“Democratizing the Battlefield”: The Rover Experience

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
01/03/2012

01/03/2012: The Second Line of Defense team in looking to the future of defense and key tools for the 21st century believes that the last decade is not prologue to the next.  Many important experiences and con-ops have emerged in the past decade, which provide key elements, which need to be harvested for the future.  The position of SLD is simply put: “Harvest the Best and Leave the Rest.”

The Rover experience is a core example of “harvesting.”  Rover has been a key element in the air ground revolution, in which ground elements led by JTACS, have been able to leverage various air-breathing assets to enhance mobility, security and targeted lethality.

In a wide-ranging discussion with Lt. Col. Charles Menza, who has been involved with Rover from the beginning, the evolution and contribution of Rover was discussed.  Secretary Wynne participated in the discussion from the SLD side and some of his overview comments have been published in a separate piece.

[slidepress gallery=’democratizing-the-battlefield-the-rover-experience’]

Photo Credit: SLD 2011

From Menza’s perspective:

Rover has been a key element of democratizing the battlefield.  The General has the generally same picture as the guy in the field does.  And this rover essentially creates a horizontal command structure where any Special Forces Team or Captain or a Lieutenant on the ground or a Battalion Commander or a theater committee can call in the air strike commensurate with the Rules of Engagement (ROE). It’s really the story about the JTACS and how they into very effective fighting tools that we have used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Menza has provided a detailed briefing, which provides an effective presentation of the evolution of the program and its evolving capabilities.  This briefing can be found below, and readers are advised to go through the brief carefully to understand the program more clearly.Here we are going to focus upon the evolution of the program and the challenge for the next year.

The Rover System

View more presentations from Second Line of Defense

The program is not a program of record.  It started as a result of a demand from a Special Forces officer who saw an opportunity.  The officer saw the ability to feed video to the C-130 gunship and wondered why that capability could not inform ground operations, and to empower JTACs.

Menza: Almost 10 years ago Chief Warrant Officer Manuel saw the ability of push full-motion video initially to a AC-130 gunship which was taking a lot of fire when it was going over a target area because it had no Situational Awareness (SA). We then sent the Predator to provide that SA and then sent full motion video of the target area back to the AC-130 gunship.  He asked: Why can we not do this directly to the ground?

Then he meets the Major and now Lt Col Greg Harbins and he thinks it’s a great idea.  Then Harbs builds a connection whereby he can talk to the Predator.  Coming from a Panasonic hard book and a collection of gear from Radio Shack, Haves took the system to the field pinned all over him to try to make this connection work.  And it works.Harvs then goes with this idea to the Big Safari office to get the idea operational.  Big Safari is a prototype and innovation shop.  And over time, the Rover sets sold way beyond Big Safari’s wildest imaginations.

We have provided 7,000 sets so far with an additional 5,000 radios ordered by the Army recently. The initial Rover was a single downlink from the Predator to a single box.

SLD: And by pushing video down to a distributed ground element, you are changing the decision-making dynamic.  In effect, this disruptive technology is enhancing capabilities to have a distributed operational battlefield.

Menza: Right. It is disruptive technology because it is not in the Army’s or Air Force’s doctrine.  It’s not in any type of Army doctrine that you can get full-motion video down to the guys on the ground, they can make some decision, and they can fire.Commanders are feeling really uncomfortable with a lot of this.  But this is a technological revolution that can’t be stopped.

Much of the discussion then focused on the evolution of the program whereby the opportunity to develop two-way video links could re-shape how air platforms can be used and maneuver units can operate in determining targets as well as SA.  A key thrust of an interactive link is that the various air assets can function as airborne Wi-Fi hot spots.  The diversity of platforms also provides redundancy, which is part of a sensible approach to enhancing security.

The various waveforms currently require an airborne translator like BACN to provide an ability to manage the video and audio on the fly.  But over time, BACN can be eliminated and direct links possible.  Menza raised the possibility of the video link going directly to the helmet of the “grunt” on the ground.

Menza emphasized that the Rover revolution has gotten ahead of the platforms, which can embed Rover.

I can receive video and I can push video.  Here’s the problem:  since we are rapidly developing this, I could push video to what?  Nothing. This great product was way before its time. I’m still waiting for the airborne assets to be encrypted right now.  It’s coming slowly.  I’ve had this for three years waiting for type one encryption platform.  I’m logged and waiting for a platform I can push the information to and it’s not there yet.  We can do it very quickly. So the next phase is we are going to finally push video up.Another dynamic has been to leverage commercial technology to make the Rover system much smaller and portable.

Menza: I was getting feedbacks from the user, the users go, this is really great, it beats this, but you know what?  This thing breaks; I have to throw the whole thing away.  Make it smaller, make it lighter, and make it a better-rated system. The battery pack (seen) here, it’s made specifically for the Rover.  This battery, I pulled off a Harris radio and I can put this on there.  I could, this battery I can pull off a Tawas radio and I can put it on here.  So L3 makes this, doesn’t make batteries, it made it adaptable to put any battery you can possibly think of that the JTACS already carry, I can snap it on here.  And you know what?  If this breaks, I can throw this away.

And the Rover link has been used a key element of the airdrop revolution.

Menza: Because of Rover, we’re changing the logistics impacted.  The Commander on the ground can call for a pallet drop. And on his Rover, he gets the pallet drop and he can tell the pilot in the airplane, I’ll have the pallet drop here and he can get either a GPS pallet drop or he can follow the video all the way to the ground.  It’s amazing.An additional aspect of the outreach of the Rover revolution is the diversity of platforms, which can be part of the video network.

Menza: We are going to put this on ships now.  Because we can direct video from the aircraft down to the ship and we’re going to shoot this up to the U-2, U-2s going to go down to the Mach. And the XP47, which the USN believes, is the guardian at night and it will be Rover capable.

We are planning to push video from the Predator to the U-2 at 70,000 feet where it can function is a highflying Wi-Fi. The next phase of Rover is rolling out this next year.

Menza: We have been funded to network the airborne platforms and ROVERs and we have got to have this done in 12 months.  We are getting the staffing to designate this as a QRC (Quick Reaction Capability).

The USCG San Francisco Sector: Navigating the Challenges

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
10/17/2011

10/17/2011: During the Second Line of Defense visit to the West Coast in late July 2011 to discuss USCG operations and challenges, a wide-ranging discussion was conducted with the San Francisco Sector.  Captain Cyndy Stowe, Sector Commander led the discussion.  Captain Bliven, Commanders Stuhlreyer, and Tama participated in the round table as well.It should be noted that the Sector recently opened a new operations center which will have a major impact on the capability of the USCG to conduct among other things, search and rescue missions.

[slidepress gallery=’the-uscg-san-francisco-sector’]

Photo Credit: SLD 2011

U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco unveiled a new high-tech operations center today that officials said would facilitate multiple agencies during a disaster and help take the “search” out of everyday search and rescue operations.The $18.1 million two-story Interagency Operations Center, or IOC, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, opened today to much fanfare at a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring keynote speaker House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.The Coast Guard protects Americans from the sea and threats delivered by the sea, as well as the sea itself, she said.

“The IOC will allow us to do so with the most cutting-edge, innovative technology, and interoperability between all of our first responders,” she said. “That is a remarkable, remarkable achievement.”She said that just after the Sept. 11 attacks, interoperability among local, state and federal agencies seemed “almost impossible.”“Now you have it here,” she said.

The new center has space for members of the Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and California Emergency Management Agency to work side by side in case of an emergency.Members of local jurisdictions such as the San Francisco, Alameda and Oakland police and fire departments can coordinate at the interagency center, which will be especially valuable during the upcoming America’s Cup sailing race, Pelosi said.

Also housed at the new command center will be Rescue 21, a state-of-the-art emergency communications and location system that Sector San Francisco has been phasing into its operations, Coast Guard Captain Jay Jewess said.The program helps Coast Guard rescuers quickly locate distressed vessels by reducing search areas by up to 95 percent, he said.Mariners send out a call for help over VHF Channel 16, which goes out to seven radio towers along the coast and inland waterways. Four towers are set to come on line soon.

