Enhancing the Capability and Lethality of the Fleet: The Future is Now

08/10/2020

By Robbin Laird

While it is important to think about 2030, the air-maritime force is in the throes of significant innovation NOW and laying the foundation for significant change in the near to the mid-term.

And this happening by reworking the integratability of key elements of the force and evolving the concepts of operations of key platforms working together in core functional warfighting areas.

A key case in point is the MH-60 Romeo helicopters as anti-surface and ASW assets shaping a way ahead to work more effectively in force integration with other key assets.

In the ISR world it is about reshaping ways P-8s and Romeos can work together.

This is a work in progress, but again, because these are EXTANT platforms the challenge is to focus on enhanced integrability to deliver enhanced capability in a key functional area, which is anti-surface warfare and ASW.

In part, this is allowing the Romeo helicopters to move away from a primary role of protecting the carrier projecting power to contribute to the land wars and returning them to blue water operations.  The advanced sensors on the Romeo are then used as part of the reshaping of blue water operational capabilities.

The Romeos are providing significant contributions to Air Wing and surface asset long range maritime strike packages, and will only result in enhanced lethality with added focus on training and interoperability with the P-8s.

The P-8s are ISR and C2 strike aircraft that also do ASW.

How best to integrate them with the strike force?

How best to work through how they can contribute to fleet wide maritime strike?

My discussions and recent visit to NAWDC highlighted how there is a clear interest and priority to better integrate the P-8 into fleet strike operations.

This is a work in progress, but again this is an EXTANT platform, whose software code is being rewritten based on operations to provide for a more integrable capability or to sort through its role within the integratable air wing which is reshaping how a kill web enabled fleet can operate more effectively in blue water operations.

The Romeos are part of working a new approach to what the NAWDC team refers to as blue water expeditionary operations.

In an earlier piece, I highlighted how CDR Nathaniel “Velcro” Velcio, the HSM Weapons School, Atlantic looked at the way ahead.

And now during my July 2020 visit to San Diego, I had a chance to get the perspective of Captain Jeffrey Melody, Commander, of the Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, Pacific (i.e. HSM Community) on the way ahead as well.  

The Romeos deploy both to carriers as well as cruisers or destroyers. They deploy a 25-man detachment to cruisers or destroyers with two MH-60R helicopters; and for the carrier they deploy a five-helicopter CVN Element led by its Commanding and Executive Officers.

In addition, the HSC Community’s MH-60 Sierras are deploying for combat logistics and support as well as working with Fire-Scout detachments.

This means the community is working the concepts of operations of manned-unmanned teaming to deliver more persistent ISR in the extended battlespace.

There is a concerted effort to augment Romeo and P-8 integration.

According to Captain Melody, once a year there is a meeting held at Jacksonville bringing together the two communities where the junior officers who work the platforms can share operational experience and to work through ways to operate as a more integratable force.

And as I saw in a visit to Mayport in June 2020, there is an enhanced effort to work Seahawk and P-8 integration as well.

The West coast Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing works with the P-8s at Whidbey Island.

Obviously, the distance from San Diego to Washington is considerably greater than the short distance from Jax Navy to Mayport, which can enable the East Coast wing greater opportunities for integrated training.

This type of integration is clearly worked in Hawaii as well.

According to Captain Melody: “We look to overcome the distance hurdle by leveraging the long legs of the P-8 and have a standing invite for them to fly down to participate in the ASW portion of the basic phase certification exercises our Weapons School conducts throughout the year, along with an annual South American Navy submarine exercise, DESI-Ex, both on the SoCal Offshore ASW Range.”

This is a work in progress; but, again because these are existing platforms, they enhance the integrability of the fleet now and build out new capabilities as they work towards future operations as well.

Too often, there is the notion in defense public discourse which does not pay enough attention to the innovations in integratability going on right now.

This work is especially significant because working ISR integratability and third party targeting leveraging sensor networks is crucial now but a clear foundation for shaping an effective way ahead.

And as they do so, their ability to reach out to other elements of the sensor network, such as Triton allow, the Romeos and P-8s to do a better job supporting the strike fleet as well.

A key way to enhance the sensor network could well be to add passive sensors to some of the new assets coming into the fleet, such as the MV-22B, the MQ-25 or maritime remotes.

The key challenge is to ensure that those sensors provide information which can inform the strike force, rather than just accumulate information.

It is clear that the HSM community has worked hard the past few years to enhance their role in the high-end fight.

With regard to surface warfare core capability there has been a key shift to provide for such an enhanced role. In the period of support to the land wars, the HSM capabilities were primary used to for small boat warfare, primarily in the Restricted Waters transit arena.

