Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

A Tale of Three Carriers

Posted on June 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

06/06/2015

2015-06-03 By Robbin Laird

As published by our partner India Strategic

http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories3766_A_Tale_of_Three_Carriers.htm

Newport News, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Rosyth Scotland.

In the famous opening lines of Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, he noted that “it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

So it is for aircraft carriers.

The critics of aircraft carriers focus on their vulnerability and the rise of capabilities such as the DF-21 Chinese “carrier killer” missiles; yet new carriers are emerging tailored for 21st century operations.

It is clear that the USN, the USMC, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy are all pursuing new carrier programmes designed to thrive, not just survive in 21st century operations.

Credit: Aircraft Carrier Alliance – Queen Elizabeth Class at sea (CGI)

I have had the rare opportunity to be aboard all three of the new carriers: the 52,000-ton USS America, which is the amphibious assault ship ever built; the 100,000-ton CVN-78 or the USS Gerald Ford, and the 65,000 ton HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The ships have several 21st century technologies in common: the construction of vastly improved command and control (C2) capabilities, working in sync with networked forces in a distributed operational environment.

The ships will have a 40 plus service life (although combat has its own logic), and will host significant transformation with regard to the combat assets carried aboard.

But each ship is built around significant airpower modernisation.

The USS America will host the Ospreys (including refueling Ospreys), F-35Bs, and the CH-53K (which can carry externally three times the load of the CH-53E); CVN-78 will see the new Hawkeye, the F-35C, and UCAS aboard her; and the HMS Queen Elizabeth is built around the F-35B as well as new airborne command capabilities.

And the Ford and the Queen Elizabeth have advanced electric power generation capabilities to take on board directed energy weapons as those capabilities evolve. Both ships have significant connectivity, with miles of fibre-optic cables, and reconfigurable C2 workstations to allow for operations against the ROMO (Range of Military Operations).

Aircraft Carriers are very good for a spectrum of operations, both in securing strategic interests through deterrence and war fighting capabilities but also for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The three carriers mentioned have sufficient flexibility in this perspective.

They also ensure logistical integrity permitting operations from the sea without having to set up land bases.

Their air power allows them to leverage their strike capabilities for subsurface, surface, landbased and even aerial or space assets.

It was from a ship that the US shot down a satellite using a Raytheon missile. Each ship though is unique. But each one has the flexibility to adapt to the varied requirements as they arise.

USS America: Reinventing Amphibious Assault

The USS America is the largest amphibious ship ever built by the United States.

The ship has been built at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi and departed mid-July 2014 for its trip to its initial home port at San Diego, California and then was commissioned in San Francisco in mid-October 2014. It is now undergoing its final trials and preparing to enter the fleet.

The USMC is the only tilt rotor-enabled assault force in the world.

The USS America has been built to facilitate this capability and will be augmented as the F-35B is added to the Ospreys, and helicopters already operating from the ship. Later, unmanned aircraft will also become a regular operational element.

USS America seen pierside in Valparaiso, Chile, 8/26/14. Credit Photo: USS America

The Boeing-Bell Osprey has obviously been a game changer, where today, the basic three ship formation used by the Amphibious Ready Group-Marine Expeditionary Unit can “disaggregate” and operate over a three-ship distributed 1,000-mile operational area.

Having the communications and ISR to operate over a greater area, and to have sustainment for a disaggregated fleet is a major challenge facing the future of the USN-USMC team. The combination of Ospreys and F-35 B will be deadly for any foe.

A major change in the ship can be seen below the flight deck, and these changes are what allow the assault force enabled by new USMC aviation capabilities to operate at greater range and ops tempo. The ship has three synergistic decks, which work together to support flight deck operations.

Unlike a traditional large deck amphibious ship where maintenance has to be done topside, maintenance is done in a hangar deck below the flight deck. And below that deck is the intermediate area, where large workspaces exist to support operations with weapons, logistics and sustainment activities.

The ship can hold more than 20 F-35Bs. The Ospreys would be used to carry fuel and or weapons, so that the F-35B can move to the mission and operate in a distributed base. This is what the Marines refer to as shaping distributed STOVL ops for the F-35B within which a sea base is a key lily pad from which the plane could operate or move from.

Alternatively, the F-35B could operate for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance). Understandably, all US assets area already networked through satellites.

The other new onboard asset is Sikorsky’s CH-53K, which will be backbone for an airborne amphibious strike force. It will be able to carry three times the load external to itself than can a CH-53E and has many operational improvements, such as a fly-by-wire system.

These elements constitute a true enabler for a 21st century amphibious assault force.

