Visiting 2nd Marine Air Wing, December 2020

01/11/2021

I first visited 2nd MAW in 2007, at the beginning of the Osprey era. There I saw a small number of the aircraft on the tarmac and met with pilots and maintainers at the beginning of a long period of disruptive change, a period of change which delivered new capabilities, and new approaches for the USMC in global operations.

With my visit in December 2020, I had a chance to follow up on discussions earlier this year with MAWTS-1 and with NAWDC about the dynamics of change with regard to the Marine Corps role in naval operations.

This changing role is being shaped at a time when the U.S. Navy is focused on blue water maneuver warfare, and the Marine Corps part of this might be referred to as a naval expeditionary force-in-readiness in support of fleet operations.

But whatever the long-term vision, the future is now.

With the world as it is, and with the rise of 21st century authoritarian powers working skill sets for full spectrum warfare, for 2nd MAW it is about the challenge of being able to fight now and prepare for the future by leveraging current operations and shaping new approaches.

USS Donald Cook SM-2 Launch

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 14, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) launches a SM-2 missile during Exercise Joint Warrior 20-2, Oct. 14, 2020.

Exercise Joint Warrior 20-2 is a U.K.-hosted, multilateral training exercise designed to provide NATO and allied forces with a unique multi-warfare environment to prepare for global operations.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Will Hardy/Released)

UAE Prepares for Commercial Nuclear Operations

By India Strategic

ABU DHABI. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, ENEC, has announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, Nawah, has successfully achieved 100% of the rated reactor power capacity for Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. This major milestone brings the Barakah plant one step closer to commencing commercial operations, scheduled in early 2021.

100% power means that Unit 1 is generating 1400MW of electricity from a single generator connected to the UAE grid. This milestone makes the Unit 1 generator the largest single source of electricity in the UAE, reports Emirates News Agency WAM.

The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is the largest source of clean baseload electricity in the country, capable of providing constant and reliable power in a sustainable manner around the clock. This significant achievement accelerates the decarbonisation of the UAE power sector, while also supporting the diversification of the Nation’s energy portfolio as it transitions to cleaner electricity sources.

The accomplishment follows shortly after the UAE’s celebration of its 49th National Day, providing a strong example of the country’s progress as it continues to advance towards a sustainable, clean, secure and prosperous future. As the Nation looks towards the next 50 years of achievements, the Barakah plant will generate up to 25 percent of the country’s electricity, while also acting as a catalyst of the clean carbon future of the Nation.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC said: “We are proud to deliver on our commitment to power the growth of the UAE with safe, clean and abundant electricity. Unit 1 marks a new era for the power sector and the future of the clean carbon economy of the Nation, with the largest source of electricity now being generated without any emissions. I am proud of our talented UAE Nationals, working alongside international experts who are working to deliver this clean electricity to the Nation, in line with the highest standards of safety, security and quality.”

Nawah is responsible for operating Unit 1 and has been responsible for safely and steadily raising the power levels since it commenced the start-up process in July, and connection to the grid in August.

Achieving 100% power is one of the final steps of the Power Ascension Testing (PAT) phase of the start-up process for Unit 1. Nawah’s highly skilled and certified nuclear operators will carry out a series of tests before the reactor is safely shut down in preparation for the Check Outage. During this period, the Unit 1 systems will be carefully examined, and any planned or corrective maintenance will be performed to maintain its safety, reliability and efficiency prior to the commencement of commercial operations.

Ali Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Nawah, said: “This is a key achievement for the UAE, as we safely work through the start-up process for Unit 1 of the Barakah plant. Successfully reaching 100% of the rated power capacity in a safe and controlled manner, undertaken by our highly trained and certified nuclear operators, demonstrates our commitment to safe, secure and sustainable operations as we now advance towards our final maintenance activities and prepare for commercial operations in 2021.”

The Power Ascension Testing of Unit 1 is overseen by the independent national regulator – the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), which has conducted 287 inspections since the start of Barakah’s development. These independent reviews have been conducted alongside more than 40 assessments and peer reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, and World Association of Nuclear Operators, WANO.

This is an important milestone for the commercial performance of the Barakah plant. Barakah One Company, ENEC’s subsidiary in charge of the financial and commercial activities of the Barakah project signed a Power Purchase Agreement, PPA, with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company, EWEC, in 2016 to purchase all of the electricity generated at the plant for the next 60 years. Electricity produced at Barakah feeds into the national grid in the same manner as other power plants, flowing to homes and business across the country.

