Crafting P-8 Tactics for the Extended Battlespace: An Interview with Lt. Tucker

Posted on | by Robbin Laird
06/11/2016

2016-06-11 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake

During our visit to Jacksonville Naval Air Station, we had a chance to talk with Lt. Alan Tucker, the VP-16 Squadron Maritime Tactics Instructor (SMTI).

He has surface fleet experience and came to the P-8 four years ago and started as a weapons school instructor in VP-30. VP-30 is the squadron where initial training for P-8 crews occurs.

Lt. Tucker explained that the shift from the P-3 to P-8 was not just about a new aircraft, but training to operate very differently and to engage with the fleet and the joint force very differently as well.

He started by explaining that the P-3 in its later years required significant maintenance and crews had to focus significant time to bet ready to fly and then to operate the aircraft, which reduced the training and time to do the mission.

“Most of our training and our focus in the squadron was safety.

Tactics and execution was done with whatever bandwidth you had left, because you were always fighting problems and always training for degraded mission status because every airplane was degraded in some form or the other.”

With the P-8, the new aircraft highlights the opportunity to refocus on tactics and training and doing so as the US Navy and the joint and coalition force is focused on shaping effective tactics to prevail in the emerging “Kill Webs” in a global extended battlespace.

“What we were able to do is refocus our emphasis.

Instead of training on safety and NATOPS being the center focus of attention, we’re now able to focus on the tactics.”

The shift in tactics facilitated by the technology aboard the plane and the connectivity of the aircraft allows the P-8 to operate as an inorganic asset for the Carrier Strike Group that can be seamlessly integrated organically into its operations as needed.

“We’re an inorganic asset to the CSG that can quickly meld right into what they’re doing. We can provide significantly enhanced situational awareness for the fleet as they operate.”

And even though the current generation of weapons is more limited than desirable, the P-8 is capable of integrating new weapons of much greater reach and range to support the fleet as well.

And with the off-boarding capability of the aircraft to provide sensor data to deployed shooters, the P-8 can significantly contribute to the strike capability of a deployed force.

Already, the P-8 is working with the USAF and is working ways to expand sharing of data and shaping an extended range common operating picture.

P-8 during a visit to Canada. Credit: US Navy
P-8 during a visit to Canada. Credit: US Navy

This clearly was not what the P-3 was designed to do; for it was operating “alone and unafraid” and doing its ASW mission within a particular sector.

With the P-8, the tactical envelope expands and it trains to operate as an organic asset, a connected asset, or a force multiplier for a distributed force, especially in synergistic partnership with the soon to be introduced Triton.

“We can cross-queue our airplane with another platform to triangulate, and/or send that information back to the intel shop, where you have folks sitting on the ground at zero knots.

They’ll get us an answer back for our immediate use on station.”

And the P-8 and its crew is working from the ground up with regard to a 21st century approach to prevail in the electronic or tron warfare maneuver space as well.

“We’re a key player in the kill web.

What do you need from us today?

What’s the task?

What do you want executed?

We can provide a wide variety of capabilities.”

The crew of the P-8 is shaping a new work culture with their combat crews to support the evolving tactics in support of flexible missions.

Rather than operating in separate cells on the aircraft, the crew seamlessly interacts from their screens and communications suites with each other with reach back to onshore or afloat assets.

“With the rail setup (the combat crew is lined up at a linear rails with interchangeable screens) we can access each other’s systems. We can load-share more effectively.

We are doing 21st century team building.

You have so much data coming onto the airplane that you have to now manage everything that’s coming in.

It requires all your operators to work together, filter out key pieces that you need to do your primary duty, and then with whatever bandwidth you have left, you can assist another operator to work the information.”

A key work shift is learning to manage the transition as well of information from one P-8 to another as the planes take off and land.

Because one is sortieing information not just airplanes, a key task is to manage the data transfer and mission management function as well.

As Lt. Tucker described it, each deployment was providing enhanced experience for shaping more effective tactics.

The first deployment simply required familiarization but with the second the squadron was pushing the boundaries of the aircraft and shaping new tactics.

“It is about continued combat learning and learning how to use the aircraft in a different way.

On the hardstand in front of the US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and a No. 2 Squadron (2 SQN) E-7 Wedgetail is Commander Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (SRG) Air Commodore Chris Westwood (fourth from right), Officer Commanding No. 92 Wing Group Captain Craig Heap (fifth from left), Commanding Officer 2 SQN Wing Commander Paul Carpenter and 2 SQN aircrew. *** Local Caption *** A Press Conference was held, on 21 Feb 2014 at Defence Establishment Fairbairn, to announce the Government's approval for the acquisition of eight P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister, The Hon. Tony Abbott MP, with the support of the Minister for Defence, Senator The Hon. David Johnson, the Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, AO and the United States Ambassador, John Berry. These state-of-the-art aircraft will dramatically boost Australia’s ability to monitor its maritime approaches and patrol over 2.5 million square kilometres of our marine jurisdiction. These aircraft will work closely with other existing and future ADF assets, and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service aviation fleet, to secure our ocean resources and protect our borders. Prior to making the announcement the Prime Minister and Minister for Defence inspected a visiting US Navy P-8A aircraft currently in Australia for joint exercises with the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy.
On the hardstand in front of the US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and a No. 2 Squadron (2 SQN) E-7 Wedgetail is then Commander Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (SRG) Air Commodore Chris Westwood (fourth from right), and the Officer Commanding No. 92 Wing Group Captain Craig Heap (fifth from left, who has since replaced Westwood as SRG commander), Commanding Officer 2 SQN Wing Commander Paul Carpenter and 2 SQN aircrew. Credit: Australian Ministry of Defence, February 2014

It is about opening up the envelope and shaping the combat capability of the aircraft, and shaping more effective tactics going forward.”

You learn as you deploy; you rewrite software code to build on those experiences.

It is about combat learning and shaping new ways to operate and prevail in combat with the maritime, joint and combined force.

And with projected weapons upgrades, the P-8 will become not only a state-of-the-art sub killer but a very sensor empowered standoff air/land strike platform.

With allies flying the P-8 as well there is the opportunity to expand situational awareness within the battlespace as well.

“We already integrate with Growler and the E2.

And with allies such as the RAF, the Australians and the Indians, we can shape a broader situational awareness picture as well.”

Lt. Tucker flew on the around the world flight of the squadron as well, the P-8 equivalent of the Great White Fleet, but done in the digital age.

Their P-8A Poseidon logged a total of 22,000 miles.

And while in Australia flew the Wedgetail simulator to learn how the Aussies were refueling their military 737, the Wedgetail.

According to an article by Lt. Christian Suszan, MPRWS EP-3E Weapons and Tactics Instructor published on August 12, 2015:

On July 6, aircraft 762 launched from Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, to travel around the world, making stops in Germany, Bahrain, and Australia, in order to increase P-8A Poseidon mission effectiveness for future global employment.

On board the Poseidon were 11 VP-30 and VP-5 maintenance personnel and 10 aircrew from VP-30, Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School (MPRWS), and VP-5.

Also on board were VP-30 Commanding Officer Capt. Curt Phillips, Officer in Charge of the P-8A Fleet Integration Team Cmdr. Andy Miller, and MPRWS Executive Officer Cmdr. Michael Puffer.

The primary intent of the mission was to prepare VP-5 “Mad Foxes” and 5th Fleet staff for the first P-8A deployment to the Middle East area of responsibility.

Another intent was to meet with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ahead of fleet implementation of the P-8A’s air-to-air refueling (AAR) capability.

The RAAF currently possesses and employs the in-flight refueling capability on its Boeing 737-700 based E-7A Wedgetail Command and Control aircraft.

P-8 crew flying the Wedgetail simulator in Australia for refueling operations.
P-8 crew flying the Wedgetail simulator in Australia for refueling operations.

While enroute to Bahrain and Australia, the crew made an overnight stop at German Naval Airbase Nordholz, to attend German Maritime Patrol Symposium events and provide a static display for symposium attendees.

Among those attending the symposium was NATO’s Commander, Maritime Air and Deputy Chief of Staff, Maritime Air for NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), Rear Adm. Thomas Ernst, German Navy, as well as maritime patrol aircrew from Canada, Norway, Spain and Germany.

While in Bahrain, the P-8A crew provided a static display for the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Honorable William Roebuck, as well as executed a local demonstration flight with top Bahraini military officials on board.

The P-8A crew briefed Commander Task Force 57 on current and future capabilities, as well as limitations, and held meetings to discuss the roadmap ahead of VP-5’s deployment.

The crew conducted a local demonstration mission flight with 5th Fleet personnel to showcase P-8A capabilities and identify any potential issues well ahead of VP-5’s deployment.

“Our role as the Fleet Replacement Squadron is to help prepare VP-5 for its deployment to the region,” said Phillips.

“This trip tests the P-8A platform within the environment of the 5th Fleet area of operations and provides us the opportunity to get hands-on experience so we can get VP-5 tactically prepared for a slightly different mission set compared to the mission in the Western Pacific.”

The crew from the round the world flight.
The crew from the round the world flight.

The crew then visited RAAF Base Williamtown, headquarters to Australia’s Air Combat Group, located approximately nine miles north of the coastal city Newcastle, New South Wales.

The P-8A aircrew held a static display for local aircrew and support personnel stationed at the base.  During the visit, RAAF personnel provided briefings on E-7A operational employment and AAR best practices to better equip VP-30 as they implement their AAR training program in the near future.

The P-8A FRS and MPRWS crews were afforded the opportunity to fly an E-7A Wedgetail AAR simulator event to experience first-hand an AAR evolution.

Intermediate stops for fueling and crew rest during the around-the-world mission included Perth, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, Pago Pago, and Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Aircraft 762 and its crew arrived back at Cecil Airport on July 18.

“From Europe to the Pacific, this flight is about maintaining our critical, long-standing maritime patrol partnerships, while sustaining the momentum of P-8A Poseidon training and operational transition of the Fleet,” Phillips stated.

“VP-30 and the weapons school are charged to prepare P-8A Fleet squadrons ahead of future deployments and capabilities – 5th Fleet’s hot weather environment and forthcoming air-to-air refueling operations are just the next chapter in P-8A transition. We will be prepared.”

http://m.jacksonville.com/2015-08-12/story/vp-30-and-mprws-conduct-worldwide-p-8a-mission#showInfo=http://m.wap.jacksonville.com/2015-08-12/story/vp-30-and-mprws-conduct-worldwide-p-8a-mission?fmt=www

Vignettes of Standing Up and Operating the P-8 at Jacksonville Air Station

Posted on | by Robbin Laird
06/10/2016
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2016-06-07 We visited Jax Navy at the end of May 2016, and will produce a Special Report summarizing the findings from the visit.

In this article, we would like to highlight some articles, which provide insights into various aspects of the standing up and operation of the P-8/Triton capability.

These articles first appeared in the Jax Air News and are linked throughout this article.

They give a flavor of the shaping of a global operational outreach for the aircraft from the outset of its operations.

Certification of Final P-8 Squadron at Jax Navy

In the following article, the focus is upon the last P-3C squadron operating at Jax Navy which has been certified as a P-8 squadron as of May 2016.

Here the VP-26 PAO, the VP-squadron “safe for flight” certification is discussed.

The “Tridents” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 received their P-8A Safe for Flight (SFF) certification from Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group (CPRG) May 4, after a series of inspections that took place the week of April 25.