CVN-78: Redefining the Large-Deck Carrier

The coming of the USS Gerald R. Ford sets in motion a very different type of large-deck carrier. The hull form of the Ford is a tribute to the very successful Nimitz-class hull design. But that is where the comparisons end.

In effect, the new nuclear-powered carrier provides infrastructure for – significantly – the US Navy as well as its coalition forces.

It is designed to operate more effectively with an evolving air wing over its 50-year life span. The high increase in electric power generation, three times greater than Nimitz, is designed to allow the electronic systems associated with defense, attack and C2 to grow over time.

The carrier’s new launch and recovery systems (EMALS – Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and AAG- Advanced Arresting Gear), the weapons handling system and many other improvements are visible signs of new capabilities.

The onboard super computers manage everything from electric power to fire power, and give outstanding support to the crew. Laser weapons will be a reality on Gerald Ford.

The next generation in active sensor technology, with great bandwidth in the dual band radars, provides a solid foundation, not simply for the organic defence and strike capability of the carrier but for the entire battle fleet.

CVN-78 seen deckside undergoing construction, January 2015. Credit: Second Line of Defense

In a recent interview Captain John Meier, the designated skipper of CVN-78, highlighted a number of innovations, two of which are the new launch system and the second is the new weaponisation systems and pit stop approach to operating aircraft.

The first involves the shift from steam catapults to an electronic system or EMALS. “The EMALS system will allow us to provide for an ability to launch aircraft more smoothly and with less wear and tear on the airplanes and the pilots. Coupled with the new advanced arresting gear, we will be able to launch and recover a variety of types of aircraft, including future designs that haven’t been developed.”

As for directed energy systems, he observed: “You have a great capacity for diversity of weapons, and the advanced weapon elevators themselves are located on the ship to facilitate faster movement and loading of the weapons.

That’s the underlying principle of the advanced weapon elevators. They carry more weight and they go faster, twice the speed and twice the weight essentially of the legacy weapons elevators” bringing ordnance right near an aircraft for loading.

Combat jets will be loaded in “pit stops” aboard the deck and then launched from the EMALS system.

And with the coming of the F-35 C, the head of Naval Air Warfare, Rear Admiral Manazir noted in an interview done after the visit to the Ford:

“Reach not range is a key aspect of looking at the carrier air wing and its ability to work with joint and coalition forces.

This is clearly enhanced with the F-35.The carrier has a core ability to operate organically but its real impact comes from its synergy with the joint and coalition force, which will only go up as the global F-35 fleet emerges.

And this will get better with the coming of the USS Ford. What the Ford does is it optimises the things that we think are the most important.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Reinventing the Large Deck Carrier

The Brits invented carrier warfare; and in many ways with their new 65,000-ton carrier they are reinventing the large deck carrier and providing something of a hybrid between the USS America and CVN-78.

The flight deck is impressive and is about 90 per cent of the size of the Nimitz class and has a very wide deck.

When I stood at the end of the ski jump and looked down at the flight deck, its width was significant.

The ski jump aboard the flight deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth. Credit Photo: Royal Navy

And I learned that the flight deck was built by Laird Shipbuilding (unfortunately no relation!).

This ship is designed to operate F-35Bs, which means that the RAF (Royal Air Force) and RN (Royal Navy) will drive every bit of innovation out of the aircraft to provide C2, ISR and strike capabilities.

There will be natural interoperability between the US and British forces, right from training to operations.

Walking the ship takes time, but several innovations one sees aboard the Ford can be found aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth: significant energy generation, significant C2 capabilities, very large rooms for reconfigurable C2 suites for operations across the ROMO, as well as well designed work areas for the F-35B crews which will handle the operations and data generated by the F-35 to the fleet.

It is a ship designed to transform both the RAF and the RN for it will integrate significantly with the surface and subsurface fleet and the land-based air for the RAF.

To take an example, with RAF jets operating from Cyprus or in the Middle East, the HMS Queen Elizabeth can mesh its air assets with the land based assets and the command centre directing the air operations could be on the ship, on land at an operating base, or in the air, even in the new tankers.

Conclusion

Despite the critics, new carriers are being designed and built to work more effectively in an integrated operational space to provide both defence and offence to a joint and coalition force.

They are key elements of the distributed force, one which is forging a 21st century approach to offense-defense enterprise across the spectrum of military operations.

The author would like to thank Ed Timperlake for his contribution to the thinking underlying this article

An Indian Assessment of the Chinese Defense White Paper

Posted on June 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-06-06 By Captain (Dr) Gurpreet S Khurana

New Delhi.

In comparison to the Defence White Papers published by China in the preceding years, the 2014 document is very concise.