This milestone has been safely achieved despite the challenges of COVID-19. Since the beginning of the global pandemic, ENEC, and subsidiaries Nawah and Barakah One Company, along with companies that form Team Korea, have worked closely together, in line with all national and local health authority guidelines, to ensure the highest standards for health and safety are maintained for those working on the project. ENEC and Nawah’s robust business continuity plans were activated, alongside comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and management measures, including access control, rigorous testing, and waste water sampling, to support health and wellbeing.

The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is one of the largest nuclear energy new build projects in the world, with four APR-1400 units. Construction of the plant began in 2012 and has progressed steadily ever since. Construction of Units 3 and 4 are in the final stages with 93 percent and 87 percent complete respectively, benefitting from the experience and lessons learned during the construction of Units 1 and 2, while the construction of the Barakah Plant as a whole is now more than 95 percent complete.

Once the four reactors are online, Barakah Plant will deliver clean, efficient and reliable electricity to the UAE grid for decades to come, providing around 25 percent of the country’s electricity and preventing the release of up to 21 million tons of carbon emissions annually – the equivalent of removing 3.2 million cars off the roads each year.

This was first published by India Strategic on December 7, 2021.

 

 

 

The German State Buys Significant Stake In Hensoldt

01/09/2021

by Reuters/defenceWeb

Germany’s government has decided to buy a 25.1% stake in defence supplier Hensoldt at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Reuters reported last week that the government aimed to purchase the stake from private equity company KKR for 464 million euros ($562 million).

Sources with knowledge of the matter have said the acquisition was intended to ward off a foreign buyer from taking control of Hensoldt, whose high-tech cameras are used in Tornado fighter jets, and which listed its shares in an initial public offering in September.

Hensoldt, a former Airbus unit, also supplies radar systems for Eurofighter jets and periscopes for Leopard tanks. KKR, which bought the company in 2016, retained a stake of more than 60% after the IPO.

The German Ministry of Defence on 17 December said the 25.1% acquisition was to protect the national security and key defence industry technologies defined in the Federal Government’s strategy paper of 12 February 2020 on strengthening the security and defense industry.

This transaction was approved on 17 December by the government Cabinet.

The federal government’s acquisition of 25.1% of shares, the so-called blocking minority, enables it to ward off unwanted structural decisions. It also means that the federal government has considerable influence, regardless of whether strategic investors can directly or indirectly acquire a large part of the shares, and can thus exercise a guiding influence.

This article was published by our partner defenceWeb on December 18, 2020. 

 

Multiple Basing, Kill Webs and C2: Shaping a Way Ahead

01/07/2021

By Robbin Laird

As the United States and core allies build out the way ahead for an integrated distributed force, a key challenge is shaping C2 systems which fully enable such a force.

C2 and ISR have been historically treated as separate terms but increasingly the sensor networks are integrable with C2 systems, and with the focus on a distributed  force, how best to connect the distributed force with joint or allied forces which provide the critical combat mass to prevail in a crisis?

In my view, the kill web approach recognizes the reality of current C2 systems, which are that a combat cluster needs to take its C2 capabilities with it for that force to integrate in operations. The reach back to a larger force depends on networks – both ISR and C2 – which it does not directly control and may be denied in a crisis.

The force package needs to have its own integratability built in; the broader reach to other force elements will shape how a particular force package can affect the wider battlespace.

With the challenges facing U.S. and allied force with the forces being built by core adversaries, the importance of flexible basing is being highlighted. Sea basing is a core advantage along with an ability to operate multi-domain forces from a variety of bases which can intersect and operate with the sea bases.

For the Marines, this means that the reworking of the amphibious forces along with new approaches to basing are key elements of the force mix being worked.

At the heart of the challenge for force effectiveness is how C2 can be shaped to enable more effective force capabilities to be built and operate in a contested combat environment.

During my visit to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in early December 2020, I had a chance to discuss these challenges with the C2 professionals in Marine Air Control Group 28. We had a wide-ranging conversation on the intersection between the evolving tactical environment and C2 and will highlight a number of takeaways from that conversation.  To be clear, these are my conclusions shaped by the discussion, but I am not attributing these conclusions to the group.

The first point draws upon my discussions with Col. Gillette at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1.

We discussed during my visit in September, and in earlier conversations, the challenge of shaping more effective Marine Corps integration with the Navy, and he highlighted the key questions: how can the Marines most effectively assist in sea denial and sea control missions, and how can the Marines help in controlling sea lines of communication?

These questions highlighted the key challenge of defining the tactical missions of the Marines in providing support for a strategic maritime campaign.

