Month: March 2023

Source: United States Navy

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35 Lightning II program when the depot recently completed its 100th F-35 parachute repack.

According to Fleet Readiness Center East Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont, the depot inducted its first F-35 parachute in February 2022 and quickly established an efficient workflow.

“We are extremely proud to reach this milestone less than one year after inducting our first parachute,” said Belmont. “This achievement showcases the depot’s ability to support the needs of the warfighter and highlights the continuing expansion of our F-35 capabilities.”

FRCE declared capability on its first F-35 component in 2018. By the close of 2022, the depot had declared capability on 32 components, including the parachutes for the fifth-generation fighter.

“Our component workload plays a critical role in supporting fleet requirements and mission readiness,” said Belmont. “It’s something we are very proud of. Getting these parachutes and other components out to the fleet ensures that pilots can continue to train and conduct real-world operations.”

Parachutes for the F-35 are first assembled and installed by the manufacturer. At scheduled intervals, they must come off the aircraft for repacking. FRCE F-35 Components Program Manager Angie Lane said this process entails rigorous inspections and maintenance by a team of highly trained specialists at the depot.

“Our Ordnance Shop works the F-35 parachutes,” said Lane. “Once finished, these parachutes can be used in all variants of the F-35. They could go to a military service depot, to a squadron, or to a foreign country that flies the F-35.”

Standing up the capability to satisfy these requirements began long before the first parachute arrived at FRCE. A team of experts drawn from throughout the depot had to consider factors such as current and future workloads, manpower requirements, facility and tooling needs, and supply support. A project of this scale also requires intensive collaboration not only within FRCE, but with outside entities as well.

“This was a huge initiative,” said Lane. “It encompasses the F-35 Joint Program Office, the manufacturer and other partners as well as folks from throughout the depot. Our quality assurance inspectors, engineers, production controllers, Examiner and Evaluator teams and the artisans inside the Ordnance Shop all play crucial roles.”

Despite the number of collaborators and the complexities of the project, Lane said the team made rapid progress. She said knowing the role a parachute plays in military aviation provided the team with a sense of urgency.

“When you think about all the components on an aircraft, you might not think of the parachute first,” said Lane. “It’s not part of the engine or the fuel system, but it is absolutely crucial.”

Because they are life-saving pieces of equipment, great care is taken with each parachute that is inducted at the depot.

When a parachute arrives at FRCE for a repack, quality assurance inspectors at the depot review history sheets, which log any changes or repairs made to the parachute. They also verify that the parachute is scheduled for a repack.

The parachute then goes to the artisans in the Ordinance Shop who disassemble it. This is performed on a table measuring more than 50 feet long where the parachute is put through a rigorous inspection process. The packers look for imperfections and damage, anything that might potentially hinder the parachute from deploying if engaged. This is often imperceptible to the untrained eye. Because of this, the artisans working the parachutes undergo highly specialized training.

According to Andrew Altman, the overhaul and repair supervisor who oversees FRCE’s Ordnance and Cryogenics shops, the artisans working the F-35 parachutes must graduate from the Navy’s Air Crew Survival Equipment course in Pensacola, Florida. The course is two and a half months long.

“Our people train alongside military personnel,” said Altman. “It’s parachute rigger school. After that, we have to attend additional training specific to the aircraft type, model and series. In this case, that means the F-35. We have had a few people come to us who already went through all the training but we had to send most of our people out to this.”

If there is anything that needs to be replaced, the artisans order the parts and replace them. The parachute is then reassembled. Lane said the artisans log any changes made to the parachute as well as anything that was replaced. These history sheets go back to quality assurance inspectors who verify and validate the information.

“This is important because the information is shared with our partners and put into a database,” said Lane. “That way, when a customer receives that parachute, they can electronically obtain this data for their records of the aircraft.”

Because they must ensure that each and every parachute will function flawlessly if it is ever used, Altman said that artisans must pay careful attention to every aspect of the process.

“You have to be very meticulous,” said Altman. “You are looking over every panel, inch by inch. You have to be just as meticulous with the record keeping too. It’s all very strict.”

