Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

Shaping Combat Architecture for Blue Water Expeditionary Operations

Posted on September 27, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

09/27/2020

By Robbin Laird

As the USMC focuses on how it can best help the US Navy in the maritime fight, two key questions can be posed:

“How is the Marine Corps going to contribute most effectively to the Pacific mission in terms of Sea Control and Sea Denial?

“And how to best contribute to the defensive and offensive operations affecting the SLOCs?”

The focus on sea control and sea denial can be seen in the current Black Widow ASW exercise where the USS Wasp is participating.

But skill sets associated with sea control, sea denial, SLOC offense and defense do not translate easily from the Middle East land wars.

How then to shape the new skill sets?

And what is the underlying combat architecture which shapes the approach around which skill sets can be identified?

These are not easy questions to answer or even to frame properly.

But if you are the center for excellence for Marine Corps air enabled operations you clearly need to find some sound answers, and to shape an effective way ahead.

Currently, this is what MAWTS-1 is doing.

As the discussions this year with officers at MAWTS-1 have highlighted, there is a major focus on how to do expeditionary and mobile basing in new ways to support the maritime fight.

A key element for an evolving combat architecture clearly is an ability to shape rapidly insertable infrastructure to support Marine air as it provides cover and support to the Marine Corps ground combat element.

This clearly can be seen in the reworking of the approach of the Aviation Ground Support element within MAWTS-1 to training for the execution of the Forward Air Refueling Point mission.

Earlier this year, I discussed how this was changing with Maj Steve Bancroft, Aviation Ground Support (AGS) Department Head, MAWTS-1, MCAS Yuma.

In that discussion, Major Bancroft highlighted the impact of the new tactical air-ground refueling system on the enhanced mobility of a FARP and its ability to deliver fuel more rapidly which, in turn, enabled a more rapid execution of the FARP mission.

We continued the discussion during my visit to MAWTS-1 in early September 2020.

In this discussion it was very clear that the rethinking of how to do FARPs was part of a much broader shift in in combat architecture designed to enable the USMC to contribute more effectively to blue water expeditionary operations.

The focus is not just on establishing FARPs, but to do them more rapidly, and to move them around the chess board of a blue water expeditionary space more rapidly.

FARPs become not simply mobile assets, but chess pieces on a dynamic air-sea-ground expeditionary battlespace in the maritime environment.

Given this shift, Major Bancroft made the case that the AGS capability should become the seventh key function of USMC Aviation.

He argued that the Marine Corps capability to provide for expeditionary basing was a core competence which the Marines brought to the joint force and that its value was going up as the other services recognized the importance of basing flexibility,

But even though a key contribution, AGS was still too much of a pick-up effort. AGS consists of seventy-eight MOSs or military operational specialties which means that when these Marines come to MAWTS-1 for a WTI, that they come together to work how to deliver the FARP capability.

As Major Bancroft highlighted: “The Marine Wing Support Squadron is the broadest unit in the Marine Corps. When the students come to WTI, they will know a portion of aviation ground support, so the vast majority are coming and learning brand new skill sets, which they did not know that the Marine Corps has. They come to learn new functions and new skill sets.”

His point was rather clear: if the Marines are going to emphasize mobile and expeditionary basing, and to do so in new ways, it would be important to change this approach.

“I think aviation ground support, specifically FARP-ing, is one of the most unique functions the Marine Corps can provide to the broader military.”

He underscored how he thought this skill set was becoming more important as well.

“With regard to expeditionary basing, we need to have speed, accuracy and professionalism to deliver the kind of basing in support for the Naval task force afloat or ashore.”

With the USMC developing the combat architecture for expeditionary base operations, distributed maritime operations, littoral operations in a contested environment and distributed takeoff-vertical landing operations, reworking how to execute FARP operations is a key aspect.

FARPs in the evolving combat architecture need to be rapidly-deployable, highly mobile, maintain a small footprint and emit at a low-signature.

While being able to operate independently they need to be capable of responding to dynamic tasking within a naval campaign.

In my language, they need to be configured and operate within an integrated distributed force which means that the C2 side of all of this is a major challenge to ensure it can operate in a low signature environment but reach back to capabilities which the FARP can support, and be enabled by.

This means that one is shaping a spectrum of FARP capability as well, ranging from light to medium to heavy in terms of capability to support and be supported.

At the low end or light end of the scale one would create an air point, which is an expeditionary base expected to operate for up to 72 hours at that air point.

If the decision is made to keep that FARP there longer, an augmentation force would be provided and that would then become an air site.