Now they have transitioned to leveraging their advanced sensor suites to contribute to the long-range maritime strike and electromagnetic warfare arenas, which have become key areas of effort with great Power Competition and Distributed Maritime Operations.

Efforts such as greater integratability of the Romeo with the P-8 lay a solid foundation for further evolution of usable sensor networks which inform not debilitate decision making for the integrated distributed force.

This is a work in progress, but one which is delivering enhanced capability and lethality to the FLEET now, and not just a slide in a briefing about the 2030 future force.

Featured photo: LCpl. Denton A. Stewart, a flight equipment technician Marine assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (Reinforced) 164, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, watches an MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to the “Wildcards” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, land aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8). Makin Island, homeported in San Diego, is conducting routine operations in the eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aaron Sperle)

CCMS Operating with San Antonio-Class Ships in the Mediterranean Sea

Two Combatant Craft Medium (CCM) operate in the Mediterranean Sea near the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Yok, June 18, 2020.

New York was conducting operations in U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of regional allies and partners, and U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

06.18.2020

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Lyle Wilkie 

USS NEW YORK (LPD 21)  

Shaping a Way Ahead for Nordic Cooperation: July 2020

08/09/2020

In a news story on the Norwegian government website published on June 7, 2020, the release of a new report on Nordic cooperation was announced.

Last week the Nordic Foreign Ministers received the report “Nordic Foreign and Security Policy 2020: Climate Change, Hybrid & Cyber Threats and Challenges”.

On 30 October 2019, the foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden decided to task Mr. Björn Bjarnason of Iceland to prepare an independent report with non-binding proposals on how to further develop Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy. This tasking marked ten years since Mr Thorvald Stoltenberg of Norway drafted a similar report presenting a range of recommendations of which a large share have already been implemented.

In the mandate, delivered to Mr. Bjarnason on 2 December 2019, he was requested to specifically focus on the scope for cooperation in addressing global climate change, addressing hybrid threats and cyber issues, and strengthening and reforming multilateralism and the rule-based international order. The mandate moreover stipulated that the report and the proposals should be ready by mid-year 2020. In his work he enjoyed the support of a reference group of experts and analysts from each of the five Nordic countries.

The Nordic Foreign Ministers express their appreciation to Mr. Bjarnason for his important work and look forward to studying the report’s recommendations. They will formally discuss the concrete proposals at their meeting in Copenhagen in September during Denmark’s presidency of the N5 cooperation.

The report can be read below but one of the more interesting sections is on cyber and hybrid threats.

Part of that section reads as follows:

Hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and disinformation/influence operations, pose a serious and increasing challenge to the Nordic countries. By taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of democratic and open societies, hybrid threat actors undermine Nordic security, prosperity, and values.

Hybrid threats are ambiguous and designed to allow deniability. Therefore, it is difficult, but even more important, to address them. In all the capitals, interlocutors emphasized that the Nordics could meet these challenges more effectively together

While countering cyber-attacks and other hybrid threats is first and foremost a national responsibility, the Nordic countries must work closer together to keep up with ever more determined and sophisticated adversaries. Without duplicating existing structures and means of cooperation, such as NORDEFCO, there is potential for strengthened Nordic cooperation on several aspects of hybrid threats and cyber issues.

The importance of multilateral cooperation of like-minded states in fighting cyber and hybrid threats is undisputed.

All Nordic countries recognize the importance of The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) in Helsinki, which supports participating states’ individual and collective efforts to enhance their capabilities, resilience, and preparedness to counter hybrid threats. Hybrid CoE is a bridge between the EU and

NATO. The Nordics, except for Iceland, are active members of the Centre. The Nordics equally recognize the importance of the work of the EU STRATCOM.

There are three key terms often used in connection with hybrid threats: situational awareness, resilience, and deterrence. Going beyond this, developing countermeasures against aggression, is increasingly needed.

Cyber has been described as an abstract realm with its high-speed communication lines, data collections and processing capabilities. The results of these virtual world processes are felt when they hit the real world. Hybrid warfare happens in the real and the virtual world.

The real-world’s segment is in principle well observed and understood, while the virtual segment operates stealthily in the invisible world of computers and networks until it shows effects in the real world.

State and non-state actors deploy hybrid means to challenge countries and institutions that they see as a threats, opponents or competitors to their interests and goals.

The range of methods and activities is wide, including: espionage; influencing information; meddling in elections; intellectual property theft; exploiting logistical weaknesses like energy supply pipelines; economic and trade-related blackmail; undermining international institutions by rendering rules ineffective; terrorism or increasing the sense of insecurity; threatening civilian air traffic, maritime communications, energy cables and causing maritime incidents.

