Deepwaterdeepwater News EXTENDING OUR MARITIME BORDERS

DeepwaterDeepwater News EXTENDING OUR MARITIME BORDERS

MARCH 2006 EDITION

National Security Cutter Rotational Crewing Concept Approved “I got my orders!” exclaimed Petty Officer First Class Travis Forfinski, an operations specialist aboard the cutter USCGC RESO- LUTE (WMEC 620). “I am ex- cited to be selected for the first national security cutter [crew].” The excitement was palpable in the inaugural crew when detail- ers recently issued 50 orders to Maritime Security Cutter Large (WMSL) Crew Alpha – Alameda, Calif. WMSL Crew Alpha will be the crew that shepherds the first national security cutter (NSC), USCGC BERTHOLF (WMSL 750), from pre-commissioning activities through its initial opera- The Crew Rotation Concept (CRC) was recently approved for the first three National Security Cutters. The CRC will maximize operational tempo “… People perform the Coast while sustaining an acceptable personnel tempo for cutter crews. Guard's missions, and their for major cutters, a formidable ing the cutters among the crews to assets are there to support paradigm shift in cutter crewing. limit crew PERSTEMPO to 185 Vice Adm. Terry Cross, vice com- days while maintaining each cut- them. So we think of the CRC mandant of the Coast Guard, ter's operational tempo signed a decision memorandum in Continued on pg 2 model as assigning ships to late February to approve the Crew crews instead of crews to Rotation Concept (CRC) as the means of maximizing cutters’ INSIDE: ships. And it's about time." time at sea while sustaining an Continued page 2 acceptable personnel tempo First USCG Deepwater Aircraft tional patrols. The billets are on (PERSTEMPO) for cutter crews. Rolls off Production Line..…...pg 3 the 2006 shopping list, and U.S. Various directorates at Coast A “Joint and Interoperable” Mari- Coast Guard Headquarters staffs Guard Headquarters have been tackling numerous policy issues time Force………………………...pg 4 are updating the Staffing Stan- such as sea pay and housing af- dards to include the newest cutter Deepwater’s Capabilites Called fected by CRC to ensure they are crew personnel requirements. “Instrumental” for Port Security With the stand-up of Crew responsive to the new NSC crew- ………………………………………..pg 6 Alpha and the delivery of the Ber- members. tholf, the Coast Guard introduced Initially, the Coast Guard New Deepwater Information & So- the concept of multi-crew rotation will employ four crews for three lutions Center Opens…………..pg 7 NSCs at a single homeport, rotat-