The new high-tech receivers can detect the direction from which the call is coming, allowing rescuers to track direct lines of bearing to the distressed vessel and home in on a smaller search area, Jewess said. (Also added to the new system is Channel 70 for digital communications, many maritime radios have and embedded GPS capability so that their position can be transmitted as well; thereby helping solve the location problem as well: comment added).Before, the towers would receive the signal but did not know where it originated.

Rescuers only knew which towers had and had not received the signal, and they would use that information to triangulate a much larger search area.Sector San Francisco began implementing Rescue 21 about six months ago, according to Coast Guard Capt. Cynthia Stowe. The technology proves valuable on a daily basis, the members of Sector San Francisco said.

http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/06/coast-guard-unveils-new-high-tech-operations-center-in-sf.php

SLD: What area does the sector cover?

CAPT Stowe: Sector San Francisco’s area of responsibility (AOR) spans from the northern California/Oregon border south along the coastline for about 600 miles to the Monterey-San Luis Obispo County Line.  We cover 200 miles offshore and have the responsibility for the entire San Francisco Bay, including Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta reaching the ports of Sacramento and Stockton nearly 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  And, we also have responsibility for inland lakes where there is interstate commerce, notably Lake Tahoe, and Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming and Utah.

SLD: It’s a region that reaches deep inside the continental United States as well as reaches out.  And therefore, that reflects the nature of the Coast Guard’s mission, which is really management of the territory with threats associated with the maritime domain?

CDR Stuhlreyer: Yes; we monitor, regulate and deal with the movement of vessels on the water, the arrivals, departures, economic activities, and recreational activities, all of these types of activities in the maritime domain.

SLD: What kind of assets do you have available for the missions that you have?

CAPT Stowe: We have four 87-foot, Coastal Patrol Boats for the Sector, which allows us to have one boat underway at all times, or a single point of coverage for the AOR. We also have eight Multi-Mission Small Boat Stations.   Two of these Stations are located on the Coast, two are in the San Francisco Bay and two are located on the rivers.  One is the Coast Guard’s only station on an alpine lake: Station Lake Tahoe.  We also have a station that is open seasonally at Santa Cruz, California and is subordinate to our station in Monterey.  In addition we have a Marine Safety Detachment in Humboldt Bay and an Aids to Navigation Team that covers the Bay and inland rivers.  In total, these resources cover one of the largest geographic Sector AORs in the Nation.

http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/87wpb.asp

SLD: We last met when you were in Sector Miami.  How is Sector San Francisco different from Sector Miami?

CAPT Stowe: The primary mission set varies pretty significantly between Miami and San Francisco AORs.  In Miami, law enforcement is the primary mission including frequent illegal drug and migrant interdictions.   For San Francisco, Search and Rescue and Port Safety and Security are our primary mission areas.  In San Francisco, we respond to the largest number of Search and Rescue cases in the nation with more than 1,500 cases every year.  Environmental protection of the Bay and Coastline is also of great important in San Francisco.  The Coast Guard works on a day-to-day basis with other Federal, state, local and private environmental managers to eliminate or minimize threats to the marine environment.

SLD:   What’s the impact of the weather on the West Coast as compared to tropical weather in Miami?  What’s the difference perspective that you get from serving in Miami versus here in terms of just the physicality of the Pacific?

CAPT Stowe: Here is a great example.  Last year in Miami, we had a case where two men were disoriented in an afternoon squall in their 14-foot open boat and they headed away from shore until they ran out of gas. We found the two men four days later off the Coast of Georgia.  They were dehydrated, but they were ok.     On the West Coast when we lose a boater, or we lose a swimmer, or we lose a kite surfer, everyone goes to GQ (General Quarters—an emergency mode of operations), and you have a very short time period to locate them.  Additionally, there is no sandy bottom where you can drop an anchor and no sandy beach to wash up on.  If you’re in distress and you’re offshore, you’re going to be on the rocks if we can’t get to you in time.

CDR Stuhlreyer: Another difference on the west coast compared to the east is that the asset lay down is somewhat lighter on the west coast.  For instance, our small boat stations are anywhere from 60 to 100 nautical miles apart on the coast, so the Small Boat Station’s AORs are much larger.  Whereas in the same stretch of coast back east, you might have two sectors, and six or eight small boat stations along the same length of Coastline.  You only have a couple of small boat stations on the Pacific Coast.  This is a function of historical development, geography, and population density and it poses some unique challenges in terms of distance and response time.

SLD: What do they have at the air station?

CDR Stuhlreyer: Air Station San Francisco has four HH-65 Helicopters.  (The Coast Guard’s short-range rescue helicopter).  If we have a case in the northern or southern AOR, the helo will likely need to refuel before it respond, refuel again enroute, and then go out for a limited amount of time.  This is a perfect example of the unique challenges posed by our large AOR.

SLD: And the impact of the water here versus Miami and its impact on operations?

CDR Stuhlreyer: Of course the water temperature is much colder.  I would say that the offshore water varies between 51 or 52 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, and maybe gets up to 57 or 58 degrees in the summer in the San Francisco AOR. The colder temperature significantly reduces the survival time and therefore our reaction time to conduct Search and Rescue missions.

CAPT Stowe: It’s challenging to cover our geography to execute the Search and Rescue mission in a timely manner.  Another issue that stresses our resources is that in the San Francisco Coastal and Bay region we have very limited support from commercial vessel assist companies.  In the Southeast, vessel assist companies like “Sea Tow” are very prevalent and they reduce the amount of Coast Guard resources necessary to respond to boaters needing assistance.

SLD: So you need longer range assets with speed such as the new Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutter?  How do you stand in getting these core assets?

https://sldinfo.com/the-new-sentinel-class-fast-response-cutter-filling-out-the-uscg-patrol-boat-gap/

CAPT Stowe:  These cutters will replace the aging 110-foot patrol boats.  Since we have 87 foot Coastal Patrol Boats in San Francisco, we aren’t slated to receive a Fast Response Cutter.

CDR Stuhlreyer: The 87-foot patrol boats are relatively new and they are certainly a much more capable platform than the old 82s were.  However, in 12-14 foot seas, there is a point of diminishing returns.  In this weather a 47-motor lifeboat is our preferred platform.  With a surfman aboard, the Motor Life Boat is capable of operating in up to 30-foot seas and 20 foot breaking surf with 50-knot winds.  These are the very capable boats often featured in TV programs because of their rugged construction and self-righting design.

SLD: What about helos and other assets?

Commander Stuhlreyer: The helos are an excellent platform; however the old tyranny of distance limits our ability to deploy the asset.  We often rely on very robust partnerships with local and state partners who operate vessels and aircraft to help conquer these challenges.

SLD: And after 9/11 you have other missions added to the already demanding law enforcement and Search and Rescue missions.

CAPT Stowe: It’s certainly a challenge for the Multi-Mission Small Boat Stations to train, qualify, and achieve proficiency for an ever increasing set of missions that the Coast Guard has responsibility to execute.  For instance, you have a unit like Station Golden Gate, located just inside the San Francisco Bay.  They’re designated as a surf station, which puts them at the high-end of the training spectrum in terms of the degree of difficulty to obtain the necessary proficiency in order to operate a boat in the most extreme weather environment.  Station Golden Gate is also a level one PWCS unit.

(PWCS stands for Ports, Waterways and Coast Security and is described here.)

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg532/pwcs.asp).

There’s only one other Coast Guard Station in Nation that is both a surf station and a level one PWCS station.

SLD: What is a level one?

CAPT Stowe: Level one means they are required to maintain a heightened capability to respond to a homeland security threat or incident.  They plan and execute missions in the homeland security realm, such as patrols, escorts, and security boardings.   In order to do these missions the Station personnel train and qualify with additional weapons including a small boat mounted automatic weapon.The boat operators for this mission are trained to a higher standard in terms of boat tactics and qualification.   Today’s larger small boat station has roughly the same 45-person crew that it had 20 years ago when it only executed Search and Rescue and a little bit of law enforcement.  Today, that mission set includes PWCS.

