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10/31/2016: Ships, submarines and aircraft all take part in large-scale exercises off the west coast of Scotland, performing anti-submarine warfare, mine counter-measures, maritime security, live fire and close air support.
AT SEA
10/20/2016
Natochannel
According to a Royal Navy press release dated October 7, 2016:
Scotland will host elements of a major military exercise when Exercise Joint Warrior begins on Saturday (October 8).
Around 5,700 military personnel from armed forces across the world will take part in the UK-led training which will run from 8 to 20 October.
Thirty-one warships and submarines, as well as some 67 aircraft will be involved, with much of the activity taking place off the Scottish coast, at RAF Lossiemouth, at Prestwick and on military ranges across the country.
At the same time as Joint Warrior, the world’s first large scale, multi environment demonstration of unmanned technology will also take place in the Western Isles.
Unmanned Warrior, as it is known, will give industry an opportunity to show the latest systems at military ranges in Benbecula, Stornoway, Applecross and Kyle of Lochalsh.
10/30/2016:Southern Strike is a total force, multi-service training exercise hosted by the Mississippi Air National Guard’s Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss.
The exercise emphasizes air-to-air, air-to-ground and special operations forces training opportunities.
These events are integrated into demanding hostile and asymmetric scenarios with actions from specialized ground forces and combat and mobility air forces.
GULFPORT COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER, MS, UNITED STATES
10/31/2016: Members participating in Clear Horizon (CH16) conduct Very Shallow Water (VSW) Mine Countermeasure operations in Chinhae, Korea from Oct. 16-20, 2016.
CH16 is a live-action exercise which enhances cooperation and improves capabilities in mine countermeasures operations, with participating nations including Republic of Korea Navy, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
CHINHAE, SOUTH KOREA:10/20/2016
Fleet Combat Camera Pacific
According to a US Navy story published on October 11, 2016:
WATERS SURROUNDING THE KOREAN PENINSULA (NNS)
U.S. mine countermeasures units commenced training with Republic of Korea (ROK) navy and regional partner counterparts for the first multilateral iteration of the mine countermeasure (MCM) exercise Clear Horizon 2016, Oct. 16.
Clear Horizon is an annual multinational exercise designed to increase the capabilities and coordination between ships, aircraft, and undersea MCM forces between participating nations, which include the U.S., Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
This is also the first year since the Korean War the Philippines and Thailand have participated in an exercise in the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula. ”
As allies, we are committed to building on our collective expertise in this critical warfare area,” said Capt. Jim Miller, commodore, Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7.
“This exercise provides great training value, and we look forward to working with our ROK counterparts along with our regional partners over the next week.”
During the exercise, U.S. Navy MCM units will work with Korean MCM units and partners to practice clearing routes for shipping, as well as conducting training surveys for clearing future operational areas.
Mine clearing helicopters are scheduled to practice hunting mines from the air.
Helicopters also are scheduled to practice deck landing qualifications on participating ships. Explosive ordnance personnel will conduct helicopter casting operations and very shallow water operations to simulate neutralizing mines.
U.S. Navy participation includes mine countermeasures ship USS Warrior (MCM 14), Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7, MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14), and teams from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 5.
For other pieces on meeting the mine warfare challenge, see the following:
10/30/2016:USS Zumwalt is a unique ship with many powerful technologies.
The US Navy’s Pacific Commander focuses on the Zumwalt.
FT. MEADE, MD, UNITED STATES
10/20/2016
All Hands Update
According to a story in Futurism, the DDG 1000 is the largest ever destroyer and is capable of firing rail guns in the future.
The U.S. Navy’s largest destroyer ever built, the USS Zumwalt, carried out trial operations last year — and now the high-tech warship has officially entered the fleet. The ship is the most advanced in its class, and the name of its captain, James A. Kirk, makes the futuristic cruiser sound like something out of “Star Trek.”
“Today’s ceremony marked the culmination of over three years of dedication and hard work by some of the finest sailors I have had the pleasure to lead,” said Kirk, according to the U.S. Navy.
It took almost five years and over $3.5 billion to build the USS Zumwalt. The destroyer sports an all-electric propulsion system, a stealthy “tumblehome” design, a vertical missile launcher, and an advanced computerized system.
And it packs 78 MW of power — nearly as much electricity as a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — thanks to two 45.4-MW Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines driving Curtiss-Wright electric generators and two 3.8-MW Rolls-Royce RR4500 turbine generators.