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(OPTEMPO) at 230 days. The hemisphere deployments, an 11- Gulfport, Miss. for cutter delivery three-cutter, four-crew prototype person detachment to provide in several years. The PCAF will be evaluated in 2009 through continuous Condition III watch- building is located at Northrop an operational testing-and- standing capacity. Grumman Shipyard Pascagoula. evaluation process. Policy and Coast Guard Headquarters Coast Guard Headquarters person- procedures for CRC are based on announced the crew’s prospective nel selected Cdr. Kelly Kachele, the lessons learned by the Coast commanding officer as Capt. Pat- Maintenance and Logistics Com- Guard and the U.S. Navy, as well rick Stadt, the sponsor’s represen- mand Pacific, to lead the PCAF as consideration of the recommen- tative for the Integrated Deepwa- team as prospective commanding dations made by auditors from the ter System in the Response Direc- officer. Government Accountability Of- torate at U.S. Coast Guard Head- To facilitate introduction of fice. quarters, and executive officer Deepwater assets at Alameda, an “For the entire history of the Cdr. Kelly Hatfield, Chief Re- initial staff of seven is expected to Coast Guard, if you think about it, sponse Enforcement Branch, Dis- be assigned to a Deepwater Shore we have assigned crews to ships,” trict 11. Support Unit there in the summer said Rear Adm. Ken Venuto, as- As hull construction pro- of 2007 prior to USCGC BER- sistant commandant for human gresses, a Primary Crew Assem- THOLF’s arrival. The permanent resources. “In a way, this gave bly Facility (PCAF) will ensure support building on Coast Guard the impression that the ship is the that all pre-commission crews are Island should open in late 2008, most important contributor to mis- ready to accept the ship. Approxi- prior to the arrival of WMSL 751. sion performance, and people are “The Crew Rotation Concept there to support it. I think we “It is imperative that we em- is the preferred crewing concept know better than that today; peo- brace our responsibilities to utilized for both the NSC and ple perform the Coast Guard's OPC to meet the required OP- missions, and their assets are there maximize the use of the very TEMPO without violating the to support them. In my view, the capable cutters we are build- mandated PERSTEMPO’, said Lt. Crew Rotation Concept is a model j.g. Justin M. Lian, a member of that assigns ships to crews instead ing while keeping our promise the Human Resources Deepwater of crews to ships. And it's about Workforce Modeling and Simula- time.” for a balanced work-life to the tion staff at Coast Guard Head- With an operational crew men and women we charge to quarters. size of 108, including officers and Coast Guard Area staffs will enlisted personnel, orders have operate them.” assign cutters to crews based on been or are being issued for the cutter availability, crew PER- first 65 crewmembers, including mately 65 new crewmembers will STEMPO, and operational de- several pre-commissioning billets report to Alameda by August. mands. A crew will typically that were filled last year, the engi- The remaining 43 members of the have a six- to nine-month tour and neering officer, the main propul- crew will report to Pascagoula, will conduct both underway and sion assistant, and other key engi- Miss. three months prior to deliv- in-port periods until PER- neering billets. In addition to the ery of WMSL 750, to begin STEMPO requires a crew swap operational crew, detachments WMSL cutter familiarization out. round out the deployed crew to training. Hypothetically, Crew Bravo optimize the cutter’s mission ca- This summer, the initial Gulf would move from an "off-cycle" pabilities. Coast PCAF staff will report to status to relieve Crew Delta. These detachments include Pascagoula, where they will pro- Crew Delta would turn over the maintenance personnel for two vide on-site training, logistics, and cutter to Crew Bravo after ensur- embarked Eagle Eye vertical take- administrative support to the ing they are ready to take the cut- off and-landing unmanned aerial crews that will take delivery of ter on the next patrol. They then vehicles, a five-person aviation NSCs and, eventually, the forth- would move to an “off-cycle” detachment during helicopter em- coming fast response cutters status, providing opportunities to barkations, a six-person Com- (FRC). The PCAF will provide focus on “crew maintenance,” mand Task Unit detachment these same services when fast re- including leave, team training, (when required) and for out-of- sponse cutter crews report to Continued on pg 3

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and a limited capacity to perform that they are swapped out to main- we embrace our responsibilities to maintenance support for cutters in tain the crew PERSTEMPO cap. maximize the use of the very ca- port. For periods when crews rotate off pable cutters we are building The exact doctrine and policy a cutter, they are considered “off- while keeping our promise for a for the CRC turnover will be fully cycle.” The actual rotation cycle balanced work-life to the men and developed prior to the first crew will vary from port to port and women we charge to operate swap out by a working group year to year based on the crew and them.” composed of representatives from cutter allocations as well as opera- The Crew Rotation Con- various directorates at Coast tional demands. cept is designed to help the first Guard Headquarters and staff as- Once the first NSC success- crew achieve those two goals. signed to Area Commanders, fully completes acceptance trials, “From a practical point of view Maintenance and Logistics Com- Crew Alpha will then conduct the most important dimension of mand, and “plank owners” from limited ready-for-sea activities to this new crewing concept is that it the first crews that will operate ensure the ship may depart the decouples the PERSTEMPO of the NSCs. Gulf region for its homeport early the crew from the OPTEMPO of At any given time, one crew in 2009. the cutter,” Stillman said. “We will have full responsibility for “The Crew Rotation Concept can keep the deployment PER- cutter operations and mainte- is a significant departure from STEMPO for each crew at 185 nance, underway and in port. Al- traditional policies for cutter days while deploying each cutter though none of the crews will per- crewing," said Rear Adm. Patrick for 230 days a year.” manently “own” a specific hull, a M. Stillman, program executive By PAC Jeffrey Murphy crew will operate and maintain its officer for the Integrated Deepwa- assigned cutter until such time ter System. “It is imperative that