Underlying the entire capability to provide for a FARP clearly is airlift, which means that the Ospreys, the Venoms, the CH-53s and the KC130Js provide a key thread through delivering FARPs to enable expeditionary basing.

This is why the question of airlift becomes a key one for the new combat architecture as well.

And as well, reimagining how to use the amphibious fleet as Lilly pads in blue water operations is a key part of this effort as well.

In effect, an ability to project FARPs throughout the blue water and littoral combat space supporting the integrated distributed force is a key way ahead.

Featured Photo: A CH-53E helicopter with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, supplies fuel to Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, 1st MAW, setting up a Forward Arming and Refueling Point in preparation for Field Carrier Landing Practices on Ie Shima island, Jan. 7, 2020. The ability to set up a FARP in austere locations significantly improves the operational flexibility, survivability, and lethality of 1st MAW. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ryan Persinger)

IE SHIMA, OKINAWA, JAPAN

01.07.2020

Surface Warfare Officers and Training for the High-End Fight

Posted on September 26, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

09/26/2020

By Robbin Laird

I have argued that the shift from the land wars to the new strategic environment is best described as the shift to full spectrum crisis management.

The return to great power competition and to an ability to dominate the high-end fight is the usual description of the shift, but for me, the focus is upon full spectrum crisis management in a contested environment.

The U.S. services and our allies are focused on reshaping the land war engagement force to becoming an effective integrated distributed force which can operate as interactive kill webs to shape the kind of combat effect essential to support the political objectives necessary in a wide range of combat settings.

For the surface warfare community, this is a significant shift from functioning as flexible mobile bases able to deliver lethal precision effects ashore in relatively low-threat sea environments to operating in highly contested, multi-domain, and distributed environments in order to achieve new National Defense Strategy objectives.

Both the excellence of the surface warfare community to operate in delivering decisive precision effects ashore and its ability to contribute to crisis management was demonstrated in recent years in Syria.

Ed Timperlake highlighted this dramatic event in an article published March 5, 2019.

“The surface Navy can also undertake independent offensive operations, as the Russians in combat support for the President of Syria recently found out, after the Syrian President used chemical weapons on his opponents:

“When President Trump gave the go order to attack Shayrat Air Base Syria, where a chemical attack had been launched, two US Navy surface warships stood ready to implement the order.

“In one shining moment with Tomahawks fired from USS Porter and USS Ross, the world knew a new Commander-in Chief was at the helm.

“It was reported that 59 of the 60 Tomahawks hit the intended target. Our way of war was to actually warn the Russians to minimize any chance of Russian’s being hit or killed — how nice for them.

“The USS Porter and USS Ross successful attack showcased the command structure of the 21st Century Navy. No finer complement can be given to the 21st Century navy and the dynamic and extremely successful contribution’s being made by the admission of women to the US Naval Academy than seeing the Commanding Officer of USS Porter have her crew earn an historic famous Flag Hoist “Bravo Zulu” for Job Well Done. Cmdr. Andria Slough graduated from the academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in ocean engineering. She serves as the commanding officer of the USS Porter, a Navy destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

“Performance counts from day one regardless of how one earns a commission. The Skipper of the USS Ross, Commander Russell Caldwell, hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. Commander Russell Caldwell graduated the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and was commissioned on January 10, 1998.”

A key enabler for such combat success is the shaping of the new warfare training capabilities set in motion in 2014 by the CNO, Adm. Johnathan Greenert.

Recently, I visited the epicenter of the way ahead for advanced training for surface warfare, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), located in San Diego, California.

According to a recent press release by the Navy:

“Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) paused to celebrate the command’s fifth birthday, June 9, and reflected on the many milestones and achievements completed since standing up the command in 2015.

“SMWDC was established with a small staff that came from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, into its current form, with a headquarters and four divisions, located in California and Virginia, focused on anti-submarine warfare/surface warfare (ASW/SUW), mine warfare (MIW), integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), and amphibious warfare (AMW).

“SMWDC has produced nearly 400 Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI)to date and we are continuing to recruit exceptionally talented junior officers into one of four existing warfare programs,” said Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, commander of SMWDC. “The continued increase in our surface force lethality is directly tied to consistent recruitment and subsequent mentoring of sharp officers into the WTI program.”

“SMWDC accomplishes its four lines of effort – advanced tactical training; doctrine and tactical guidance development; operational support; and capability assessments, experimentation, and future requirements – by leveraging Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTIs) and support staff to increase the lethality and tactical proficiency of the surface force across all domains.

“Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) is the surface forces’ premiere warfighting exercise. In the lead up to SWATT, warships complete SMWDC-led advanced tactical training such as Advanced Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Evaluator Course, Air Missile Defender Course, Force Air Defense Commander Course, and Sea Combat Commander Course in preparation for certification and deployment.

“Through hard work, innovation, and thoughtful approach, SMWDC has grown and continues to mature into the organization that will continue to drive Fleet lethality, readiness and confidence,” said Robertson.

“SMWDC is one of five Navy warfighting development centers (WDCs) – Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), Naval Undersea Warfighting Development Center, Naval Expeditionary Warfare Development Center, and Naval Information Warfighting Development Center – stood up when the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Johnathan Greenert, approved the transition of Warfare Centers of Excellence to WDCs in 2014 to enhance Fleet warfighting capabilities and readiness across the theater, operational and tactical levels. Each of the WDCs are modeled after NAWDC’s ‘Top Gun,’ taking the top talented warfighters and developing them into experts – warriors, thinkers, teachers.”

My visit to SMWDC was hosted by Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, commander of SMWDC.

The key focus of the visit was to discuss with the team how they were preparing officers and the ship combat teams they lead, for the high-end fight in the challenging maritime threat arena.

The first contributor is the recent addition of high-fidelity shore based training simulator and exercise engagement working areas – called Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainers, or CIAT, managed and run by the Center for Surface Ship Combat Systems.

The Navy has built two has two CIATs, one at San Diego and one at Norfolk.

What I saw going on in San Diego was an entire Aegis Cruiser combat crew training together in a scenario-based operation able to tap into other elements of the task force to deliver the desired combat effect.

It also greatly enhanced the ship combat team’s warfare readiness and ability think dynamically before heading to sea to continue exercises or deploy for real-world requirements.

The second element in preparing for the high-end fight is to increase the challenge and scope of at-sea training conducted by SMWDC.

Rear Adm. Robertson described the upcoming shift of Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) to SWATT 2.0.

The training destination is moving from a ‘crawl, walk, run’ methodology into more complex and evolved scenarios in a ‘walk, run, sprint’ methodology.

“SWATT 2.0 will include night life-fire events, Live Virtual Constructive integration into at-sea events, and increased complexity of all warfare training events,” said Robertson.

“We will also include offensive action and maneuver aspects during Live Fire with a Purpose, a re-introduction of other Warfighting Development Center support to SWATT.

“It will also include a culminating Capstone event – a multi-domain, multi-warfare free-play event designed to challenge Warfare Commanders, unit COs, and watch standers alike in stressful conditions, with the inclusion of assessed battle damage and opportunities for integration of shipboard training teams and toughness training.

“The capstone event will be a game-changer for the Advanced Phase of Training and build readiness for both distributed and reconstituted task force level employment.”

A key element of kill web training is for the surface warfare officer to understand what he or she can contribute to the fleet or the integrated distributed force and what that force can deliver to that particular surface ship or task force in which that surface ship is participating.

Clearly, this is a work in progress, but it is about moving in the direction of enhanced full spectrum crisis management capability for the fleet, for the joint and coalition force and for the nation.

Appendix: Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training Creates Combat-Ready Warships, Battle-Minded Crews

Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center Public Affairs | April 21, 2020

SAN DIEGO — Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) led U.S. Navy warships through Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise, March 30 through April 17, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Units included in the training were the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), amphibious transport docks ships USS Somerset (LPD 25) and USS San Diego (LPD 22), and the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1).

“This advanced tactical exercise was the most demanding we’ve had to date for the Surface Force as we navigated being able to safely execute this critical training amidst the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, Commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center. “The ultimate intent was to increase the lethality and combat power of naval surface forces by preparing our units to do what warships are designed to do-fight and win at sea- and that’s exactly what was accomplished here.”

SMWDC facilitated the advanced level training to increase the tactical proficiency, lethality, and interoperability of amphibious and littoral combat ships within U.S. Third Fleet.

“It was exciting to witness the strength of our ships and Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI) during the SWATT exercise. The team was united, maximized force readiness, and minimized exposure to the harmful conditions the world is experiencing. They were ready and leaned forward into SWATT, which is an exercise dedicated to improved warfighting skills, increased lethality, and overall tactical proficiency across multiple warfare disciplines” said Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Downing, SMWDC lead SWATT planner. “During this unprecedented time the ships, with embarked WTIs and supporting teams, employed their combat and weapon systems across several live-fire and complex training events during the at-sea period. The result was as expected, a sharpened and more lethal ARG and LCS force.”

The warships conducted several training exercises, including anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, air defense and amphibious warfare. Complex live-fire events included missile exercises, torpedo exercises and gunnery exercises.