 “This is huge,” declared Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Higingbotham, the maintenance material control officer of VP-26. “Our fleet readiness cycle has commenced and now that we have been qualified safe for flight we can prepare for deployment.” 

Higingbotham stated that the SFF qualification marks the end of the transition of VP-26 from a P-3C Orion squadron to a P-8A Poseidon squadron. Although the Tridents accepted their first P-8A two months ago, they have been operating under the supervision of fleet replacement squadron VP-30. This safe for flight inspection marks the date when VP-26 is certified to operate independently.

The inspection certified the Tridents’ ability to operate safely as a P-8A squadron, and according to VP-26 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Mark Burns, the squadron scored higher on their SFF inspection than any of the squadrons that previously have made the transition to the P-8A.

The Tridents’ transition to the P-8A began in October of 2015 and marks the end of an era for active duty operational P-3C squadrons on the east coast. With the exception of two reserve squadrons and VP-30, the long reigning P-3C has officially been replaced by the P-8A at NAS Jacksonville. With the east coast transition complete, the last P-3C squadrons in Hawaii and Whidbey Island, Wash. are poised to begin their transitions later this year.

Earlier this year on March 16, Lt. Jared Stolle of VP-26 piloted the completion of the squadron’s first acceptance check of a P-8A Poseidon, bureau number 168848, from VP-30. The acceptance involved two consecutive days of inspections beginning with an on-deck test of the engines called maintenance turns, followed by an in-flight check called a functional check flight or FCF. The FCF is a comprehensive six-hour evaluation of airworthiness. Each flight system is tested to ensure proper function. The squadron’s first FCF was successful and the squadron was now ready to begin training for its first P-8A deployment slated for early 2017.

This summer, VP-26 will be participating in BALTOPS 2016, a multinational exercise hosted by Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe. They will also be participating in exercises in Keflavik, Iceland and Lossiemouth, Scotland. 

 http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-05-18/story/vp-26-certified-‘safe-flight’#.V0diEFd5w7k

The UK Defence Minister visits Jax Navy

That same month (May 2016), the UK Minister of Defence visited Jax Navy to see the progress the RAF is making with regard to their P-8 preparations.

According to an article published on May 18, 2016 by Jax Air News, the visit was discussed.

The Right Honourable Michael Fallon, MP, the British Secretary of Defense, visited NAS Jacksonville May 9 where he met with Royal Air Force (RAF) “Project Seedcorn” personnel who have been embedded within the VP-30 maritime patrol training program since 2012. He also announced the RAF’s intent to sign its initial order for nine Boeing P-8A aircraft this summer. They expect to accept their first P-8A in mid-2019.

RAF Squadron Leader Mark Faulds said the purpose of the visit was for Fallon to experience the Boeing P-8A Poseidon first hand, inside and out, in order to gain a better understanding of the multi-mission aircraft’s capabilities. VP-16 provided the P-8A static display.

The secretary was also briefed at the P-8A Integrated Training Center by VP-30 Commanding Officer Capt. Dave Whitehead, and Commander, Patroland Reconnaissance Wing 11 Capt. Anthony Corapi.

Faulds explained that Project Seedcorn consists of 11 RAF personnel (two pilots, four TACCOs and five EWOs) who have trained on U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft embedded with Fleet Replacement Squadron VP-30 personnel since 2012.

The program enables British servicemen to maintain skills that would otherwise have been lost due to the cancellation of the outdated British Nimrod program in 2010.

Project Seedcorn also counts nine personnel embedded with squadron VX-1 at NAS Patuxent River, Md. By 2013, all Seedcorn personnel were certified P-8A instructors.

The defense secretary said, “This new fleet of nine maritime patrol aircraft will help to protect our nuclear submarines and surface ships. We can make this investment because we are increasing defense spending every year of this decade. That enables us to meet the NATO two percent commitment and keep Britain safe.”

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-05-18/story/uk-defense-secretary-checks-out-poseidon#.V1Vwpld5w7k

During our visit, the key role of multinational and fleet exercises in rolling out of the P-8 and shaping its integration with the maritime, joint and coalition forces was highlighted.

There are a number of stories in the Jax Air News which highlight these exercises.

Truman Strike Group Exercise

In a piece written by the VP-5 PAO, an exercise with the Truman Strike Group was highlighted.

As September drew to a close; so did the Harry S. Truman Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). During the exercise, the “Mad Foxes” of VP-5 and “Fighting Tigers” of VP-8 provided real time support for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and maritime Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8.

Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Alan D’Jock, stated, “I could not be more proud of the VP-5, VP-8, and Mobile Tactical Operations Center (MTOC-3) “Mad Tiger” team.  We look forward to deploying with the Fighting Tigers and continuing our relationship throughout the remainder of our home cycle and next year’s deployment.”

19nov15VP5mpa-5

The VP-5 and VP-8 Mad Tiger team was well prepared for the uncertainties of such a dynamic environment.  A contributing factor to the success of the exercise was due to the VP liaison officers (LNOs) aboard Harry S. Truman.

These individuals were led by Cmdr. Alan Miller, executive officer of VP-10 and provided enhanced communication between CSG8 and the maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft. Each crew was able to adapt to and overcome potential problems that may arise such as formidable weather or simulated hostile contacts.

“The experience that VP-5 and VP-8 garnered from COMPTUEX is invaluable. What our aircrews saw on station is very difficult to duplicate in a simulated training environment,” remarked D’Jock.

VP-5 and VP-8 provided 532.8 flight hours from 73 events to the exercise. The squadron’s participation was a valuable asset to both the surface forces, as well as to the aircrews in the aircraft.

AWO3 Dymer, an electronics warfare officer with VP-5, said, “Being a part of the exercise was physically and mentally demanding but also taught some of the most senior crews lessons and tips for real world scenarios. It opened the eyes of many new sailors by showing the massive coordination required to accomplish many jobs.”

With this exercise complete, Oct. 2, VP-5 and VP-8 continued their training for a successful deployment next year.  The Mad Foxes of VP-5 and Fighting Tigers of VP-8 will continue training, and participating in exercises abroad as well as at home.

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/2015-10-14/vp-5-vp-8-complete-truman-strike-group-exercise#.V1VxdVd5w7l

Working with the Japanese

The “Fighting Tigers” worked the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force earlier this year and introduced the P-8 to them.

According to the VP-8 PAO, in an article published on April 20, 2016:

The “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron  (VP) 8 hosted 29 aircrew from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Patrol Squadron (VP) 1 “Jupiter” at Kadena Air Base Okinawa, Japan on April 6.

The Fighting Tigers provided a static display of a P-8A Poseidon aircraft, briefed the JMSDF aircrew on the squadron’s history and primary missions – and discussed the typical operations and capabilities concerning the P-8A aircraft.

The visit concluded with a tour of Tactical Operations Center Kadena and lunch with the JMSDF visitors.

All personnel involved in the visit noted the benefit of interacting with their counterparts.

“I enjoyed discussing my job as tactical coordinator (TACCO) with a fellow TACCO from Japan,” said Lt. j.g. Erik Arstein, who organized the visit for VP-8.

“It’s fascinating how similar our responsibilities, as aircrew as well as naval officers provide such great common ground in our efforts as allies.”

Lt. j.g. Aaron Ingram assisted with the static display and found the JMSDF were very interested in the aircraft’s flight station, especially how to operate the state-of-the-art displays for interface with mission systems and autopilot control.

VP-8 has interacted with their VP-1 counterparts on several occasions in previous deployments both in-flight and on deck to advance bilateral training and partnerships. As this current deployment kicks off in Okinawa, the coordination and cooperation with the JMSDF will continue to flourish.

The Fighting Tigers are based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, and are currently on a six-month deployment in support of U.S. 7th Fleet.

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-04-20/story/vp-8-introduces-p-8a-jmsdf#.V1Vx5Vd5w7l

Working with the Indonesians

Also, in the same month, the “Flying Tigers” went to Indonesia to participate in a multi-lateral naval exercise.

According to the VP-8 PAO, in an article published April 27, 2016:

The “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 made their first ever visit to Padang, Indonesia on April 10 for the second annual Komodo exercise.

The “Fighting Tigers,” led by VP-8 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Andrew Barlow, were received by Colonel Muhammad Tohir of Wing Udara Two of the Indonesian Navy.

The Komodo exercise is a multilateral naval exercise with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to foster relations, strengthen worldwide naval brotherhood, and conduct operations independently for world peace.

On April 10, flight crews from Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and the United States conducted a ”safety of flight brief” in preparation of the Komodo exercise.

On April 11, the opening ceremony officially kicked off. The Fighting Tigers demonstrated the P-8A in a fly-by for Indonesian President Joko Widodo, over the city of Padang.

After landing, VP-8 aircrew welcomed aboard the American Ambassador, Robert O. Blake Jr., and Rear Adm. Charles Williams, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific, and CTF-73,

Both were given a tour of the P-­8A and expressed great interest in maritime patrol operations.

The next day the Fighting Tigers, Pakistani, Indonesian, and Indian aircrews came together for a photo to commemorate the occasion. Afterwards, VP-8 aircrew provided a static display of the P-8A Poseidon.

“It was a remarkable opportunity to work alongside the members of the Indonesian Armed Forces,” said Lt. Andrew Kirchert, VP-8 Combat Air Crew 3 patrol plane commander. “Sharing this aircraft’s capabilities with our allies only strengthens our bonds.”

The final flight of Komodo exercise took place April 14 where the Fighting Tigers photographed the departing fleet of Southeast Asian Nations. Colonel Muhammad Tohir and his Indonesian aircrew joined VP-8 aircrew for a final meeting where they discussed the capabilities of the P­8A in the mission areas of maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and humanitarian aid.

VP-8 is currently deployed to the 7th Fleet area of responsibility conducting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions and providing Maritime Domain Awareness to supported units throughout the Pacific theater.

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-04-27/story/vp-8-joins-multilateral-naval-exercise#.V1VyD1d5w7l

Working with Malaysians

In an article by the VP-8 PAO published on May 4, 2016, the recent exercise to work with the Royal Malaysian Air Force was described.

Combat Aircrew Four (CAC) 4 of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 recently participated in a Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. U. S. Pacific Commanding Officer (PACOM), Adm. Harry Harris Jr. and Chief of Malaysian Armed Forces Gen. Zulkifeli bin Mohd Zin, were among the many distinguished visitors hosted by the VP-8 “Fighting Tigers” during one of many Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) missions conducted in theater. 

The exchange played a vital role in demonstrating interoperability between both nations’ MDA forces and served as a continuation of a strong diplomatic relationship in Southeast Asia. The program consisted of two flights in the span of five days. 

The first flight from Subang, Malaysia involved a combined crew of nine Fighting Tigers aircrew and eight locally based Malaysian aircrew, in order to display the operations and capabilities of the U.S. Navy’s new P-8A Poseidon aircraft. 

The second flight consisted of distinguished guests from both countries, including Adm. Harris, Gen. Zulkifeli, 1st Air Region Chief Staff Royal Malaysian Air Force Brigadier General Abdul Manaf bin Md Zaid, and Assistance Chief of Staff Operation and Exercise Rear Adm. Ahmad bin Abdullah. 

“What an incredible opportunity,” said Cmdr. Andrew Barlow, commanding officer of VP-8. “It’s not very often that you get to not only meet, but host VIPs from two nations to promote a relationship that could last lifetime. These flights are bigger than we all realize.”

This marks the beginning of a six-month deployment for the Fighting Tigers out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and the first after transitioning from the P-3C Orion to the Navy’s new P-8A Poseidon. The P-8A brings the latest technology to the maritime patrol and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, making it the most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world.”