Nonetheless, it reveals substantial content and context, disproportionate to the size of its text.

While much of the revelation is likely to be Beijing’s ‘strategic communications’, the document is nonetheless insightful.

Title of White Paper

The present White Paper has continued the trend of using a thematic title – a trend that was initiated with the 2012 document titled ‘The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces’.

The trend and the specific title spelling out “China’s Military Strategy” signify the increased self-confidence of an emerging global military power, which until a few years ago, preferred to be opaque to the world on ‘matters military’.

The document also reflects an increased self-assurance as a nation, stating that “China’s comprehensive national strength, core competitiveness and risk-resistance capacity are notably increasing, and China enjoys growing international standing and influence”.

Core National Objectives

In the document, China has maintained its earlier stance of avoiding war through its military strategy of “active defence” (that envisages an ‘offensive’ only at the operational and tactical levels).

However, the document mentions “preparation for military struggle (PMS)”, which indicates its strong desire to retain the option of first use of military force, if it cannot achieve its core objectives otherwise.

Furthermore, the emphasis on “maritime PMS” indicates that these objectives pertain to Taiwan’s “reunification”, and fructification of its maritime-territorial claims in the Western Pacific.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the phase “You fight your way and I fight my way” indicates that China’s war-fighting concept to meet its core objectives is likely to be based on use of asymmetric capabilities.

Maritime Interests

The previous 2012 document stated the PLA Navy’s mandate to preserve China’s sovereignty over its territorial seas and its maritime rights and interests in ‘offshore areas’ against complex security threats, thereby portraying China as a victim or an underdog reacting to the actions of Japan, and implicitly, of the U.S.The new document, however, emphasises on a more proactive protection of its interests in ‘open waters’, thereby enlarging its strategic depth.

PLAN ship Type 052C Luyang II destroyer Changchun enters the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Sept. 20, 2014. Fars News Agency

Notably, the document also calls upon the need to shed the mindset that peace, stability and development of China is linked to affairs on land rather than the sea.

This indicates a maritime emphasis of China’s military strategy.

With regard to the security of sea-lanes, it uses the term “strategic Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs)”. Although the term ‘SLOC’ itself bears a ‘strategic’ connotation, the addition of the adjective indicates that China’s considers itself vulnerable to commodity denial during war, thereby severely limiting its option of use of military force.

Although the document does not specifically mention the ‘Indian Ocean’, the reference to Indian Ocean SLOCs may be inferred.

Naval Presence in Indian Ocean

Alike the previous 2012 document, the 2014 White Paper states that the PLA Navy would maintain “regular combat readiness patrols…(and maintain)…military presence in relevant sea areas.”

While the former may refer to the Western Pacific, the latter is a likely reference to the Indian Ocean.

This is buttressed by the statement that the PLA Navy would “continue to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and other sea areas as required, enhance exchanges and cooperation with naval task forces of other countries, and jointly secure international SLOCs.”

This implies that China’s naval presence in the Indian Ocean would continue, and may even increase. While such presence may be primarily for undertaking ‘Military Operations Other than War’ (MOOTW), it is likely to be dovetailed with preparing for ‘wartime’ operations.

The amphibious dock landing ship “Changbaishan”of the 18th escort taskforce of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is docking at the Port of Djibouti for the third round of in-port rest and replenishment. (People's Daily/Sun Haichao) — The amphibious dock landing ship “Changbaishan”of the 18th escort taskforce of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is docking at the Port of Djibouti for the third round of in-port rest and replenishment. (People’s Daily/Sun Haichao)

This assertion is borne out by Beijing’s assertion in September 2014 that its Song-class submarine deployed in the Indian Ocean was meant for counter-piracy mission.

(The credibility of this rationale was dismissed by naval analysts on operational grounds).

The document adds that the “PLA Navy will work to incorporate MOOTW capacity building into…PMS” thereby implying that China would also seek to develop fungible capabilities.

Furthermore, the White Paper lays emphasis on ‘sustenance’ of the forward-deployed naval platforms through “strategic prepositioning”.

This indicates that China is likely to seek overseas access facilities (if not military bases) in the Indian Ocean, or even resort to the US concept of ‘sea-basing’.

The latter possibility is supported by recent news-reports about China developing large ‘Mobile Landing Platforms’ (MLP) used by the US expeditionary forces.

Military Interface with Major Powers

The mention of Russia in the White Paper precedes all other countries.

The “exchanges and cooperation with the Russian military within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership…to promote military relations in more fields and at more levels” indicates the imminence of a China-Russia quasi-alliance.

The 2012 White Paper, without naming the US, had expressed a concern for its “pivot” to Asia strategy and “strengthening of its military alliances with the regional countries, leading to tensions”.