SLD: So a key demand is different levels of training to do the two sets of missions, Search and Rescue and homeland security?

CAPT Stowe: You can say a platform is a platform that serves multi-missions which is true, however for PWCS, we need the automatic weapon mounted on the boat and a qualified operator standing behind the weapon, and a boat operator who is proficient with a higher level of boat tactics. That model doesn’t work very well for helping a recreational boater who is disabled and adrift or approaching the rocks.  For that mission we need a 47-foot MLB with a trained surfman at the helm.  We really do have to outfit for two separate missions.  All the while the Station is staffed for a single ready boat crew.

SLD: So how are you training for the Homeland Security mission set?

CDR Stuhlreyer: Training for PWCS is complicated on the West Coast because of the large number of marine sanctuaries and environmentally sensitive areas; essentially there are very limited areas to train for this mission.

CAPT Stowe: In the 1990s the Coast Guard would simply go a short distance offshore and we’d train.  Now, because of various regulations and policy we transit 12 miles offshore to conduct weapons training.  However, the operating limitations for the 25 foot Response Boat preclude us from sending it out in seas typically encountered 12 miles off shore in Pacific Ocean.  As a result, I may have a young man or woman standing behind the mounted automatic weapon who hasn’t actually fired the weapon from the 25-ft. Response Boat that they are using to patrol the San Francisco Bay.  In order to meet our training requirements, we typically train 12-miles offshore with the 87-ft Coastal Patrol Boat.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that there is only one area off of Bodega Bay where we don’t have sanctuaries at the 12-mile mark.  All of our offshore training for our AOR occurs in this location, but we now understand there is a legislative proposal to expand the size of the sanctuary to include this area, which would push Coast Guard training further offshore.    From an environmental standpoint, we like the idea that we’re protecting the environment, but we also need to provide adequate training areas, personnel, and rounds to support the required tactical training.

CDR Stuhlreyer: We are experiencing similar challenges with the HH-65 Helicopters when it comes to training for airborne use of force.  The Coast Guard outfitted our helicopters with what we call AUF (airborne use of force) capabilities.  Our aircrews that traditionally flew Search and Rescue missions are now also engaged in special tactics training for the pilots to fly the aircraft, special training to maintain gunner’s qualification, and then they have the same issue with finding areas to train.

CAPT Stowe: To help achieve proficiency for our small boat crews we recently established a regulatory Safety Zone for Use of Force Training in San Pablo Bay.  We did this through a formal rulemaking process that included notice and solicited public comment before a final rulemaking was published.  As a result of that process we now have a designated location in San Pablo Bay where we can train for both airborne and waterborne use of force.  This is a major step forward in our ability to train for the PWCS mission.

SLD: Let us focus again on the assets you have and the operational limits, which they impose.  How far can the 87 go out?

CDR Stuhlreyer: It’s really dependent on what’s happening environmentally.  The weather and sea state limits our search and rescue reach.   It also limits our ability to conduct fisheries law enforcement. We do a lot of the fisheries enforcement work in conjunction California Fish and Game and our partners at the National Marine Fisheries Service, but that cooperation tends to be closer to the coast because of the environmental conditions farther off shore.

SLD: This limits your ability to conduct security, environmental and certainly search and rescue operations significantly. What impact would a new Fast Response Cutter have on operational range?

CAPT Stowe: The FRC would offer double the endurance of the 87-ft CPB and it can operate out to 200 miles effectively.

SLD: Let us talk about your role as Captain of the Port and how one should understand the port within the overall maritime trade system.

CAPT Stowe:  For a port to be successful it’s essential that there is a free flow of commerce; goods and services must flow freely 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Today, the ports are generally limited by the depths of the channels that serve them. The port of Oakland is the fifth busiest container port in the Nation.  The Army Corp of Engineers dredged the port to 50 feet several years ago, but the Corp is challenged to keep the port at that depth within its current budgetary restraints.  Slowly the controlling depths are being reduced and the amount of cargo that ships can carry is therefore also reduced.

Much of my role as the Captain of the Port involves working with all of the port partners to keep the port functioning at its peak capacity while keeping a watchful eye on safety and security.  Keeping the shipping lanes clear of hazards, keeps the navigation routes open.   When a light goes out on a buoy, it’s replaced. Closing a Harbor and suspending all oil transfers during a tsunami, or restricting access to an area during an oil spill cleanup operation is the responsibility of the Captain of the Port.  Likewise, determining when it’s safe to reopen the port and determining which cargos are most critical to enter port first are some of the many challenging decisions that are made by the Captain of the Ports on a regular basis.

CDR Tama:  An important part of serving as the Captain of the Port is being the facilitator that can bring diverse stakeholders together to help ensure the safety, security, and efficiency of the port.  that the Captain of the Port serves as a central place where the shippers, the environmental advocates, the local governments, and all of the different interest groups with disparate equities come together to resolve complex issues?  There wouldn’t be a single place that hears all those voices, considers all those stakeholders and makes the difficult decisions about what’s going to happen.

SLD: Finally, let us talk about the America’s Cup coming to the Bay Area.

CAPT Stowe:  No one consulted the Coast Guard when they decided to award America’s cup to San Francisco Bay, but as a result of that decision the Coast Guard will establish a restricted area where the oldest trophy in sporting history can be held.  We’ll execute a plan to ensure the movement of ships into and out of the port during the event, host dozens of international megayachts, and oversee spectator safety for 1,000’s of spectator craft.  The race is expected to be second only to the Olympics in its draw of spectators.  It will include approximately 20 days of racing in 2012, and up to 40 days of racing in 2013.  There is a tremendous amount of planning and coordination that has to occur in order to make this happen.  And that planning is seamless to the public.  The Coast Guard will publish a special local regulation through a notice and comment formal rulemaking.

SLD: And presumably, this is on top of everything else you’re doing. And complicates everything else you’re doing

CAPT Stowe: True. The Coast Guard doesn’t receive any additional funds for these types of events.  They are on top of our normal and emergency response operations.

CAPT Bliven: The largest challenge will be to hold the event and keep the Bay operating normally. Notably, the trade system needs to keep functioning normally even though the race is occurring.  The container ships will want to keep transiting normally and the normal users of small boats in the bay will want to operate normally.  And a significant part of the Bay will need to be dedicated to the race.

CAPT Stowe:  We will also take advantage of this opportunity to educate boaters on proper safety procedures since the event will draw a rather large recreational boating population.  We will partner with America’s Cup organizers to get the safety message out via their web page and through advertisements.

(Note: Coast Guard response missions receive much publicity, but its preventive work gets less. For example it has done much to set standards and work with manufactures to make boats much safer, and it does boater education directly and coordinates efforts of several volunteer organizations doing safety training. These programs have been quite successful; deaths in the recreational boating community have been reduced by a factor of about 5 during the past 40 years.)

Aboard the USCG Bertholf: Operations and Capabilities of the National Security Cutter

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
09/13/2011

09/13/2011: During the Second Line of Defense visit to USCG Island in Alameda, California, Captain John Prince and the Executive Officer of the Bertholf David Ramassini discussed their recent tour aboard the Bertholf.  The conversation occurred in late July 2011 shortly after Captain Prince had relinquished command of the Bertholf to take a new post.

In an earlier article, Captain Prince and Ex O Ramassini discussed the relationship between the equipment on the bridge and their ability to prosecute missions or what we called the con-ops enablement of the National Security Cutter.https://sldinfo.com/on-the-bridge-of-the-bertholf-discussing-the-con-ops-enablement-by-the-nsc/

Captain Prince has provided an important perspective on the Bertholf in a posting to be found here https://sldinfo.com/from-the-bridge-of-the-bertholf/ and Commander Ramassini has as well http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/06/from-the-bridge-of-the-bertholf-northern-edge-2011/. During this interview, Captain Prince and Commander Ramassini discuss their recent experiences with the national security cutter and discuss the relationship between operations and the capabilities provided by the new ship.