“We are extremely grateful to the people of Malaysia for their hospitality and vital contributions to the alliance,” said Lt. Cmdr. Graham Gill, the detachment officer in charge. “The exchange program couldn’t have gone smoother thanks to the hard work of the Malaysian service men and women.” 

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-05-04/story/vp-8-builds-interoperability-royal-malaysian-air-force#.V1abpVd5w7k

Going to Red Flag

And earlier this year, the Pelicans participated in a Red Flag Exercise.

According to a story published by the VP-45 PAO, and published on March 30, 2016:

Members of Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 participated in Red Flag 16-1 at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nev., Jan. 25through Feb.12, with the Navy’s newest maritime patrol aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon.

As part of the squadron’s Fleet Response Training Plan home cycle, Red Flag is an exercise held periodically at Nellis AFB since 1975. The exercise provides pilots, aircrews and support personnel from the U.S. and allied countries the opportunity to practice their skills in a simulated combat environment.

“These scenarios largely involved the P-8 performing advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and preparing the battlespace with timely and accurate information on threats to multiple platforms,” said Lt. Cmdr. Annie Gilson, a naval flight officer with VP-45.

“These platforms were able to use this information to neutralize targets more efficiently and effectively in a highly dynamic environment.”

Those in attendance of this year’s Red Flag exercise were members from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Air Force and United Kingdom Royal Air Force.

“Working with the foreign militaries provided a better understanding of what they do,” said AWO2 Irma Sanchez, acoustic operator with VP-45. “Getting an opportunity to work with these militaries was a real eye opener into the bigger picture.”

“As a squadron, I feel that we did really well,” said Sanchez. “For our first Red Flag exercise as a P-8 squadron, I felt that we exceeded the standards that were set for us.”

Participants said one of the reasons VP-45 had such a successful exercise was because of their ability to work as a team.

“During Red Flag, our communication and capability to work together was very important,” said AWO2 Mathew Pereida, a VP-45 electronic warfare operator. “Working together as a team led to successful takeoff times, mission completeness, and overall coordinated operations effectiveness.”

Overall, members of VP-45 felt Red Flag has prepared them for the future.

“Red Flag does a great job of detecting and resolving squadron and aircraft deficiencies and how we can improve,” said AWO2 Jason Foor, “It really showed us what level we are operating at and where we can be in the future.”

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-03-30/story/‘pelicans’-participate-red-flag-exercise#.V1V0QVd5w7l

Working with the Canadians

And in the Fall of 2015, the P-8 went to Canada for training with the Royal Canadian Navy.

According to a story written by the VP-5 PAO and published on October 28, 2015:

The “Mad Foxes” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 spent the past week on the road, completing allied maritime training with Canadian military forces.

The Mad Foxes participated in Frontier Sentinel 2015, a bilateral exercise with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, and the Canada Border Services Agency.

During the exercise, VP-5 was tasked with identifying all targets within the operational area.  The crew was able to employ the advanced sensors aboard their P-8A Poseidon to track and monitor these targets throughout the exercise.

The communications suite on the P-8A allowed the aircrew to provide the Canadian Operational Commander with near real-time information, vital intelligence needed to make tactical decisions. The coordination between the allied forces was an overwhelming success.

The Mad Foxes and their Canadian counterparts also had the opportunity to tour each country’s respective aircraft: the P-8A Poseidon and CP-140 Aurora. The CP-140 is a Canadian coastal patrol aircraft based on the P-3 Orion airframe.

AWO2 Tyler Johnson stated, “It was really interesting to see how other countries have taken their P-3s and retrofitted them to their needs, bringing enhanced capabilities to the table.”

The mission commander and detachment officer in charge, Lt. Cmdr. Adam Pace, stated, “As allies, we need to continue conducting bilateral exercises that involve any and every mission set.  Whether it’s national defense or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, when our nations call each other for help – we will be able to answer that call effectively and efficiently. With events like Frontier Sentinel, we are able to continue those personal and professional relationships that lead to success while conducting our respective nations’ tasking.”

VP-5 is currently halfway through its inter-deployment readiness cycle at NAS Jacksonville and Cecil Airport, and will soon start the Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE) portion of their home cycle. The Mad Foxes will continue training to ready themselves for the ultimate goal of a successful deployment early next year.

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/2015-10-28/‘mad-foxes’-complete-training-our-neighbors-north#.V1V0wld5w7l

Standing up Triton Facilities

The Triton has had less news but is getting ready for its first deployment.

But in this story published on May 7, 2014, the laydown of the Triton facilities was discussed.

The Navy’s first squadron designated to fly the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is taking shape at NAS Jacksonville.

Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19 Officer in Charge Cmdr. Shannon Clark recently explained developments in the program since the squadron stood up Oct. 1, 2013.

“We’re currently working to expand VUP-19 from an administrative entity to a more functional perspective,” said Clark.

“We will start some training on the actual air vehicle this summer to assist with some upcoming testing. However, our primary focus right now is ensuring that the administrative and operational sides of the squadron are properly functioning for the arrival of VUP-19’s first commanding officer (CO). This way, the CO can concentrate on assuming the duties of this command and focusing on the squadron’s mission.”

According to Clark, 21 officers and enlisted personnel will be assigned to VUP-19 at NAS Jacksonville by the end of this fiscal year. Approximately half of the Sailors will be aircrew/operators and the other half will be administrative support.

By the end of 2015, VUP-19, nicknamed “Big Red,” will have approximately 100 Sailors at the squadron’s detachment site located at Naval Base Ventura County/Point Mugu, Calif.

Currently, operators assigned to VUP-19 will receive training at NAS Patuxent River, Md. Flight training will eventually shift to VP-30 at NAS Jacksonville as soon as the Triton curriculum is validated and training equipment is installed.

“The initial teaching will be this summer at NAS Pax River under Northrop Grumman instruction. Training received is in preparation for our involvement in the Operational Assessment and Operational Evaluation testing periods for this platform,” explained Clark.

Other facilities aboard NAS Jacksonville that will support the UAV’s mission include the MQ-4C Triton Mission Control Center that is currently under construction, with a projected completion date of December 2014.

“This two-story structure, with an array of rooftop antennas, will house the squadron’s mission control stations” said Clark.

“In this facility, UAV Operators will execute all phases of the mission, mission planning, mission control and data analysis.”

“From here, the Triton will be operated around the globe by crews consisting of air vehicle operators, naval flight officers and aviation warfare operators.”

The Triton is designed to provide long-range, long-endurance maritime patrol coverage for Naval Air Forces Atlantic; 5th, 6th and 7th fleets; Fleet Forces Command operations in Atlantic; Task Force 80; and support the U.S. Northern and Southern commands as required.

According to the Navy’s Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-262), as an adjunct to the P-8A, the MQ-4C Triton will provide combat information to operational and tactical users such as expeditionary strike groups, carrier strike groups and joint forces maritime component commanders.

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/2014-05-07/triton-uav-squadron-growing-facilities-personnel#.V1V1HFd5w7l

Upgrading P-8 Hangars

And finally, this story focuses on the upgrading of the hangar bays for the P-8.

This story is by Clark Pierce, editor of the Jax Air News and was published on January 20, 2016.

VP-30, the Navy’s fleet replacement squadron for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, is upgrading its hangar at NAS Jacksonville to accommodate the new Navy patrol aircraft based on the Boeing 737-800 airliner.

“This project will convert the VP-30 hangar (originally built in 1996) so it will be able to accommodate P-8A aircraft. The new height of the hangar opening facing the flight line will increase by about five feet,” said Project Management and Engineering Branch Head Thom Tryon P.E. of the NAS Jax Public Works Department, during an on-site interview Jan. 13.

“The work includes raising the hangar door entrance height to accommodate the taller P-8A vertical stabilizer height, install new hangar doors, replace parts of the existing hangar bay concrete deck, reconfigure the AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) fire suppression system for both discharge and capture of AFFF through a new grating system.”

He added that the project will adjust the existing infrared heating and compressed air systems for the new P-8A parking layout inside the hangar.

Existing energy efficient LED lights and infrared heaters will be reused and relocated as necessary. The hangar maintenance crane will also be relocated.

“No changes will be made to the administrative spaces of VP-30 and those spaces will remain occupied during construction,” said Tryon.

VP-30 Hangar Project Information

Award Date: 20 March 2015

Award Value: $5,267,768

Funding Type: Military Construction (MILCON)

Anticipated Completion Date: September 2016

Contractor: HCR Construction Inc. of Norcross, Ga.

Designer: URS Corporation

http://jaxairnews.jacksonville.com/military-jax-air-news/2016-01-20/story/vp-30-upgrades-hangar-bay-p-8a-poseidon#.V1Xk_ld5w7k

Russia’s Pacific Power Pivot

Posted on | by Robbin Laird

2016-06-10 By Richard Weitz

As expected, China’s claims to the South China Sea dominated last weekend’s Shangri-La Defense Dialogue in Singapore.

As usual, Russian military views and actions in the Asia-Pacific theater were largely ignored at the event and in Western commentary.

In his speech to the plenary, Anatoly Antonov, the Russian official in charge of the military’s foreign ties, reaffirmed Russian calls to a new regional security order.

As developed by Antonov and others, the new order would be based on the principles of equal and indivisible security, de-emphasis on bilateral defense allies such as between Japan or South Korea and the United States, and instead concentrate on all forces against fighting terrorism.

According to Antonov, “the existing regional security system, based mainly on a network of close military alliances, does not contribute to creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding, nor does it meet the interests of concerns of all Asia-Pacific states.

Closed military blocs are a relic of the past.

Instead, we suggest mutually respectful partnership, recognition of nations’ right to determine their fate independently, renouncement of any attempts to ensure one’s security at the expense of the others.”

With respect to the terrorist threat that Antonov saw as growing in the region, he offered to share the “valuable experience in fighting terrorist groups” that the Russian armed forces have gained in Syria “with a view to improve counter-terrorism capacity of the Asia-Pacific.”

Antonov also devoted much attention to North Korea. He insisted that Russia would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state and wanted the Korean Peninsula to be free of nuclear weapons.

But he warned Washington against using the DPRK nuclear threat as a pretext to “change military-political balance in the region” by expanding its ballistic missile defenses (BMD) in Asia.

Antonov failed to mention that in late May, Russia and China conducted their first joint BMD exercise, a command post computer simulation, called “Aerospace Security-2016.”

The Russian media said that the two countries “will use the results of the exercises to discuss proposals on Russian-Chinese military cooperation” in this field

Russian experts said that Russia might supply Kalibr cruise missiles to China for use on its Russian-provided Kilo diesel-electric submarines

Neither Antonov nor others at the conference discussed the major Russian military buildup that has occurred in the Russian Military District (MD or the growing Russian military activities there. The Russian forces there have received new equipment and other capability enhancements and raised their readiness through more large-scale exercises and surprise “snap” drills.

Russia may build pacific fleet base on Matua island in Kurils Chain. Credit: Sputnik News
Russia may build pacific fleet base on Matua island in Kurils Chain. Credit: Sputnik News

A few days ago, Colonel-General Sergei Surovikin, commander of the Eastern MD, said that the Russian armed forces were taking “unprecedented measures to develop the civil-military infrastructure.”

Although Putin has complained for a decade about the alleged U.S. quest for “absolute security” at the expense of generating insecurity for everyone else, Surovikin said Moscow was seeking to “exclude the emergence of even the smallest risks” to Russian security in Asia.

