Exchange gives new insight into sonar Ops

CPOAWA Darren Smith, a sea trainer, is part way through a three year exchange with the US Navy.

A former member of the submarine squadron’s sea training group is helping put US submariner sonar operators through their paces.

CPOAWA Darren Smith is one third of the way through a three-year exchange posting, the first of its kind between the RAN and USN, which is providing a new insight into sonar operations.

“Seeing how another navy actually works and being exposed to their operating procedures, how they employ their sonar, towed arrays all that sort of thing, is really interesting,” CPO Smith said.

CPO Smith has been working with COMSUBPAC at Pearl Harbor since July 2001, training up sonar operators during what the Americans call Tactical Readiness Evaluations for their submarine crews.

“I searide for TRE's along with about 10 USN personnel, and work closely with the TRE teams Sonar Technician,” CPO Smith said.

“The Sonar Technician and myself focus on the tactical employment of the sonars ensuring that the correct procedures are followed,” he said.

CPO Smith returned to Australia in September to complete a three-week senior sailors advanced staff course at HMAS Creswell and one week at HMAS Stirling to talk to submariners about his experiences so far during the exchange program.

CPO Smith spends between three days to several weeks at sea doing TREs, mainly on Los Angeles class submarines.

• Story and photo by Tim Slater

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