike Fighter, all up in northeast Asia. What used today in a counter-terrorist
we do down here is build partnership capacity through theater mission in Afghani-
security cooperation, and preparing for humanitarian assistance stan. It was ready
“It is a littoral combat ship, and
and disaster relief. This is the “ring of fire” down here. We’ve had before this ship was
typhoons in Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, and the tsunami of this is one of the biggest littoral ready. There are
2004 in Indonesia and around the region. This ship will work to find areas of the world” missions we don’t
out what missions resonate with the needs of the nations down Admiral Jonathan Greenert know about yet that
here, and we’ll work to bring our skills together in that area. It is Chief of Naval Operations I think we will work
a littoral combat ship, and this is one of the biggest littoral areas and integrate into
of the world. So, from that perspective, I’m very excited about this ship.
the possibilities.
Page 2 July 2013
SINGAPORE (May 14, 2013) Chief of How is the logistic support for LCS
Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan here, and our ability to support
Greenert congratulates Aviation the ships that are far away from
Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Daniel Fritz home port?
on earning his enlisted surface warfare We’re here in Singapore, which is a
specialist qualification during an award big airhead and a big port, so logis-
ceremony and all-hands call aboard the tics is fine here and will be. Ask me
littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1). where to have a proof of concept
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication for something like this overseas, and
Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson/ I’d say come to Changi, the home of
Released) the Singapore Navy and one of the
busiest international airports in the
world. So this is really an optimal
situation, but we need to still shake
How will this new ship and opera- it down.
tional rebalance be affected by the
budget? With an “optimally manned” small
This region is my number one focus crew, we can reduce the life cycle
for operations. When I look at my op- cost for the ship because we’re not
erations and maintenance budget, I’m paying for as many people. But
going to be sure that this area, along what about everyone else helping
with the Arabian Gulf, is fully funded with the logistics and mainte-
as much as is feasible. We’ve had to nance, do we really have an idea
deal with the continuing resolution of how much we’re really saving?
along with sequestration. Once we got With LCS, we’re in the interim
a bill, we were able to restore funding maintenance concept in logistics.
level for operations as required for the We contracted for it from the teams
Arabian Gulf and in FY ’13, so both are CHANGI, Singapore (May 14, 2013) Chief of Naval Operations that build the ships, and that will
back up to speed. The issue will be the (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert talks to a Sailor aboard the eventually transition to a long term
forces that we have ready for surge. littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) before an all- maintenance concept. I don’t think
What will be their readiness level? hands call with the crew to discuss the importance the new it’s a good idea to be totally depen-
That’s where I’m concerned and we’ll platform will play in meeting the current and future challenges dent on contractors, but the crew on
have to continue to work through that of maritime security and defense. Greenert also visited the LCS is about 20 percent of a frigate.
and see what’s required. But this is ship to get direct feedback from the crew about the ship’s And that’s a pretty dramatic change.
really the number one area. performance and receive any insight they could share about But to answer your question, we’ve
how to improve the Freedom-class ship. (U.S. Navy photo by had an analysis which would show
Can you tell us about the new, larger Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/ you, yes, it will save you money. But
version of Fire Scout? Released) we’re not done yet. We still have to
We were originally going to have an sort through that.
air detachment of three Fire Scouts on LCS along with a MH-60.
With the newer version—which is based on a Bell helicopter that
executives travel in—we will be able to carry two. You get about
four times the payload because of the ability to carry the weight
and you get almost double the distance. If we weaponize it with
both sensors and weapons, it can be even more effective.
CHANGI, Singapore (May 14, 2013) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Adm. Jonathan Greenert holds an all-hands call with Sailors aboard the
littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) to discuss the importance
the new platform will play in meeting the current and future challenges
of maritime security and defense. Greenert also visited the ship to get
direct feedback from the crew about the ship’s performance and receive
any insight they could share about how to improve the Freedom-class
ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class
Peter D. Lawlor/Released)
Page 3
The carrier air wing in Japan will have an F-35 squadron integrated
into it, along with the latest block of F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-
18G Growlers. So, just in platforms alone, that gives you an idea
of the additional capability that is associated. The weapons that
we bring out here—the upgraded MK 54 surface ship torpedo and
MK 48 submarine launched torpedo, and air-to-air missiles—will
be the latest.
What happens after 24 littoral combat ships?
We want to build the 52. That remains our requirements of this
type of ship. I think we need to look and see how do we feel about
the two types, and how are they performing? We certainly want
to neck down the systems as much as is feasible. “Compatible” is
CHANGI, Singapore (May 14, 2013) Chief of Naval Operations a minimum, but “common” would be the best way to go.
(CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert takes a question from a Sailor
during an all-hands call aboard the littoral combat ship USS There might be a sentiment on the Hill to either slow down the
Freedom (LCS 1) to discuss the importance the new platform program to let the mission modules catch up to the development,
will play in meeting the current and future challenges of maritime or to maybe slow down the program in general. What would you
security and defense. Greenert also visited the ship to get direct say to those who would be thinking along those terms?
feedback from the crew about the ship’s performance and receive I think it should be thoughtful. We can slow down, but what is the
any insight they could share about how to improve the Freedom- impact of that? We are now getting the delivery of a pretty reliable
class ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist platform. It’s testing very well in at-sea trials; the cost is down
1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/Released) and is very consistent with what we expected The contractors are
delivering on time, and within cost, and they’re making a little bit of
What can you tell us about the “rebalance?”
money on it. And so you kind of get in a sweet spot. It’s happened
It means another amphibious ready group by the end of the decade
that same way with the Super Hornet, the Virginia class submarine,
to provide the lift for the Darwin initiative of rotationally deploying
it’s happened with the Arleigh Burke. This is a big deal to be able
Marines, so that adds a pretty significant capability. In fact, our
to shake this down and get those concepts, feed them back quickly.
ability to do amphibious operations is an asymmetric capability.
