By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Hendrick L. Dickson, USS Enterprise Public Affairs
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) (Big E) successfully conducted a NATO Sea Sparrow Missile (NSSMS) Exercise (MISSILEX) on July 10 while operating off the East Coast of the United States.
Enterprise fired two missiles from NSSMS 1, one of two NSSMS systems onboard, at two target drones launched from Naval Station Dam Neck, Va., and successfully hit both targets.
NSSMS is the first layer of Big E’s three-point Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS), along with the Rolling Air Frame Missile (RAM) Launcher and the Close-In Weapons System (CWIS). The system uses the RIM-7 missile and has a range of nine miles and is capable is reaching speeds of nearly 1,000 miles per hour. This was the first time Enterprise launched a Sea Sparrow since November 2005.
“Everything went great,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW/AW) Morgan W. Cook, Combat System (CS)-7 leading petty officer. “We have a very dedicated group of fire controlmen up here who take pride in what they do. We actually had a casualty earlier this morning to one of our systems, but they worked through it. Everyone was 100 percent engaged. It says a lot about their dedication.”
“You couldn’t have asked for anything better,” added Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW) Norman A. Edwards, CS-7 assistant leading petty officer. “Two shots, two kills. These guys did what they were supposed to do to perfection. If those would have been actual missiles, the ship would still be safe.”
Although fire controlmen spend years training and preparing to fire ship’s weapons, they don’t get the opportunity to put that training to use often. In fact, some will do an entire career without having fired. For the members of the NATO Sea Sparrow 1 team, this was the highlight of their Navy careers so far.
“I’ve been training for this moment since I came in the Navy in October 2005,” said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Timothy L. Butler, radar set console (RSC) 1A operator. “To get to fire so early in my career is just amazing. This is something I’ll remember, and talk about until the day I die.”
As to be expected, the fire controlmen spent a lot of hours the last few days doing pre-checks and maintenance to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. But after a success like this, the consensus is -- it was well worth it.
“We have had a lot of early mornings and late nights the last couple of days getting ready for this,” said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Jonathan D. Pope, RSC 1B operator. “But all of the long hours and hard work is definitely worth it. It’s a great way to start off the deployment.”
According to Fire Controlman 2nd Class Vernon Jackson, fire control console operator, the success shows that Enterprise is ready to accomplish its mission and keep the ship safe in the real world scenario.
“I am definitely excited about results -- two proximity kills,” said Jackson. “The system did exactly what it is designed to do and the team did exactly what they were trained to do. Of course you hope it never happens, but if the ship ever comes under attack. I am confident that this watch team will be able to defend the ship when it is called to do so.”