The Navy evaluates all exercises and operations on a case-by-case basis during the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to ordering crews to sequester on board and continuing with a planned evolution, commanders of all our units, and at all levels, carefully balanced the need to maintain unit readiness and the health of the force with the impact to families and the Sailors.

SMWDC and each ship followed all CDC and Navy guidelines regarding COVID-19 during the evolution. The training provided essential and vital tactical training and proficiency to the operational fleet, in order to ensure that units remain lethal and ready.

Featured Photo:

The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) fires a rolling airframe missile as part of a training exercise. Makin Island is conducting routine operations in the eastern Pacific. (Photo by (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Harry Andrew D. Gordon))

The Abraham Accords: What They Mean and Shaping a Way Ahead

Posted on September 26, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

By Robbin Laird

Recently, I discussed the Abraham accords and their impact with Professor Amatzia Baram.

We last met in person at a conference in Bahrain which discussed a number of Middle East issues, and now with Bahrain as one of the signatories to the agreements, we had a chance to get caught up and discussion the importance of this key agreement.

Professor Baram entered Bahrain for the conference on his Israeli passport, a sign of the impending breakthrough.

We started by simply focusing on the question of how important was the agreement.

According to Baram: “I would say that even though we have never fought a war against the either the United Arab Emirates or against Bahrein of course, this is as important as our agreement with Jordan.

“From a strategic point of view, the convergence among the signatories is a common concern: Iran.

“Earlier, we have had agreements with Turkey which provided us with significant information on a variety of threats to Israel, including Iran. From Turkey we could watch Iraq, Syria and Iran.

“Under Erdogan this is over.

But in the new strategic situation, working with UAE, in particular, provides a significant opportunity for collaboration on sharing information about Iran and its activities.

“The agreement also expands partnerships in the region, as the dynamics in the region change.

“The United States is supportive but with the global demands on America, a shift is underway, and both the Gulf Arab states and Israel are looking to expand their partnerships to deal with the threat from Iran.

“Accompanying the agreement is a commitment of the United States to sell F-35s to the UAE. This is a significant one but also affects the U.S. commitment to Israel to maintain a qualitative edge over the Arab nations in the region.

“How will this play out?

“The Iranian attack via drones on Saudi Arabia was a wakeup call to the Gulf Arab states about the need to do more for their own security. This agreement allows the signatories to work together to provide for much such capability as well for regional defense against Iran.

The strategic side is accompanied by an economic side as well, whereby expanded economic relations are clearly feasible.

But in some cases the two will dovetail.

Baram highlighted such a case, namely in terms of maritime trade routes.

Recently, the UAE-based maritime company Dubai Ports World signed a deal with Israel Shipyards, Ltd. Reportedly, the two companies will submit a joint bid to purchase the Port of Haifa from the Israeli government.

This is how Baram described the impact of such a deal.

“They now are discussing shipping from Dubai, from the Gulf, through the Red sea to Eilat, instead of going through Suez Canal which is quite expensive.

“They will go to Eilat where there will be a train line that goes all the way to Ashdod or to Haifa, or to both.

“And this way the Gulf will have another route to the Mediterranean, not through the Suez Canal. It doesn’t mean that they will not use Suez Canal, they will still use it, but it depends on how large the ship is.

“And so we have another option.

“There is another discussion now between the Emirates and Israel about another line that would go from the Emirates through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Ashdod and Haifa. This would provide a clear alternative to needing to use the Straits of Hormuz on the way to the Indian ocean.

” Such a strategic rout will reduce the impact of the Iranian threats to close the straits.”

Question: Where is the Palestine piece in all of this?

Professor Baram: “It is there but not as the precondition for the signatories to work together.

“In the UAE agreement, they urge the Palestinians and Israelis to reach an agreement, which would be reasonable, practical. I think the word is ‘reasonable’ because of Palestinians so far have turned down every reasonable, and I mean really reasonable, agreement the Israelis offered them, mainly because of one reason.

“They could not give up the demand for a ‘right of return.’

“And the right of return for five to six million children, grand-children and great grand-children of 1948 refugees is without precedence in the modern world.

“No Turks will ever return to Greece, and no Greeks will ever return to Turkey.

“Likewise, no Indians will return to Pakistan and no Pakistanis will ever return to India.

“The 1948 Palestinian Arab refugees and their descendants have since been living in Arab countries and must be absorbed there.

“Absorbing them in Israel is impossible given its size, so from an Israeli point of view such a demand is outside the boundary of reasonable.