In contrast, the 2014 document mentions the US explicitly. While it does state the need for “cooperative mechanisms with the US Navy, including exchange of information in the maritime domain”, its tone and tenor indicates a precursor to a ‘Cold War-style’ military interface between the two major powers.

It talks about a “new model of military relationship” with the US based on “major-country relations”, with “strengthening of defence dialogue (and)…CBMs to include notification of major military activities (and) rules of behaviour” to prevent “air and maritime encounters…strengthen mutual trust, prevent risks and manage crises.”

. China and Russia have a long and complicated relationship of allies, competitors, rivals and friends.

However, it is yet unclear what kind of bipolar interface will eventually emerge since the current global environment marked by close China-US economic ties is vastly dissimilar to the erstwhile Cold War era.

The 2012 White Paper had mentioned India’s combined Army exercises with PLA and increased anti-piracy coordination with India. Since the 2014 document is more succinct, the lack of details is understandable.

However, the lack of even a mention of defence exchanges with India, or any other Asian country is remarkable.

Also ‘conspicuous by absence’ are the various facets of ‘transparency’ that the preceding Defence White Papers had addressed, ranging from China’s defence budget to its nuclear weapons policy of no-first use (NFU).

Evidently, China has ‘arrived’ on the world stage with a single-minded preoccupation of how it could challenge the unipolar world order dominated by the US.

The author is Executive Director, National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi.

This article was republished with permission of our partner India Strategic:

http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories3816_China_Challenges_Unipolar_World.htm

The Italian Defense, The White Paper, and the Italian Parliament

Posted on June 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-06-06 On June 4, 2015, Defence Minister Pinotti testified before the joint Italian House and Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees with regard to the recently released White Paper.

According to a piece published on the Italian MoD website on June 4th:

The White Paper is a concrete initiative of the Ministry of Defence, aimed at providing the country with a systematic, efficient and consistent medium-to-long term project.

Minister Pinotti, answering today’s questions and those she was asked on 14 May (when she illustrated the Paper to the joint committees), underscored that the project will guide the adaptation process of the Armed Forces to the new requirements and, at the same time, raise people’s awareness level as regards defence and security being our common heritage and an indispensable condition for the development of our society.

With reference to the questions asked by 29 members of the committees, the Minister highlighted the central role of Parliament in the reform process, for both political and technical reasons. In fact, developing the culture of Defence among the public opinion is a goal that can be met only by the Parliament:

“Promotion of the Defence culture can only start from here, from the place where we must give a shared assessment of threats looming over our country and the tools needed to face them.”

The opportunity to enlarge the Defence concept to make it more inclusive as compared to other available tools is illustrated in the White Paper, and integrates the Government’s decisions on the reform of the Third Sector, in particular as regards the role of the civilian service.

As regards the central role of Parliament and its technical nature, the Minister added: “Many of the solutions that the Government may intend to adopt will need to be substantiated and enforced by legislative measures to be discussed by these committees and by the Parliament.”

The latter will play a central role also as regards resources: in fact, the Government has committed itself to submit the six-year law on military investments to the parliamentary assembly.

The White Paper “is the Government’s policy guidance tool, and its content is to be regarded as an order by the Defence administrative bodies”, the Minister added, explaining that within 6 months “ the Defence administrative bodies will have to produce legislative proposals to be submitted to the Parliament.”

As for the theme of a European common defence, evoked by various parties, the Minister agreed that “proceeding as single, isolated countries would result in waste of resources and lack of interoperability.”

That’s why Italy has proposed to establish a EUNAVFOR Med mission at European level, to be decided upon at the end of June.

Expressing the wish that a European Army be established, the Minister underscored that building a European Defence will require common industrial projects on the one hand, and “working together at operational level” on the other.

Regarding governance, Roberta Pinotti explained that the reform process must proceed toward force integration at joint level in order to avoid duplicating roles, thus establishing a fully joint military while safeguarding individual specificities.

Dutch F-16 Engaged Over the North Sea

Posted on June 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-06-06 In this video released by the Dutch MoD on June 2, 2015, one gets the perspective from a Dutch F-16 cockpit of flying in an exercise.

These images are from the cockpit of a Dutch F-16.

After the taxiing and taking off from Airbase Leeuwarde, the North Sea is seen a moment later and then an American KC-135-tanker appears in the video.

Multinational Naval Exercise in the Seas Around Jeju Island

Posted on June 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-06-06 According to a piece published on the South Korean Ministry of Defence website on May 28, 2015, the South Korean navy working with allies is shaping more effective defense capabilities by maritime forces.