And that’s why I have the LCS Council. They don’t have a lot of
Nobody else can do it like that.
time to sit around and chit chat. People of action with authority
need to come together and say, here’s where we need to go with
LCS will be replacing older mine counter-measure ships homeported
this. And that’s what I want to do, as fast as feasible.
in Sasebo. I would surmise you’re getting a significant increase in
capability there. The new flight of DDG 51 will replace cruisers,
Why do you need that high speed with LCS? You’re paying a
and some of the first flight of Arleigh Burkes. So that’s an increase
premium to get it.
in the capability, even though people look at it and say, hey, it’s
To get from one place to the other, timing could be very critical.
an Arleigh Burke. Well, you know, DDG 110 is different from DDG
And if you’re not there in time, you’re not there. You’ve failed.
51. It’s more than the ships; it’s also aircraft. P-8 will replace the
And so what we’ve found frequently, especially in places like here
P-3, with dramatically longer range, better processors and sensor
in the Western Pacific, the tyranny of distance.
delivery, and can employ more weapons. The P-8 and BAMS (broad
area maritime surveillance), which is a maritime Global Hawk UAV,
can cover much more ocean than we can do today with a P-3.
CHANGI, Singapore (May 14, 2013) Chief of Naval
Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert receives a tour
of the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) from Cmdr.
Timothy Wilke, Commanding Officer of the ship’s Gold crew.
Greenert held an all-hands call to discuss the importance
the new platform will play in meeting the current and future
challenges of maritime security and defense. Greenert also
visited the ship to get direct feedback from the crew about
the ship’s performance and receive any insight they could
share about how to improve the Freedom-class ship. (U.S.
Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class
Peter D. Lawlor/Released)
Page 4 July 2013
The new America class LHD with her hybrid propulsion systems
brings fuel efficiency—she can go farther with a gallon of gas, and
she can stay on station and transit much more efficiently. With an
F-35 B package on board, you have dramatically increased range,
weapon delivery, and complexity of sensors. You can put a heck
of a package together with an MV-22 Osprey. So you have now
expanded the reach of expeditionary ops and contingency response.
So, if you added that to the command and control features that
she’ll bring, the ability to do better coordinated amphibious and
expeditionary operations, that’d be a real plus beyond what we
have today.
We’ve tested F-35 on USS Wasp and they’re performing well.
They’re not as loud or as hot as thought. We had to strengthen
the deck, and make it sturdier so it doesn’t buckle. We looked
down at the hangar bay to make sure there’s clearance. There are CHANGI, Singapore (May 14, 2013) Chief of Naval Operations
still mods to be done. (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert departs the littoral combat ship
USS Freedom (LCS 1) after an all-hands call with the ship’s crew
When you have a new concept, you don’t get all the exact plan- to discuss the importance the new platform will play in meeting the
ning right. The crew has made up the difference. I got some very current and future challenges of maritime security and defense.
interesting questions and feedback from them about whether the Greenert also visited the ship to get direct feedback from the crew
electronic warfare system is the right package; how do we integrate about the ship’s performance and receive any insight they could
the aviation package; what’s the right makeup of the crew, because share about how to improve the Freedom-class ship. (U.S. Navy
right now it’s a pretty senior crew, and there might need to be a photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/
broader spectrum of crew skill sets out here. These are some Released)
thoughtful, sophisticated
thinking people. We wrote
their comments down and USS Freedom (LCS 1) gets
will go back and look into underway. Freedom is underway
them. Some of them were as part of the Republic of
on board during the last de- Singapore Navy’s Western
ployment to the Caribbean. Pacific Multi-lateral Sea
This is a group that’s very Exercise (WMSX). US Navy
proud of their ship, and they Photo
want to get its concept on its
way in a good way.
SNA HQ HAS A NEW
New Life Members MAILING ADDRESS.
Michael Carnovale CAPT Douglas Nashold USN 6551 Loisdale Court
LT Sean Davis USN MCPO Carmelo OlivoCanales USN (Ret) Suite 222
CDR Christopher Elles USN (Ret) MMCM Dale Orren USN (Ret) Springfield, VA 22150
CAPT Manuel Hallier USN (Ret) CAPT John Preisel USN (Ret)
LT Christopher Landis USN CAPT Craig Turley USN (Ret) phone, fax, email
LCDR Gina Mccaine USN Peter Yinger and website
CAPT Terry Moore USN (Ret) remain the same
Page 5
Freedom of the Seas: LCS 1 Deploys to WESTPAC
An Interview with CDR Tom Wilkie,
the Commanding Officer of USS Freedom
Onboard LCS 1
In Port at Changi Naval Base, Singapore
on May 14, 2013
Conducted by CAPT Edward Lundquist, USN (Ret)
You had some well-pub- But of course we are looking closely at any-
licized power outages thing that takes place on this ship, especially
during the transit. since it’s the first one. We understand more
I’ve had power outages everyday about how we operate the ship or
out at sea before. It’s the equipment we have on board, and how
not my first time. When we maintain it. We’re making improve-
I was a main propulsion ments. We’ve gotten better from this ship
assistant on another ship, to Fort Worth, and we’re getting better with
I experienced power out- Milwaukee.
ages. What was unique
about the power outages But regarding the transit, we deployed the
during this transit is the ship on time; we arrived at and departed
fact that by the time we Pearl Harbor on time; we arrived at and de-
were able to respond, the parted Guam on time; the same in Manila;
system had almost kicked and we arrived at Singapore on time.
back on, on what we call a
Cmdr. Timothy Wilke, USS Freedom Commanding Officer, and “dead bus logic.” If it sens- What can you tell me about how synthetic
retired Capt. Ned Lundquist, SNA Public Relations Chairman, at es that it’s losing power on training is helping to get the crew ready
Changi Naval Base in Singapore. the bus, it will start up a without being on the ship to do training?
standby generator. The synthetic trainers are really good from
How was your transit from San Diego to
the aspect of keeping your head in the game
Singapore?