That’s enough energy to run the ship and power a small town at the same time, according to the U.S. Navy. This massive front of electricity could also fire the Navy’s next-gen beam weapons and railguns. We could one day see Zumwalt-class warships equipped with kinetically-charged railguns capable of launching projectiles as far as 201 km (125 miles) at Mach 6 speeds.
The destroyer’s large size can also support its missile launcher and aircraft simultaneously.
“The Zumwalt-class is much larger than today’s destroyers with a considerably larger flight deck – enough space to operate host Joint Strike Fighters, MV-22 Ospreys, and unmanned systems and a Vertical Launch System second to none,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, according to the U.S. Navy.
The USS Zumwalt will make its way to San Diego, where it will install its combat systems and receive final testing before engaging in fleet operations.
In our recent interview with Rear Admiral Manzir, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems, we discussed directed energy weapons which the USS Zumwalt will undoubtedly be a key asset in the evolution of this capability.
Question: Recently, you made a speech on directed energy and discussed the way ahead for the US Navy in this very promising area.
What is your perspective?
Rear Admiral Manazir: Any vehicle which can be a source of space, weight, power and cooling, with enough capability to generate and hold the power needed to employ directed energy weapons can be a useful platform for directed energy in the future fight.
More generally, directed energy weapons are part of our overall transformation in the weapons enterprise. Directed energy weapons are fifth generation weapons. Directed energy weapons, coupled with other new types of weapons, are critical to empowering a distributed force.
We need directed energy weapons as adjuncts to our current kinetic weapon systems in order to turn the cost curve our way. For example, we shoot down cruise missiles that cost a couple hundred thousand dollars with $3 million defensive missiles.
Our weapons are very effective, but we shoot a $3 million round every time we use them.
We are working to build synergy among electronic attack, directed energy and kinetic weapons to shape an interactive and integrated capability for the distributed force.
We are moving towards funding a directed energy plan which would enable us to move towards implementing interim directed energy laser capability between now and 2020.
The Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS) while deployed to the Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)
There’s a 30-kilowatt laser on USS PONCE right now.
It’s in the Arabian Gulf and it works.
It works very well.
As you know, lasers can be used for communications. They can be used for ISR.
They can obviously be used for non-kinetic effects.
In order to have the higher-end kinetic effect, you have to have the space for the weight of the laser itself, the power for it, and then the cooling-wherever the source.
Obviously, with a ship in the water, you have an unlimited source of cooling water.
Then, in order to have a very, very deep magazine for a laser shot, you either have to have a constant source of fairly high electrical power, or you have to have a very large battery.
We are not waiting until we have what many see as the ultimate goal, a one megawatt laser weapon; we would like to build capability incrementally.
161025-N-UK306-064 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 25, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) transits Naval Station Mayport Harbor on its way into port. Crewed by 147 Sailors, Zumwalt is the lead ship of a class of next-generation destroyers designed to strengthen naval power by performing critical missions and enhancing U.S. deterrence, power projection and sea control objectives. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Schumaker/Released)
Over time we will be able to field higher and higher power laser weapons.
It is about putting it into the fleet and evolving the capability; it is not about waiting until we have the optimal weapon.
We need not just the weapon, but the training and the tactics shaped by the fleet to provide inputs to how best to integrate the capability into the force.
Question: If we return to the non-platform centric point, this applies to directed energy weapons as well. As you add the tool you adjust the entire fleet to evolving operational capabilities.
How do you view directed energy weapons in this sense?
Rear Admiral Manazir: Directed energy weapons are only a part of this new way of thinking.
The key is continually evolving combinations of capabilities that enhance the defensive and offensive power of the platforms that you put into the kill web.
A key question for the USS Zumwalt: What will be its key role in the evolving kill web?
10/28/2016: U.S. Marines with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) and Marines with 1st Transport Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group conduct an external lift during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Auxiliary Airfield 2, Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 30, 2016.
WTI is a seven week training event hosted by MAWTS-1 cadre which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Air Ground Task Force.
MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics
Credit:Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Combat Camera:09/30/2016
10/25/2016: U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) and F-5N Tiger II assigned to Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) conduct a defensive combat maneuver exercise during Weapons and Tactics Instructor course (WTI) 1-17 in Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 29, 2016.
WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1 cadre which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Air Ground Task Force.
MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.
Credit:Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Combat Camera:09/29/2016
10/20/2016: B-1B Lancers from the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, are participating in Exercise Valiant Shield for the first time.
The B-1B aircraft are operating in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility for the first time in a decade after serving a critical role in U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