The work might seem overwhelming to those outside of the Ordnance Shop. Lane described the parachute packers as some of the most dedicated people she’s ever worked with.

“They have friends and family that are pilots,” said Lane. “Many served in the military. They want to know that if the parachute ever needs to be used, the pilot is going to come home safely.”

Despite the successful completion of the depot’s 100th parachute repack, Lane said the team isn’t slowing down to celebrate. She said they’ve already set their sights on the F-35 seat survival kits, which FRCE will likely be declaring capability on in the very near future.

“That’s going to be another huge initiative that is going to take on the same sense of urgency as the parachute,” said Lane. “There are a lot of folks depending on this depot to give them what they need. We all know that and we are successful because everyone involved takes this responsibility seriously and puts forth maximum effort.”

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.

Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.facebook.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.

Source: United States Navy

The game is in the name – operators visit suspect vessels; board them, sometimes with crews brandishing guns; search them, looking for smuggled goods or people; and seize them, returning suspects to police forces for further evidence collection.

Often, when militaries look at how to train VBSS capabilities, they focus on the VB – ‘how do we best arm and train our people to board non-compliant vessels.’ It’s a lot of gun, boat, hand-to-hand, and room clearing training, and aligns with the foundations of their military training. What’s more difficult is the criminal investigation piece, or the SS in VBSS. Militaries, and navy’s especially, aren’t great at civilian-style law enforcement – they’re not trained for it, they’re not practiced in it, and it’s not a part of the mission set. Except when it is.

“It’s a clash of doctrine,” said Felipe Ramos, an International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) criminal intelligence officer. “In the navy, you clear the scene, so you go everywhere, you search the whole vessel. In crime scene preservation, we say ‘touch the minimum you can.’ Our job as instructors, and their job as military first responders, is to reach a balance between what is doable and be realistic about what you can do. But it can be hard to find that balance, because the training many navies receive is military training. It’s about stopping the threat and taking control of the situation. For law enforcement, it’s more about minimizing the threat, and minimizing the damage to the scene.”

Ramos is a former captain of Rio de Janeiro’s state police department, and currently works as part of INTERPOL’s Project Compass – an International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funded, collaborative project that links regional governments and international organizations in combating illicit maritime activity. In his role, he’s seen what happens when the balance shifts away from law enforcement.

“[For some crimes] like trafficking in human beings, or international drug trafficking, the national navies are often the first responders. They are the police officers, especially when the country doesn’t have a coast guard,” Ramos said. “But without the necessary skills to handle evidence and interview witnesses, a lot of evidence can be lost. Then, if it becomes an investigation afterwards, and eventually a case to be tried, it’s hard to convict if the evidence wasn’t meticulously handled from the start. So the idea here is to keep that law-enforcement perspective when they are intervening.”

That’s the challenge most navies face – the balance between military and law enforcement perspectives in an intervention. What’s interesting about this year’s VBSS training is how the law enforcement perspective is baked into every engagement.

The VBSS portion of Cutlass Express 2023 comprises multiple scenarios, executed with nuance. The Georgian, and the U.K. Royal Navy gave academic training on the techniques, tools, and trade skills they use to board a vessel while the U.S. Coast Guard briefed participants on how to operate a Maritime Operations Center. One moment, the Royal Navy instructor would be giving a detailed explanation on how to respectfully search a female suspect, and in the next, go over how to search a bandaged suspect by offering them clean wrappings applied by a medical professional. More often-than-not, the academic floor is yielded to the participants, where service members from Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Mozambique discuss the real world situations they’ve experienced, and how they’ve responded.

Then the classroom is vacated, and the teams split into different groups to tackle challenge areas. Some go to what’s colloquially called the Ship in a Box, a simulated vessel, where Tunisian marine commandos teach room clearing techniques and climbing procedures for boarding a non-compliant vessel. Some will go to the pool, where U.S. Marines take them through an intensive survival swim course, culminating in a grappling-hook ladder climb and swiftly followed by a 15-foot jump back into the pool – in full uniform. Others will go to INTERPOL’s course, where Ramos, along with the Project Compass team and an instructor from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service, provide hands-on training of first response, technical crime-scene management, and investigation mentorship. They also introduce training on INTERPOL’s resources, methodologies, and intelligence analysis, to expand the operation from actors at-sea to organizers and financiers on land.