So, it worked. while you’re off the hull. To get us ready for
What’s always good about a transit is the
It worked as designed to restore the system deployment, the synthetic trainer was set
ability to train ourselves. We were trained
on the ship. And the crew is well-trained up for this region. When we had the bridge
very well in the classroom and on the syn-
and they responded accordingly because teams get together and run through simula-
thetic trainers before coming aboard the
it’s not only getting the electrical client up, tions in the trainer, they weren’t driving in
ship. But we have extra crew members
it’s also getting the other systems up. So, and out of San Diego; they were driving in
that were brought onboard, as well as
we were able to get propulsion power back and out of Changi here in Singapore; the
the mission package detachment and the
pretty quickly.
aviation department, so it’s really helpful
to integrate everyone together during the
transit. On the transit, we drove over on
the diesels as designed. And we get good
fuel economy.
SINGAPORE (May 15, 2013) - USS Freedom Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Timothy Wilke, left, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm.
Jonathan Greenert, center give the Chief of Staff of the Japan
Maritime Defense Force Adm. Kawano a tour of Freedom’s bridge.
Freedom recently arrived in Singapore as part of a deployment to
Southeast Asia. Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat
ships are designed to operate in near-shore environments and
employ modular mission packages that can be configured for
surface warfare, mine countermeasures, or anti-submarine warfare.
(U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Cassandra Thompson)
Page 6 July 2013
on that, making sure that we have the right
people, parts and equipment here, but for
the most part the maintenance went well,
and we got the data that we needed.
One of our priorities is to have a good un-
derstanding of how we would operate this
ship forward, including the manning aspect
and what goes into training; the support
structure; logistics; as well as integrating
and operating with the regional navies. That
is not to be interpreted or to be understood
that we do not have an idea. The Navy
has put a lot of brain power and thought
into how to operate this ship. Now we’re
enacting that brain power. Does this work
the way we thought it would? And I need
to provide feedback. We’re the first one
here, and we need to be able to operate
these ships out of this region in the future.
CHANGI, Singapore (May 15, 2013) Commanding Officer of the gold crew aboard the What’s the fastest you’ve gone?
littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) gives a tour of the ship to Chief of Staff of the I’ve got her up to 45 knots.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano and Chief of Naval Operations
(CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert during a reception at Changi Naval Base hosted by the You have an aviation detachment with you.
Republic of Singapore navy as part of the 2013 International Maritime Defense Exhibition and How’s that working?
Conference (IMDEX) Asia. IMDEX brings together senior navy delegations allowing personal There haven’t been problems with the
communications among naval counterparts to strengthen ties among ally and partner nations. helicopter. It’s been up almost the whole
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/Released) time. We had one piece of equipment that
went down when we were in port, but we
Johor Strait; and the Singapore Strait, which CONOPS has us in port for five days to do got it repaired in port so there was no op-
is radically different than operating off of preventive maintenance. And that’s not erational impact.
Southern California. The traffic is much just simply being able to pull into port, and
different; much more dense. And then we opening the door and having contractors Are you able to look at what his sensors are
integrated the Combat Information Center come on. There are a lot of processes that looking at right here on the ship?
to get the full picture. We were able to flex we need to ensure are done properly. We That’s right. We can download his data, see
to what we knew we were going to need. As need to make sure the parts are there, the his FLIR imagery, and see his radar imagery
Gold Crew, we’re feeding back to the train- people are there, you’ve got a schedule on our consoles here.
ers to help them incorporate what we’ve prepared, and you’re able to do the main-
seen out here. tenance in port here. That goes for cor- How would you describe operating in this
rective maintenance, too. So that’s one of area?
What do you expect to be doing here in the things we expected to do is learn how I’ve driven through this area many times,
the near future? do carry out that process. Our first PMAV, on cruisers, on destroyers, with a strike
While here in port in Changi we’re learning which is a preventive maintenance availabil- group. So I knew what we were in for. Our
how to maintain the ship forward, within ity, went quite well. We did
the concept of operations for LCS. The have some lessons learned
CHANGI, Singapore (May 15, 2013) Commanding Officer of the gold crew
aboard the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) gives a tour of the ship
to Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Adm. Katsutoshi
Kawano and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert during
a reception at Changi Naval Base hosted by the Republic of Singapore navy
as part of the 2013 International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference
(IMDEX) Asia. IMDEX brings together senior navy delegations allowing personal
communications among naval counterparts to strengthen ties among ally and
partner nations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class
Peter D. Lawlor/Released)
Page 7
maneuverability on this ship is somewhat ducted an underway replenishment with a portside refueling station. It’s just a matter
better, so being able to maneuver around Kaiser-class oiler, USNS Yukon, on our way of how you line up on the ships.
the ships was very easy. And I’m showing over. We also unrepped with a Lewis &
what I’m doing to the other ship. If I do a Clark- class T-AKE, and our position on them So what do you want to say about your
slow lazy turn, that tanker crew?
doesn’t necessarily know They’re absolutely fantastic. I could
what I’m doing. But when not be more proud of them. Whenever
I’m able to turn on a dime you deploy a ship that’s the first of the
like that, he knows what class for the first time, that is a big task.
I’m doing. I can avoid And our crew really came together
ambiguity with how I ma- with the mission package and the air
neuver, and that avoids department and really pulled through,
problems. and operated the ship.
How about underway re- We do feel “the eyes are upon us” a
plenishment? How does little bit. It’s good though. The crew
that work on board? understands that this is a very impor-
It’s worked alright. We tant deployment, and validated by
UNREP slightly different resulted in a better ride. We learned from us being here, and showing the ship.
than other combatants. We come in wider the two different classes. It’s how you posi- We’ve been very successful on this deploy-
and then we close the UNREP ship as op- tion the ship alongside the replenishment ment. We have not missed an operational
posed to coming in at 180 feet. We con- ship. We’ve learned a lot. I only have one task.