Our Navy has improved combined operation capability during the pass exercise with a multi-national Navy.

The Navy developed the exercise with the U.S., French and Turkish Navies in the northeast sea around Jeju from May 22 to 25.

Republic of Korea navy Ulsan-class frigate Busan (FF959) conducts maneuvering exercises with French navy Floreal-class light-surveillance frigate Prairial (F731) (not pictured) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) (not pictured) and this picture was shot during a 2014 exercise off of South Korea. 5/31/14 and credited to Commander, 7th Fleet Public Affairs.

For the exercise, the Korean Navy’s Aegis destroyer (DDG), Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong Ham, 4,400-ton class destroyer (DDH-II) Gang Gam Chan Ham, the U.S. Navy’s Aegis, the Lassen, French Navy’s frigate, the Aconit, and Turkish Navys frigate, the Gediz, were deployed. A Lynx and two helicopters (MH-60R), Seahawk, were engaged in the exercise as well.

The exercise proceeded with a focus on improving teamwork as well as interoperability for security cooperation and humanitarian relief. According to this, the multi-national Navy developed communication exercises, tactical maneuvers, combined maneuver security, antiair warfare, tactical discussion for combined war, helicopter taking-off and landing training, etc.

America, France and Turkey are our allied nations that dispatched combat forces to Korea during the 6·25 war and shed blood to protect the freedom of Korea. France sent an infantry battalion and a naval destroyer, conducting land and sea operations, while Turkey supported around 15,000 fighting forces, which was the fourth largest troop-sending country among 16 others.

Meanwhile, the Gediz is to put in at Busan base of operation on May 26, having a variety of events such as worship for the UN Memorial Cemetery, fleet opening, exploration of culture, exchange activities and others.

http://www.mnd.go.kr/user/boardList.action?command=view&page=1&boardId=O_47261&boardSeq=O_116645&mcategoryId=&id=mnd_eng_030100000000

Jeju island is on the southern tip of South Korea and 300 miles from the Chinese mainland.

The base being built there can be an important contributor to naval empowered defensive systems, carried by Aegis ships.

“Its in the hands of professionals:” Aboard the USS WASP for the F-35 Operational Tests

Posted on June 4, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

06/04/2015

2015-05-29 By Robbin Laird

The continuous sorties of F-35Bs aboard on the USS Wasp on May 26, 2015 witnessed by visitors from the foreign and the U.S. press was almost numbing.

There are six planes aboard the ship, 4 from the Green Knights squadron at Yuma and 2 from the Warlords at Beaufort. We saw several sorties of F-35Bs aboard the ship conducted by pilots from both squadrons.

Although the planes was a clear focus of attention, the role of many key organizations culminated in what we saw that day.

As Lt. General Davis, Deputy Commandant of Aviation for the USMC, stated in response to a question about the date for the initial operating capability of the aircraft:

It will be this summer.

We are clearly focused on July.

But it is in the hands of the professionals and they are making it happen.

The professionals he had in mind were both aboard the ship and linked to their home bases or organizations.

We saw aboard the ship maintainers from three squadrons, the Green Knights (Yuma), the Warlords (Beaufort) and VMX-22 (New River), the squadron that prepared the Osprey for its IOC in 2007 and is continuing its work with F-35B integration.

F-35 take off from USS Wasp. Credit: USN

In addition to the USMC squadrons, the USN has worked hard on modifying the ship to operate the new USMC aviation assets.

The XO of the ship, Captain Andrew “Mongo” Smith, highlighted that the ability of a 25 year old ship to become part of “fifth generation warfare” and its ability to operate the F-35 showed the flexibility of the ship and the USN-USMC team.

And as one of the USMC pilots involved with the ship integration-testing put with regard to what the plane brought to the ship:

No one in the world has ever sent an airplane off of an amphibious ship with this level of situational awareness and fusion between aircraft to aircraft and aircraft to ship.

The fusion of the data aboard the airplanes and your ability to see what other planes are seeing a number of miles away from you as well as what the ship is seeing and then to be able to communicate with them without using the radio is a tactical and strategic advantage that can not really be over stated.

Together, the USN-USMC team is transforming a Gator Navy, which historically has operated amphibious ships for assault by helos, amphibious vehicles, and infantry to one capable of amphibious assault at great distance.

It is turning what was a Greyhound Bus role to shaping an entirely new strike capability appropriate for 21^st century operations.

It began with the introduction of the Osprey and is being empowered by the integration of the F-35B with the Marine Corps force.

The nature of this change has already been presaged in a Marine Corps exercise involving San Clemente Island, which was conducted in the first part of 2014.