“This first group should come out of this training with the necessary skills to respond with the consideration that they’re responding to a crime scene,” Ramos emphasized. “They won’t be crime scene experts, but they’ll have the skills to process a crime scene and preserve as much as possible as first responders.”

That’s the first week of INTERPOL’s training. The second pulls select candidates from each course, and gives them a break-neck, in-depth instruction on crime-scene management, witness interviewing, and utilizing modern and international investigative standards to preserve and document a crime scene. Essentially, these service members will be the first line of defense, and the test case, for the validity of crime scene management in the region’s military services.

“The end goal is the incorporation of these techniques in basic curriculum,” Ramos emphasized. “Use this as a pilot to bring the same training to, and integrate it within, the standing military curriculum. Everyone getting training in these navies should have a basic module in crime scene preservation. Otherwise, it’s just someone coming in telling them to do something. But there’s a difference between that, and inviting a crime scene investigation unit in their own police force to deliver a training. We’ve had great success when we see that.”

But the knowledge wasn’t a one-way street – a Mauritius Coast Guardsmen, specializing in boarding and noncompliant suspect evolutions, beamed when talking about the different ways he could prove drugs are in a barrel of gasoline – his favorite is rolling it and listening for clanks or sloshes. A Georgian Coast Guardsman and a Mozambique Navy sailor discussed the differences in boarding techniques on different styles of boats through a translator – speaking English and Portuguese respectively, and both their second languages. Across the room, a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Operations Center instructor listened to a translator, as a French-speaking Madagascar Navy sailor broke down the practicalities of operating in East African waters – the Coast Guardsmen empathized, and gave equally practical advice on how he’d tackled those issues in his own branch. A U.S. Navy corpsman and Georgian medic debated the tactics of retrieving a wounded service member during a firefight, both agreeing it depended on the situation.

That corpsman was attached to U.S. Marines from Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, Central Command (FASTCENT). The lead for that team, Capt. Tyler Carpenter, was an integral piece to the success of this year’s VBSS training. His Marines offered insight, but didn’t dominate the field – when it came to amphibious warfare, they’re experts, and taught accordingly. But they deferred to Tunisia special forces on room clearing, to INTERPOL on crime scene management, and to the Royal Navy on modern practices in searching and apprehending suspects for detainment. Equally important, when one of the participants spoke about the real-world engagements they experienced, they listened and learned.

“It’s really a forum to discuss VBSS, and to learn from another,” Carpenter said. “This is an incredibly unique opportunity on the table. All of the organizations and national militaries in that room (gesturing to the conference center, where the bulk of discussion was taking place) – it’s incredibly rare that we get to be in the same place at the same time. It’s a unique opportunity to exchange real-world experience on a very expansive level, across government, non-government, regional and international organizations.”

The lessons were practical, but the trust was built behind-the-scenes. On the first day, while a Tunisian marine commando strapped a harness across a Djiboutian Navy sailor, another Djiboutian started arguing with a Kenyan Army ranger. It was friendly – the French-speaking Djiboutian was challenging the English-speaking Kenyan to a push up contest. His friends egging him on, the Djiboutian dropped. So did the Kenyan, toothpick still in his mouth, first onto his knuckles, and then flat-palmed. Their pace was frantic, and soon a crowd of Djiboutian, Tunisian, and Kenyan service members, alongside a smattering of U.S. Marines, stopped, watched and cheered at the two. The Kenyan beat him – the battered Djiboutian needled his friend into it, and after another loss, they started gesturing at the U.S. Marine. With a laughing shake of his head, he shut it down.

Hours earlier and only a few 100 feet away, Mauritius Coast Guard Police Constable Elise Pascal, a boarding party member for noncompliant and opposed boarding, looked around, reflecting on the spectacle of it all.

“For me, it’s meeting everyone that has enhanced this experience,” Pascal said. “All the knowledge sharing, and learning about the difficulties others face, what we can upgrade in our own search and interventions, from both a safety and legal aspect – it’s a unique experience.”