Singapore’s Formidable Frigates Can Foray Far From Home
By CAPT Edward Lundquist, USN (Ret)
Singapore is a small nation, just half the size of the island of Oahu While the various combat system components for the multi-mission
in the Hawaiian Islands, but home to more than five million people. frigate program—called Project Delta—come from around the
The nation’s navy is as good as any in the region, and its six modern world, the overall system was integrated by an integrated program
Formidable-class frigates are made for much more than homeland management team of Singapore’s Defense Science and Technology
defense. Agency and DSO National Laboratories, Republic of Singapore Navy,
Singapore Technologies
Based on the Electronics and Singapore
French La Fay- Technologies Marine.
ette class de-
signed by DCNS, The result is a sophisti-
the RSS Formi- cated, lethal and stealthy
dable, first of the multi-mission combatant
six multi-mission with an advanced ship
combatants for management system and
Singapore, was a high degree of auto-
built at the DCNS mation so that it can be
yard at Lorient. effectively operated by a
The subsequent relatively small crew.
five ships were
built by ST Ma- The 3,200-ton, 376-foot
rine in Singa- Formidable-class RSS Te-
pore. Together Over the course of three days and one night in late May in the South China Sea, the crew of nacious has a crew of
they comprise USNS Alan Shepard conducted extensive alongside replenishment training for the Singapore just 72, along with an air
the 185 Squad- navy both in port and at sea. Pictured is Singapore navy vessel RSS Tenacious alongside USNS detachment of 19 (four
ron of the RSN. Alan Shepard during the first of three replenishment evolutions. Photo by Lee Apsley, first officer pilots and 15 maintain-
aboard Alan Shepard. ers). Major Lim Huay
Page 8 July 2013
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (July 17, 2008) Republic of
RSS Formidable Singapore frigate Steadfast (FFS 70) steams off the coast
of Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008. This
Wen is the Executive Officer. Lim joined the Singaporean Navy in
photo shows the clean lines of Singapore’s Formidable-
1999, and came aboard Tenacious in January 2013. Her last assign-
class frigates. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication
ment at sea was as XO aboard the frigate RSS Intrepid.
Specialist 1st Class Kirk Worley/Released)
The ship embarks a single Sikorsky S-70 Seahawk, the international 25mm guns are located on both port and starboard sides for self-
version of the SH-60B. The Navy has no air arm of its own, so the protection. The mounts are stabilized, and can be operated from
helicopters are operated by the Singapore Air Force, with Navy the bridge, CIC or in local control.
sensor operators. “We have six S-70B aircraft,” says Lim. “It works
out to one per frigate.” The primary surveillance radar is the Thales Herakles multi-function
phased array radar that is mounted on top of the main mast. Tena-
The Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles are mounted amidships cious also has an I-band Terma Scanter 2001 surface search and
within the partially-enclosed SSM deck. On Tenacious, part of this navigation radar. For ASW, the ship carries the ITT Exelis Active
area has also been used to carry extra boats instead of the star- Low Frequency Towed Sonar (ALOFTS) System.
board Harpoon canisters. A large crane is used to get the boats in
and out of the water. Lim says the boats were used frequently for The aircraft are equipped with a Telephonics surveillance and
VBSS operations when the Singaporean frigates have deployed in tracking radar, as well as an L-3 Communications Helicopter Long
support of coalition operations such as CTF 151 anti-piracy patrols Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) dipping sonar. It also carries the
in the Gulf of Aden. The deck also has the ASW A244/S torpedoes, EuroTorp torpedoes.
manufactured by the Italian/French EuroTorp consortium, which
are carried in two B515 triple-tube mounts also located on the The CODAD propulsion plant has four MTU 20V 8000 M90 diesels
SSM Deck. delivering a total of 48,000 hp. These are essentially the same
engines as found on the U.S. Navy’s new Joint High Speed Vessel.
“We have the same Oto Tenacious can achieve speeds of 27
Melara 76mm gun that knots, but usually cruises at 18 knots,
we have on all of our with a range of 4,200 nm. With that
ships,” Lim says. size and endurance, Tenacious and her
sisters are clearly built for missions
Tenacious and her sister beyond defending territorial waters.
ships are armed with the
MBDA Aster 15 short/ “Our Navy doesn’t have an oiler, so we
medium range surface- have to UNREP with the Americans or
air anti-aircraft and anti- Australians,” Lim says.
missile missile (and is
also capable of operating Habitability is excellent. Lim says.
the larger, longer ranger “We have two chefs. We eat buffet
Aster 30), carried in 32 style, and serve ourselves. The of-
Sylver vertical launch ficers, chiefs and crew all eat out of
system (VLS) cells, which SINGAPORE (June 26, 2008) Flight deck crew members assigned to the the general mess, although there is
are located just aft of the Republic of Singapore Navy frigate RSS Tenacious perform a hot pump a wardroom for the officers to relax.
gun. Remotely-operated refueling for helicopter Lonewolf 50 of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron We all have cleaning assignments,
Mk38 Mod2 Typhoon Light (HSL) 45. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Eric Shuey (Released) even myself and the CO.”
Page 9
Lim says the Navy has given her
The Singapore frigates vary some- education and experience. “I read
what from the French La Fayettes, Biomedical Engineering at the
and variants built for Taiwan and Johns Hopkins University with a
Saudi Arabia. The Singapore ver- scholarship provided by the Navy.
sion is slightly smaller (376 feet The Navy promised a fulfilling ca-
long versus 410), has different reer with plenty of opportunities
combat systems, and perhaps for growth and personal develop-
most important, is two knots ment - what’s more, it isn’t your
faster and has longer legs (4,200 run-of-the-mill everyday walk in
nm range as opposed to 4,000 on the park.”
the La Fayettes) Like the La Fay-
ette it has a stealthy design, but “Becoming a principal warfare
a lower profile. The bridge is on officer on ships is part and parcel
the O-2 level and features identi- of being a combat officer in our
cal bridge controls on both port The frigates, (from left) RSS Steadfast, RSS Formidable, RSS Navy,” she says. “After we earn
and starboard sides with charts, Intrepid, RSS Supreme, RSS Tenacious and RSS Stalwart in a line our watchkeeping qualification,
electronic navigation, radar and formation. the next pinnacle is to be trained
propulsion control. The bridge as a warfare officer.”
overhead display (BOD) can show the status and camera video
from around the ship. In addition to the bridge, the ship can be “Typically, we would have been shipboard for just about 3 years
controlled from the machinery control center, CIC or the helicopter before we qualify for the warfare course,” says Lim. “We undergo
control center. a 6-month long Naval Warfare Officers Course and go through
theory and practical training before we are assessed and qualified
Singapore’s Navy takes part in multi-national exercises such as as Principal Warfare Officers.”