During the last year alone, the MOD has sent 22,000 more contract soldiers to the Eastern MD, raising the total number of military personnel in the MD to 65,000. 

Surovikin said that the district would receive some 700 pieces of military equipment and weaponry this year, including three warships, more than 20 UAVs, and some 60 warplanes and military helicopters.

The Pacific Fleet has over 70 combat vessels, including some 50 warships and about two dozen submarines. It has received more funding, resulting in better training, maintenance, and equipment.

The Fleet is beginning to obtain new Project 955 Borei-class strategic submarines: the K-550 Aleksander Nevskiy, commissioned in 2013, and the K-551 “Vladimir Monomakh, commissioned in 2014.

Russian Topol in missile test. Credit: Moscow Times
Russian Topol in missile test. Credit: Moscow Times

They can carry as many as sixteen Bulava SS-NX-30 (NATO SS-NX-30) Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles, each of which can deliver up to ten warheads. Following a troubled development period, the three-stage Bulava appears to be working reliably now.

The Borei and the earlier-generation Delta-III submarines play a significant role in sustaining the Russian nuclear deterrent, protected by the Fleet’s attack submarines and naval air power in their Sea of Okhotsk bastion.

In the air, the Eastern MD has two fighter regiments, a fighter/ground attack regiment, two ground attack regiments, one intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) regiment, and several transportation squadrons.

The fighter and interceptor aircraft include some new Sukhoi (Su)-35S generation 4++ multirole fighter aircraft as well as older multirole fighters like the Su-27SM, Su-30M2, and MiG-31.

Besides the anticipated improvements in the submarine force, future Russian maritime plans include increasing the inventory and capabilities of surface forces such as aircraft and helicopter carriers as well as multi-role landing ships; developing a rapid-response marine force equipped with long-range and high-precision strike systems; incorporating more underwater, aerial, and surface unmanned vehicles; and improving naval support systems.

Plans continue for a new aircraft carrier designed to conduct operations in remote and oceanic areas, engage land-based and sea-borne enemy targets, ensure the operational stability of naval forces, protect landing troops, and provide the anti-aircraft defense.

These Project 2300E “Shtorm” (Storm) carriers would be nuclear-powered, capable of carrying up to 90 aircraft, and feature both Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS), for which tests are already underway.

Given fiscal and technological constraints, construction will likely begin years later than the 2019 date suggested by the president of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation.

Beyond lacking requisite technology for building the ship itself, Russia does not have a dock large enough to build the proposed 100,000-ton vessel.

Russia’s sole remaining operational carrier, the Admiral Soyuza Kuznetsov, was built in Ukraine.

As a result, any future carriers may be completed in sections at various locations and assembled at Sevmash, Russia’s largest military shipyard. Future development plans, also constrained by financial realities, include an advanced maritime patrol aircraft, a new multi-mission maritime helicopter, and an advanced airborne strike system.

The Eastern MD is also obtaining new Orlan-10 and Forpost UAVs that have a longer flight capacity and can carry TV-cameras, infrared cameras, radio gear, EW systems, and additional technologies for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and other support operations.

The Russian military has been upgrading its capabilities on the Kuril Islands with Tor-M2U air defense systems, Bal and Bastion coastal missiles, and more S-400 long-range air defense missile systems as well as the shorter-range Pantsir-S1.

The military district’s aerospace and naval units have served as a force provider for other Russian strategic commands, recently deploying warplanes on rotation to Syria and warships to the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Unsurprisingly, Russian arms sales to the region are booming, with China leading the pack but some ASEAN markets rising in importance.

Of note, a few days before the June 2016 Shangri-La Defense Summit, the Pacific Fleet’s flagship, the Varyag, conducted a port visit to Singapore.

There it hosted a reception for the representatives from the ASEAN and their dialogue partners—which offered a convenient opportunity to market Russian arms to Southeast Asian military chiefs.

In short, Russia has its own pivot going on in the Pacific which involves both a military buildup and leveraging the Chinese dynamic in the Pacific.

Sources:

http://www.iiss.org/en/events/shangri%20la%20dialogue/archive/shangri-la-dialogue-2016-4a4b/plenary-5-6cb5/antonov-2c1c

http://tass.ru/en/defense/878407

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160430/1038886500/russian-bases-abroad-analysis.html

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160322/1036746542/russia-kalina-class-submarine.html

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-kuriles-unprecedentedmilitary-upgrade/27761005.html

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160527/1040329099/russian-military-defense-far-east.html

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/520849.html

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russia-moves-ahead-building-new-aircraft-carriers-14912

http://www.janes.com/article/53643/russia-s-new-maritime-doctrine

http://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-deploy-missile-systems-on-kuril-islands-67183/

http://carnegie.ru/commentary/2016/06/07/ru-63739/j1gh

Evolving the Maritime Domain Awareness Strike Enterprise: An Interview with the Commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11

Posted on | by Robbin Laird
06/08/2016

2016-06-03 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake

The U.S. and its core allies are transforming systems, which tend to operate separately but then networked to gain greater synergy to ones which are “” from the ground up into a seamless offensive-defensive enterprise.

In our book on the rebuilding of American military power in the context of shaping a new Pacific strategy, we highlighted the significance of shaping a new template for the synergy between defense and offense. 

With the new multi-mission systems – 5th generation aircraft and Aegis for example – the key is presence and integration able to support strike or defense in a single operational presence capability.  Now the adversary cannot be certain that you are simply putting down a marker. 

This is what former Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne calls the attack and defense enterprise. 

The strategic thrust of integrating modern systems is to create an a grid that can operate in an area as a seamless whole, able to strike or defend simultaneously.  This is enabled by the evolution of C5ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and it is why Wynne has underscored for more than a decade that fifth generation aircraft are not merely replacements for existing tactical systems but a whole new approach to integrating defense and offense….. 

By shaping a C5ISR system inextricably intertwined with platforms and assets, which can honeycomb an area of operation, an attack and defense enterprise can operate to deter aggressors and adversaries or to conduct successful military operations. 

https://sldinfo.com/crafting-an-attack-and-defense-enterprise-for-the-pacific/

(For Wynne’s application of the approach to the transformation of the USAF, see the following:

https://sldinfo.com/airpower-in-the-next-two-decades-of-the-21st-century-secretary-wynne-looks-ahead/).

It is clear when you visit P-8/Triton Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN that the Navy is building their new maritime domain awareness capabilities from the ground up as a seamless module in a broader strike and defense enterprise.

When we visited Jax Navy recently, we started our two-day visit with a discussion with Captain Anthony Corapi, the Wing Commander (his bio is found at the end of the article).

He has six squadrons all of which have transitioned to P-8 and are in the process of integrating a Triton Squadron into the Wing. He is merging P-8 with Triton into a new approach to providing strike enabled Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) or MDA enabled strike, whichever way the flow needs to go.

Capt. Anthony Corapi

In our discussion with Captain Corapi, he discovered how the evolution of the P-8/Triton dyad was subsuming within it several of the earlier capabilities flown by the US Navy to do ASW but was doing so from the standpoint of creating a whole new digital capability, one which could be seamlessly integrated with the air and maritime forces.

It is not just a Navy asset; it is a joint and combined warfighting capability, both informed by and informing the entire force operating in the extended battlespace.

It is also clear that the US Navy by deploying the P-8/Triton prior to the F-35 is coming at the redesign of airpower for the fleet from the perspective generated by the P-8/Triton “internationally” oriented approach as well.

The P-3 community is one of the most internationally oriented of any in the US Navy; it is clear that this tradition is crucial to the P-8/Triton rollout and operation as well.

We started by simply discussing the point that the P-8 really is not a P-3 replacement.

“As I transitioned and learned how to fly the P8, I was still using like a P3.

It’s hard to break 3000 plus hours of flying in a P3 and looking at it as something radically different.

I’ve had to even teach myself that this is not a P3 replacement.

What struck me the most when I got on board the aircraft for the first couple of flights is how it is so integrated into a network. For years the P3 was alone and unafraid.

It was really good at doing it. It had some good sensors at the time, but it’s ability to be networked was very, very minimal.”

And change is coming rapidly as many of the crews of the P-8 have never operated on a P-3.

“This airplane is completely different. It is much more automated, so much more. Everything is just set up so much different in the cockpit, just in particular.

We’re finding that the aircrews are making that leap with really no issue.

Because there’s so many young aviators now that have never seen a P3 and they’re innovating from the ground up, they’re learning how to fight the airplane in a completely different way.”

Much like the discussion of Lt. General Davis about the F-35 as a plane for the I-Pad generation, Captain Carapi talked about how innovation was operating in the Wing.

“In my opinion, if you want innovation to really happen you got to just let it go.

You can’t hold onto it.

If you hold onto it and you try to mandate innovation, you will not innovate.

These young crews, do not know what they don’t know.

They are not unlearning P-3 behavior; they are shaping new behavior appropriate to the digital age.”

The combat learning cycle undergone by the P-8 Wing and by the coming Triton squadrons is convergent with the software upgradeable nature of the new air systems.

All of the squadrons in the Wing are the baseline P-8.

Soon these baseline aircraft will be upgraded to Increment 3.

Increment 3 will enhance the networking and communications capability of the aircraft.

But the core point is that even the baseline aircraft is better than and different from the P-3 from the ground up and the crews are learning the skill sets for a P-8, rather than staying within the boundaries of what a P-3 can do and how it operates.

“From the beginning, the newbies are learning P-8. Now you have a generation of aviators that have never been inside of a P-3.

Actually, I try to make them go onboard every once I a while to give them some appreciation and say, ‘This is where you came from. This is your heritage.”

But they’re learning to take this airplane in directions that wasn’t even really intended to go.

I think you guys understand the acquisition strategy of the P8.

In 2005 we snapped a chalk line and we said, ‘Technology, as it exists today, is what goes in this airplane.’

We’ll do the spiral upgrades later.

It was a brilliant move.”

He provided an example of how they operate differently.

When an operator on the P-8 sees anomalies but is not certain of what they are, the photo can be sent back at the speed of light for input.

“For example, on an ASW mission an acoustic operator looking at his displays as he’s tracking a submarine, and he sees a line and he’s not really sure what it is.

He wasn’t briefed on that frequency. He takes a snap picture of it on his screen,

He sends it back to operators tactical operations center. He says, “Hey, I need you to take a look at this line. I wasn’t briefed on it. I’m not sure if it’s contact or was it something else? What is it?”

Then they’re able to go do some more in-depth research because they’re on the beach, he’s flying. They figure out it’s non-contact. And they go back to the operator and say, “It’s non-contact. Disregard.”

We asked him to provide more detail with regard to the Increment 3 Upgrades.

“We will have access to wideband sat communications which will give us a bigger data pipe and over the horizon reach. We will have the ability to push or communications over the horizon.”

Even though the networking is getting better, they are training to operate in the electronic magnetic warfare maneuver space.

The crews are being trained to execute commanders or mission intent and not have to rely on networks to execute their missions.

In other words, they are training from the ground up to operate in denied communications space.

The dark side of being so networked is you get very used to it. You get very comfortable with the fact that I can talk to anybody, on any network, whenever I want.

 You may not be able to.

 Not just because it’s denied, but also, too, for protection. In electronic maneuver warfare, you want to keep the enemy guessing as to exactly where you are.

 We’re starting to go back to the future and teach these kids what it’s like to take commander’s intent and go out and execute with very little guidance.