First Coast Guard Deepwater Aircraft Rolls Off Production Line Lockheed Martin and aircraft cials from both countries. This plan for achieving enhanced mari- maker EADS CASA recently ceremony marked a significant time domain awareness,” said Leo rolled out the first production air- milestone in development and Mackay, president of ICGS. frame of the HC-235A medium- delivery of the new aircraft for the “Linked with other Deepwater range surveillance maritime patrol Coast Guard. surface, air and shore system as- aircraft. Produced in Spain with “The HC-235A is an integral sets through a common operating substantial U.S. components, in- component of the Coast Guard's Continued on pg 4 cluding avionics, propulsion, and integrated subsystems, the HC- 235A is the first new aircraft developed for the U.S. Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System program under contract to Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS). The first aircraft was unveiled March 23 at the EADS CASA plant in San Pablo (Seville) at a ceremony attended by the U.S. ambassador to Spain, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, and senior company ex- ecutives representing EADS CASA, EADS North America, The first HC-235A medium-range surveillance maritime patrol aircraft was Lockheed Martin and ICGS, as unveiled at the EADS CASA plant in Seville, Spain, on March 23. (Photo well as various government offi- courtesy of EADS CASA)

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picture, the aircraft becomes a requires reliable ships, boats and security and search and rescue vital node in the network to help aircraft equipped with modern missions, enforce laws and trea- the Coast Guard fulfill its mari- communications and sensor ties including illegal drug inter- time surveillance mission require- equipment. That is precisely what diction, marine environmental ments and improve its overall our Deepwater program is about, protection, military readiness, and homeland security capabilities.” and that is what this aircraft will international ice patrol missions, “The American people de- provide. We are pleased to reach as well as cargo and personnel pend on the Coast Guard to save this important production mile- transport. The size, range and re- lives, to interdict illegal drugs and stone and look forward to taking configuration capabilities will migrants, to secure the homeland delivery of the first HC-235A in fully enable the execution of the and more,” said Vice Adm. Terry 2007, so we can put the aircraft to multiple missions performed by Cross, vice commandant of the work.” the Coast Guard. Coast Guard. “Mission success “The entire EADS CASA The current Deepwater plan team is very pleased to celebrate calls for production and system with our partners of ICGS and the integration of 36 aircraft through U.S. Coast Guard on the roll-out 2017. This first aircraft will be of the first HC-235A aircraft as completed and delivered to the part of the Deepwater Program,” Coast Guard's Aviation Training said Francisco Fernandez Sáinz, Center in Mobile, Ala, in spring chairman and CEO of EADS 2007. CASA. “An important milestone Courtesy of Integrated Coast Vice Adm. Terry Cross signals his has been reached today”. Guard Systems approval of the first HC-235A. The Coast Guard will use the (Photo courtesy of EADS CASA) HC-235A to perform homeland

“A Joint and Interoperable Maritime Force” Navy-Coast Guard National Fleet Policy Updated

Chief of Naval Operations The National Fleet Adm. Michael G. Mullen and The Navy-Coast Guard National Fleet has three main attributes. First, it is Commandant of the Coast Guard composed of ships, boats, aircraft, and shore command-and-control nodes Adm. Thomas H. Collins jointly that are affordable, adaptable, interoperable, and possess complementary approved a new National Fleet capabilities. Secondly, these forces will be designed, wherever possible, policy statement in early March around common command, control, and communications equipment and aimed at strengthening Navy- operational, weapon and engineering systems, and include coordinated Coast Guard cooperation and tai- operational planning, procurement, training, and logistics. Lastly, the Na- lored operational integration of tional Fleet will be capable of supporting the broad spectrum of U.S. na- each service’s multimission plat- tional security requirements—from power protection to defense of the forms, infrastructure, and person- homeland. nel. Building on more than two The Navy’s contribution to the National Fleet consists of multimission centuries of close collaboration ships, submarines, and aircraft, as well as Naval Coastal Warfare, Naval and joint operations in peace and Special Warfare, and C4ISR assets designed for the full spectrum of naval war, this firm commitment to operations, from peacetime engagement to global war. The Coast Guard’s shared purpose directly supports contribution is its statutory authorities, multimission cutters, boats, aircraft the new National Strategy for and C4SIR as well as law enforcement and environmental response teams. Maritime Security approved by This contribution, designed for the full spectrum of Coast Guard missions, President Bush in September. includes maritime security operations, counterterrorism-crisis response, “Security of the maritime and filling the joint combatant commanders’ theater plans calling for gen- domain can be accomplished only eral-purpose warships.