RIMPAC in Hawaii and Exercise Malabar, which is a multilateral naval
exercise with the U.S., India, Australia, and Singapore. Singapore “Everything we do from the time we join the Navy contributes to
has participated in the anti-piracy CTF-151 task force in the Gulf helping us build experience required for future appointments in one
of Aden (GOA), contributing ships, aircraft and personnel. As of way or another,” Lim says. “It can be seemingly ‘simple’ things like
this writing, Rear Adm. Giam Hock Koon is in command of CTF 151, carrying out officer-of-the-day duties to planning for naval exercises.
leading a staff of 28 Singaporean Armed Forces (SAF) personnel Each day is never quite the same when you are in the Navy. Of
as well as officers from Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi course, it helps when we can always count on having commanders,
Arabia, Australia and the Republic of Korea. This represents the fellow officers and experienced military experts to learn from. They
third time Singapore has commanded CTF 151 and the eighth SAF make the learning experience so much more enriching.”
deployment to the GOA in support of the international counter-
piracy effort since 2009.
The RSN’s frigate, RSS Tenacious, participating in the
Indonesian Fleet Review 2009 in Manado and Bitung, North
Sulawesu, Indonesia.
MAJ Lim believes that there are no shortcuts to becoming a
capable leader and preparation for such a role starts from day
one in the Service.
Page 10 July 2013
Small Combatant With a Big View
French Navy’s Patrol Vessel Has Radars, UAV,
Panoramic Bridge to Conduct Surveillance
By CAPT Edward Lundquist, USN (Ret)
DCNS has designed the Gowind-class For such a small ship, L’Adroit has
of offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for impressive aviation facilities, in-
maritime surveillance, fisheries en- cluding a deck large enough for a
forcement and anti-piracy missions. 10-ton helicopter and a hangar that
Smaller and less capable than a frigate can house a 5-ton helicopter. It can
or a corvette, it is also less expensive also support UAVs, which are a key
to build, man and operate. While element to her patrol operations.
lightly armed, it has two intercep-
tor boats and an unmanned aerial The OPV can carry modularized
vehicle, and can embark a helicopter. capability payloads, such as a mine
hunting module. Space and weight
The lead ship of the class is FS L’Adroit, margin exists to add capability, such
which was recently in Singapore for as more weapons. On this deploy-
IMDEX 2013, where the ship was ment, which has included fisheries
on display to Asian navies and coast patrols and participation in anti-pi-
guards. She was built by DCNS and The two Terma surveillance radars share the same antenna in racy escorts of World Food Program
made available to the French Navy—or a composite mast enclosure for full 360-degree coverage. The shipments to Somalia, the ship is
Marine Nationale—for a three year radars can be selected by simply turning a switch. (Edward fitted with a mission package that
trial period to test the concept and Lundquist) includes the Schiebel S-100 UAV
suitability for the mission. The 1,500 and a strengthened boarding team.
ton L’Adroit is 285 feet (87 meters) long and can achieve speeds up
to 21 knots, with a range of 8,000 nm at 12 knots and an endurance L’Adroit has a distinctive profile. Perhaps the most visible difference
of three weeks of sea at a time without replenishment. It has two that this ship has compared to other patrol ships or small combat-
crews that rotate every four months. ants is its visibility. The combined bridge and CIC has 360-degree
visibility.
“L’Adroit sailed for a 6 month deployment in the Indian Ocean and
the South China Sea,” says Cmdr. Luc Regnier, her Commanding “Everything is on the bridge,” says LTJG Laurent Thepaut, the Above
Officer. “She was integrated during two months in “Operation Surface Warfare Officer. “It is the first time for the French Navy that
Atalanta,” the European mission against piracy, and also in the CIC and the bridge functions are in the same space.”
NATO operation “Enduring Freedom” in Combined Task Force
CTF150, fighting against activities which could finance terrorism
(drug smuggling and weapon’s traffic).”
Visitors to the ship are impressed by the view from the bridge.
(Marine Nationale)
This builder’s illustration shows the panoramic visibility from the
combined bridge and CIC.Page 11
B o t h t h e b o at
ramp area and “We also use the
flight deck are radar to control
visible from the the UAV. As the
bridge. Boat and ship is not IFF fit-
air operations are ted, we have to
controlled from keep close contact
there. with the drone
within 25 nm from
“We have the Po- the ship,” Thepaut
laris combat man- says. “We use the
agement system SCANTER 6002
from DCNS,” The- to monitor the
paut says. “This drone. It’s a pretty
system integrates small UAV, but it’s
GPS, AIS and ADS- very reliable and
B (Automatic Iden- performs well. The
tification System radar tracks it re-
and Automatic ally well.”
Dependent Sur-
veillance — Broad- “We use the high
cast), two surveil- resolution radar to
lance radars, two FS L’Adroit is deployed with an embarked Schiebel S-100 UAV. . (Marine Nationale) control the RHIBS
navigation radars, when they are
two electro-optical systems and a communication interceptor away from the ship,” Thepaut says. “It is very useful for us.”
system.”
“It’s very easy to use from the COTS PC console. The quality of video
Polaris can be integrated with the DCNS MATRICS maritime Surveil- is really good, and so is the tracking,” he says. “I’m impressed.”
lance systems capable of monitoring traffic and detecting anoma-
lous or suspicious tracks. With MATRICS the ship becomes an active The electronics for the radars and other systems are located above
node of a broader maritime and terrestrial network. the bridge, and below the mast, in a technical room. The Terma
radars are mounted side-by-side on the after bulkhead. They share
L’Adroit has a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion the same antenna. “We can’t transmit on both at the same time,
system, powered by two Anglo Belgian Corporation V12 diesel but changing radars is a simple turn of a switch,” Thepaut says.
engines rated at 5,600kW each at 1,000rpm, with two shafts and
variable pitch propellers. Thepaut says the crew doesn’t perform significant maintenance on
board. “For the radar it is relatively simple as it comes with built-
Boat operations are conducted using side-by-side stern ramps, and in-test equipment and self-diagnostic functions. Furthermore, the
L’Adroit is capable of conducting simultaneous launch and recovery 6002 employs Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA), which unlike the
of both boats. magnetron transmitter, requires no or minimum replacement.”