[slidepress gallery=’aboard-the-uscg-bertholf’]

Credit : Slides 1-5 SLD 2011; Slides 6-9 USCG

During this interview, Captain Prince and Commander Ramassini discuss their recent experiences with the national security cutter and discuss the relationship between operations and the capabilities provided by this new class of ship.

SLD: Could you describe the deployments you have had with the ship?

Captain Prince: We’ve done two patrols down to the Eastern Pacific.  One was just a very brief 30-day patrol, but once the crew made the ship ready for operations, we did a 90+day Eastern Pacific deployment.

In addition we’ve conducted a 102-day deployment up to Alaska which also included a patrol of the Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone before returning to homeport.

Down in the Eastern Pacific, we had seven different interdictions highlighted by a couple early on in our deployment.  We got a call from our tactical commander that said, “We need you here sooner…can you make 20+ knots for the next 1000 miles so we can get you down here early?” We easily made the speed using just the diesel engines, allowing us to not only arrive on scene more quickly, but also with plenty of fuel for mission end game.

This allowed us to be the primary asset, along with a maritime patrol aircraft looking for a fully submersible drug smuggling submarine.  And even with limited underwater sensors, using reach back into the different intelligence communities, and communicating across different levels of government, we were able to keep ourselves in proximity to the threat for an extended period of time to the point that they ended up scuttling the submarine.

SLD: Presumably, some of that information from the other agencies is displayed on your screens on the bridge?

Captain Prince: Yes, it’s part of our situational awareness which is used for decision making. During our deployments, we’ve dealt with a wide array of threats across a broad range of vessels.  Our drug interdictions have already disrupted a street value equivalent to the cost of the National Security Cutter that otherwise would have been profits in the cartels pockets!

The smugglers are using a variety of vessels. They’re using single engine vessels, close into shore.  They’re using single engine vessels further off shore.  They’re using multi-engine vessels in shore, and off shore.  They’re using fishing vessels.  They’re using semi-submersibles, and they’re using fully submersibles.

In one patrol, we were able to successfully engage and disrupt narcotic shipments across that full spectrum of threats discussed, with the exception of a semi-submersible because there were none of those in our operating area at the time we were on patrol.

On that one patrol alone, we disrupted an estimated 12,500 kilos of cocaine.  The street value of that approaches a half billion dollars.   And if you compare that to the price tag of the ship, I’d say that’s pretty good return on investment given the adversaries we face.

SLD: So the speed and endurance offered by the NSC was a key part of your operational capabilities dealing with a wide spectrum of challenges as well?

Captain Prince: We were able to do it with the ship, not in every case, but in more cases because of the ability of the ship to make speed that our smaller more antiquated ships can’t make.  For a displacement hull, your hull speed is 1.4 times the square root of the length of the ship in feet. That’s your hull speed.  Any speed above that requires an exponential amount of horsepower. By making the ship bigger, it gives us more speed, more efficiently, more economically, and in the long run, cheaper.

SLD: And added to your new C4ISR tool sets, the speed of the ship is a winner in prosecution of bad guys.

Captain Prince: It is.  For example, one of the tools, which have proven invaluable, is the Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR).  From over the horizon we can track a target of interest with the FLIR.  Sometimes you get a nebulous radar track that you really can’t correlate to anything else, they’re not putting out their own radar or return so you can say oh, that’s a merchant, or that’s a navy ship.  To be able to basically peek from high on the mast with FLIR and get a visual look at the target, without him really even seeing you, and even at night, you’re assessing the threats in the area of operation without giving away your location.

Commander Ramassini: Another aspect of the impact of speed and endurance on operations can be seen in how long we are able to operate between port calls.  Because of the efficiencies the ship offers, we have greater endurance and don’t need to make port calls as frequently.  And this helps us increase our operational security and provide persistent presence where we expect the smugglers to eventually be.

By not making a port call as often, the adversary doesn’t know where we’re located.  And the longer we stay out, the less opportunity they have to figure out our location in an effort to avoid us.  Every time we make a port call, word travels fast in today’s information age, and our location is compromised. This ship is rarely constrained by fuel and can operate comfortably for nearly thirty days and even loiter for forty-plus with fuel in reserve.  I joke that the ZZ Top song “She’s Got Legs” sums up the NSC capabilities well; and everyday the Coast Guard is finding better ways to use them to support national strategies.

Another aspect of the impact of the ship on operations is our relatively low cross section.  The older cutters have a big cross section, and are clearly visible on the radars of their targets of interest.  With the design of this ship, when you are looking at the radar from a distance, we look like a fishing boat.  That coupled with the use of the FLIR allows us to operate in a much stealthier manner over the horizon before sending our teams up close and personal over the gunwale.

SLD: Could you talk about the power plants on the ship?

Captain Prince: The ship is equipped with two diesel engines, and one gas turbine.  We have actually five different modes of propulsion.  We have what’s called a harbor mode, which is a slow speed mode, one diesel engine driving both shafts.  We have cruising mode, one diesel engine using higher speed clutches, driving both shafts.  That’s about 16 to 18 knots.  We can have one diesel engine driving both shafts, or each engine driving their own shaft.  The ship can make about 24 knots  on the diesels. With the gas turbine alone driving both shafts, 26 knots.  Combined diesel and gas turbine, that’s both main diesel engines and the gas turbine all running at the same time, the ship can make about 30 knots.

SLD: How does that compare to the 270s?

Captain Prince: A 270’s max speed is about 18 knots with both diesel engines all ahead full. Also understand that the 270s are not going to be able to make 12 knots in 10 or 12-foot seas. In contrast, we can operate economically on one engine, and easily transit at about 15 knots.  I gain 25 percent more on-scene time, because it takes 25 percent less time to transit through the off station area.  And the fact that we actually do it fuel efficiently allows us to stay there longer. We recently transited to Seattle and easily made 14-15 knots with a comfortable ride in 12+ foot seas with no degradation in crew readiness due to fatigue as a result of the excellent sea keeping .

SLD: Let us return to your tour and your operational experiences.

Captain Prince: Let me just close out the Eastern Pacific.  Certainly the Eastern Pacific is not known for having the most extreme of weather conditions.  Regardless, we were never out of pitch and roll limits to launch or recover the helicopter. And we were never out of limits, my comfort limits, and XO’s comfort limits to launch or recover a small boat. So there was no time, while we were in that operating area, where we ever out of the mission execution “end game” business.

And a key purpose of the ship is to provide a stable launch and recovery platform for helicopters and small boats; those are the tools we use to actually interdict the smuggler, rescue the person in distress, enforce the law, and ensure security.  A helo could’ve been broken, that doesn’t mean I’m out of business. I can still launch that small boat and now have the capacity to operate with more than one air asset aboard. I can even hangar two helicopters and still have a clear deck to land a third, if ever necessary.

SLD: Could we talk about your small boats and how you use them?

Captain Prince: For a go-fast interdiction, our plan is always to launch two boats.  One is the pursuit boat, the primary chase boat.  Then there’s the secondary boat that we call the support boat. And that secondary boat brings additional people to the scene once the pursuit is done.  When you’re in a small boat and you’re chasing somebody at high speed, you’re getting bounced a great deal. So the goal, the objective of that pursuit boat is simply to stop the target vessel, and maintain some positive control over it.  Then they would be augmented or replaced by the support boat team, who we haven’t been pounded on for the last hour and a half by a rapid pursuit.

The small boats are capable of about 35+ knots.

Commander Ramassini: The Legacy Ships have two small boats while the National Security Cutter has three.  While we typically only employ two, it does provide us the redundancy and additional capacity if there’s ever a casualty, if something happens where we need to put that third boat in the water, we have it.