For the Marines, airpower is part of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), or put in simple terms, a key force allowing force insertion – built around the ground combat element – to occur in a diversity of settings and situations.

The Marines, operating from the training base in Twentynine Palms and landing on San Clemente Island off of California, approximately 100 students from the Infantry Officer Course in Quantico flew aboard Ospreys the simulated test area to eliminate cruise missile threats and take back an airfield from enemy forces.

The Infantry Officer Course at Quantico paired with VMX-22 conducted the exercise and the Ospreys were accompanied by specially configured Ospreys with an airborne communication gateway with a Wi-Fi network that linked the tables carried by the squads riding in the Ospreys.

The Cat Bird, the F-35 surrogate sensor aircraft, which operated its sensor sent real time information about the objective area to the Marines in route to the objective area.

The information shared was maps and images as well as text messaging among the ground force element aboard the Ospreys.

In effect, the F-35s went in and provided the capability to eliminate the ground missile threats and allowed a distributed company to be inserted to do their job.

In other words, the Osprey carried the force; the F-35 surrogate providing the cover which could insert the force more effectively.

This is how the Marines are looking at a key aspect of the F-35 approach to providing close air support for a 21st century ground insertion force.

Thus, it was not surprising to find VMX-22 aboard the USS Wasp for the operational tests.

The CO of VMX-22, Col. “Horse” Rauenhorst highlighted that their work as a squadron was focusing on the integration of the Osprey, the F-35 and the new CH53K as key elements enabling a more lethal and survivable MAGTF.

The infantry Marines will be inserted at greater distance, with greater flexibility to enhance their effectiveness and survivability.

That is the whole point of the innovation being tested aboard the USS WASP.

An F-35B Lightning II awaits refueling before a night operations exercise during F-35B Operational Testing (OT-1) aboard USS Wasp (LHD-1) May 20, 2015. Over the course of about two weeks, U.S. Marines, U.K. military and industry partners will evaluate the full spectrum of F-35B measures of suitability and effectiveness, as well as assessing the integration of the aircraft into the spectrum of amphibious-based flight operations. (Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Anne K. Henry/RELEASED)

A very evident aspect of the effort for ship integration of the F-35B aboard the ship was maintenance at sea for the F-35B.

Maintainers from the three squadrons – the Green Knights from Yuma, the Warlords from Beaufort, and those from VMX-22 – came together for the first time to work the maintenance effort aboard the ship. And according to the maintainers their approach worked very well.

But this would not have happened if the USMC had not established what they call organic maintenance of the aircraft, meaning that the Marines did their own maintenance, and shaped their own way ahead.

Often forgotten is that the new generation of maintainers is creating the policies and procedures whereby those who follow will learn how to maintain the plane.

Or put simply, standing up the plane at sea is a first, and the maintainers see their role as pioneers in process of innovation for 21st century capabilities.

And the report from the team aboard the ship was straightforward: “we could maintain the plane on ship very well and saw no loss of capability compared to maintaining the plane ashore.”

The Brits were aboard the ship as well and are training with the Marines at Beaufort, South Carolina, the base where all foreign F-35B pilots will be trained and of course maintainers as well.

The Italians will be coming next, and both the Italian Navy and Air Force will operate F-35Bs. In an interview with the Italian Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Lt. General Preziosa put it with regard to the B:

“We studied the issue carefully (of the decision for the IAF to buy F-35Bs) and for the kind of missions we face we needed the flexibility which the B can add to the fleet.

We need to go to the mission — not the airfield. We will operate in many areas where there are only short runways; the B allows us to operate in those conditions.

Lt. Cdr. Kitchen during the panel discussion aboard the USS WASP. Credit: SLD

I have now had a chance to visit all three new large deck ships where the F-35 will play a key role: the HMS Queen Elizabeth on March 31, 2015 in Scotland earlier aboard the USS America, and the CVN-78 (Gerald Ford).

The British carrier is an F-35B enabled strike carrier and the engagement of the UK Royal Navy and Royal Air Force with the USMC and the USN is very significant, and personnel onboard clearly were looking for lessons learned aboard the ship to integrate with the standing up of the new class of the UK’s very innovative carriers which the United Kingdom is building.

During a panel discussion with team members aboard the ship with reporters, there were two members of the Royal Navy who participated. Lt. Cdr. Neil Mathieson and Lt. Cdr. Beth Kitchen, represented different roles within the process. Mathieson was visiting the ship and returning to the UK with lessons learned; Kitchen was based at Beaufort and is an integral part of the USMC team, notably with regard to rolling out the maintenance process and effort.