L’Adroit has a pair of two-dimensional surface and air search radars L’Adroit has a small crew of 32, but can carry many passengers,
from Terma, the Terma SCANTER 4102 Air & Surface Surveillance too. The crew has been augmented for this long deployment with
and Terma SCANTER 6002 Naval Surveillance radar, both X-band, some additional Sailors as well as a team of Marines to conduct
which are especially useful for detection of small targets in bad boardings, and a
weather and difficult sea conditions. It also carries two SAM four-person avia-
Electronics navigational radars. The composite integrated mast tion detachment
structure contains the SCANTER radars antenna and provides 360° for the UAV. It has
radar coverage. space aboard to
carry a special op-
“We mainly use the 4102 for air and surface search at sea with erations team and
the long range surveillance settings,” Thepaut says. “We have their equipment.
good detection and tracking of surface contacts, much
better than the navigational radar. We can see aircraft at The side-by-side stern ramps
distances of 60 nautical miles.” permit simultaneous boat
launch and recovery. (Edward
Lundquist)Page 12 July 2013
“The ship is very well adapted DCNS (Direction des Constructions Na-
for the monitoring of the sea vales and the Direct Chantier Navel) is one
and the security missions due of Europe’s leading shipbuilders. DCNS
to her smart sensors (radars, developed and built the ship at company
watch/track/recognition EO and expense and made it available to the
IR, EW systems) on the single French Navy at no cost for three years
mast, the UAV, a good data link to validate the concept and promote the
and efficient communication ship for export.
systems, her huge autonomy, her
two big RHIBS on the rear ramp “This ship is a cost-effective, innovative
system ,” says Regnier. “We can solution for navies and coast guards, able
launch and recover the boarding to integrate a task force in high seas, to
team on board in less than three monitor the EEZ or to be part of a sur-
minutes.” veillance network for coastal missions,”
Regnier says. “We are now ‘sea proven’ in
L’Adroit features a passive sta- FS L’Adroit the full scope of security missions at sea.”
bilization system, which pumps
seawater ballast to compensate
for motion. “She rides quite well,
even in rough seas,” Thepaut says.
JFK & PT 109: 70 Years Later
By: Christopher Eckardt
On 2 August, 1943, the US Navy (USN) patrol a war hero; an honor that would serve him had sold well after being published. In Sep-
torpedo boat PT-109 engaged an Imperial well in his political career. tember 1941, Kennedy decided to join the
Japanese Navy (IJN) resupply force during military in spite of a back injury that kept
the Solomon Islands campaign. The small Born in 1917, John F. Kennedy was a rising him out of the Army. With the help of the
patrol boat, meant for harrasment opera- star even before the war. He had already Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence,
tions against larger vessels, was under the graduated cum laude from Harvard Univer- he earned a commission as an Ensign work-
command of Lieutenant, Junior Grade sity with a degree in International Affairs, ing for the Secretary of the Navy. However,
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who would later and his thesis on the Munich Conference Kennedy wanted a combat position and in
go on to become the President of the September 1942, he completed
United States. In the confusion of the his officer‘s training, transfer-
engagement, PT-109 was rammed by ring to the Motor Torpedo Boat
the IJN destroyer Amagiri, cut in half, Training Center in Rhode Island.
and sunk. Two of the boat's thirteen On 2 December, now a Lieuten-
crew were killed in the impact, and the ant, Junior Grade, Kennedy
large fire caused by the boat's burning was sent to his first command,
gasoline fuel caused her and her crew PT-101, in Panama for further
to be labeled as lost. In fact, eleven training. Finally, on 23 February
men survived in the wreckage of the PT 1943, Kennedy was assigned to
boat. For the next week, the survivors Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
would remain on small islands in the Two, which was engaged in the
area, living off of coconuts while await- long running Solomon Islands
ing rescue. During this time, Kennedy Campaign in the South Pacific,
distinguished himself in his efforts to conducting raids on Japanese
rescue his crew, swimming out into the shipping in the narrow waters
open seas to try and attract attention, of the Solomons. On 23 April,
and towing badly burned men across Lt. John F. Kennedy’s PT-59, photographed in an unspecified Kennedy officially assumed
the waters in between the small islands location near Vella Lavella and Choiseul, played a key role in the command of PT-109, based at
where they lived. The ordeal for him diversionary mission at Choiseul Island in early November 1943. Tulagi Island.
and his men to survive made Kennedy (John F. Kennedy Library)Page 13
To do this, they had to pass through “the Slot“, a narrow body of
water that was the natural shipping lane between Japanese bases
in the north and their garrisons in the south. The narrow waters
were an excellent operating environment for USN PT boats, and
they were sent out in strength in an attempt to curtail Japanese
resupply operations.
On the night of 1 August, 1943, PT-109 set off with fourteen other
patrol boats to attack a group of five Japanese destroyers bring-
ing reinforcements from Bougainville Island to the airstrip at Vila.
Boats equipped with radar advanced first, with PT-109 being kept
in reserve. The engagement was confused and ill organized overall,
with failures in communication preventing several boats from suc-
cesfully manuevering into position to launch an attack. Out of sixty
available torpedoes on the fifteen boats, not one Japanese ship was
sunk, with after action reports attributing the failure to quality of
torpedoes and poor coordination amongst the boats. PT-109 had
been kept out of the main attack on the Japanese destroyers and
was thus unaware of how it was proceeding. It was while PT-109
and two other patrol boats were awaiting orders that the Japanese
destroyer Amagiri approached, travelling at high speed. Reports
differ as to whether or not the ramming of PT-109 was a deliberate
action to catch the boat by surprise, or if the Amagiri had simply not
seen the patrol boats, but the end result was the same: PT-109 was
cut in half, her fuel stores igniting. The other two boats witnessed
the explosion, and withdrew from action, reporting that the boat
had been lost, presumably with all hands.