SLD: Might you highlight an example of how the NSC’s endurance enhances operational efficiencies?

Captain Prince: A perfect case in point was down off of Hawaii where we were targeting tuna boats for inspection.  We hopped on a boat at eight o’clock in the morning.  We finished the boarding and it was time to move onto the next tuna boat.  If the next guy was 60 miles away, that was no big deal.  At 15 knots, I’m there in four hours, and can finish another boarding.  The next guy’s 40 miles away, and I can reach that third boat and do another boarding.  So I have been able to do three boardings that day covering vast areas within our Exclusive Economic Zone without over-taxing my propulsion plant or using a significant amount of fuel.

If I were on a 378 or 270, I wouldn’t get there until sundown for the second one unless I came up on the gas turbine which would use nearly three times as much fuel.  I could do one or two during that same day as opposed to the NSC where I did three.

SLD: What is the patrol cycle planned for the NSC?

Captain Prince: We were just on a 102-day tour. The general practice is to deploy and patrol for three plus months at a time, responding as necessary to mission demands.  We work to keep our personnel tempo at 185 days away from homeport each year; although we’ve been logging and are projected to perform well over 200 days in FY12.

SLD: To cover the Bering Sea for the year, how many cutters will one need?

Captain Prince: With a 185 days away from homeport perstempo, 2.5 to 3 cutters are needed to maintain a 365 – 24/7 presence which accounts for transit time, dedicated underway training periods, and scheduled maintenance that may be conducted away from homeport.

SLD: Any final comments?

Commander Ramassini: I have had a chance to observe the new capabilities for well over a year now and find them critical to our missions out there.  We have discussed the command capabilities, but having the other mission enabling speed of the system and end-game asset capacities inherent in the ship are crucial as well.

You have three small boats instead of two and actually have the space for four if ever warranted. Instead of having one helo, you can literally have three on board at one time if there was ever a need.  You could also have a helo, and two UAVs in the hangars while maintaining a clear deck for operating with interagency and inter-service partners.

The ship is designed with the two hangars; we can roll in two helos protecting them from the elements if we wanted to take two helos downrange with us.  We have that flexibility, given the mission set.

We have the ability to operate with DOD, if we’re going to land an Air Force or Army helo, Special Forces, or USN or USMC helos, we have that flexibility to do that.  During this past patrol, we did training with Army Special Forces preparing them to deploy overseas.  They bounced off our deck dozens of times demonstrating firsthand our ability to land the third-wheel H-60 aircraft and operate even partnering with high end DOD partners.

We also offer great flexibility and adaptability for Homeland Defense and Security; and even serving abroad in support of U.S. Combatant Commander’s global maritime partnerships.  The transit ability and the sea legs in this ship are remarkable – we offer outstanding partnership and persistent presence wherever we go.  Up in the Bering Sea where we’d cover a 300,000 square mile area, steaming all the way up to the Maritime Boundary Line, and back down to the Aleutian Chain, and cover that area in a very efficient manner waving our flag, protecting our exclusive economic and projecting U.S. national interests in the Arctic along the Maritime Boundary Line, the U.S./Russia Border. So we have that presence.  And just be able to show our peer competitors that we’re still concerned about this area, and we have a presence with remarkable helicopter launch and land capabilities up in the harsh Bering Sea with a ship like this is important to our nation and ultimately our sovereignty.

The Coast Guard has something special here. Although the National Security Cutter is 40 feet longer than our old 378s we operate with 50 fewer people and with only about ten percent more than are currently on our 270s.  Efficiency and economy comes with technology – we’re embracing it and moving out smartly and effectively.  The NSC – She’s got legs and a crew who knows how to use them!












Providing On-Location Support Services for the CRW

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/25/2011

08/25/2011: A key element for mission success is an ability to support the deployment with key service support capabilities.  Airman Parry provided an introduction into the support services role and equipment.

[slidepress gallery=’crw’]

Photo Credit: SLD 2011

Airman Parry: I hate acronyms, so I’m only going to try to give you one.  This is the HELAMS.  It’s a hard-side expandable light air mobile shelter.  It’s a glorified trailer or a mobile command post.

SLD: So we are entering your mobile command post now?

Airman Parry: Yes.  Everything that happens out on the ramp with the planes comes through here first.  We use it, because it’s got a 360-view with all these windows.  The covers come down in case we’re running something secure in here.The SPICE pallet you just saw out there, sometimes we’ll put it in here.  You can run SPICE from one side.  We’ve got this fancy little curtain that also helps it stay secure.

Airman Bowman: The SPICE of the HELAMS is strictly dedicated to the CRW operation.  We provide services such as NIPRNET which is regular internet and SIPRNET which is classified internet.  We provide voice support over phones, which is voice over IP.  We are supported by by a 1.8 meter satellite dish which can use either an X-band, C-band or X-band feed.  X-band is strictly military.On a typical mission we will set up with a combination to support six NIPPER computers and six SIPER computers and three phones.

SLD: How long does this take to set up?

Airman Parry: Actually, once the plane hits the ground, we’ll have a few hours to get all of our equipment set up.  We get our HELAMS set up, the shelter ready, all of our equipment up and running.

SLD: So how mission ready are you?

Airman Parry: Right now we have two HELAMS ready to go out the door.

SLD: On what airlifters can you package the equipment? C-130s or C-17s?

Airman Parry: It goes on anything, C-130, C-17, C-5.  It can be loaded on all of them.

SLD: The HELAMS provides a good mobile support package, it seems?

Airman Parry: They’re nice.  The wheel sets just come right off.  Everything’s electrically powered, so it makes it a lot easier to operate.  Actually, once we get them off, they have the ability to be married together, so that you just have wheels and you can get it out of the way once we get it set up as the shelter. And the antennas attach directly to the HELAMS.

SLD: So you can set up your mobile command post to support a variety of communications needs inside the HELAMS?

Airman Parry: We have several different capabilities. We can run line of sight, if I see you, I can talk to you, we can do DAMA using satellites.  We have a HF radio, which can hit the sky and bounces back down to wherever you’re going.

The Deployed Air Mobility Division Communications Element (DACE)

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/24/2011

08/24/2011: During the SLD visit with the CRW, the C2 team explained their role and the equipment, which they use to execute their mission.  Master Sgt. James Gregg started the discussion with participation by Staff Sgt. Derek Carson, and Sgt. Brant.

Sgt. Gregg: We are from the 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron (AMOS).  Our primary mission in our squadron is air mobility division.  Basically, in the theater, they schedule cargo, passengers, medevacs, pretty much anything that moves inside an aircraft in the theater.

SLD: And you are supporting that activity?

Sgt. Gregg: Yes.  This particular UTC is DACE, which stands for Deployed Air Mobility Division Communications Element. Our primary mission is to support an AMD, if we were deployed to an austere location.If there isn’t a CAOC in theater, or if we’re going somewhere where there’s not sustainability assets, we provide the C2 element.The COM package starts with a satellite dish, it is a USC60, it’s quite old, but it is very capable.  It is capable of 8.6 megs of data transfer. It can support NIPRNET and SIPRNET as well as phone transmissions. Just out of the box we can provide support for 41 NIPR clients, 92 SIPR clients and 72 phones. It originally was designed for a bare base type setup.

SLD: So it fits your mission profile.

Sgt. Gregg: Absolutely.  Yes, sir.  We also have radios.  And I have some of my other gear inside.  But we have Motorola standard radios to be replaced by newer radios in the future.  But primarily, our job is, again, the air mobility division asset, but we fit into the CRW via JTF-PO, Joint Taskforce Port Opening. And our operations are primarily to support humanitarian missions.We deployed to Haiti, and most recently to Romania. For the deployment and to provide communications support we deploy five personnel each representing a different specialty.  In the Romanian case, we deployed for 26-27 days.

Another big exercise for us was in 2009 when we supported the African Partnership Station exercise.  We were deployed for six months in support of Navy SEABEES.  They deployed with an ability to use one Sat phone.  Once we got there we were able to provide almost a phone at every desk.

