Exercise Joint Warrior Begins Off the Coast of Scotland

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Foster Bamford, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

USS GETTYSBURG, At Sea (NNS) -- Joint Warrior, a two-week exercise, designed and led by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) in the United Kingdom, is the largest military exercise in Europe and began off the coast of Scotland, Oct. 1.

"The exercise is designed to test the skill, knowledge and equipment of the participants in a range of different environments," said Capt. Paul Titterton, director of JTEPS. "By training in this fashion, we are able to prepare for a whole range of potential and ultimately realistic tactical scenarios, from out-and-out warfare to rescuing fishermen captured by pirates."

Three United States Navy ships are taking part in the exercise, led by Commander Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 26. They are guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) and fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman (TAO 195). Joining the ships is Detachment 2 from the Grandmasters of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 46 and U.S. maritime support reconnaissance patrol aircraft from Experimental Evaluation Test Squadron (VX) 1, Patrol Squadron (VP) 9 and VP 10.

"For us, it's kind of a special treat to be one of the ships that gets to go out there and do this exercise with our coalition partners," said Capt. Bob Hein, Commanding Officer of Gettysburg. "Most likely, these same folks that we are training with, I'm going to see out there in eight months doing operations."

Joint Warrior is designed to improve interoperability and help integrate coalition forces and prepare them for possible joint exercises in a real-world environment.

"Allied and Coalition operations are the standard when units deploy," said Capt. Nelson Castro, commander of COMDESRON 26. "This exercise provides a venue for our Sailors to practice and learn NATO operating procedures."

Joint Warrior involves sea, ground and air assets from participating allied and NATO forces and aims to foster a spirit of teamwork between nations.

There are land, air and sea units participating from the US and eight other countries, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Estonia, Norway and Sweden.

VX-1 Flies P-8 Poseidon during RIMPAC 2012

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The P-8A Poseidon jet, a replacement maritime patrol aircraft for the P-3C Orion, made its Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise debut this year, flown by two air crews from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, during the 23rd edition of the biennial exercise .

"While the P-3C Orion is a very forgiving aircraft and has served the fleet very well, the P-8A Poseidon is easier to fly, trims well, and handles flawlessly [at low altitude]," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Artis, VX-1 maintenance officer and integrated training team pilot. "It's easy to maneuver, and the situational awareness in the cockpit is unlike anything I've ever seen before. Getting used to the technology and the different displays can be a challenge, but overall it's fun to fly."

The VX-1 crews flew two P-8As during 24 exercise events ranging from routine test flights to simulated anti-submarine warfare. VX-1 officials said training requirements are extensive in the P-8A because of the complexity and the speed of the aircraft, and that RIMPAC provided extensive, open airspace and a robust exercise schedule where the squadron could demonstrate the capability of the new aircraft.

"The addition of two P-8A aircraft from Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 enabled us to get an early look at how we can integrate this new platform in a Joint and Combined operating environment," said Adm. Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, who flew a mission with VX-1 earlier in the week. "I had the opportunity to personally observe its great potential during a flight where the crew demonstrated each weapon system while we conducted ASW and ISR."

The P-8A is based on the Boeing 737-800ERX airliner, but incorporates a host of modifications. The Poseidon will replace the P-3C Orion, now in its 50th year of service, as a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It will maximize the experience and technology of the Orion but with significant growth potential, greater payload capacity, advanced mission systems, software and communications. Six additional fuel tanks in P-8As allow for the jet's extended range.

"The P-3C is an aging airframe with aging systems on board." said Cmdr. Gregory Sleppy, VX-1 operational test director for the P-8. "It's becoming very expensive to operate because of the age of the airframe, and has been up for 50 years; that's half the life of [naval] aviation."

P-8As feature Raytheon multi-mission surface search radars, and incorporate a short bomb bay aft of the wings for torpedoes, sonobouys (small expendable sonar capsules that are dropped or ejected from the aircraft for anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic research), and cargo.

"We can look forward to an increased availability rate right off the bat," said Sleppy. "Next you're going to see a more interoperable platform. The communications suite on the aircraft is far more advanced. Those are going to be the immediate things that the fleet commanders are going to see."

Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, over 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the RIMPAC exercise from June 29 to Aug. 3 in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Squadrons Team Up For E-2D Evaluation

An E-2D Hawkeye assigned to Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 makes an arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower is underway conducting carrier qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Albert Jones/Released)

By Clark Pierce, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1 combined forces with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 120 to bring a joint detachment to Naval Air Station Jacksonville Jan. 16, to help meet its schedule for the E-2D Hawkeye Initial Operational Test and Evaluation.

The squadrons are conducting four weeks of operational evaluations in conjunction with the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) underway in the Atlantic Ocean.

The new Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye is the Navy's latest carrier-based airborne early warning, battle management command and control system that works in concert with surface ships equipped with the Aegis combat system.

"The Hawkeye is highly valued by admirals who want to know what friends and foes are in the vicinity of their carrier strike group. Where naval surface ship surveillance systems like Aegis can only see as far as the horizon, VAW aircraft fly above the curvature of the earth to provide the strike group's command and control leadership with a more expansive look of potential battle spaces," said Officer-in-Charge Lt. Cmdr. Dave Champaigne of VAW-120.

VX-1 E-2D Operational Test Director Lt. Cmdr. Greg Harkins said, "The new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is able to scan a larger area, detect smaller targets, process data about those targets faster, and transform all of that information into improved situational awareness for strike group leadership."

Champaigne said, "This is an unusual mission for VAW-120. We're glad to assist our brethren at VX-1 and help keep the fleet introduction of the E-2D on schedule."

VAW-120, based at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field, is the fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for the E-2C and E-2D Hawkeyes, and the C-2A Greyhound. The FRS is responsible for training pilots, naval flight officers (NFOs) and maintenance personnel for fleet operational squadrons.

"The tasking of our joint detachment at NAS Jax comes to VX-1 from Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR) and Commander Strike Force Training Atlantic (CSFTL). VX-1, based at NAS Patuxent River, Md., is in the midst of a big wave of operational evaluations that include programs for the P-3C and the new P-8A platform -in addition to programs for C-2A, E-2C and the new E-2D platform," explained Harkins.

Champaigne said, "VAW-120 acts as a trusted agent for VX-1. Our job is to determine how well the E-2D compares to what the Navy asked for, and how it operates in the real world as opposed to a controlled test environment."

"We're already getting qualitative assessments from aircrew and maintainers, including good feedback on the glass cockpit," he continued. "NFOs are liking the large 17-inch monitors at their workstations, as well as the option for the co-pilot to plug in as a fourth mission systems operator."

Harkins said, "We brought a cross-section of junior and senior flight crew because we want the perspective of those fresh from the FRS, as well as those with five or more years of operational experience in the Hawkeye community."

Over the next six months, the detachment will travel around the country to evaluate how it functions in large-force exercises, strike group and air wing exercises and joint exercises. During their time in Jacksonville, the sqaudrons will be part of the Enterprise JTFEX, the strike group's final operational exam before being certified for overseas combat operations.

"Since E-2s have the biggest footprints on the flight deck, the Enterprise air boss isn't going to be happy when we add two more to the mix. But they understand we're doing these tests to provide a new and improved platform to the fleet. So, we'll put two E-2Ds on board Enterprise and fly our other pair from NAS Jacksonville," said Harkins.

"To this point, the aircraft has proven it can meet developmental requirements. Now it's up to this detachment to assess everything in a more fluid and realistic operational environment," said Champaigne.