What they highlighted was that the focus was operations short of total war, and the importance of escalation management and control.

We discussed this during our session and the importance of shaping C2 approaches which would allow for the command of such missions posed as a key challenge.

How will different types of crisis situations be managed in which the force is distributed?

How best to ensure that the force can be integrated to the extent necessary to deliver the right kind of crisis management effect or deterrence?

The second challenge is simply moving from where we are to where the force needs to be.

This certainly can be seen with regard to the amphibious force. The amphibious force has not been built with the most advanced C2 available to the U.S. Navy, and the insertion of force from amphibious ships ashore has not been built around the construct of the sea-base managing the force ashore.

This means that two immediate challenges in the shift to flexible basing is the need to have more robust and flexible, from an expeditionary point of view, C2 onboard the ships making up an amphibious task force and new capabilities to connect the expeditionary force ashore with the expeditionary force afloat.

The third challenge is associated with forces inserted into expeditionary bases is ensuring they have the C2 capabilities needed to achieve their missions with the integrated force, and that they do not become combat orphans.

This challenge was highlighted with regard to building a web of C2 nodes or node basing, in the words of one participant in the conversation.

To be blunt, distributed C2 is hard to do in the first place. There clearly is growing effort to find ways to have rapidly stood up distributed C2 in an expeditionary basing sense which can reach to wider networks, but this is an aspiration more than a reality.

That is why in my view, working ways to integrate the amphibious task force is the preliminary challenge to be met, prior to being able to push small combat teams ashore and expect them with the current technologies to be able to manage C2 complexities putting them in the broader fleet wide firing solution sets.

The fourth challenge is the question of the decision-making authorities. 

If the focus is upon operating from a variety of bases, who makes the decisions at the tactical edge? And how to do so, notably with regard to fires solutions?

Mission command is clearly involved but that will not be enough when it comes to shaping integrated fires solutions with a mixture of launch points, including from expeditionary bases involved.

The fifth challenge is the reset of C2 and ISR acquisition itself.

With the historical focus on platform dominance over “seamless” C2 and ISR data flows, how indeed will the kind of C2 be built into the force that allows a distributed force to achieve the levels of integratability needed?

One question posed by one of the participants raised a key question about the combat geography and force structuring.

The question: how do you visualize taking expeditionary basing and applying it to across the Atlantic as opposed to the Pacific?

This is a great question on many grounds.

The first is that the Russians, in my view, pose the most direct threat to the United States, given Putin’s actions, his nuclear build up, and the key role which the forces projected from the Kola Peninsula play in directly threatening U.S. forces and territory.

There is nothing abstract here; this is a direct and current challenge.

This is why the 2nd Fleet was re-established in 2015; and it is why the U.S. NATO relationship is deepening with what I called the UK-Nordic-Polish arc of defense in my recently published co-authored book, The Return of Direct Defense in Europe.

It also poses a very practical question of the relationship of 2nd MAW to 2nd Fleet going forward. In my own view, there are significant opportunities to re-shape that relationship and adopt some of the force re-structuring options on the table for the USMC.

Again, I would underscore that in my view the Russians are the most pressing direct threat, so ramping up capabilities for greater integration of 2nd MAW with 2nd Fleet make a great deal of sense to me.

The way I will conceptualize it is if one shapes an arc from North Carolina, to Norfolk, to Halifax and Newfoundland, to Iceland, to Greenland, to Norway and the Nordics, how best to deploy Marines in support of the naval integration missions being highlighted? 

That is the question and the answers clearly could be multifold. Force packages of Marines highlighting strike, ASW and anti-surface warfare missions, C2 and ISR support missions, could be shaped and deployed across the territory of the arc from Canada to the Nordics.

How best to use the air capabilities of the Marines centered on 2nd MAW would be a key part of a reshaping function as well.

The lessons learned from this effort could be applied to the Pacific as well, and would indeed be different from island hopping approaches, but perhaps even more significant as well.

And the C2 side of this is crucial to shaping an effective integrable force.

And the way ahead would be paved by training, training, training as Admiral Nimitz ordered in the 2nd World War.

Or, to put in the terms discussed with the Marine Corps C2 experts, exercises, exercises, exercises, to determine how best to shape a more effective distributed force which could be survivable, sustainable and effective to an overall maritime campaign.

As one participant put it: “We need to increase our C2 communication dynamics in our exercises. We need to exercise our vulnerabilities and to find ways to enhance our strengths.”