Strong arguments have pointed out that one should actually not talk about “hybrid threats” but rather “hybrid warfare” as at least some Nordic countries are under constant attack.

It is of utmost importance to share experiences, not only to learn from one another but also to better realize whether there is a pattern to irregularities that might be part of a larger, strategic hybrid action directed against some or all of the Nordic countries. Being up to speed when it comes to tactical and technological trends in the field is crucial.

While attribution is a national responsibility, multinational solidarity is a vital part of hybrid and cyber deterrence. The Nordic countries should join hands in condemning those conducting hybrid warfare where part of the game is to deny any culpability.

The two state actors most often mentioned as posing a threat to the Nordics in this regard are Russia and China.

These states have developed effective subversive means that go much further in weakening their targets than fake news and disinformation do. Such means have been used before to prepare the ground for illegal annexation, as seen in the Crimea
in the spring of 2014.

That event represented a swift culmination of prolonged Russian efforts to destabilise Ukraine. Russia’s denial of any responsibility characterised the aftermath. Apart from the illegal incursion in the South China Sea, China conducts lower key hybrid operations than Russia.

Social engineering and economic espionage are Chinese trademarks having social, economic, and financial aims, mirrored in their efforts to gain access through strategic investments and research projects.

It is important to conduct foreign investment screening with special emphasis on security, i.a. in 5G systems and critical infrastructure.

The leading role of Nordic companies like Ericsson and Nokia in this field is often highlighted as important for ensuring a high-tech competition edge

nordicreport_2020

And an e-book version can be read below:

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US and Australian Joint Task Force Exercise in Guam: July 2020

08/08/2020

By Australian Defence Business Review

The ADF has deployed 150 personnel and 10 aircraft to Anderson AFB on Guam to participate in multi-national joint-force exercises with the USAF, US Navy, and Royal Australian Navy.

The air task unit comprises six F/A-18A/B classic Hornets, two EA-18G Growlers, an E-7A Wedgetail, and a KC-30A MRTT. The two week deployment will see the aircraft conduct air-sea integration exercises with the RAN task group which is on its way to the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises in Hawaii, as well as surface and airborne elements of the US Navy and USAF.

The RAN task group – comprising the LHD HMAS Canberra, DDG HMAS Hobart, ANZAC class frigates HMA Ships Stuartand Arunta, and the oiler HMAS Sirius – transited through the South China Sea in mid-July, before conducting sailing and helicopter cross-decking exercises with the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group (CSG) in the Philippine Sea.

“Some of our most advanced capabilities including the EA-18G Growler and the Guided Missile Destroyer, HMAS Hobart, will be able to integrate in a combined air and sea environment,” Defence Minister Senator Linda Reynolds said in a statement. “This deployment demonstrates Defence as a capable force, with an ability to conduct complex and extended deployments at sea and in the air organically and with our regional partners.”

The Guam exercises will help fine-tune the RAN’s preparation for RIMPAC, but also allows the ADF to develop its Air-Sea integration with our own and allied forces for future joint operations.

“Exercising as a joint force across air and sea allows the Navy and Air Force to understand each other’s warfighting activities, to fight better in the maritime environment, make decisions quickly and fully employ their forces across multiple domains,” Minister Reynolds said.

This article was published by ADBR on July 24, 2020.

The Coming of MISR to the Fleet: The Perspective of the First Deployed MISR Officer

08/05/2020

By Robbin Laird

Earlier this year, in a visit with Vice Admiral Miller, the US Navy’s Air Boss, I was introduced to the coming of MISR, or the Maritime ISR Officer.

MISR officers are trained as ISR subject matter experts to operate at the fleet or CSG level and to work the sensor fusion for the integratable CVW.

According to the Air Boss: “I think of MISR as additive, not lessening of TOPGUN, but instead akin to a new phase which builds upon our historical experience in the development of TOPGUN in the first place.”

In effect, these are “6th generation officers” in the sense of working the C2/ISR capabilities which enable an integrated and distributed fleet to have its maximum combat impact.

I followed this introduction to MISR up over the past two months with discussions with officers from the Naval Aviation Warfighting Center or NAWDC with regard to how the focus on training for the integrateable air wing was shaping the way ahead. Two new warfighting training courses reflect the change.

The first is the information warfare training course which is focused on dynamic targeting.

And the second is MISR which is focused on providing the connective tissue between the operational platforms working as a integrated force to deliver the dynamic targeting effect.