Action Report of the Loss of the USS PT-109 on August 1-2, 1943, It was now that the ordeal of survival began. The bow section of
ARC Identifier: 305237; World War II Action and Operational Reports, the boat remained afloat, and Kennedy jumped into the water to
12/07/1941 - 1946; Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval reach the scattered survivors, bringing them aboard. Of the boat‘s
Operations, 1875 - 1989; Record Group 38; National Archives. thirteen crew, eleven were recovered, with a few of them suffering
from severe burns. By the morning of 2 August, it was clear the
PT-109 was a PT-103 class Patrol Torpedo Boat widely known as an
‘Elco‘ boat. Patrol boats were intended to be light, fast, and stealthy
which would be able to approach enemy warships undetected,
engage them with torpedos, and then quickly withdraw. They were
built of mahogany, and their hull was shaped like a speed boat to
achieve high speed. Their primary armament consisted of four 21
inch torpedo tubes, two on each side, along with a 20 mm cannon
and four 12.7 mm machine guns for anti-air defense and general
gunnery. Supplementing this armament, Kennedy had a Army 37
mm anti-tank gun lashed to his boat‘s bow the night of its sinking.
However, this high speed and heavy armament came at a cost.
The boat‘s gasoline fuel had a tendency to explode when hit, often
taking the entire crew with it, and the need to keep the boat light
meant that it carried very thin to no armor. The torpedoes them-
selves were considered slow, and carried a small warhead that con-
stantly, ‘...manifested its want of capacity to inflict real damage.’“
Patrol boats were assigned to anti-shipping missions in the Solomon
Islands. The capture of airfields in the islands had given the Allies air
superiority, and the Japanese had taken to the ”Tokyo Express“ to
resupply their forces throughout the Solomon Islands. Sailing south
from major bases, the IJN would send its fastest ships on speed PT’s patrolling off coast of New Guinea.” 1943
runs to both drop off supplies and return to base within one night.Page 14 July 2013
boat was going to sink. Recovering some
material from the wreck and fashioning a raft
from the anti-tank gun mount, the party of
survivors made it to shore on a small island
about three miles from where their boat
sank. That evening, Kennedy set out on a
swim back out into the sea in an attempt to
contact PT boats returning from patrol, but
found nothing. Later on, the survivors moved
from the island they had landed on initially to
a larger one that had fresh water, coconuts,
and shelter. It was here that Kennedy and
the survivors encountered a pair of native Model of the PT-109, by Albert Hanson, Woodbridge, New Jersey, 1961 Gift of Mr. Hanson Wood,
Solomon Islanders who were able to put 5 x 16 x 5 inches
them in contact with a Coastwatcher—Allied
intelligence officers who lived on secluded islands in order
to observe Japanese troop and ship movements. Kennedy
wrote to the Coastwatcher on a green coconut husk which
he would keep on his desk during his time as President.
After making contact, Kennedy was able to arrange the
delivery of supplies to the survivors, as well as the arrival
of another PT boat to rescue the survivors on 8 August,
seven days after the initial collision.
Kennedy‘s ordeal in the Solomon Islands would go on
to be remembered during the rest of his career in the
Navy and politics. Although injuries sustained during the
rescue forced Kennedy to return to the United States,
he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for
his actions. The PT-109 story would later be dramatized
during Kennedy‘s Presidency in a film of the same name,
earning Kennedy a reputation as a war hero with the
public. The honor of being regarded as a hero would no
doubt prove effective throughout his political career,
which would culminate in his election as President of the Christopher Eckardt is an intern with the Naval Historical Foundation. A
United States in 1960. California native, he currently studies Modern History and International
Relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
New Three Year Members
LCDR Spencer Austin USN LT David Forman USN LTJG Ryan Newmeyer USCG
LCDR Joseph Bromley USN LT Thomas Gilfillan USN Mr. Timothy Parlatore
CAPT Robert Caldwell USN (Ret) LCDR John Hamilton USN LT Elaine Reid USN
LCDR Robert Campbell USN LT Brian Harrington USN LCDR Frank Ryan USN
CWO Joseph Casper USN LTJG Gregory Herrod USN LCDR Anthony Seifert USN
CDR Christopher Cigna USN LTJG Liam Hickey USN LCDR Jeff Sizemore USN
LCDR Diane Cua USN LT Jason Himsey USCG LT Lynnwood Smith USN
CDR Michael Davies USN Nikki James LCDR Adam Soukup USN
ENS Gia DeHart USN Kelley Jones LT Vance Villarreal USN
ETC Robert Dilks USN CAPT Eugene Kiernan USN ENS Kyle Wertz USN
CPO Frederick Domini USCG (Ret) LCDR Mark Lawrence USNPage 15
Joint High Speed Vessel Offers Speed, Volume, and Flexibility
An Interview with RADM Mark “Buz” Buzby,
Commander, Military Sealift Command
Conducted by CAPT Edward H. Lundquist, USN (Ret)
JHSV is now being considered as part of that mix with LCS 1 and ules. You could up-gun that ship with additional small caliber or
LCS 2 within the Navy’s LCS council? What can you tell us about even medium caliber weapons if you wanted to give it more defen-
the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), and how it complements the sive or offensive capability. (Note: Introducing offensive weapons
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)? to this extent would require
Including JHSV in the main con- an official change in both op-
siderations of the LCS council was erational control (from MSC
the result of CNO’s visit down to to Navy Surface Forces) and
Austal Marine in Mobile several manning (from CIVMAR per-
months back where he was look- sonnel to uniformed Sailors).
ing at the LCS 2 class, and the
process to build them. He went It would make a real dandy
aboard the second of our JHSVs logistics support vessel by
that was under construction, including workshop mod-
Choctaw County, that was in the ules and food and stores
water. I think he was struck, as modules, and carrying extra
is just about everyone who goes unmanned vehicles—UUVs
aboard a JHSV, by the immense and UAVs—that sort of thing.
possibilities that exist for that ship. You could assign an appro-
When you walk up the ramp, and priately fitted JHSV with 3 or
into the mission bay, and behold 4 LCS and enable that little
20,000 sq. ft. of generally open USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) at Little Creek. group to operate in a fairly
space, and then go up and look at forward austere area in the
a very large flight deck that can handle a CH 53 helicopter with no littorals, needing only stops for fuel. The JHSV probably wouldn’t
problem, and look at the crane that’s on the stern that can handle be very good in terms of providing petroleum oil and lubricants,
things from the water to the deck, up to the flight deck, your mind but in terms of dry stores, spare vehicles, repair parts and people,
can’t help but think of all the possibilities that this ship could be it’s ideal.
used for. You look at it and wonder, ‘what could go in that space?’