Source: National Fleet Policy Statement, March 2006 Continued on pg 5

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by seamlessly employing all in- weapons proliferation, weapons of The result, they say, will serve as struments of national power in a mass destruction, force protection, a force multiplier. Each service fully coordinated manner,” the and terrorism—Mullen and will be able to leverage the assets strategy states. Collins maintain that the Navy of the other by providing unique “While we remain separate and Coast Guard must be able to services, we recognize that full deploy forces with greater agility, “The other wonderful thing cooperation and integration of our adaptability, and affordability about the strategy is that it is non-redundant and complemen- across the full spectrum of con- tary capabilities must be flict. not narrowly constructed as a achieved,” Mullen and Collins “A joint and interoperable said. “This continues to ensure the maritime force is needed to estab- national counterterrorism highest level of maritime capabili- lish the numerical sufficiency re- plan; it is an all-threat plan ties and readiness for the nation’s quired for effective global opera- security and investment.” The tions and to effectively foster and including counter-drugs, mi- National Fleet, which originated leverage regional international grant issues, fishery enforce- in 1998, reflects an agreement by partnerships in order to achieve the Navy and the Coast Guard to global maritime domain aware- ment, and other security ar- plan, acquire, and maintain forces ness and maritime transportation eas—a system’s view of the that support and complement each security in the era of globaliza- service’s roles and missions. tion,” they said. maritime.” As the challenges to U.S. Improved synchronization is sovereignty and maritime security planned for research and develop- capabilities for expeditionary war- grow more diverse and complex ment, planning, fiscal steward- fare and maritime homeland de- each year—in part a reflection on ship, procurement, doctrine devel- fense and security missions. regional conflict, arms smuggling, opment, training, and operations. In recent months, Mullen and Collins have elaborated on their common vision to operationalize the National Fleet more aggres- sively. Although each service uses distinct, threat-based platforms tailored to their primary operating environments, the underlying technology and systems use interoperable components to facilitate joint operations. Navy and Coast Guard program executive officers, for example, have agreed to close cooperation in the oversight of their acquisition programs in recent years. Each service seeks to maximize the use and reuse of common sub-systems, as well as commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf equipment to improve interoperability. The Navy-Coast Guard National Fleet Policy provides for a full range of This approach is reflected in capabilities across the entire spectrum of maritime threats and missions. the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Here, the Coast Guard cutter WRANGELL (WPB-1332) is shown alongside program, for example, a high- the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN-76) un- speed, networked combatant with derway in the Persian Gulf in early March. CGC WRANGELL is one of the capabilities optimized to assure Coast Guard units currently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and other naval and joint force access into national-defense missions in the region as part of the U.S. Fifth Fleet's contested littoral regions. The Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy) Continued on pg 6

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Coast Guard’s Integrated Deep- will seek increasing synergies cently, “is that it is not narrowly water System of three classes of with the Coast Guard, at home constructed as a national counter- new cutters, manned and un- and abroad, exploring comple- terrorism plan; it is an all-threat manned aircraft, and C4ISR is mentary design, acquisition, op- plan including counter-drugs, mi- designed for long-range, inde- erations, and training initiatives.” grant issues, fishery enforcement, pendent missions in lower- He described the new National and other security areas—a sys- intensity environments. Despite Strategy for Maritime Security as tem’s view of the maritime. There varied missions, both programs a “very critical and important is a lot of work to be done to give share common infrastructure rang- document” and said he and meaning and add meat to those ing from communication systems Collins will build on their strong plans, and the Navy and the Coast to weapons. relationship to achieve the level of Guard are engaged in doing that.” “As the Navy develops shal- maritime domain awareness they By Gordon I. Peterson low water and riverine capabili- think vital for the future. ties,” Mullen testified to the The Coast Guard agrees. House of Representative’s Armed “The other wonderful thing about Services Committee March 3, “we the strategy,” said Collins re-

Deepwater’s Capabilities Called “Instrumental” for Port Security The Deepwater Program’s more capable assets and systems have long been seen as being key enablers in building a more ready and responsive 21st-century Coast Guard, but their linkage to improved port security is often not recognized.

