Month: September 2022

Source: United States Navy

The goal of the event was to find creative solutions to pinpoint “dark targets” — aircraft or watercraft operating with little to no radio-frequency signatures — found in maritime operating areas covered by the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S). It sought ways to use unmanned technologies to expand intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities beyond those of traditional maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon.

JIATF-S currently works with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and partner naval forces to leverage all-domain technologies and unmanned capabilities to target, detect and monitor illicit drug trafficking in the air and maritime domains. This facilitates interdiction and apprehension to reduce the flow of drugs, as well as degrade and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.

ONR SCOUT is an ongoing, multiagency experimentation campaign for identifying alternative ways to bring unmanned technologies to warfighter problems, operationalize them and bring them to scale. SCOUT is committed to getting nontraditional, commercial-off-the-shelf, government-developed and/or government-sponsored technologies to the fleet rapidly.

“SCOUT is an innovation vehicle and investment strategy for the rapid development of autonomous platforms that address today’s warfighter challenges,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin Selby. “Through experimentation with partners like JIATF-S, we can connect innovators, industry, acquisition professionals and fleet stakeholders to attack and solve key operational problems.”

“This is a pressing issue for JIATF-S because every day multiple suspect vessels are near and in the area of operations conducting illicit trafficking,” said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Duane Zitta, JIATF-S chief of operational demonstration and experimentation. “Because of this vast area, JIATF-S is looking for alternative capabilities and technologies to provide unmanned counter-operations that can detect and monitor suspect activity, ultimately helping prevent illegal movement to the United States.”

The JEB Little Creek-Fort Story experimentation event was a partnership involving ONR SCOUT, JIATF-S, the Naval Research and Development Establishment, and industry partners in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was one of multiple sprint events (scenario-based demonstrations of technology capabilities and characteristics) held this year that will lead to a large-scale main experimentation event in March 2023.

During the Chesapeake Bay event, participants engaged in simulated drug-running and -hunting scenarios during “cat-and-mouse” games involving a specialized vessel owned by SOUTHCOM and JIATF-S, a “Gotcha” boat formerly used by drug traffickers and seized by JIATF-S, and various targets of interest.

Participants employed sophisticated sensor systems and technologies, ranging from coordinated unmanned aircraft systems to wide-area motion imagery. Data collected during the exercises was fed into an onsite maritime operations center and synthesized, providing operators with real-time information about targets and each technology’s performance.

The technology tested at JEB Little Creek-Fort Story will undergo further refinement and improvement before the March 2023 main experimentation event.

“ONR’s authorities to engage with industry have vaulted it as our vital technology maturation partner,” said Jeffrey Havlicek, J7 director for Innovation and Technology, JIATF-S. “Cooperative technology truly rises all boats in shared stability of maritime commerce and safety.

“We’re grateful for the years of technology maturation efforts that have been advanced by drawing on ONR’s expertise and passion,” he continued. “The best part is we are finding more naval operators just as grateful as we are for advanced capabilities in data synthesis, mission planning, autonomous detection of dark maritime threats, and improved naval logistics automation.”

Source: United States Navy

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) had the opportunity to showcase the command’s commitment to environmental stewardship during a recent visit by North Carolina Secretary of the Environment Elizabeth Biser.

FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont welcomed Biser to the depot Sept. 6 to learn more about the command’s operations and tour the facility, with an emphasis on the work FRCE does to protect the environment, the workforce and the surrounding community.

“It’s an honor to host Secretary Biser and have the opportunity to highlight the proactive stance FRC East takes when it comes to meeting and exceeding our environmental objectives,” Belmont said. “Our aircraft and component maintenance, repair and overhaul operations are wide-ranging and complex, but so is our commitment to environmental stewardship. Our workforce realizes the importance of protecting and preserving our community’s natural resources now and for generations to come, and conservation and sustainability are built into all of our processes.”

FRCE’s environmental performance goals, which include aggressively pursuing regulatory compliance and sustainability benchmarks, have consistently earned recognition by state, federal and Department of Defense entities, including designation as a Steward in the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI) program since 2004. Stewards are the initiative’s elite members, and display a commitment to exemplary environmental performance beyond what is required by law.

These efforts helped the depot exceed its 2021 environmental objectives, including cutting industrial wastewater generation by 45%, reducing energy intensity by 18%, and achieving a landfill diversion rate of 61%. In addition to meeting environmental objectives, the depot’s environmental program also successfully completed several audits and inspections in 2021 and 2022, passing each one with no major findings.

“These metrics, especially the reduction in wastewater generation and the landfill diversion rate, are something to be proud of,” Biser said. “The operations here are a lot to manage, but with a comprehensive program and a proactive approach, it is clear you are going above and beyond in your environmental stewardship.”

Partnerships with the state’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative and private industry helped the command identify areas for improvement and reach its sustainability goals, said FRCE Compliance and Quality Department Head Amy Morgan.