“In addition to Egypt and Jordan, two more Arab states signed peace agreements now with Israel. This may convince the Palestinian Arab public that they no longer have a veto over Arab-Israeli relations, and that their success depends more than before on their pragmatism.”

Question: It would be difficult to believe that Bahrain would sign a normalization agreement without the Saudi government being willing to see this happen and provide de facto approval.

What is your sense of the Saudi factor?

Professor Baram: “Bahrain has a problem which the Emirates do not have.

“The ruling elite is essentially Sunni, but the Shi’a represent the majority of the citizenship. Until Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power in Tehran this sectarian difference represented no political problem.

“However, the Islamic Republic of Iran targeted Bahrain in its fervent commitment to spread its Islamic revolution. This launched sectarian tensions in the Emirate.

“Anticipating a Tehran-inspired hostile Shi’i reaction is explaining why their signing of the agreement is more technical, and the language is different.

“Bahrain depends to a large extent on Saudi strategic support. Saudi readiness to participate in this agreement eventually will be a key factor going forward.

“But Bahrain would not have signed this agreement without tacit Saudi support.”

Question: How does the new peace agreement change the defense approach in the region?

How might new exercises and joint capabilities become part of a powerful deterrence equation for the Gulf Arabs and Israel?

Professor Baram: “A key threat to Israel are missile strikes from Iran or from Iranian surrogates in Iraq. A common threat for the Gulf Arab states and Israel is the threat of Iran going nuclear.

“The Obama agreement with Iran from this point of view is viewed as a disaster for both Israel and the Gulf Arab states.

“What this new agreement presages is more regional cooperation which can address Iranian threats.

“You have raised a key point – how will our militaries train together to shape capabilities which can deter Iranian actions?

“Clearly one aspect here is significant collaboration among our air forces, which could lay a solid foundation for going forward.

“However, any joint Emirates-Israeli air-force exercises will require some Saudi cooperation, and we are not yet there.”

I concluded with this takeaway from the conversation:

We need to build deterrence in depth that can operate across the spectrum of operations to deal in practical ways with Iranian actions. The agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain provides an opening to shaping new ways to do this. When combined with evolving approaches of the United States military to build out their air-maritime forces in innovative ways, the United States can provide an over the top capability to further augment what the regional working relationships have delivered in terms of real deterrent capability.

This is a very important opening to next phase of history in the Middle east. The question is, are we up to actually managing this in a sensible way?

Professor Baram was born in Kibbutz Kfar Menachem in southern Israel and raised and educated there. He served as an officer and commanded tank units in the Armoured Corps during his regular military service from 1956 to 1960 and while in the reserves.

He was ‘on loan’ to the Iraqi desk at Military Intelligence as an analyst when the Iraq-Iran War began in 1980.

After release from regular military service, he worked on the kibbutz farm, before graduating in biology and teaching sciences at the kibbutz high school. He decided on a career change following the Six Day War in 1967 and started his education as an historian of the modern Middle East and Islam in 1971

Featured Photo: L-R)Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan hold up documents as they participated in the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, at the White House in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Also, see the following:

Israeli Defense After the Abraham Accords: Dealing with the Iranian Threat

Working Mobile Basing for Australian Defense: The Case of the the 3CRU Detachment

Posted on September 25, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

09/25/2020

By Betina Mears

Joining units across the country to build the air surveillance picture, Air Force personnel from No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit (3CRU) deployed from RAAF Base Williamtown to the Corindi regional area in support of Exercise Lightning Storm.

A small of contingent of specialist technical and logistics personnel made the journey to northern NSW in convoy from their home base at RAAF Base Williamtown transporting a surveillance radar, communications cabin and satellite terminals to engage in real-time training scenarios. The team also included network specialists and cooks.

Exercise Lightning Storm comprises both overland and overwater defensive and offensive counter-air training activities across large portions of the east coast of Australia.

Established on the soccer fields in the outskirts of Corindi, 3CRU deployed TPS-77 radar capability to provide an essential surveillance picture which was transmitted by satellite to the unit’s control and reporting centre (CRC) at RAAF Base Williamtown.

Back home, skilled 3CRU personnel operated the CRC that provided tactical command and control of air operations.

3CRU Detachment Commander Flying Officer Andrew Winter said 3CRU’s support to the exercise ensured the data feed was maintained to support missions.

“Our team’s important contribution at the Corindi deployment site has provided operators within the CRC at Williamtown with vital data and surveillance information to manage aircraft postures, detect and track opposing aircraft and provide tactical direction to aircraft – essentially to assist in the coordination of the mission,” Flying Officer Winter said.