 I’m getting my crews used to the fact where I’ll give them commander’s intent, I’ll give them a pretty good brief, and then I’ll turn everything off.

 I’ll say, “Go. Go and operate.

 You have commander’s intent.”

 I want to see them think.

What is also at stake is the ability to operate in a passive sensing environment which can operate as a key force multiplier as well.

https://sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/21st-Century-Approach-to-Tron-Warfare.pdf

Clearly, the ability to network with space assets is a force multiplier, but what can be missed is that the P-8/Triton, F-35, Advanced Hawkeye airborne network can provide a powerful alternative in the case of disruption of space networks.

http://spacenews.com/shaping-redundant-response-us-military-space-capabilities/

The P-8s as a multinational aircraft also brings significant expanded MDA capabilities to the allied or coalition force.

“If we are truly in a networked environment with the same type model series, built on the same backbone, with these airplanes are all talking to each other, we can have incredible situational awareness.

It’s better than it was back in the height of the Cold War where it was sector ASW. Then a submarine would come out over the North Atlantic, from the Kola Peninsula, and it was handed off from one sector to another to monitor.

Now we can integrate the common operational picture over extended range. It is the reach of the COP; Not simply the range of the individual P-3, flying alone and unafraid.

We can have a layered picture across from the North to the Central Atlantic.”

The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system completes its inaugural cross-country ferry flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Triton took off from the Northrop Grumman Palmdale, Calif., facility Sept. 17. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)
The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system completes its inaugural cross-country ferry flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Triton took off from the Northrop Grumman Palmdale, Calif., facility Sept. 17. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)

The Wing is working with the surface fleet to expand the fleet’s knowledge of what P-8/Triton can bring to the surface fleet.

Indeed, a key question is emerging as fifth generation capabilities come to the fleet along with the other key software enabled and networked assets: how does the air power transformation reshape what the surface fleet can do and can contribute to operations in the expanded battlespace?

And this is not just about ORGANIC carrier airpower; it is about airpower both joint and coalition as well.

A key development will be to reshape the shooter-sensor relationship.

Rather than focusing on what weapons are carried on the P-8, the focus can be upon sensing the target and distributing the strike function.

“We will see this earliest in the ASW community as we task ASW helicopters to lay ordinance on targets.

It will take time to get used to doing that with fast jets or surface assets. But we will get there.”

No platform fights alone.

With the P-8/Triton becoming a high value asset, fighter protection will be an important part of the operational experience of the evolving offensive-defensive enterprise as well.

“The P-8 is becoming an organic asset of the strike group. It is part of its combat reach and integrated into their networks as well.”

Because Captain Corapi is in the process of integrating the first Triton Squadron into a P-8 Air Wing, we discussed how he saw the process of integrating P-8 with Triton as well.

He highlighted two key points.

First, the Triton will be operated by crews with P-8 experience and would represent their shore duty. Even though they will be in Jax they will operate the aircraft in the battlespace.

He saw this as important to shaping the career paths of young crewmen and officers who would not like to be stovepiped into an “unmanned career.”

“It’s the Starbucks generation; right. They all like choices. Truly, you have to embrace that mentality. If you look them into one career path, they’ll fight it. They don’t want that. They want to know they have choice. So far, that’s the feedback we’ve been given is, hey, just let us choose.”

Second, with the two systems, the various aspects of electronic warfare deployed earlier via various aircraft can be subsumed and evolved from the two platforms, notably working with the Advanced Hawkeyes and the F-35s.

The first two operational birds will be baseline aircraft, largely radar birds. They will go operational rather than going through IOT&E. After the baseline, the following birds will have ELINT capabilities built in.

And he reminded us that the Triton was an Remotely Piloted Vehicle, not an unmanned one.

When VUP 19 is full up and running, the program of record for VUP 19 is three orbits, and an orbit is 24/7 365 in an orbit; when it’s up and running it will have fifth fleet, sixth fleet, and then the homeland defense East Coast orbit,

That’s three orbits. The command will approach over 500 people. That’s a pretty big manned command. It just means that there’s no one flying it in the actual cockpit. It’s just flown from a box, but it is very much a manned platform.

Captain Anthony Corapi

CAPT Anthony Corapi was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from The Citadel in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He received a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas in 2012.

090629-N-3013W-041 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (June 29, 2009) Cmdr. Anthony Corapi, commanding officer of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16, left, and Cmdr. James R. Debold, assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11, give Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command, a tour of Naval Air Station Jacksonville's newly finished Hangar 511. The $127 million, 277,000 square-foot building is the largest hangar of its kind in the Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles E. White/Released)
090629-N-3013W-041

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (June 29, 2009) Cmdr. Anthony Corapi, commanding officer of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16, left, and Cmdr. James R. Debold, assigned to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11, give Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command, a tour of Naval Air Station Jacksonville’s newly finished Hangar 511. The $127 million, 277,000 square-foot building is the largest hangar of its kind in the Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles E. White/Released)

He was designated a Naval Flight officer after earning his Wings of Gold in 1993. After initial training in the P-3C “Orion” he reported to his first operational flying tour with the VP-10 “Red Lancers.”

His follow-on operational flying tours include a Fleet Replacement Squadron Instructor tour with the “Pro’s Nest” of VP-30, a Department Head tour with the “Screaming Eagles” of VP-1 and Command of the “War Eagles” of VP-16 and Command of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN.

He also served aboard the USS CARL VINSON, CVN-70, as the Assistant Navigator.

His staff tours include J-3 Operations Directorate, Joint Chiefs of Staff; PERS-43 VP/VQ Assignments and CAPT Detailer, Navy Personnel Command; U.S. Navy Military Assistant to the DoD Executive Secretary, Office of the Secretary of Defense.

CAPT Corapi has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards) and numerous campaign and unit awards.

The first slideshow above shows the P-8 operating in Canada with the Canadians.

According to an article published on October 28, 2015 by the VP-5 PAO in the Jacksonville Air News:

The “Mad Foxes” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 spent the past week on the road, completing allied maritime training with Canadian military forces.

The Mad Foxes participated in Frontier Sentinel 2015, a bilateral exercise with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, and the Canada Border Services Agency.

During the exercise, VP-5 was tasked with identifying all targets within the operational area.  The crew was able to employ the advanced sensors aboard their P-8A Poseidon to track and monitor these targets throughout the exercise.

The communications suite on the P-8A allowed the aircrew to provide the Canadian Operational Commander with near real-time information, vital intelligence needed to make tactical decisions. The coordination between the allied forces was an overwhelming success.

The Mad Foxes and their Canadian counterparts also had the opportunity to tour each country’s respective aircraft: the P-8A Poseidon and CP-140 Aurora. The CP-140 is a Canadian coastal patrol aircraft based on the P-3 Orion airframe. 

AWO2 Tyler Johnson stated, “It was really interesting to see how other countries have taken their P-3s and retrofitted them to their needs, bringing enhanced capabilities to the table.”

The mission commander and detachment officer in charge, Lt. Cmdr. Adam Pace, stated, “As allies, we need to continue conducting bilateral exercises that involve any and every mission set.  Whether it’s national defense or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, when our nations call each other for help – we will be able to answer that call effectively and efficiently. With events like Frontier Sentinel, we are able to continue those personal and professional relationships that lead to success while conducting our respective nations’ tasking.”

The second slideshow shows a visit of the CNO earlier this year to Pax River to look at some of his cutting edge airpower assets.

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (Jan. 13, 2016) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson held an all-hands call, toured facilities and viewed aircraft and systems including the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system and F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighter and the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released).

For a look at a similar process of establishing a software baseline and then doing spiral updates, followed by the Aussies with regard to Wedgetail, see the following:

From “Troubled” to Trailblazing Program: The Wedgetail and 21st Century Combat Innovation

The Most Experienced P-8 Squadron and Shaping the Way Ahead: An Interview with the CO and XO of VP-16

Posted on | by Robbin Laird

2016-06-06 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake

During our visit to Jax Navy On 22 and 24 May, we had a chance to meet with and discuss the P-8/Triton with Commander Miguel Martinez, CO of Patrol Squadron 16 and Commander Amanda Hawkins, the Executive Officer of the Squadron.

The Command has just undergone a Change of Command on May 19th.

According to an article published by the VP-16 PAO:

Cmdr. Mike Martinez relieved Cmdr. Dan Boman as the 62nd commanding officer of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 during a May 19 ceremony in Hangar 117 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.   

VP-16 is the Navy’s first operational Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) squadron to deploy with the P-8A Poseidon – a modified Boeing 737 aircraft designed to supersede the war-fighting capabilities of its predecessor for 50 years, the P-3C Orion. 

Poseidon’s primary missions include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. 

Martinez assumed executive officer duties at VP-16 in May 2015, during the Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle that followed the squadron’s inaugural P-8A deployment to 7th Fleet.  He commended the War Eagles’ former commanding officer. 

“I want to pass along my congratulations to Skipper Boman and his family for an amazingly successful command tour. It was my honor to serve under his command and the leadership that he provided to every Sailor in VP-16. That resulted in our outstanding recent deployment to 7th Fleet and set the stage for the squadron’s future success.” 

During Boman’s command of VP-16, the squadron completed its second deployment in the P-8A to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan in support of 7th Fleet operations. Over the deployment, 3,700 flight hours were safely executed without a single class “A” mishap. 

Martinez graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree, and received his Naval Flight Officer (NFO) “Wings of Gold” in July of 1999. He reported to the “Skinny Dragons” of VP-4 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in May of 2000 for his first operational tour.  He completed deployments to 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet immediately after 9/11 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  

He reported to VP-30 in May 2003 for duty as a Fleet Replacement Squadron NFO Instructor. Additionally, he served on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt as a catapult and arresting gear officer. He also studied at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Martinez assumes command of VP-16 following the end of a seven month deployment to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.  As the new commanding officer, Martinez takes responsibility for nearly $1 billion of naval aircraft and personnel. He will lead more than 250 Sailors during the next tour.  

Martinez is joined by the squadron’s new executive officer, Cmdr. Amanda Hawkins. Boman’s next assignment will be in Washington D.C., as a staff member for the Office of Chief of Naval Operations. 

In the perspective of the CO, VP-16 has completed its transition from a P-3 to the P-8A era.

The squadron has successfully completed its first two deployments at sea.

“VP-16 is at the tail end of its transition. It takes a while to transition philosophically in the squadron.

Now that we’re on the tail end of our second deployment, we’ve really completed our transition because the operators that you’re seeing in the squadron, especially the junior officers and some of our junior enlisted operators, only know the P-8A.

We are taking the ASW skill sets and melding them with the new technology and new sensors onboard the P-8A.”

He emphasized as well that the evolution of software aboard the software upgradeable aircraft was part of the ongoing transition which might be characterized as a “permanent revolution,” if what is being experienced to date is continued into the future.

“We have just completed our second deployment.

A lot of the capability on that deployment did not exist during the first.

And the main difference was because of software upgrades.”

And as they prepare for their next deployment, more software upgrades are under way.

And the CO commented that the “operators are telling me that we will have capabilities through the software upgrades that would have been extremely useful during the last two deployments.”

To date, the working relationship between the squadron and industry is working well in updating the aircraft through the software development process.

“I would tell you part of the reason that exists is because everyone’s invested in the success of P-8A.

Boeing and a lot of the companies that are involved in software upgrades, they want us to succeed.”

The CO expressed his concern that the success to date needed to be maintained throughout the course of the program to get the full value of what a software upgradeable aircraft could yield to the force.