The MISR effort is clearly a work in progress, but is laying the foundation for what is clearly ongoing innovations with regard to connectivity among platforms and how C2 is delivered at the tactical edge and aggregated into strategic decision making as well.

MISR is both a capability here now, but a dynamic driver for how to change the force as new ISR capabilities are added to the force, such as Triton and the upcoming revolutions in maritime remotes.

If one does not learn how to change the culture of how ISR is used and C2 redesigned then adding new ISR rich platforms or new ISR capabilities will not have the desired combat effect.

From this perspective MISR is an innovation, a new foundational element, and a plank holder in the strategic shift for force structure integratability, notably to deliver the desired political and combat effects necessary to prevail in the new strategic environment of engaging in full spectrum crisis management and escalation control and dominance.

Recently, I interviewed CDR Pete “Two Times” Salvaggio, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), Maritime ISR (MISR) Weapons School, Department Head (DH), MISR & EP-3E Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI).

The career of this officer spans the period prior to MISR, the creation of MISR and the maturation of the MISR and Minotaur initiatives.

The officers involved in the MISR Weapons School are the seed corn for the strategic change which MISR is introducing.

And during my visit to Jax Navy during the week of June 14th, I had a chance to talk with the first MISR officer deployed to the fleet, LCDR Tracy Maddox.

Her call sign is “Mad Dog” and is as she described herself a “VQ” person by trade and an EP-3 operator.

She became a MISR officer through her engagement at NAWDC and worked with “Two Times” there as well.  She was involved in the standing up of the MISR cell at NAWDC which has now become a full warfighting course. She now is with VPU-2, a heralded squadron in the US Navy involved in “special projects.”

An October 2, 2018 article by Richard Burgess of Seapower Magazine highlighted the squadron as follows:

The Navy has established a new unit to sustain a special mission capability in its maritime patrol community with the coming retirement of the P-3 Orion aircraft.

A Sept. 10 internal directive from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations directed the establishment on that date of Fleet Support Unit One at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, one of two sites that serve as home bases for the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrols aircraft.

According to the directive, Fleet Support Unit One “will configure and operate P-8 aircraft to provide a follow-on special mission capability in place of [special] projects patrol squadron (VPU) P-3 aircraft due to sundown in 2019.”

The mission of the unit will be to provide “oversight, training, operations, maintenance, and configuration management for the P-8 quick reaction capability aircraft,” according to the directive.

Fleet Support Unit One will have an officer in charge rather than a commanding officer, who will report to commander, Patrol Reconnaissance Wing 11, at Jacksonville.

The Navy’s sole VPU squadron, VPU-2, operates several specially configured P-3C Orion aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The squadron is scheduled for deactivation in fiscal 2019 in concert with the phase-out of the P-3C from operational active-duty patrol squadrons.

LCDR Maddox noted that the EP-3 community works closely with the USAF, so this has carried over for the MISR community and in terms of NAWDC working with Nellis as well.

But she clearly highlighted the challenges to getting the USAF and the USN to work fully together in shaping enhanced integratabilty but clearly the MISR standup was an important step in moving in that direction.

LCDR Maddox was posted to the USS George H. W. Bush CSG-2 under the command of Rear Admiral Kenneth Whitesell, now Deputy Commander of the US Pacific Fleet and soon to be the next commander of Naval Air Forces and and commander of Naval Air Force Pacific

During that deployment, the Admiral explored ways that a MISR approach could enhance the lethality of the fleet.

The experience shaped a demand side as well where as Vice Admiral Miller put it, there is desire to have MISR officers in every carrier strike group and at the fleet level as well.

And technology needs to be shaped to allow for this kind of innovation.

A case in point is Minotaur.

As Rear Admiral Garvin put it: “The Minotaur Track Management and Mission Management system was developed in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

“Minotaur was designed to integrate sensors and data into a comprehensive picture which allows multiple aircraft and vessels to share networked information.

“It is basically a data fusion engine and like many software capabilities these days, doesn’t physically have to present on a platform to be of use.

“These capabilities ride on a Minotaur web where, if you are on the right network, you can access data from whatever terminal you happen to be on.”

LCDR Maddox underscored from her point of view that bringing the various wave forms into a single screen via Minotaur allows those data streams to come together and to shape a common operating picture.

She underscored that with different assets using different operating pictures the full value of the ISR streams was not being realized.

“With the Minotaur web everyone has access to the same COP regardless of whether you are airborne or onboard a ship.”

In my view, the MISR incorporation in the fleet, plus the coming of Triton are opening the aperture in understanding of how to widen the scope of what a fleet can achieve within the extended battlespace.