In addition to 3CRU’s assets, Exercise Lightning Storm included RAAF No. 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit’s deployable Mobile Control and Reporting Centre (MCRC) operating out of Oakey in Queensland, the E-7A Wedgetail, KC-30A multi-role tanker transports, F-35A Lightning and other fighter aircraft from Williamtown and Amberley air bases.

For 3CRU, the exercise delivered a number of important training outcomes.

3CRU Maintenance Manager for the deployment Sergeant Chris Andreou said junior members received important skilling accreditation which was vital for their role.

“Certification of newly posted maintenance personnel to the unit as a result of the exercise has ensured that personnel are operationally ready,” Sergeant Andreou said.

Additional unit training outcomes included category upgrades for air battle managers and air surveillance operators, integration with other command and control systems, validation of tactics, techniques and procedures to optimise operational integration with other weapon systems and more.

Reflecting on 3CRU’s training opportunities at the deployment site, Flying Officer Winter said he was incredibly proud of his team’s achievements, noting the unit had deployed to the Corindi area multiple times before.

“The team’s commitment and dedication to the task has no doubt ensured that capability has been maintained throughout the exercise,” he said.

“Successful deployment and training of this type would not be possible, however, without the community’s ongoing support, of which we are grateful.”

3CRU is part of Surveillance and Response Group’s No. 41 Wing, which delivers precision air defence and air battlespace management for the joint force.

This article was published by the Australian Department of Defence on September 9, 2020, and was entitled. “Eyes for the Sky opens from the Ground.”

The featured photo: Leading Aircraftman Nick Brown monitors the satellite link back to RAAF Williamtown from the Corindi showgrounds. Photo: Corporal Craig Barrett

Bulgaria and Breeze 2020 2

Posted on September 25, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

Twenty-six ships, nine aircraft and more than 2,000 sailors from eight NATO Allies and partner nations took part in Bulgarian Navy-led exercise Breeze, an annual maritime exercise held off the coast of Bulgaria in the Black Sea.

Breeze 2020 aimed to improve the readiness of all participants.

In addition to host country Bulgaria, countries represented included Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain and Turkey.

Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) also participated.

The exercise ran from 10 to 19 July 2020.

This footage, courtesy of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, includes shots of ships from Allies and partner nations that participated in the exercise at sea.

BLACK SEA

07.18.2020

Video by Sophie Lambert

Natochannel

The Ground Combat Element in the Pacific Reset

Posted on September 24, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

09/24/2020

By Robbin Laird

As the USMC works its relationship with the US Navy, a core focus is upon how the Marine Corps can provide for enhanced sea control and sea denial.

A means to this end is an ability to move combat pieces on the chessboard of the extended battlespace.

But where does the ground combat element fight into this scheme for maneuver?

During my visit to MAWTS-1 in September 2020, I had a chance to discuss this with several USMC officers involved in the current Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course.

And training in the context of transition is no picnic.

The key is to ensure that the USMC is combat capable today as it transitions to a new GCE that is lighter and more capable of tapping not into the air-maritime joint force, above and beyond what USMC integration provides.

As Col. Gillette, the CO of MAWTS-1 put it: “So long as I’ve been in the Marine Corps and the way that it still currently is today, marine aviation exists to support the ground combat.

“That’s why we exist. The idea that we travel light and that the aviation element within the MAGTAF provides or helps to provide the ground combat element with a significant capability is our legacy.

“We are now taking that legacy and adapting it.

“We are taking the traditional combat engagement where you have battalions maneuvering and aviation supporting that ground element and we are moving it towards Sea Control, and Sea Denial missions.

“We are reimagining the potential of what the infantry does.

“That doesn’t mean that they do that exclusively because, although I think that our focus in the Marine Corps, as the Commandant said, is shifting towards the Pacific that doesn’t relegate or negate the requirement to be ready to respond to all of the other things that the Marine Corps does.

“It might be less of a focus, but I don’t think that that negates our requirement to deal with a variety of core missions.

“It’s a question of working the balance in the training continuum.

“What does an infantry battalion train to? Do they train to a more traditional battalion in the attack or in the defense and then how do I use my aviation assets to support either one of those types of operations?”

“As opposed to, “I might have to take an island, a piece of territory that we’re going to use a mobile base, secure it so that we can continue to push chess pieces forward in the Pacific, in the Sea Control, Sea Denial end-state.”

“Those are two very different kind of skill sets. If there’s one thing that the Marine Corps is very good at it’s being very versatile and being able to switch from one to the other on relatively short order. But in order to do that, you have to have a very dedicated and well thought out training continuum so that people can do both well, because if you say that you can do it the expectation is that you can do it well.”