“We have fleet support techs and fleet support reps that support us on deployment and here at home.

And it’s a direct tie-in back to the software developer as he’s pumping out new software updates and they’re getting ready software for our allied partners: UK and Australia.

It’s a very direct inject.”

He provided an example of how the process worked on deployment.

“We were on deployment at Kadena.

We were having difficulty with our media, and the P-8 is very media dependent; if the media is not working properly, the plane is not going to work properly.

The software representative told us that he would look at the software logs. When we burn new media, it writes logs into the computer system. He suggested that he would send the logs back to the lab and they would modify the code and fix the problem.

And they did do so rapidly. We certainly did not have that on the P-3, but we have that now.

I hope that experience continues indefinitely into the future.”

The plane is different; the sensors and software is different; but so is the work style.

When you work onto the plane, it is obvious that the operators are working on a track system with several screens adjacent to one another.

During our hands on visit to the plane, we talked to the crew and began to understand that there was an interactive team approach to managing the aircraft during operations, whereby the mission commander was more like a quarterback than a hierarchical decision maker.

The CO discussed that approach and its challenges.

“There is a certain empowerment which goes to the crew.

The mission commander has to know what is going on and off the aircraft affecting the mission.

He is doing so by empowering his crew whereby, for example, an acoustic operator will be talking to folks on the ground to determine how to deal with the acoustic reads which he getting.”

We noted that the Wedgetail which has a similar workflow to the P-8A also had experienced a similar decision making dynamic. The 2nd Squadron commander in Australia noted that the mission leader on the plane had to lead not command.

The CO noted that “that is exactly it.

With the P-8 we have the opportunity to reach back for additional brain power, for additional analysis of what we are seeing on station.

And you are collecting information from the moment you take off until the moment you land.”

We noted that when we visited the plane, the crew was very young, and very technologically competent.

The CO agreed. “When I took my family who were here for the change of command and we went onto the aircraft, they also noted that the 25-27 year old mission commanders are operating a combat aircrew in an area like the South China Sea, and making decisions and doing things that could potentially affect our national strategy.

We want them to have that knowledge, that ability to make mission command decisions on their own.”

This younger generation was very “net and information management” savvy. And the CO highlighted that their capability to navigate among information sources was very impressive but also intuitive for them.

“It is hard to overload the current generation with information.

They are just used to it.

For example, when we go on station they are looking for various ways to get into the network.

They are thinking two or three steps down the road concerning different sources and different links, which can be tapped into including coalition assets as well. There’s so many different ways to enter a network of information.

They are very savvy with regard to that task.

We discussed as well the cross learning which is starting from the P-8A to the surface fleet.

“The surface fleet is beginning to experience being on deployment with a P-8A and getting massive amounts of information from the plane in a way we never did in the past.

There is a cross-learning piece which will accelerate in the period ahead.”

We discussed other cross-learning pieces as well.

The CO emphasized that as the software evolved in the P-8A/Triton world the mix of operators onboard the P-8A will evolve as well.

And as the cross-learning with Growlers and other combat assets such as the F-35 evolved as well the skill sets would evolve onboard the P-8A.

“We are the new kid on the block and advanced Hawkeye and Growler are already out there.

We are just now tapping into our EW capability and we will clearly cross-learn and cross-link with other capabilities in the fleet.

And I think if you took a look at how the P-8A operates now versus even five years from now it’s going to be significantly different.

The crew makeup is going to be a little bit different. I think you’re going to see a different mix of operators on the aircraft, perhaps more EW operators.”

The CO discussed as well the evolution of the maintenance team for the aircraft.

Obviously, with a new aircraft determining the actual maintenance requirements takes time and with it the need to adjust procedures and personnel.

Commander Amanda Hawkins, the Executive Officer of the Squadron.
Commander Amanda Hawkins, the Executive Officer of the Squadron.

In part, this is due simply to the fact that although the 737 is a commercial aircraft, as a military version of the aircraft, much of the commercial experience simply does not apply.

Another example is corrosion control.

Clearly, the way the P-8 operates will significantly enhance the corrosion challenge. The Navy is focused on ways to attenuate the corrosion challenge but this means paying significant attention from the outset to management of the airframe.

“I think that corrosion control will be a very important factor. It’s not negative. It’s simply something that we need to keep our eye on over the long term.”

The Executive Officer is new to the program but has significant relevant fleet experience, which will inform the evolution of the squadron as well.

She focused on the “family of systems” approach and how important that would be for the squadron and its evolution.

“By 2025 we will not have EP-3 and a VPU and P-3 squadrons; we are going to morph into P-8/Triton.

We need to understand what the EP-3 does as we move forward.

We are starting the cross-colonization now so that the family already has a healthy foundation when the EP-3 roles are subsumed as well.

(The EP-3 is the signals intelligence version of the P-3).

I view the Triton and the work that the weapons school is doing to integrate our family of systems as laying the foundation for the kill web.”

The CO discussed as well two of the allies flying the P-8A.

He noted with regard to the Australians that they had a tradition of keeping their P-3 crews intact for the long term.

When I was the instructor at VP30, I worked with the allied partners and their officers and enlisted operators are embedded in the squadron, and they bring a very unique and positive side in how to operate as a crew which works together regularly on station.

They man to keep their crews together; our manning is different in that we mix and match crews members over time and will do so even more as we rotate personnel among P-8A and Triton assignments.”

The Indian P-8 during the search for the missing Malaysian airliner. Credit: India Strategic
The Indian P-8 during the search for the missing Malaysian airliner. Credit: India Strategic

The CO has operated with the Indian P-8I community as well during the Malabar 2015 exercise.

The P-8I is different from the P-8A with a different sensor suite, one which provides more emphasis on coastal defense as well.

“We operated from their P-8I base at INS Rajali.

We found them to be very professional and we operated together from that base.

They are building the infrastructure there to support their P-8Is.

They see P-8I as critical to how they’re going to operate in the future.

They had a lot of questions about how we operated.

We had questions about how they operated.

And at the time they were the only other country operating P-8.”

In short, VP-16 has deployments under its belt and is getting ready for the transition with Triton and operating worldwide with other P-8 allies, the Indians, the Australians and the UK.

A solid foundation has been laid but the way forward is challenging and will see both the plane and the crews evolve their capabilities and skill sets.

The slideshow focuses on the recent change of command for VP-16.

And a piece published on April 27, 2016 by the PAO of VP-16 in the Jax Air News talked about the latest deployment:

Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 returned home this month after a demanding seven-month deployment to the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR).

This marked the second deployment VP-16 has taken in the P-8A Poseidon – both deployments having been based out of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. 

VP-16 has now deployed in the P-8A Poseidon for more months and executed more deployed flight hours with the new maritime patrol aircraft than any other VP squadron in the Navy. 

The deployment included detachments to a multitude of countries in the 7th Fleet AOR.  Within Japan, locations such as Atsugi, Misawa, and Yokota were visited by VP-16 aircraft.

Additionally, the Republic of the Philippines, Guam, India, Brunei, Australia, Thailand and Singapore were other countries visited by the “War Eagles” during their assignment to the region. In total, VP-16 was able to safely execute in excess of 3,700 flight hours over the course of the prior seven months.

The squadron excelled in all aspects of their operations. Mission sets included Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), plus Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). VP-16 was often tasked for these mission sets since the P-8A Poseidon has a full set of intelligence collection sensors with long-range capability and extended loiter time available.

For many in the squadron, this marked their first time on deployment. 

“This was my first deployment since joining the Navy. The experience was extremely rewarding because we were finally able to employ the many years of training we have undergone at NAS Jacksonville,” said Lt. j.g. Michael Reindl, a naval flight officer with VP-16.  As anyone who has served can tell you, first deployments come with many new situations that can be difficult to adjust to. 

For others, this was not their first experience within actual theater.  AWO1 Marcus Belew, for example, was previously deployed on the P-3C Orion but embarked on his first deployment on the P-8A Poseidon this time around. 

“This was my fourth deployment.  Deploying with the P-8A was more tactically engaging than it was in the P-3C. We utilize our sensors from takeoff until landing, and that makes me feel that I’m able to provide a better product for the Navy as a whole.”

The response from upper level leadership to VP-16’s deployment was tremendous. The squadron was able to perform above and beyond the required levels of proficiency. Now, with VP-16 back home at NAS Jacksonville, training for their next deployment has already begun.

 

Present at the Creation: Senior Chief Biddinger and Crafting a New Combat Capability

Posted on | by Robbin Laird

2016-06-08 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird

The US Navy is building a new Maritime Domain Awareness strike capability with the P-8/Triton dyad.

To move from a program which exists on paper to one which exits in practice is a challenge.

And to do so, the role of a person like Senior Chief Patrick R. Biddinger (AWOCS) is crucial.

The challenge is to take experienced personnel and put them into positions to guide the newcomers to the enterprise, but to blend the old with the new in an innovative manner.

There is a lesson often learned at the Naval Academy that probably is not part of an official curriculum but often discussed at the First Class Capstone program for soon to be commissioned Navy Ensigns and USMC 2nd Lts .

A newly graduated Ensign arrives at the first command. The CO gives the Ensign and his sailors an order to physically accomplish a task. The Senior Chief asks the Ensign if he has ever done the task before. “No chief but I went to Annapolis and can read up on how to do it and then get it done.” The Chief Says with all due respect:“No Sir you do know how to do it.” “How?” asks the Ensign. “Simple you say “Chief you and the sailors do it”—“and sir that is how you will then learn.”

There is a clear challenge when moving from the P-3 to the P-8/Triton dyad.

It is a key step into the 21st Century fighting Navy digital age where software upgradeable and information rich platforms are built from the ground up to be integratable with the fleet and are replacing the P-3 which was much a single unit platform operating “fearless and alone” in executing the core ASW mission.

Although, it is noteworthy that the P-3 community served with distinction over land flying in combat missions during periods of the US and Allies ongoing Middle Eastern wars.

When we discussed the program, its origins and how far it has come, the pride of the Senior Chief (who is part of VP-16) in his colleagues was clearly evident.

VP-16 Returning Home from Deployment.
VP-16 Returning Home from Deployment.

As he put it: “I don’t have children, but if I did I could imagine this would be like having a child and raising it and watching it grow up and go off to college and be successful.”

We made the point that until an air system has operated for 10 years, one really does not have the full measure of the program.

He added: “Even if I make master chief next year, I’ve only got four more years before I’m retired at 30. When this platform hits its ten-year anniversary I won’t be in the Navy anymore. I’ll just have to reach back to some of my friends who are a little bit younger than me and get some good sea stories from them about the progress.”

He noted that he has been with the program prior to the first plane arriving in Jacksonville in March 2012 and that the “plane has been in the fleet only four years, and in five years it will be better and at 10 years its going to be phenomenal.”

His background is with both the P-3 community as well as the test community. He has significant combined fleet operational and test experience within the maritime patrol community. Senior Chief Biddinger career experiences have been crucial in shaping his leadership role with the team standing up the aircraft and doing its initial operations.

During his deployments to Iraq with the P-3, he worked with his squadron to get upgrades crucial to the performance of the aircraft in its overland mission. After his deployment in Southern Iraq, he then came to Jacksonville to work on the P-8 in October 2008.

In other words, he came prior to the airplane and was part of the effort of moving from briefing charts to operational capabilities.

“The P8 fleet integration team was a very, very small team in the beginning. It was literally a handful of officers and a handful of enlisted folks. And the leadership backed the team in terms of allowing the team to innovate and experiment in setting up the baseline squadron at Jax.”