SLD: So the tent provides the workspace within which you lay out your C2 support equipment?

Sgt. Gregg: Yes. The satellite dish feeds three boxes of satellite modems. Of course, you have a NIPER and a SIPER transit box, and what you get there is just like you would at any NIPER/SIPER terminal.  We provide on-station email hosted on site.  You get your own deployed email account; you don’t have to fill up your web access account.  File sharing, printer sharing, everything that you would expect to have at your desk is in these boxes.And we do classified, as well as unclassified phones.  We do air/ground radio, as well as I mentioned the smaller radios.  And a typical client that you’d see in the field is the laptops.

SLD: Could you explain about the shelter?

SSG Carson: The shelter is approximately 400 square feet.  It takes four power pro and four HVAC personnel to set it up.  And it takes approximately 45 minutes to set this up. We have four 806 Bravo military generators to support these shelters.  We have six total for the AMB mission. The shelter provides a total of 2,400 square feet of board space.

The Material Handling Equipment for CRW Operations

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/22/2011

08/22/2011: During the CRW visit, Second Line of Defense spoke with members of the CRW who operate the equipment for handling supplies and materials when forward deployed.  Airman Ruiz initiated the discussion.

[slidepress gallery=’the-material-handling-equipment-for-crw-operations’]

Photo Credits: SLD 2011

Ruiz: Here are a couple of pieces of equipment that we use to transport loads to and from the aircraft, and around our yards.  Basically, all the loads are on a pallet that’s right on top. And you can see our new generation small loader.  The newest K-loader that we have is capable of carrying 25,000 pounds.It’s named after Mr. Albertson, who was the candy bomber during the Berlin Airlift.It can carry up to three of those pallets, either logistically or at ADS, basically there’s a short side and a long side to each one of those pallets.

SLD: The loader is designed to be air mobile and to then function to load or unload transport aircraft on location?

Ruiz:  Yes, sir.  They are used on location.  It’s actually highly deployable as well; it only takes about 30 minutes to get this ready to put on an aircraft.  So, in the CRW world, it actually works out very well.

SLD: And obviously, it goes fairly flat then?

Ruiz: They can go down to about 39 inches, and it can also be raised to about 220 inches.  It also has a pitch and lift, so when we bring it up to a type of aircraft, if we’re unequal or unsteady by some weight, we can straighten it out.

SLD: So, you can bring it out of pretty much of anything that would fly?

Ruiz: Roger that, sir.

SLD: What fuel can the K-loader operate on?

Airman Baxter: JP86 diesel, and sometimes kerosene.  All the newer style fuels as well. The vehicle will run off of anything you can find at an airfield.

SLD: You have explained the K-loader and we are now looking at fork lift, could you tell me something about this vehicle?

Ruiz: This is the 10K AT fork lift, and we usually just use one pallet, 10,000 pounds.  No more than 10,000 pounds.  It’s all-terrain vehicle, that’s what the AT stands for.  It can pretty much go anywhere.  I’ve had it in about six feet of water and mud, and it ran fine.

SLD: In water and mud?

Ruiz: Yes.  In a swamp, trying to pick up some pallets that we dropped.  This is the bread and butter of what we do, sir.  This is pretty much one of our primary vehicles. We have bigger ones called 60Ks, up to 6,000 pounds, but they’re not as mobile as this is.  Like I said, this only takes 30 minutes and we’ve got it on the plane. The 10K AT is how we move all of our cargo to and from after we get it off the aircraft; this is what moves everything around in the airfield




On the Bridge of the Bertholf: Con-ops Enablement by the NSC

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/21/2011

08/21/2011: During a visit to USCG Island in Alameda, California, headquarters of the USCG Pacific operations, Captain John F. Prince, recently commanding officer of the USCGC Bertholf and the executive officer Commander David W. Ramassini discussed recent operations and how the capabilities of the NSC allowed them to achieve mission success.

A key way to think of the NSC is a command post afloat with self-contained assets, and because of C4ISR, reachback and reachout capabilities to national assets and partner capabilities.  It is an operational bubble at sea able to control and operate over significant areas of land or sea to execute its various missions. Much like one can conceptualize the revolution inherent in the F-35 cockpit, the bridge and its various tool sets represent the “cockpit” for the command team of the Bertholf.

Rather than thinking of the NSC as a new cutter and simply as a replacement for the Hamilton class, one should think of the ship’s entry into the 21st century world of C4ISR enablement, and the bridge as where C4ISR D (i.e, C4ISR enabled decision making) is executed.

While standing on the bridge with Captain Prince and Commander Ramassini, Second Line of Defense discussed the correlation between missions conducted on their recently completed patrol and the command assets on board the ship.

Captain Prince: It was about midnight off of the Coast of Panama around 8-10 miles.  Our helicopter was broken and we had one of our small boats patrolling along the coast, and we had just recovered another.  Just then a target of interest shoots past us in a very fast boat.

Our response was to put a small boat right back into the water and off they went.  The Combat Information Center (CIC) vectored our small boat to intercept the target as the bridge and CIC had them on radar and visually on the screen monitoring the pursuit.

SLD: All this is happening on the bridge on your various C4ISR systems?

Captain Prince:  Yes.  We had a radar track on the guy we were chasing and we had a radar track on our small boats.  We were using the radar to vector the small boat in pursuit.  We were using the FLIR system to monitor the suspect vessel we were pursuing in order to be able to know when he was making a course change. It also allowed us to see if there was any other suspicious activity ranging from jettisoning packages to other activities on deck.

SLD: As you indicated earlier, this pursuit was occurring in the middle of the night?

Captain Prince: Yes and even though it is the middle of the night, I can see what my boat is doing.  I can see what the other boat is doing.  I can actually watch and record what is happening.

SLD: Can we move to the displays and communication systems just in front of us on the bridge and could indicate how you used these various C4ISR tools?

Captain Prince:  I can use my navigation display in front of us to have full situational awareness of any navigational dangers as I am steaming in this case at more than 25 knots in support of the pursuit of the suspect vessel. I am able to monitor the bigger picture making sure that I am just not going to run myself or my small boats into a cargo ship by being fixated on the go-fast style vessel we are chasing.

And we have a blue force locator within our common operating picture so I know where is the nearest navy ship is and aircraft in vicinity of me. All the relevant information was available right here on the four screens on the bridge enhancing a coordinated response.

If I wanted to talk to our small boat, I can press a button.  If I wanted to talk to the CIC, I can press another button.  If I want to talk to relevant USCG operations centers I can press another button.  I can talk internally within the ship, I can talk locally and I can talk globally by pressing a button in front of us.

SLD: In effect, you are managing a small task force from the bridge of the ship because of the C4ISR systems?

Captain Prince: Absolutely.  You have full awareness of your Area of Operation (AO), especially with the new air search radar, which is three dimensional.  We simultaneously  tracked over 50 aircraft during the Exercise Northern Edge 200 miles out.  We have significant situational awareness of a very large segment of the ocean in which we are operating.

Commander Ramassini: You are right to emphasize the task force quality provided by the systems on the NSC.  We can travel over 1500 nautical miles in two days and still remain on station for quite awhile.  We can stay on station for more than 20-25 days without any fuel concerns. We have core C4ISR systems which interoperate with our Department of Defense and Homeland Security partners.  We are able to plug and play with our navy as we we just did in Exercise Northern Edge off of Alaska;and we can work with other DHS assets like we did off the southwest border and in the drug transit zones throughout the Eastern Pacific.

For the military geographic combatant commanders, we provide an access globally, which is unique to USCG operations and relationships.  Foreign nations work with the USCG in our law enforcement capacity, which allows us to operate and partner at the lower constabulary end of the spectrum; but also interoperate with other US assets throughout the spectrum up to higher intensity operations.

This ship brings all that capability to the equation serving as a unique instrument in regional stability and global security.