It is hard to argue with that conclusion and one very much which fits into the core focus of my work for 2020, which has been upon training for the high-end fight.

Featured photo: Lance Cpls. Byron Garcia and Andrew Beckett test the equipment for the Direct Air Support Center behind the Marine Air Control Group 28 headquarters, Dec. 1. The Marines will be participating in the Marine Air Command and Control System Integrated Simulated Training Exercise Dec. 14-16 2010  that will test the abilities of MACG-28 and subordinate units before deploying to Afghanistan.

12.01.2010, photo by Lance Cpl. Scott L. Tomaszycki, II Marine Expeditionary Force

Also, see the following:

C2 for Hybrid War: The Marines Preparing for Combat

We are publishing a book in the first quarter of 2021, which focuses on training for the high-end fight and the key role which innovations and C2 and ISR play in the evolution of full spectrum crisis management warfighting. 

WestPac

01/06/2021

The 18th Wing executed the third iteration of Exercise WestPac Rumrunner with joint partners Oct. 16th and focused on improved interoperability as well as fine-tuning agile combat employment concepts. ACE is the cornerstone of the wing’s operating concept.

It enables forces to operate from locations with varying levels of capacity & support, ensuring multi-capable Airmen are postured in a position of advantage to generate combat power.

Of note, the 344th Air Refueling Squadron KC-46A Pegasus from McConnell Air Force Base made its debut during Team Kadena’s Rumrunner exercise.

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN

10.16.2020

Video by Tech. Sgt. Micaiah Anthony, Senior Airman Kristan Campbell, Staff Sgt. Daniel Fernandez, Airman 1st Class Rebeckah Medeiros, Staff Sgt. Daryn Murphy, Staff Sgt. Peter Reft and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Sutton

18th Wing Public Affairs

Attack Utility Helicopter Team Adapting Close Air Support

01/05/2021

As the strategic shift from the Middle Eastern land wars to engagement where flexibile, expeditionary basing is envisaged, the attack utility helicopter team of Vipers and Venoms is adapting.

In a visit to 2nd Marine Air Wing in December 2020, the adaptation process was described in discussions with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 (HMLA-269)and with  Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 (HMLA-167).

In the counter-insurgency environment, the attack utility team could operate in a distributed environment to support Marines fighting toe-to-toe against insurgents.

Lt. Col. Short argued that their attack utility team was very “risk worthy” in terms of the “logistical, the manpower, the cost investment for the capability gain, you would give a ground force, or you would give a supported force by putting them forward, putting them into a position to offer support.”

The Viper is adding Link-16 and full motion video so that it can be even more supportable for or supported by an integratable insertion force.

It is also very capable because of its relatively small footprint able to land in a variety of ground or ship settings and get refueled. If one focuses on the ability to operate virtually in any expeditionary setting, at sea or on land, the Viper is extremely capable of refuelability for an insertion force. They can do this onboard virtually any fleet asset at sea or at a Forward Air Refueling Point or FARP.

From a concept of operations perspective, notably with regard to an ability to operate from multiple bases, the attack utility package certainly can keep pace with the “pacing threats” facing the Marines.

The Commandant has asked the Marines to rethink how to do expeditionary operations, and to promote tactical innovations to do so.

HMLA-269 has been focused on this effort.

Notably, they have been exercising with the Ground Combat Element (GCE) at Camp Lejeune to work small packages of force able to be inserted into the combat space and able to operate in austere locations for a few days to get the desired combat effect and then move with the GCE to new locations rapidly.

HMLA-269 has been working closely with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines to shape innovative ways to deploy expeditionary force packages.

“We are working ways to work distributed force operations with the battalion.” They have a security mission currently with regard to II MEF in reinforcing Norway.  The question being worked is: how, in a multi-basing environment, can one provide the kind of firepower that the maneuver force would need?

The Gunrunners took a section of aircraft to work with a ground combat unit and to live together in the field for a period of time and sort out how best to operate as an integrated force package. They operated in the field without a prepared operating base and worked through the challenges of doing so. They worked with an unmanned aircraft ISR feed as part of the approach.

Obviously, this is a work in progress, but the strategic direction is clear.

And there are various ways to enhance the capability of the force to be masked as well. Movement of small force packages, operating for a limited period of time, moving and using various masking technologies can allow the attack utility team which is operational now to be a key player in shaping a way ahead for Marine Corps expeditionary operations.

In short, the attack/utility team of 2nd MAW are taking the force they have, and their significant operational experience and adapting to the new way ahead with the next phase of change for expeditionary warfare.