Lt. Cdr. Kitchen put it nicely in resonating with the theme which Lt. General Davis was later to tell reporters: “it is in the hands of the professionals.” Kitchen underscored:

The F-35 can be surrounded by myth and legend.

But it is a real testimony to the capabilities of the maintainers of the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the USMC to adapt to the new technological challenges.

Their knowledge of aircraft systems is now being applied to a new air system and taking steps forward into the unknown.

It is a testament to the professionalism of these maintainers that they are just getting on with the job of making this aircraft work.

Every single person involved in this detachment are passionate about this aircraft and not just because it is a sexy looking aircraft but want to see it working in every operational environment.

A version of this piece originally appeared on Breaking Defense:

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/05/its-in-hands-of-the-professionals-f-35bs-on-the-uss-wasp/

The Coming of the F-35: The Services and Partners Get Ready

Posted on June 3, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

06/03/2015

Recently, the Norwegian Defence Minister opened an F-35 partners meeting held in Norway by this comment with regard to the arrival of the F-35 for the US and the partners: “We’re turning the future into the present.”

This report looks at the services and the allies as they prepare to introduce the F-35 into service and look to transform their airpower capabilities appropriate to deal with 21st century threats.

The report is based on dozens of interviews with the services and partners, ranging from Italy, to the UK, to Australia and from Eglin, to Yuma, to Fallon.

21st century warfare technologies concepts of operations, technology, tactics and training are in evolution and revolution.

However, there is always the reactive enemy who gets a vote in combat.

Consequently the roll out of new approaches to execute a successful combat campaign being shaped by the impact of the F-35 is critical to understand.

The F-35 is at the heart of change for a very simple reason – it is a revolutionary platform, and when considered in terms of its fleet impact even more so. The F-35, Lightning II, has a revolutionary sensor fusion cockpit that makes it effective in AA, AG and EW. Allied and U.S. combat pilots will evolve and share new tactics and training, and over time this will drive changes that leaders must make for effective command and control to fight future battles.

An issue has been that the F-35 has been labeled a “fifth generation” aircraft, a sensible demarcation when the F-22 was being introduced. But the evolution of the combat systems on the aircraft, the role of the fusion engine, and the impact of a fleet of integrated F-35s operating as a foundational element will make the current term “5th Gen” obsolete.

The global fleet of F-35s will be the first generation for building a foundation for a fundamental change in the way air power operates in overall combat concepts of operations. It is not in and of itself a single aircraft platform; it is about what an integrated fleet of F-35s can deliver to TRANSFORM everything. The decade ahead will be very innovative if what the fleet brings to the fight is learned and applied. Combat warriors, at all ranks, can leverage what they learn and then apply those lessons to reshaping the force over and over.

The Next Phase for the V-22: Multi-Missionization

Posted on June 2, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

06/02/2015

2015-05-29 The Marines are the core customers for the V-22.

And no military force in the world is more demanding of versatility than the USMC.

A good example is how the Marines have driven multi-mission capabilities from their KC-130Js with the harvest hawk system.

Here the tanker/lifter becomes weaponized and capability of shaping mother ship C2 capabilities.

And the versatile C-130J can with various roll-on-roll-off capabilities play an even more flexible set of roles going forward.

Lockheed Martin has evolved the C-130 to be able to provide a range of capabilities ranging from medevac, to ISR, to C2, to weapons delivery.

As Lockheed Martin puts it: “Buy a C-130 and get an Air Force.”

The Osprey is now going down this path.

And because of the capability of the Osprey to operate virtually anywhere, this means that multi-mission can be provided via ship or land bases, or at virtually any point of attack.

The V-22 can perform in the heart of the flight envelopes of both conventional helicopters and fixed wing turboprop aircraft, providing the flexibility of both capabilities in one aircraft.

The Osprey has redefined assault forces, and has led to the creation of new approaches to amphibious assault.

Now with multi-mission capabilities becoming available, the range of capabilities available to the assault force is broadened.

This is particularly significant as the amphibious strike force is redefined and able to carry organic capabilities hitherto only available to a large deck carrier.

During the visit to the Boeing V-22 Osprey plant at Boeing’s Philadelphia site, the Boeing team explained the range of possibilities for the Osprey adding multi-mission roll-on-roll off capabilities.

In the slide below the core capabilities being worked are highlighted.

Indeed, an example of the flexible uses of the V-22 were illustrated during the USS WASP-F-35B integration tests

The F-35B engine is modular, and the Osprey brought the largest module directly onboard solving any question of supplying engines for the F-35B underway on a large deck amphib or carrier for that matter.

The Power Module for the F-35 engine was carried onbaord the USS Wasp by an Osprey. Credit Photo: USMC

What is being worked in the near term is the aerial refueling piece.