Note: The C4ISR D capabilities of the NSC can be exercised either from the bridge or the command center below deck.  Captain Prince comments:

We could also do all of this from CIC  (and that is where we prefer to do it) which is where I normally go. CIC gives us access to SIPR and other tools that are not available on the bridge. I just happened to be on the bridge to supervise the small boat recovery when the  target sped by.

The video below provides Commander Ramassini’s overview on the NSC and its capabilities. SLD apologizes for the video quality of the video, for we had a mechanical malfunction with our equipment, but the audio is clear and Ramassin’s perspective is clear and to the point.

Re-Norming the Navy Battle Fleet: Supportable Defense Within a Manageable Budget

Posted on | by Caroline Teames
08/07/2011

By the Honorable Ed Timperlake

[slidepress gallery=’navy-battle-fleet’]


08/07/2011 – The air fleet of an enemy will never get within striking distance of our coast as long as our aircraft carriers are able to carry the preponderance of air power to sea.

—   Real Admiral W. A. Moffet, Chief of the US Bureau of Aeronautics, October 1922.

For almost a century the words of Admiral Moffet have stood the test of time in our common defense.  On this year the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation using the key building block of Air Power for the last Century has been essential to defending our shores.Now in this next century our modern Air Force, Navy, and Marine team, if financially supported, will continue to succeed in their ever-vigilant mission of protecting America from the highest ramparts in space to under the Sea and everything in between.

Consequently, preparing for the coming Congressional budget debates, the Under Secretary of the Navy issued a tasking memo on July 7th 2011 to have  “the best aviation minds in the Navy, Marine Corps and Secretariat” provide a “quick-look” transparent analysis to address “Warfare Capability and Affordability Trades”Unfortunately, the memo is scoped with a question, which pre-determines its conclusion. Although the memo is asking the “best minds” to determine which is the best mix of tactical air, the questioner is comparing apples and oranges, and not suggesting in any way that one should correlate the evolution of tac air with the evolution of the fleet as well.

The memo has a significant flaw:The term “TacAir” as used in the memo tethers all analysis to USN Large Deck Carriers verses analysis of 5th Gen un-tethered from CVNs. And more generally, there is no focus on the intersection between the re-norming of the air fleet and the re-norming of the maritime forces.

http://www.sldforum.com/2011/08/under-secretary-of-the-navy-robert-works-july-tac-air-memo/

America defense planning should not be prisoner of last century’s paradigm nor embrace previous sea and land warfare concepts of airpower. No platform fights alone and the ability to now distribute the revolutionary F-35B to the Marine Amphibious Ready Groups afloat is essential to any serious TacAir analysis. http://www.sldforum.com/2011/06/future-of-airpower/

The F-35 is not a linear performance enhancement from F/A-18 4th Gen; it has a third performance axis “Z” The “Z” axis is the pilot’s cockpit C4ISR-D “OODA” loop axis. The memo does not address this revolutionary point.Traditionally, the two dimensional depiction is that the y-axis is time and the x-axis captures individual airplanes that tend to cluster in generation improvement. Each aircraft clustered in a “generation” is a combination of improvements.Essentially, the aeronautical design “art” of blending together ever improving and evolving technology eventually creates improvements in a linear fashion.

The design characteristics blended together prior to F-35 have been constantly improving range, payload (improved by system/and weapons carried), maneuverability (measured by P Sub s), useful speed, and range (modified by VSTOL–a plus factor). The F-35 is also designed with inherent survivability factors-first redundancy and hardening and then stealth. Stealth is usually seen as the 5th Gen improvement. But reducing the F-35 to a linear x-y axis improvement or to stealth simply misses the point. The F-35 is now going to take technology into a revolutionary three-dimensional situational awareness capability.  This capability establishes a new vector for TacAir aircraft design. This can be measured on a “Z” axis.

Historically, C3I was external to 1,2,3, and 4th Generations TacAir.  C3I’s goal was enhancing fleet wide combat performance for all Type/Model/Series (T/M/S) of TacAir. This is the modern AWACS battle concept.  Now using a three-dimensional graph the “Z-axis” takes airpower into a totally different domain.The shift is from externally provided C3I to C4ISR-D in the cockpit carried by the individual air platform. This is the revolutionary step function that breaks the linear progression of previous Generations. The “Z” axis in which the F-35 is the prototype for the first “C4ISR –D (for decision) cockpit”

The F/A-18 does not have this capability and is only tactically tethered to the CVN-CBG or long fixed prepared runways. https://sldinfo.com/the-f-35b-in-the-perspective-of-aviation-history

Secretary Work should look at Northern Edge 2011 for further guidance to answer his questions and be informed as well by the F-35 performance vis a vis the F-18. He doesn’t need to look at India.This year provided an opportunity to observe the performance of the F-35 JSF systems in multiple robust electronic warfare scenarios. The AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar and AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system were mounted aboard Northrop Grumman’s BAC 1-11 test aircraft. Making its debut, the AN/AAQ-37 DAS demonstrated spherical situational awareness and target tracking capabilities. The DAS is designed to simultaneously track multiple aircraft in every direction, which has never been seen in an air combat environment. A return participant, the AN/APG-81 AESA demonstrated robust electronic protection, electronic attack, passive maritime and experimental modes, and data-linked air and surface tracks to improve legacy fighter situational awareness.

It also searched the entire 50,000 square-mile Gulf of Alaska operating area for surface vessels, and accurately detected and tracked them in minimal time. Navy Cmdr. Erik Etz, the deputy mission systems integrated product team lead from the F-35 JSF Program Office, said the rigorous testing of both sensors during Northern Edge 2011 served as a significant risk-reduction step for the F-35 JSF program. “By putting these systems in this operationally rigorous environment, we have demonstrated key war fighting capabilities well in advance of scheduled operational testing,” Commander Etz added. Holding the exercise in June added seasonal weather challenges for system operators to adapt to and overcome. Inclement and cloudy weather hampered in-flight visibility. The DAS was significant in providing clear and discernable horizons, and views of ground features and nearby aircraft. It also wasn’t dark enough for testing night-vision functions. A surrogate test visor was used for displaying DAS imagery to the operators. “The implications of F-35 JSF sensor systems for air-land-sea battle are immense,” said Peter Bartos, Northrop Grumman’s test director. “The testing at Northern Edge 2011 provided the opportunity to confirm the maturity and operational utility of key capabilities, and to identify any areas that might need refinement before entering formal operational testing on the F-35 JSF airframe.”http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123261835

(For a further discussion of these capabilities see https://sldinfo.com/shaping-the-f-35-combat-system-enterprise)

Another major issue with the memo is that, until the Navy disavows the “analytical slur” of a Trillion Dollar F-35 cost analysis, their cost analytical capability is suspect even if they claim transparency.http://www.sldforum.com/2011/07/lies-damn-lies-and-the-trillion-dollar-f-35/

The trillion-dollar number comes from projected 2065 dollars; and in constant 2002 dollars would be in the 400 billion dollar range.  And if you projected the cost of the legacy fleet in those questionable 2065 dollars the cost of sustainment would be north of 4 trillion dollars.There are a number of other issues with how the memo was scoped or written.  Most stunningly, the author ignores the results of the Indian competition whereby the Indians did not consider this aircraft to be competitive. The F-18 was rejected by India in large part because it was not seen as a platform on which one could build the future. Why is it even being discussed as a “way ahead” asset in this memo? Why is the Secretary of State trying to interest the Indians in the F-35?  She seems to get it.The F-35 is a neck down asset-also to be used by AF and allies so global sustainability is a huge factor. Jointness with AF and Allies is an important consideration. No allied consideration seems in sight in this memo. The combat impact of operating collaborative fleets is nowhere in sight in this memo.