“We successfully prosecuted a mission this week and relied heavily on the capabilities pro- vided by the upgrades to coor- dinate resource allocation, including both surface and air Coast Guard legacy aircraft and cutters, modernized by the Deepwater Program, are helping to make U.S. ports safer. This HH-65C helicopter, assets, sharing of intelligence, assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., flies low over the and real-time decision mak- Atlantic Ocean in January. A total of 25 of the more powerful and capable HH-65Cs, re-engined and upgraded by the Deepwater Program, were de- ing—all facilitated by the up- livered by the end of February. USCG Photo by PA2 John Edwards. graded system.” gram necessarily invests in capa- on the Coast Guard’s fiscal year Adm. Thomas H. Collins, bilities adequate to operate in the 2007 budget to the House Appro- commandant of the Coast Guard, often-unforgiving offshore envi- priations Committee’s Subcom- does not make that oversight. In ronment,” he told Congress in mittee on Homeland Security, his view, all Deepwater platforms early March, “it is these same ca- noted that assets scheduled for will make essential contributions pabilities that are instrumental to Deepwater’s modernization in- in this critical area of maritime effective response operations in clude every Coast Guard aircraft homeland security. port and coastal areas as well.” type. “These aircraft, rotary-wing “While the Deepwater Pro- Collins, testifying March 9 Continued on pg 7

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in particular, are critical parts of coordination of rescue operations decision making—all facilitated our port and coastal-response in- in New Orleans, La., and Gulf- by the upgraded system,” Capt. frastructure as well as extended port, Miss., with local first re- Michael E. Sullivan, commanding offshore operations.” sponders and other federal agen- officer of the high endurance cut- And, contrary to some per- cies,” Collins said. ter CGC Morgenthau, said re- ceptions that the Deepwater Pro- The payoffs for improved cently. gram is a program aimed primar- connectivity resulting from more The cutter’s multi-agency, ily at the Coast Guard’s future highly networked and interoper- multinational operation led to the readiness, Collins emphasized that able Deepwater C4ISR also have seizure of a foreign vessel carry- the progressive conversion or been demonstrated repeatedly in ing 2.5 metric tons of cocaine. modernization of aging legacy more distant waters during “The critical coordination, and assets are making a difference counter-drug and illegal migrant tactical and strategic decisions, now. “The operational benefits interdiction operations. Last year, were greatly enhanced by seam- were apparent during the Coast for example, the Coast Guard pre- less, instant, and robust communi- Guard’s response to Hurricane vented more than 338,000 pounds cations delivered by the Deepwa- Katrina,” he said. “As an exam- of cocaine from reaching the ter C4ISR upgrade,” Sullivan ple, three more powerful re- United States—an all-time mari- maintained. engined HH-65C helicopters flew time record. According to summa- The president’s Coast Guard 85 sorties to save 305 lives.” ries of operational patrols, Deep- budget request for fiscal year Similar benefits were water C4ISR upgrades on legacy 2007 contains $934.4 million to achieved with the Deepwater Pro- cutters are playing an important advance the Deepwater Program. gram’s upgrades to systems for role. “The Integrated Deepwater Sys- C4ISR (command, control, com- “We successfully prosecuted tem acquisition program remains munications, computers, intelli- a mission this week and relied the centerpiece of a more ready, gence, surveillance, and recon- heavily on the capabilities pro- aware, and responsive 21st-century naissance) on legacy cutters. “The vided by the upgrades to coordi- Coast Guard,” Adm. Collins told C4ISR improvements to high and nate resource allocation, including Congress. medium endurance cutters en- both surface and air assets, shar- By Gordon I. Peterson abled more effective on-scene ing of intelligence, and real-time

New Deepwater Information and Solutions Center Opens

On Monday, March 27, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place signifying the opening of the Deepwater Informa- tion & Solutions Center (DISC), a Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and Lockheed Martin facility in Washing- ton D.C. The DISC is an interactive display facility which offers a collective representation of what has been achieved to date on the Integrated Deepwater System program, without requiring travel to distant locations where the work is being done.

Participating in the ribbon cutting were: (From left) Dr. Leo Mackay, president, Integrated Coast Guard Sys- tems; Fred Moosally, president, Lockheed Martin MS2; U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Patrick Stillman, USCG Integrated Deepwater System program executive officer; Philip Teel, president, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and I. Lanier Avant, Chief of Staff for U.S. Representa- tive Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), who serves on the Homeland Security Committee.

Each of the five Deepwater Program Domains - Surface, Air, C4ISR, System-Of-Systems, and Logistics - is addressed, including key program details such as assets and capabilities delivered, operational effectiveness, total operating cost, customer satisfaction and technology infusion. (Photo and cutline courtesy of Integrated Coast Guard Systems)

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