The USMC clearly wishes to add aerial refueling to its Ospreys to work with the F-35Bs and Harriers aboard their large deck amphibious ships.

Obviously, this adds organic capability, which expands the initial insertion options for the USN-USMC team. It also opens up possibilities of change for the large deck carrier community as well, both US and worldwide.

The capability is important, but equally interesting is the approach Bell-Boeing has developed to prepare for the possible introduction of air refueling.

During the visit to the factory, a visit to the multi-mission lab and a discussion with Ted Bayruns, Associate Technical Fellow and V-22 Modernization Lead Engineer, highlighted the very innovative approach being taken.

Basically, through the use of a 3-D Virtual Reality simulation facility in which human operators are inserted during requirements definition, the process of shaping an onboard aerial refueling system is crafted whereby adjustments can be made early to the system to optimize it in terms of potential operator use.

This means that validated requirements can feed to the preliminary and detailed design phases.

Continuous use of the lab throughout the remaining engineering development tasks supports “in-process” evaluation of prototypes which are incorporated as requiredto the baseline. Instead of taking years, months are required to get an initial design right.

During the visit, Douglas Fischer, Boeing V-22 Lead Human Factors Engineer, described how Boeing is using virtual reality to reduce the engineering cycle time, reduce program cost, and improve system integration.:

Boeing Philadelphia has used virtual reality for years to support a variety of projects and programs, but primarily for concept development and design reviews.

We are now developing tools and capabilities with the VARS program to use virtual reality technology within the systems design engineering model.

The traditional systems engineering model completes processes such as requirements development, design definition, design reviews, testing and verification in a sequential manner.

Using a virtual reality rapid prototyping model allows us to simultaneously conduct the systems engineering processes.

This means we are able to support concept development, requirements verification, design reviews, and testing processes at the same time.

And then we can not only develop a workspace that’s suitable for the operators, but we can also start developing installation procedures and maintenance tasking.

The modification to our systems engineering supports rapid decision making and eliminates integration errors, reduces program costs, and enables us to support accelerated schedules for the USMC.

Murielle Delaporte visiting the 3-D virtual reality simulation facility at Boeing. Credit Photo: Boeing

And Fischer underscored that working with real world operators was a key part of an effective process.

We work directly with aircrew members to fully develop a design that satisfies operational requirements.

Use of the virtual reality capabilities and 3D modeling adds a new dimension to our design process and greatly enhances our discussions with our operators and customers.

The aircrew members are able to look at the designs in this virtual environment, and thoroughly understand how we are integrating our design concepts.

With their participation are able to assess operator functions such as line of sight, physical reach, and maneuverability within the cabin with this virtual structure in place.

We’re able to make changes based on their operational description and their movements within the cabin, and how they’re going to use the system.

And then we’re able to make real-time changes with the operators so that the design best fits their needs.

He then discussed the approach to where to place the control panel for the refueling process and through the approach taken, they ended up moving the control panel significantly within the simulated cabin to improve operator performance.

And all of this is being done prior to building the actual system.

And another benefit is the ability to look at the impact, which any modification might have on the aircraft for the overall performance of the aircraft itself.

Fischer added:

Clearly, modifications have an impact to wiring, structure, payloads, and other engineering teams.

What we can do is bring all of the concurrent engineering into this lab and be able to verify that the proposed design changes are not creating a new problem for the aircraft.

Bringing the con-ops into the design process is also an advantage, which can be facilitated by the new approach.

Fischer concluded:

We weren’t really sure how they were going to use this tanking equipment, so we brought out our operators and air cabin and aircrews, and we developed the CONOPS with them.

We’ve never done that in a design review or technical meeting before.

We’re actually able to come here, immerse the operators in the virtual environment, and go step-by-step through the procedures, and identify, add, delete, the procedures based on their inputs on how they’re actually going to use the equipment.

This approach provides a unique and informative understanding of whether the proposed concepts are usable and allows the operators to complete their jobs.

We don’t define our customer’s requirements and conops…we invest to mature potential capabilities.

In other words, the Osprey is entering the next phase of its development, a multi-mission phase.

And with that evolution come new tools to shorten the development time to introduce the new capabilities.

This is the third piece in our Osprey series.

For the first two pieces of a six part series see the following:

https://sldinfo.com/osprey-at-the-eight-year-mark-preparing-for-the-next-phase/

https://sldinfo.com/the-maturation-of-the-osprey-a-perspective-from-visiting-the-boeing-plant-near-philadelphia/

The visit to the Boeing facility was done by Robbin Laird and Murielle Delaporte, with Delaporte’s pieces to appear in the French press later this summer.