The end-goal is to create a standard in the region – whether you’re a Mauritius Coast Guardsman, or a Djiboutian Navy Sailor, you board with the same expert precision, preserve the crime scene meticulously, and turn over the evidence and suspects successfully for further prosecution. But there’s also an ulterior motive – two actually. This exercise, and the VBSS portion isn’t about small scale education. It’s about bringing people together, and training the trainers.

“I have nearly 30 years of service – but at very different stations, mostly ships, or the land and beach police force. VBSS, at the level that he does it, is rare for me,” said Mauritius Navy Corp. Ramdhun Dharamraj, gesturing across the table to Pascal. “At the post level, it’s rare, but what I’m gaining here, I will share with my friends back home, with the people I work with. I am enhancing my experience – after this, I’m going to all the younger ones and we’ll do the same as I learned here. Apply the same lessons, and learn from it to be better overall.”

Ramos, sleep soundly. The exercise – or at least the VBSS portion – was a success.

Source: United States Navy

Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Arab Emirates Dmytro Senik joined six members of the Ukrainian Parliament for a NAVCENT briefing on regional maritime security cooperation and unmanned technology integration.

The delegation learned about NAVCENT’s latest efforts in integrating advanced unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into regional maritime operations.

An unmanned and artificial intelligence task force NAVCENT established in 2021, called Task Force 59, is currently spearheading an effort to form a multinational fleet of 100 unmanned surface vessels based in the Middle East by end of the summer. U.S. 5th Fleet announced in February the task force and regional partners have approached the halfway point toward that goal.

NAVCENT is currently leading the largest naval exercise in the Middle East, called International Maritime Exercise 2023. The training event includes 7,000 personnel from over 50 countries and organizations, 35 ships and more than 30 unmanned and artificial intelligence systems operating in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and East African coastal regions.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

 The port visit marks the ship’s fourth in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations since departing Norfolk, July 17, 2022, for a scheduled deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10.

Nitze’s port visit allows the U.S. to build on its important relationship with Malta and affords the ship’s crew an opportunity to experience the ancient Maltese culture.

“We are honored that Malta has welcomed us to Valletta,” said Cmdr. Katie Jacobson, commanding officer of Nitze. “This visit not only affords my crew time for rest and relaxation, but it expands their cultural horizons.  We thank the Maltese for allowing us to experience their heritage and look forward to building upon our longstanding friendship.”

During the ship’s time in Valletta, the crew will explore the sights, history, cuisine, and culture of Malta.

“I’m excited to explore the historical sites related to the succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British,” said Electronic Technician 1st Class Devin Lane. “I am intrigued and want to learn more about the diverse history of Malta while interacting with locals and enjoying the local dining!”

Prior to this port visit, Nitze participated in Neptune Strike 23.1, a vigilance activity led by Striking and Support Forces NATO, and served as anti-submarine warfare commander during French-led exercise HEMEX-ORION, a four-phase program designed to strengthen the warfighting capabilities of the multi-national Rapid Reaction Corps-France.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers Nitze, USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

For over 80 years, NAVEUR-NAVAF has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

The George H.W. Bush CSG is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

Source: United States Navy

This is the ship’s first port visit in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations since entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal in February 2023. The visit provides an opportunity to bolster the partnership between the U.S. and Italy and gives Sailors from Delbert D. Black a chance to explore the region.

During their time in Civitavecchia, the crew will have opportunities to explore the local area, make trips to Rome and Vatican City, and take in the history, cuisine, and culture of Italy.

“After over a month at sea, we are grateful for the opportunity to visit Civitavecchia, Italy, to enjoy some regional liberty and explore the area,” said Cmdr. Adam Stein, commanding officer of Delbert D. Black. “This visit is an incredible professional reward for our crew’s performance during the past seven months of deployment, and will surely be a highlight that our Sailors will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

The ship arrived in Civitavecchia following the successful completion of the NATO antisubmarine warfare exercise Dynamic Manta.

Delbert D. Black, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations for a scheduled deployment.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and Delbert D. Black.

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe – U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

The George H.W. Bush CSG is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.