There is a maintenance revolution on the way with the new digital systems within the F-35. Necking down on T/M/S and having a computer sensor revolution for “gripes” on the airframe/systems is an invaluable cost savor in personnel, sustainability on logistics and time on the ground for turning and burning to sortie back into the fight.https://sldinfo.com/moving-from-legacy-to-5th-generation-aircraft F-35 T/M/S is the building block “glue” that creates the honeycomb C4ISR-D grid that can network on ALL evolving 21st Century combat technology–AEGIS, UAS revolution, LCS and new ARG ships being built. This phrase can be overused but it truly is a “force multiplier” asset.https://sldinfo.com/littoral-combat-ship-and-the-newly-enabled-arg

The enormity of our Pacific challenges and the fact the F-35B can join the distributed Gator Fleet is a combat multiplier that doubles our presence with 5th Gen capability-F/A-18 can not do that. http://www.sldforum.com/2011/04/the-pacific-dimension-sizing-the-challenge/

And even discussing remotely piloted aircraft without assessing the impact of the cyber age is a key failure in looking at the air-breathing asset dynamic. The issue of ” Cyber warriors Vs UAS drivers” has not been resolved. The cyber vulnerabilities of unmanned aircraft are an Achilles heals until resolved. The past is not the prologue to the future. UAVs are part of the future of airpower not the future of airpower.Another practical issues, is that older Navy Carriers can be modified to join the “Gator Force.” This physically could be done (at a modification cost)  –F-35B, MV-22s, CH-53Ks Zulu Cobras, and at least a BLT could operate from 4.5 five acres of sovereign airfield. However, the Navy may have determined that it maybe more productive to retire a Carrier and take the savings to convert to more modern Amphibs that can sortie F-35Bs.

The Navy can easily step down the number of Carrier Air Wings to begin to plus up the air components on Amphib decks. Navy leaders with vision have already begun this process.“The reason for the group’s reassignment? To take the place of the recently deactivated Carrier Strike Group 7, stationed in San Diego, Calif. Taking CSG-7 out of the fleet leaves the Navy with only nine operational carrier strike groups.” http://defense.aol.com/2011/08/05/navy-drops-carrier-group-down-to-nine/

History has shown that the USN Carrier Admirals have postured for the Battle of Midway for 75 years and this has been very successful for Deterrence and contributed to our great Cold War victory. That posturing validated Admiral Moffet’s vision in 1922. However, the true combat reality is, since the end of WW II, Navy Air has been used in combat against targets on land.In another first rate bit of reporting by AOL’s Carlo Munoz it is clear why distributed F-35s linked to a fleet SM- 3 missile batteries on AEGIS ships is a real battle winning combination. Combining the F-35 with AEGIS/SM-3 directly addresses the “wasting asset” argument because a system real time sensor/shooting link, F-35/AEGIS/SM-3 can mitigate the PLA and other countries IRBMs incoming missile threat. (North Korea and Iran?).

“The newest version of the SM-3 missile, the Block IIB, is actually designed to extend the range of previous variants so it can hit long-range threats.”http://defense.aol.com/2011/08/05/dod-panel-says-sm-3-makes-sense/

Taking advantage of one of the most unique missile shots in history and building forward the F-35/Aegis/SM-3 sensor shooter combination will be the best in the world. The Surface Navy’s huge success was reported in numerous press reports in February 2008-“A U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3, hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph.”The fundamental point is that regardless of basing mod, the Air Force, Navy, and Marines must establish air dominance and for AA combat capability theF-35A (USAF) F35B (USMC) and F-35C (USN) are essentially equal.Critics have pointed out that the F-35B has more limited range, however VSTOL aircraft will be distributed among fleet assets because of unique flight characteristics. Thus, the range differential for air-to-air combat is a moot point for a cockpit that senses threats more than 800 miles away and can link to SM-3.

Additionally, in the range/basing trade off for air-to-ground missions because of VSTOL the advantage always goes to F-35B. Therefore, from a distributed combat capability on the high seas with networked F-35Bs to support moving the infantry ashore the F-35B provides “staying” air power. Navy/Marine con-ops for amphibious operations make it the most unique and lethal agile combat force in the world.The value of VSTOL sortie rates in support of troops in combat shows us Desert Storm is a perfect example.However, there is one critical point for the future, except for VSTOL capability, the F-35B is most definitely NOT son of AV-8.

https://sldinfo.com/the-f-35b-has-a-unique-war-winning-capability

Marine squadron’s with the AV-8s Harrier were land based up close to the action, while there were time delays of Marine F/A-18s flying from runways hundreds of miles away and even more time delays for Navy F/A-18 Carrier pilots who had to go even further to get to the fight. This historical combat example shows the value of VSTOL in not trading distance for performance.The same is true for sortie rates by Marines flying AV-8s in Afghanistan and F/A-18 pilots flying off decks significantly far away. The value of proximity, after air dominance was established is playing out in the current NATO Libyan Air War.

https://sldinfo.com/usnusmc-ready-now


This capability is something enemies of America would forget at their peril.  Navy and Marine squadron pilots are courageous and have mastered the intangibles of training and battle proven tactics.  State-of the-art dynamic training and tactics are never an issue for Naval Aviators. As Top Gun states “you fight like you train.”  For both Navy and Marine combat aviators it is a matter of simply procuring the best aircraft for their mission.As the Peoples Republic of China modernizes and quest for a Blue Water combat fleet, the newer CBGs (Ford Class (CVN-78) CVN-79 is USS John F Kennedy and CVN-80 yet to be named) can sink the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships.  Perhaps with some help from subs and B-2s.

A CBG with an air wing complement of F-35Cs networking with Air/Sea battle assets; F-22, B-2, AEGIS, subs, cruise missiles, PGMs UAS, Robots and lasers and allies is a real Deterrence force and if need be a force for “Victory At Sea”.

Now with F-35B AA capability Marine F-35Bs can make a significant contribution to self-defense for the ARG fleet. The F-35B answers both the Marine con-ops for AA success in the Air Dominance fight by both bring self-defense to the ARG and landing force and also augmenting the Navy CBG for “Big Navy” air defense in the transit to the objective.However, if forced to take F-35C then Marine squadrons cannot return the favor to the ARG and the infantry because of the need for much longer prepared runways. Anchoring Marine squadrons with F-35Cs tethered to CBG will severely limit Marine combat planning, OODA agility and flexibility.  This is especially important in conjunction with the equally revolutionary MV-22s and the combat requirement to “land the landing force” ashore with air cover.Any 3000’ hard straight surface is a potential USMC airfield with resupply assured through C-130, MV-22s and precision AF airdrop. Don’t take my word for it.  Look at what the TACC commander had to say with regard to the synergy between the USMC approach and the revolution in air dropping.

https://sldinfo.com/shaping-global-con-ops-2

The simple answer to the Under Secretary’s three-page memo is clear: the Marines get all F-35Bs and the Navy takes the F-35C.The Marine F-35Bs can defend the ARG Navy/Marine team and as required augment fleet air defense-while not being tethered to CBG Blue Water maneuvering requirements.Conversely, the Marines not having the F-35C will not tether the CBG to protecting the landing force.Both USMC F-35Bs and USN F-35Cs can be complementary in mutual support while retaining freedom of independent maneuver for both the ARG and CBG as the battle tempo and threat dictate.No other force in the world will be able to do this and the technology is with us today it just takes the political will to bring it all together.

Plus the F-35B may have an emerging market—Israel, Twain, Korea—since all three countries are significantly concerned about enemy attacks for runway denial.

https://sldinfo.com/the-usmc-and-the-f-35c

The F-35 is the glue that makes all the elements of the AIR/LAND/SEA battle come together “no platform fights alone”. With the F-35B the entire USN/USMC con-ops is enabled for the first time in history to actually land anywhere across a wide variety of terrain features.The Marine/Navy team can plan to set up the attack from both an unexpected vector and also put natural barriers where the enemy can not easily get at the Amphib forces while they are building up on land to destroy the enemy.History shows this is most likely 21st Century mission for America, — from the Sea to the Sea—no more nation building and occupation.

https://sldinfo.com/from-the-sea-to-the-sea-power-projection-and-“withdrawal”