“This is how we use the Environmental Stewardship Initiative,” Morgan explained. “We’ve been to several companies across the state, trying to get ideas of how we can implement their environmental conservation processes in our facilities to save water and energy, and increase recycling.”

During the visit, Morgan and leaders from the depot’s Environmental Division escorted Biser on a tour of FRCE that focused on the command’s operations, and environmental conservation and pollution prevention initiatives. The group stopped at the future site of the F-35 lift fan facility, currently under construction, which was funded in part by a $5 million investment by the state. Other points of interest included a structure with a cistern system that collects rainwater for use within the building; an office and hangar complex designed with green building standards in mind; the advanced air filtration systems used in the depot’s aircraft paint hangars and booths; and the V-22 and H-53 aircraft production lines’ sanding processes.

These initiatives, and FRCE’s overall environmental performance, can only happen when there is buy-in from all levels of the workforce, Belmont said.

“What you’re seeing here are some examples of the out-of-the-box thinking our team does, but it’s also a testament to how environmental responsibility is truly ingrained into our day-to-day operations,” he said. “At each turn, everyone from our artisans on the hangar deck to the upper tiers of leadership have environmental stewardship on their minds – not just because it’s required by regulation or by law, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.  

Source: United States Navy

This is the first time USS Zumwalt has pulled into Guam, and marks the farthest it’s ever been from its home port of Naval Base San Diego since its commissioning.

“This port call is a testament to the crew’s hard work and the resiliency of the ship,” said Capt. Amy McInnis, commanding officer of Zumwalt. “I’m grateful to preside over a crew that conducts themselves with the utmost professionalism and I’m glad we were afforded this time to rest and recharge.”

While this was a working port visit, Sailors had a number of opportunities to rest and unwind on and off base. In conjunction with Naval Base Guam’s own Morale, Welfare, Recreation (MWR) program, Sailors were granted opportunities and transportation to visit popular local establishments such as restaurants, gyms and beaches all around Guam.

Port calls are part of the Navy’s routine operations. They allow Sailors an opportunity to decompress from the high demand of life at sea, contributing to the overall mission readiness of the ship.

“Much of the crew has never been to Guam, so I think it’s a really cool experience for a lot of Sailors to visit,” said Senior Chief Intelligence Specialist Elizabeth Dabney, from Crossville, Tennessee. “When we’re out to sea, there’s work to do around the clock and there are no small tasks. It can be easy to get caught up in that constant state of work, sleep and repeat, so it’s nice when you can take some time to yourself and go to the beach or just explore somewhere you’ve never been before.”

Zumwalt departed Guam Sept. 19 to continue operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Zumwalt is assigned to Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th fleet’s principal surface force.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet in the world, and with the help of a network of alliances and partners from 35 other maritime-nations, the U.S. Navy has operated in the Indo-Pacific region for more than 70 years, providing credible, ready forces to help preserve peace and prevent conflict.

Source: United States Navy

Newell’s shearwater, Hawaiian petrel and band-rumped storm petrel, listed under the Endangered Species Act, plus the wedge-tailed shearwater, which is protected by the Migratory Bird Species Act of 1918, are all drawn to bright sources of light, man-made or otherwise. In an effort to protect these birds, the Dark Skies program runs every year from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15 to limit the amount of man-made light shining after dark.

Brooke McFarland, the natural resources manager for Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), explained more about the program and its importance.

“This program is beyond turning off many lights,” said McFarland. “Events are planned around high-risk times (related to moon phase), surveys are conducted to ensure any birds that have fallen out on base are found, and there is a Save Our Shearwaters (SOS) aid station at Pass and ID to provide a safe place for birds that are found on base and need to be rehabilitated.”

It is important that everyone plays a part for this program to be successful and stop the extinction of these birds. The Newell’s shearwater, which is of particular concern, decreased 94% between 1993 and 2013. There are many simple ways to support the program. Keep outdoor lights turned off and use a flashlight or phone if a light is needed outside after dark. Being cognizant of any light possibly escaping from indoor lights through blinds or skylights can prevent birds from circling a light until they fallout from exhaustion. It is also advised to make sure to keep any pets on leashes and always keep an eye out for any fallen fledglings.

“If you see an awkward-looking dark bird with a white belly sitting on the ground, please stop nearby (where safe) and call the Natural Resources Hotline at (808) 208-4416 or (regional) dispatch at (808) 474-2222,” said McFarland. “If it is one of these seabirds, we will catch the bird for rehabilitation at SOS, where it will stay until it can be released. Please note the precise location (the bird may hide) and whether it is injured.”

If for any reason a light must be kept on, a valid waiver is required. This is the same for any scheduled event. To start the process of receiving a waiver, please contact brooke.a.mcfarland.civ@us.navy.mil.

“Everyone on base is critical to the success of the Dark Skies program, and critical to ensuring the mission of PMRF continues through these fall months,” McFarland said. “We have had four successful years, which is really a story of the base pulling together. Each light turned off and eye-on-the-sky is a step towards another season without fallout.”