He noted that from the beginning, the Navy recognized the importance of standing up the plane and the training systems, given how important simulators were going to be to the program.

“The idea at the outset was that 30% of your training was going to take place on the aircraft and 70% in the simulators. We were testing simulators and accepting simulators BEFORE we received our first aircraft.”

As with others we interviewed, Senior Chief Biddinger focused on the challenge of the new workflow with the operators on the rail as opposed to operating in separate or cubicle like workstations. “Every station is capable of doing the same thing. If you are on the rail, then you don’t have people just oddball placed throughout the airplane. You have a shared workflow.”

He praised the younger generation for their ability to absorb information.

“Today’s generation is more gadget-oriented, and technologically advanced than my generation.”

But he cautioned that a major task remained to be learned, namely applying information to the appropriate tactics of situations and here the mix of the experienced with the new operators was important.

“You might know how to run the gear, you need to be smart enough to understand how to tactically employ it. You need to understand what benefit you bring to the fight, and then how you can also be a hindrance providing the wrong information.”

He also noted that a key part of his time with the program has been working the relationship with industry.

160113-N-AT895-251 PATUXENT RIVER Md. (Jan. 13, 2016) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson views the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Richardson also held an all-hands call, toured facilities and viewed aircraft and systems including the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighter . (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released)
160113-N-AT895-251 PATUXENT RIVER Md. (Jan. 13, 2016) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson views the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Richardson also held an all-hands call, toured facilities and viewed aircraft and systems including the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighter . (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released)

The engineers have been great and responsive but their ideas are not always applicable to the tactical situations which the crew experiences.

“Navy personnel have been extensively involved in the reality check of matching experiences with the new systems and sorted out the best way to make everything work to the tactical situation.”

He highlighted the importance of exercises and engagements at Red Flag and Fallon Naval Air Station as a key part of the learning process as well as the squadron became operational.

“The CNO has emphasized that a key effort is to focus upon electronic magnetic maneuver warfare and this platform fits right into that mission.

We are learning how better to work with other platforms in working in that mission space.”

He noted that as the P-8s is operating with the surface navy, there is growing recognition of what the P-8 brings to the fleet.

“They are very open to what we can bring to the fight.”

The fleet is facing a major challenge however in ensuring that you “get the right information to the right people at the right time.

“We have so many different platforms with so many different capabilities, with some short-range, some long-range, that it will be a challenge to understand the capabilities of all the different platforms and employ them appropriately so that you’re maximizing the effectiveness of your force in the battlespace.

We’re not analog anymore. We’re digital. With the digital era comes a massive amount of information.

And when you have all of these platforms with all of these capabilities that can do all of this fancy stuff, trying to get that information out in a timely manner, safely, and to the appropriate folks, is a challenge.

But, you know what? Luckily, I think we have the best military in the world and we will sort this out to our advantage.”

Editor’s Note: The P-8/Triton community is clearly one where experience is blended with youth.

A recent exercise with the Japanese and the P-8 community highlighted the nature of this community.

According to a June 1, 2016 article by the VP-8 PAO regarding working with the Japanese on ASW:

The “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 participated in a Combined Maritime Patrol Operating Procedure (CMPOP) exercise May 24 with members from Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Fleet Air Wing 5.

The objective of the CMPOP exercise was to improve anti-submarine warfare (ASW) readiness, increasing efficiency and interoperability between the two partner nations, in an effort to cohesively accomplish the same operational goals.

Lt. Clark Ross, a P-8A Poseidon pilot assigned to VP-8, spoke about the importance of participating in joint exercises with our long time regional partner.

“Conducting this exercise alongside our JMSDF allies allows us to tactically operate from the ‘same sheet of music’ while achieving our mutual objectives,” said Ross.

“I believe this exercise was a complete success, and I look forward to working alongside our Japanese counterparts again in the near future,” Ross added.

Due to its capabilities, effectiveness and reliability, the P-8A Poseidon represents a leap forward for the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force. The P-8A is a multi-mission aircraft that provides long-range maritime, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, making it the most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface aircraft in the world.

VP-8 is currently deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan in the 7th Fleet area of operations, conducting ISR missions and providing Maritime Domain Awareness to supported units throughout the Pacific theater.

In short, it is not just about the plane; it is not just about the software; it is about the leadership and the team on the aircraft and their ability to reachback to other platforms and assets in the battlespace to make timely and effective decisions in combat.

And for the MDA strike community, they are always involved in tron warfare, both a prelude and part of 21st century kinetic warfare.

Triton Joins Poseidon in Forging a 21st Century Maritime Combat Capability: Operating a Dyad, Rather than a Single Platform

Posted on | by Robbin Laird
06/05/2016

2016-05-31 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird

The USN is approaching the P-8/Triton combat partnership as a way to address the integration of manned, and unmanned systems, or what are now commonly called “remotes”.

The Navy looked at the USAF experience and intentionally decided to not build a Triton “remote” operational combat team that would be stovepiped away from their P-8 Squadrons.

The team at Navy Jax is building a common Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Combat Culture and treats the platforms as partner applications of the evolving combat theory.

The partnership is both technology synergistic and also aircrew moving between the Triton and P-8.

The P-8 pilot and mission crews, after deploying with the fleet globally can volunteer to do shore duty-flying Tritons. The number of personnel to fly initially the Tritons is more than 500 navy personnel so this is hardly an unmanned aircraft.

Hence, inside a technological family of systems there is also an interchangeable family of combat crews.

With the P-8 crews operating at different altitudes from the Triton, around 50K, and having operational experience with each platform, they will be able to gain mastery of both a wide scale ocean ISR and focused ASW in direct partnership with the surface navy from Carrier Strike Groups, ARG/MEUs to independent operations for both undersea and sea surface rather than simply mastering a single platform.

This is a visionary foundation for the evolution of the software upgradeable platforms they are flying as well as responding to technological advances to work the proper balance by manned crews and remotes.

Triton Arrival in Pax River 2014 from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

We were able to discuss this approach with Commander Opp, who led the P-8 transition and is now doing so for Triton and Rich Helmerle, a retired Navy Captain, who now works for SAIC and has worked with the “family of systems” acquisition from the beginning and is now tasked in leading the effort to shape the 2025 concepts of operations for the dual deployed capability which P-8 and Triton represent.

CDR Joseph Opp is the VP-30 Triton FRS who had a similar assignment with P-8 prior to coming to Triton. Given his engagement in the P-8 transition naturally he is focused on the integration of the overall “manned and unmanned” ISR/C2 effort.

The perspective conveyed by Opp and Helmerle was that a foundation of common domain knowledge was being shaped for Maritime Domain Awareness and that body of knowledge was being shaped and applied to the two platforms, rather than thinking in terms of two new platforms which needed to be integrated in some future combat space.

Indeed, the combined capability of providing continuous coverage from a “manned” and “unmanned” asset provides a significant capability able to work with the satellite network or to shape alternatives.

For the ground up, crews are training to work in satellite degraded environments as well as one which is satellite enabled. And with the Poseidon in the air, decision makers are deployed as well.

Decisions can be pushed to the leadership on the plane notably in a rapid action or degraded communications environment. It is not just about ISR or Maritime Domain Awareness; it is about putting information to the right persons at the right time.

According to the Triton team, the USN looked at the USAF experience with Predator and did not want to repeat it with Triton.

“We recognized that it would be better to have a broader range of experience to our Triton operators than simply operated a remote.

By being part of the combined Poseidon-Triton enterprise, they could operate seamlessly with the capabilities of each asset.”

Another key advantage is shaping domain knowledge of the key geographical areas where the dyad will operate.

“The Poseidon operates from 15-30,000 feet normally; the Triton will operate at 50,000 feet and take a broader view.”

The world looks differently at each altitude but by rotating crews, a unique perspective is gained by operating at the different altitudes and with different operational approaches to gain knowledge dominance.”

This is an approach for a new generation which “wants choice in their careers, rather than being locked in to a single platform.”

This is about crew resource management as well. It is abut shaping, developing and deploying the right skill to the task.

But the capabilities of the dyad are so good in terms of richness and fidelity of information there is already a tug of war between the intelligence community and the operators.

In an era of distributed lethality or distributed operations in the extended battlespace, the decision makers in the fleet, need the information to inform time-constrained decisions.

The fleet commanders need to make timely decisions; the intelligence community wishes to collect information, first, and inform decision makers later. This structural division will simply not work in the era of distributed decision-making and distributed lethality.

The information-decision cycle has to change to adapt to the technology.

“We need an effective cross-domain solution.

The huge divide between intelligence and operations has to be closed.”

Their experience is suggestive that there is a broader need for a very robust discussion on real time actionable intelligence information.

US National Command Authority enforcement of Rules of Engagement (ROE) has had a “good and other” progression over time. The “good” is thoughtful ROEs can save lives from fratricide and friendly fire while still allowing direct and indirect fires to destroy the enemy.

The “other” is what we have quipped is the new  OODA loop, an OO-L-DA loop in which  L stands lag time in combat tempo for Legal review. But after Navy Jax we came away with concern for what yet again is a roles and mission discussion on the flow of strategic and tactical “Intelligence ROE”

If not addressed and debated early, a template of actionable intelligence information going directly into IC NRO/NSA/NGO and upper echelon  commands to be analyzed and disseminated may inhibit combat effectiveness and the decisiveness need to prevail in the contested and extended battlespace.

Time sensitive intel is critical  at lower level direct action combat commanders from  the Squadron pilots,  CAG and Strike Group Commanders. The ROE in the traditional IC formula of “up and out” may not be in harmony with ever evolving speed of light sensor shooter  technological advances.

A very specific example highlights this challenge.

Captain Bill Buckey, a Marine F/A-18 fighter pilot flying combat in the Desert Storm Air Campaign described the issue of IC ROE.  He was with VMFA-451 flying strike missions out of Shaikh Isa Airbase in Bahrain. Through the bad luck of timing, the Marines just prior to Desert Shield/Desert Storm had decommissioned VMFP-3, their RF-4 Photo Recce Squadron.

However, the Reno Air Guard F-4 photo recce squadron was stationed on the same base. The ANG mission flying with the great combat quote “unarmed and unafraid,” captured mission pictures that had both tactical and strategic significance. They were not given directly to the Marines but went up the chain-of-command to Riyadh–never to return.  Fortunately in great ANG tradition the Squadron CO said “screw this” and handed their ever current pictures directly to the Marine Fighter Squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group-11. This combat reality, thankfully at the same base, was tactically significant in both aircrew survivability and Battle Damage Awareness.

But this is not how you want things to work.

We need a shift in how intelligence goes directly to the warfighter and they make decisions in a timely manner.

The CNO has recently decided to accelerate the Triton capabilities from the baseline radar enabled Triton to the multi-SIGINT version. So IC/Combat operators ROE needs attention.

“The first two Tritons will be the baseline birds (with radar for surface coverage) and the rest will roll out as SIGINT enabled birds the sorting out of appropriate Intel sharing is now evident.

Additionally, the Triton like the Poseidon is software enabled which means that it will undergo ongoing block upgrades which will evolve its capability to the evolving threats as well.

With Northrop Grumman as the key designer and software enabler of the Triton, Northrop’s key role in the F-35 combat systems will be synergistic with the P-8/Triton dyad as well.

“The radar on the Triton is the grandson of the F-35 radar and benefits from the common radar enterprise.”