That helps provide that maintenance “reachback” LCS needs
And room for passengers? because the small crew is operating the ship and doesn’t spend
You can carry 312 troops or passengers in seats, and bunk a hundred time conducting regular maintenance.
and four of them. If you were creative in terms of berthing modules
or something like that, you could carry even more, and do it all at Right. And you could fly people into the flight deck from there.
35 knots for 1,200 miles carrying 600 tons of cargo. And when you Back when the Navy operated the missile hydrofoils, the PHMs,
look at that vehicle space and see that you can park four rows of ve- our maintenance concept was performed by the Mobile Logistics
hicles or put Support Group, MLSG, which worked from a group of 20-foot
LCS mission containers that sat on the pier with machine shops in them. The
modules in MLSG had everything needed to support those ships, and the con-
there, this cept was that footprint could be loaded on a container ship, taken
opens up a forward, landed on a pier. With just a little bit of imagination you
lot of pos- could take those similar sorts of containers, put them in the JHSV
s i b i l i t i e s . and have that capability afloat and have it running with the LCS
You’d have and do that pretty well.
to be a little
bit creative, One of the charters of the council is to look at concepts and the
but not that “art of the doable” for what we can do quickly to fully utilize JHSV
creative, to without making major structural modifications. You could do the
make use of theater security cooperation missions we’re doing with high speed
those mis- vessel Swift, where you put mobile offices and classrooms in trailers
sion mod- into the mission bay and hold classes and have a staff embarked,Page 16 July 2013
Do you see them having some kind of scheduled rotation?
It could be used for that. They’re not cheap to operate. Speed
costs money—whether it’s in aviation, or especially at sea. It’s
not the answer for all of your sealift missions, but it does give you
access to a lot of ports where you can’t take a larger ship. It has
an advertised 12-foot draft. It actually needs a little more water to
operate it, but this ship can get in and out of small, shallow draft
ports. Because of its ramp, it can go either astern or to the star-
board side so you can pull it. It doesn’t really need tugs, because
it’s very maneuverable, it can get in and out of a lot of places that
other ships probably wouldn’t be able to get in and out of easily.
And because of its modern diesel water-jet propulsion, it has really
good reaction time. You can be ready to go in a very short amount
GULF OF MEXICO (April 19, 2012) The Military Sealift of time. So they can answer tasking very quickly. And with a 22
Command joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV person crew, it’s very efficient to operate.
1), the first of 10 Navy joint high-speed vessels designed
for rapid intra-theater transport of troops and military Is it the first all-aluminum craft that MSC has operated? If not
equipment, conducts builder’s trials. The 338-foot-long the first, how is it different in that respect.
aluminum catamarans are designed to be fast, flexible and That may be true. I’m trying to think of anything else we may have
maneuverable even in austere ports, making them ideal for that’s all aluminum, but I think that’s probably true. It probably
transporting troops and equipment quickly within a theater of is the first all-aluminum, at least government-owned, ship that
operations. (U.S. Navy photo Courtesy Austal USA/Released) we’ve had. We chartered the Swift, and WestPac Express. They’re
all-aluminum. So, we’ve had experience operating, but those are
and SeaBee construction equipment—dump trucks, earth moving leased vessels. This will be the first government-owned vessel of
and well drilling equipment—that you can just roll right off. You the kind.
can deliver ambulances, fire trucks and school buses pretty easily.
All of this has been done. School buses have been taken down Do you see any challenges or any unique considerations?
range in that vessel. Aluminum is a little bit more of a challenge than steel to maintain
in many ways. It’s a very lightweight ship, so it’s not the heavy,
You could put a small platoon-sized Marine raiding party on there ocean-going construction that we’re used to. It’s constructed with
with some HumVees, AAVs and LAVs that you could zoom in some- much lighter scantlings. The hull thickness is 6 millimeters, and
place. A seaborne FAST platoon could probably easily operate off we’re used to “inches” of steel. We have to be mindful of corrosion
of a JHSV. issues, and the way that we fender and moor it. We have to pay at-
That would be useful in conducting a NEO, a non-combatant
evacuation. They could secure the area with their vehicles; get
themselves some protection with some weapons, and then get
people on that ship and get them out of there.
You could shuttle a lot of folks out of there quickly. Quite liter-
ally, my change of command ceremony is going to have five or six
hundred people sitting in that mission bay. Those could be 500 or
600 evacuees going someplace. You could put port-a-potties up
and down the port and starboard side, and have a couple of chow
facilities there, and you could put a bunch of people in there if you
needed to for short transits, and support it pretty well.
What are some of the more traditional missions that you see that
ship performing for combatant commanders? MAYPORT, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2013) Sailors stationed at Naval
Think of it as a seaborne C-130, conducting intra-theater lift, mov- Station Mayport pull in the mooring lines of the Military Sealift
ing parts, personnel and vehicles around in an AOR, where you Command joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV-
need to do it quickly, but not so quickly that you’d stuff them in the 1) as it pulls into Naval Station Mayport to be inspected
back of a C-17 or a C-5. It’s an asset that’s under the component by Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, commander of U.S. 4th
commander’s direct control. He can push it wherever he needs to Fleet. Spearhead is the first of of nine Navy joint high-speed
push it. In a straight logistics role, it gives you a lot more flexibility vessels and is designed for rapid intra-theater transport of
than perhaps you have currently. troops and military equipment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass
Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damian Berg/Released)You can also read