Obviously, this is a major challenge and during my visit I had a chance to talk with Major Fitzsimmons, the Ground Combat Department Head at MAWTS-1, who clearly is facing the challenges which his CO outlined,

So what is the future of the Ground Combat Element in a distributed Marine Corps force operating both in the blue waters and the littorals?

This is clearly a challenge being worked, with the GCE facing the challenge of dealing with more traditional tasks as well as adapting to the evolving reconfiguration for the maritime fight.

And it is a major shift facing the GCE for sure.

The GCE is shifting from its most recent experiences of fighting in the land wars as a primary mission to providing support to, in Major Fitzsimmons words, “a more amphibious distributed force operation.

“And in my view, this is a very big shift.”

Major Fitzsimmons provided a very helpful entry point into this discussion by recalling the earlier work which the Marines had done with the Company Landing Teams.

As Major Fitzsimmons put it: “The Company Landing Team was an experiment at how do we lighten the footprint of the force while still giving them the capabilities of what we see in larger forces today.

“To do that, we would leverage digital interoperability, connectivity, and reach back to weapon systems, to information, to targeting, to any of those capabilities that you generally see at some of the higher echelons that were not organic to a infantry company at that time.

“The challenge then is to ensure that the infantry company has access to those types of capabilities and mature the force.”

What Major Fitzsimmons meant by maturing the force was discussed later in the conversation.

He highlighted the importance of having Marines earlier in their career able to work with various elements of the joint force, because they would need to leverage those capabilities as part of the more distributed GCE.

The Company Landing Team experiment also raised questions about equipment and personnel.

“How do we reinforce the CLT and how do we augment it with enablers?

“How do we augment it or enhance it with more proficient and more experienced fires personnel?

“How do we augment it with small UAS capabilities?

“How do we augment and enhance it with digital interoperability?

“How do they communicate with their organic radios across multiple waveforms?

“Who are they talking to?

“What is their left and right for decisions?

“Do they have fires approval?

“Would the company commander have fires approval, or would he have to do what we were having to do in Afghanistan and Iraq, where I’ve got to call my boss and then the boss’s boss, in order to get fires employed?””

With the introduction of the new Marine Corps Littoral regiment, it is clear that these aspects of the CLT experiment are relevant to the way ahead.

As Col. Gillette noted: “We are shaping a new Marine Littoral Regiment, MLR, but we’re still in the nascent stages of defining what are the critical tasks that something like that needs to be able to do and then how you train to it.

“How do we create not only the definition of the skill sets that we need to train large formations to, but then what venues must we have to train?”

Major Fitzsimmons is an infantry officer with fires experience at the company and battalion level, and clearly is focused on the key aspect of how you enable smaller and less organically capable forces in the extended battlespace and ensure that they have adequate fires to execute its missions.

And in dealing with peer competitors, clearly the ability to link the GCE with fires requires the right kinds of communication capabilities.

As Major Fitzsimmons put it: “We are going to have to be significantly more distributed and quiet with respect to our emissions signatures than we have in the past.”

A major challenge facing the GCE is the range of adaptability that they will have to be able to deliver and operate with in the future.

As Col. Gillette noted earlier, the variety of skill sets required will be varied and tailorable.

How to train to best deliver such capability?

As Major Fitzsimmons put it: “I think the biggest shock to my community is going to be the level of adaptability that we’re going to have to be able to achieve.

“We are going to have to train smaller forces to operate more autonomously and to possess the ability to achieve effects on the battlefield previously created at higher echelons.”

He focused as well on the tailorable aspect envisaged as well.

“We will need to be tactically tailored to achieve whatever effect we need.

“It should be akin to a menu; based on the mission and the effects needed to shape the environment towards mission accomplishment, we will need this capability or that capability which may require each element to be manned and equipped differently.”

Then there is the challenge of the sustainability of the tailored force.

How to ensure the logistics support for the distributed maritime focused USMC GCE?

In short, fighting with the force you have while you transition to a new one is a major challenge facing the trainers for the USMC going forward.

Featured Photo: U.S. Marines with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, participate in an amphibious assault exercise, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, May 28, 2020. Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, and Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, conducted an amphibious assault exercise and military operations in urban terrain to increase littoral mobility proficiency in 3d Marine Regiment and advance the goals of the Commandant of the Marine Corps 2030 Force Design. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Matthew Kirk)

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES

05.28.2020

UAE-Based Al Tariq Enhancing PGM Range

Posted on September 23, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

09/23/2020

By Guy Martin

AL TARIQ (formerly Barij Dynamics) continues to enhance its ‘Al Tariq’ range of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) and is about to start production on the improved Block II version.