As a software enabled bird, and one operated from shore, “anything software touched enters the training system rapidly. We have to update the instructors but for the students they are just using the software and not focused on which block they are using.”

It is clearly a different age; with the technology designed for the younger generation to enable the fleet to fight in the 21st century extended battlespace.

Editor’s Note: Our colleague Todd Miller earlier this year visited the Triton Program at Pax River earlier this year and got an update on the program.

https://sldinfo.com/us-navy-mq-4c-triton-makes-persistent-progress-towards-deployment/

Born out of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the MQ-4C Triton is a derivative of the RQ-4 Global Hawk featuring significant modifications to the airframe, systems and sensors. It is an extremely capable platform, so capable that many debates have arisen about the possibilities of the Global Hawk replacing the venerable U-2 altogether. 

Given the MQ-4C is more capable than the Global Hawk in a number of areas – flight parameters, sensors, and communication, it surely provides exceptional capability.

The US Navy’s duo of P-8A Poseidon & MQ-4C Triton are replacing the P-3C Orion’s and are integral to the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF) and broader Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) strategy. 

The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system completes its inaugural cross-country ferry flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Triton took off from the Northrop Grumman Palmdale, Calif., facility Sept. 17. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)
The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system completes its inaugural cross-country ferry flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Triton took off from the Northrop Grumman Palmdale, Calif., facility Sept. 17. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)

The Triton will provide a superior picture of what is happening above the surface, enabling the Poseidon to focus on what is below the surface. 

While the Triton itself may be referenced as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the program is more accurately referenced as an unmanned aerial system (UAS), a combination of UAV, Flight control and payload operators stationed at a MOB.

The Triton will support a broad mission set including maritime ISR patrol, signals intelligence, search and rescue and communications relay. 

The US Navy currently intends to buy 68 aircraft to ensure adequate global coverage capability. And with the Triton as part of the “family of systems” ISR/C2 co-deployed capability with the P-8, the focus is the shaping of a common team and analytical capability to support the deployed warfighter. 

Given the UAS altitude, endurance and sensors, Program Manager Burke sums up the capability as “persistent, real time coverage across the designated maritime environment. All assets (MOB, Carriers, P8A Poseidon’s, National Intelligence Center etc.) tied into the feed can see what is in that space, and where it is going in real time.”

Miller explained in his article how the US Navy was looking to the deployment of Triton beginning in 2018.

The US Navy has carefully considered the deployment of the UAS. Throughout the services the use of UAVs has often resulted in air vehicle operators (AVO) or pilots in one location, with payload operators and Intel personnel in another location.

Very focused on the tactical utility of the system with direct feed to Carriers, Expeditionary Strike Groups, P8A, the Watch Centers etc. the US Navy determined to pull all personnel into a single control station, where they would function as if they were on an aircraft themselves. 

Within that context Program Manager Burke identified the 3 components of the UAS. 

  • Aircraft with sensors (UAV)
  • Main Operating Base (MOB)
  • Forward Operating Base (FOB). 

MQ-4C Triton Squadrons are based around 5 circles of global orbit and will be based at NAS Jacksonville and NAS Whidbey Island with the following structure: 

MOB

Each MOB contains 2 Main Control Stations (MCS) that function independently and simultaneously. The MCS is configured as if the crew were on an aircraft, with Tactical/Mission coordinators, AVOs (3 stations so inbound, outbound and on station UAVs can be operated) and payload operators clustered together.

The pictures in the slideshow are credited to Navair and to Todd Miller.  

The Triton on the ground were shot by Todd Miller and the Triton in the air is credited to Navair.

The Australians are engaged from the ground up with the US Navy in the Triton program as is the UK.

And they are learning first hand the evolving US Navy approach.

The Australians are concerned that when they add a new platform like the Triton, that they can position themselves for maximum effective use of the asset for an integrated force in the battlespace.

The P-8 Down Under. March 2016. Credit: US Navy
The P-8 Down Under. March 2016. Credit: US Navy

This means that one priority is to shape a workforce which can handle data, and to support the deployed forces.

In the Defence Integrated Investment Program recently published by the Australian Ministry of Defence, they underscore this point as follows:

Workforce reshaping and growth in this capability stream will support: collecting and analysing intelligence, with a particular focus on strengthening intelligence capabilities in support of deployed forces (for example to support increased use of unmanned systems)

  • Improving support to counter-terrorism operations
  • Enhancing geospatial systems analysis and support, including information and communications technology systems, and strengthened collection and assessment capabilities
  • Processing, exploiting and disseminating the large volumes of data that will be generated by sophisticated platforms – such as the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance and response aircraft, unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems (including Triton), F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, E/A-18G Growler, Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyer, future frigates and future submarines
  • Generating intelligence and mission data for pre-programming advanced platforms
  • Enhancing cyber capabilities
  • Developing further space command, control, communications, computer and intelligence systems and space surveillance sensors, including ground support functions
  • Improving electronic warfare planning and coordination, and spectrum management
  • Enhancing our ability to develop electronic warfare countermeasures to protect ADF systems
  • Enhancing situational awareness across all domains and environments (page 30).

According to a story by the VP-16 PAO published on March 16, 2016:

Two U.S. Navy maritime patrol squadrons were assigned the unique privilege of working with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the joint exercise Australian Fleet Concentration Period West 16-2.  

The exercise consisted of Australian and U.S. military assets working together in a coordinated anti-submarine warfare scenario with an Australian submarine acting as the opposition beneath the Indian Ocean. 

Jacksonville-based Patrol Squadron (VP)-16 and Whidbey Island, Wash. based Patrol Squadron (VP)-46 flew multiple missions out of RAAF Base Pearce, located just north of the Western Australian capital city, Perth. 

The exercise focused on bringing allied maritime forces together in order to maintain proficiency and learn varied tactics from each other.

The VP-46 “Grey Knights” fly the venerable Lockheed P-3C Orion, the same basic aircraft the RAAF utilizes to assert maritime dominance around its country’s ocean borders. 

Unique to the exercise was the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, flown by the VP-16 “War Eagles,” that was selected as the replacement to the aging RAAF AP-3C Orion in 2014. The RAAF is expecting its first delivery in early 2017.

Australian Air Force and Naval personnel had the opportunity to fly with both U.S. squadrons during the exercise. Flight Lt. Grant Targett, a RAAF AP-3C pilot, commented, “It was fantastic to see the P-8A in action.

The P-8A is operated quite differently than the AP-3C.

The technologically advanced design of the P-8A allows for more efficient operations. I’m looking forward to starting P-8A conversion in Jacksonville.” 

Targett is one of the Australian Air Force pilots who are being sent to Patrol Squadron (VP)-30 at NAS Jacksonville, to be trained and qualified by the U.S. Navy to facilitate Australia’s transition from AP-3C to the P-8A. 

Pilots and aircrew weren’t the only guests aboard the flights: the Grey Knights and War Eagles flew submariners from the Royal Australian Naval Submarine Service, giving both the U.S aircrews and allied submariners a chance to share information and tactical relevance.

VP-46 Patrol Plane Commander Lt. Nicholas Duckworth commented, “The chance to interact with the Royal Australian Air Force and Navy provided a valuable training opportunity and allowed us to expand the interoperability with our allies in the region.” 

The exercise was a huge success, bringing U.S. and Australian military assets together on the maritime battlefield. The Grey Knights of VP-46 and War Eagles of VP-16 thank the RAAF for its gracious hosting and planning of AUS FCP West 16-2.

India Signs Hague Code of Conduct on the Way Into Missile Technology Control Regime

Posted on | by Robbin Laird
06/03/2016

2016-06-03 By Nilova Roychaudhury

Special to India Strategic

New Delhi. India has joined the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC) against ballistic missile proliferation becoming the 138th country to sign it.

The HCOC is intended to supplement the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and for India, this is a step forward towards its acceptance in this Regime.

Vikas Swarup, spokesman of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said in reply to a question from this writer June 2 that India is likely to be accepted into the MTCR “very soon,” and that all “procedures” were “well on track.”

India had officially applied in June 2015 to join the MTCR, three years after it expressed intent to join the very same denial regimes that were set up by Washington against New Delhi following its 1974 and 1998 nuclear tests.

The HCOC does not call for the destruction of any missiles. It is simply an agreement between States on how they should “conduct” their trade in missiles. It is not legally binding, and its membership is open to all the countries in the world.

The 15th representative meeting of HCOC member states is being held on June 2 and 3 in France, where India’s signatures on the Code have been acknowledged. An Indian representative appended the signatures at HCOC’s headquarters in Vienna June 1.

The HCOC was formally brought into effect on November 25, 2002, at a launching conference hosted by the Netherlands in The Hague. The US participated in the conference, and is one of 93 original subscribing states to the HCOC, formerly known as the International Code of Conduct against ballistic missile proliferation. As of July 2014, 137 countries have subscribed to the HCOC. India is the 138th member now.

Notably, shortly after the Indian announcement, the State Department in Washington DC issued a statement welcoming the Indian step, pointing out that “India’s subscription reinforces its support for international missile nonproliferation and will help increase transparency and strengthen security.”

The statement noted: The HCOC is a voluntary mechanism that has built a broad international predisposition against ballistic missile proliferation and promotes transparency and confidence building, including through the Subscribing States’ commitment to submit pre-launch notifications and annual declarations of their relevant policies.

The HCOC is aimed at bolstering efforts to curb ballistic missile proliferation worldwide and to further delegitimise such proliferation.

The HCOC consists of a set of general principles, modest commitments, and limited confidence-building measures. It is intended to supplement, not supplant, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and is administered collectively by all subscribing states.

The HCOC is the result of international efforts to regulate access to ballistic missiles which can potentially deliver Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). The HCOC is the only multilateral code in the area of disarmament, which has been adopted over the last years. It is the only normative instrument to verify the spread of ballistic missiles. The HCOC does not ban ballistic missiles, but it does call for restraint in their production, testing, and export.

India has an impressive track record in non-proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies, even though it has not signed any of the denial regimes. Thanks to this, the US, France and many other countries are supporting its bid to enter the MTCR, Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and two other regimes, the Australia Group (AG) and Wassenaar Arrangement (WA).

This article has been republished with the permission of our partner India Strategic. 

Editor’s Note: Indian membership in the MTCR is important in part to allow for Indian imports of armed UAVs.

MTCR controls exports of goods and technologies for rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg to a range of at least 300 km, and on equipment, software, and technology for such systems. Being a non-signatory to MTCR means that the US or any other MTCR member country cannot export a modern armed UAV to India. –

Last year, Italy vetoed India’s entrance into the MTCR but recently India took actions relieve Italian concerns.

As Sushant Singh noted in an article published in The Indian Express on May 27, 2016:

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Italian marine Salvatore Girone to return to his country after the central government supported his plea on “humanitarian grounds”.

This is quite a turn-around from the BJP as it had strongly opposed the release of Girone and the other Italian marine, Massimiliano Latorre accused of killing two fishermen from Kerala in 2012.

While the official reason proffered is “on humanitarian grounds”, the underlying reason has more to do with Italy’s blocking of India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

In October last year, Italy had vetoed India’s application to join the 34-member missile and UAV technology control committee, despite the United States supporting India’s case. Decisions to admit new members to MTCR must be approved unanimously, which allowed Italy to block India’s entry.

Even though the issue of Italian marines was never raised, diplomatic sources had confirmed that it was the sub-text of the Italian veto.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/how-is-release-of-italian-marine-linked-to-indias-quest-for-armed-drones-2821320/