And this is clearly a cultural shift as well.

As LCDR Maddox put it: “It’s a very different mindset shift.”

With regard to the carrier strike groups, the core focus has been upon the fast jets and kill chains.

But with the ISR/C2 revolution and the ability to do third party targeting, the kill web is becoming a reality.

But this means that the Admirals who have come through the fast jet community are facing the challenge of changing their approach as well to incorporate MISR and dynamic targeting, ultimately in a joint capability environment.

In my view, the standing up of MISR is significant in and of itself, but lays a foundation for the way ahead.

And quite an honor to meet the first MISR officer assigned to a carrier strike group.

This is also a significant generational change as the digital natives become more prevalent within the fleet, and who experienced rapid apps upgrades and want to see the same being delivered in terms of knowledge to the fleet operating in a dynamic combat environment.

NATO Focuses on Maritime Unmanned Systems

08/04/2020

A recent article published by NATO on July 29, 2020 highlights the growing focus of attention within NATO on maritime remote systems.

Michael Brasseur is a naval warfare expert at the US Mission to NATO. This former captain of two warships who has sailed and served all over the world, now works at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Together with experts from other NATO Allies, he is working to help enhance the Alliance’s technological edge on critical maritime capabilities. 

“It’s my job to leverage NATO’s vast innovation ecosystem to ensure Allied sailors have the very best technology to accomplish their mission of keeping the seas free,” says Michael.

Michael and his counterparts in NATO member countries are looking for cutting-edge capabilities that can give Allied sailors a tactical advantage at sea.  They have recently focused on the rapid advancements underway in maritime unmanned systems. “We are only just beginning to realise the game-changing capabilities these systems offer and I am focused on accelerating their development and integration into Allied navies,” explains Michael.

In October 2018, Michael helped launch a Maritime Unmanned Systems (MUS) initiative. Today, 14 Allies1 are working together to develop and procure maritime technology that will increase operational effectiveness, limit risk to human life and reduce operational costs, and Michael is at the heart of this initiative. Several other Allies have recognised the value of this fast-paced initiative and have expressed intent to join.

Ensuring free access to the seas

Maritime unmanned systems are drones above, on and below the water.  Allied navies use them on many different occasions to enhance the capabilities of manned platforms. Working alongside traditional naval assets, these unmanned systems can also improve situational awareness, which is critical in ensuring free access to the seas.

“Seventy per cent of the planet is covered by water,” explains Michael. “Maritime unmanned systems are important because these systems, if harnessed correctly, can greatly improve our ability to understand the maritime environment, and thus ensure the seas remain open for commerce.”

At sea, mines, terrorist activities, smuggling and piracy are threats to NATO Allies’ ability to operate freely in maritime commons. The use of unmanned systems will enable Allies to be more effective in crucial capability areas, such as finding and tracking suspicious submarines or detecting mines.

“MUS, when teamed with manned systems, offer a means to detect, localise and neutralise a mine, without putting the operator in danger,” comments Michael. 

Cherishing work and life

Michael loves his job for many reasons. “First, the opportunity to work with friends and Allies every day is a true joy,” says Michael.  “On this project, I have developed strong professional and personal relationships that I will cherish for my entire life.  I also really enjoy discovering new technologies and I get a lot of energy when I engage with academia and industry.” 

Michael, a father of four, with two teenage sons who love physics, computers and artificial intelligence, think their dad is pretty cool working on all this high-tech. “My boys also think NATO is very cool!”

Many of Michael’s colleagues don’t know that he is also a survivor. “In 2016, following my tour as captain of USS Forth Worth, I was diagnosed with stage 2, classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  It has certainly given me a completely different outlook on life.  I cherish every single second, like these wonderful experiences at NATO, living in Brussels and working with friends and Allies across Europe.” 

Testing drones in real-life scenarios

Each year in Portugal, Michael participates in testing Allied innovative maritime unmanned systems in scenarios such as search and rescue operations, harbour protection, and anti-submarine and naval mine warfare during exercise Recognized Environmental Picture, Maritime Unmanned Systems (REP (MUS)).

“REP (MUS) is the largest maritime unmanned systems exercise of its kind in Europe and achieved last year many critical firsts for NATO in terms of interoperability,” explains Michael.

Over 800 personnel from the Portuguese Navy, as well as from Belgium, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation contributed to the exercise.

Michael feels that we are at a key inflection point in history.  “The pace of innovation has become exponential and our institutions need to move faster. We have made significant progress, but we have much more work to do, to improve, accelerate and scale this important initiative.”