Theunis Botha, Chief Executive Officer of AL TARIQ, told defenceWeb that the upgraded Block II version includes a variety of new operational features for the Mk 81 and Mk 82 bomb kits. He said: “We are currently in the process of starting our planned production for the Block II version towards the end of 2020, and are also expanding the range to include the Mk 83 and Mk 84 in the next 12-18 months.”

AL TARIQ, originally established as a joint venture with Denel Dynamics, is now part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster within the Abu Dhabi-based EDGE defence group. The company has produced a large number of Al Tariq guidance kits for the Mk 81 (250 lb) and Mk 82 (500 lb) bombs, mainly for the UAE Air Force’s Mirage 2000-9s and other aircraft in the fleet.

The Block II version features an upgraded navigation system, and a pre-flight power source – to reduce the weapon’s independence on the carrying aircraft’s electrical power.

The Al Tariq comes in two main variants: the Al Tariq S and the Al Tariq LR – which have different seekers, payload sizes and wing kit options as well as multiple configurations – as the company looks to add a new payload and fusing system for a height adjustable airburst option (Height-Of-Burst-Sensor).

The Al Tariq S has a range of 40 km, and the Al Tariq LR has a wing kit that extends range to 120 km. Botha, speaking during a recent webinar, said Al Tariq still has the longest demonstrated range on the market.

On a Mk 81 payload, the Al Tariq S has a mass of 212 kg, whereas it is 268 kg on the Al Tariq LR. As for the Mk 82 payload, its mass is 310 kg and 366 kg, respectively. The Al Tariq can be launched at a maximum speed of Mach 0.9 from an altitude of 40 000 feet. Its impact speed is programmable while the impact angle can be programmed between 30 and 90 degrees.

There are three main guidance configurations: accuracy with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is approximately 10 metres CEP (circular error probable); with GNSS semi-active laser it is three metres CEP, and with GNSS imaging infrared with automatic target recognition, it goes down to two metres CEP. The Al Tariq S can engage targets up to 90 degrees off-axis, while the Al Tariq LR can engage targets up to 180 degrees off-axis. Targeting can be either locked on before, or after, launch.

Botha said AL TARIQ has benefitted from the UAE being its launch customer but is looking to grow the business outside the UAE, and has already accomplished successful demonstrations in other countries. “We have a very good product; we believe in it,” he said, commenting on the demand for Al Tariq kits.

“The intention is to grow the market even further – beyond the Middle East and North Africa. We are expanding our footprint, though COVID-19 has put a bit of a delay in our plans in the business development domain. Being ITAR-free will help in this process,” he added.

AL TARIQ was originally known as Tawazun Dynamics as it was a partnership between Denel Dynamics and Tawazun. In October 2018, the company rebranded itself as Barij Dynamics after investment from the Emirates Defence Industry Company (EDIC). In November 2019, the company later became AL TARIQ when it was consolidated along with 25 other UAE defence entities, under EDGE.

This article was published by defenceWeb on September 7, 2020.

According to the Al Tariq website:

AL TARIQ is a world-class manufacturer of precision-guided air munitions. Partnering with Denel Dynamics, South Africa’s largest government-owned defence manufacturer, we have enhanced our production capacity through cutting-edge technology and continual innovation.

Our kits come in easy-to-handle-and-deploy packages and achieve precision targeting via choice systems including GNSS/INS, Imaging Infrared (IIR) with complete Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capabilities, and semi-active laser seekers against high-priority fixed, off-axis, moving, and relocatable targets.

Leveraging the latest advanced technologies gives us an edge in optics, propulsion, and weapons. This allows our engineering teams to create intellectual property across disciplines, including software development and mechanical design. This keeps us and you ahead, always…..

The rising challenges in airborne defence require combat-driven munitions that are smaller, smarter, and faster. At AL TARIQ, we meet these growing demands by delivering a continuum of solutions, including design, manufacturing and supply chain. Our goal to change the face of air defence is driven by innovation, advanced technology, and added value.

1 MEF

Posted on September 23, 2020 | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment

I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) is a globally responsive, expeditionary, and fully scalable Marine Air Ground Task Force, capable of generating, deploying, and employing ready forces and formations for crisis response, forward presence, major combat operations, and campaigns.

I MEF demonstrates their combat readiness by showcasing reach, tactical operations, and amphibious capabilities in various exercises and operations throughout the globe.

07.21.2020

Video by Cpl. Jennifer Gay, Lance Cpl. Garrett Kiger and Lance Cpl. Abigail Paul

I Marine Expeditionary Force