RIMPAC 2008

EXCHANGE SAILOR ON USS PINCKNEY IS “LIVING THE DREAM”

16 July - Operating at the absolute cutting edge of warfare technology, an Australian sailor is in the middle of a two year exchange posting with the United States Navy working on the Aegis Combat System which will accompany new HOBART Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) when they are introduced into the Royal Australian Navy.

Chief Petty Officer Damon Young of Perth, Western Australia, is currently posted to USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer. CPO Young, who was selected from a group of Australian Combat Systems Operators to be the first sailor posted to this billet, said he is about halfway through the best experience of his life.

“I am literally living the dream,” said CPO Young.

In Pearl Harbour for Exercise RIMPAC 08, USS Pinckney, with its ship’s complement of 35 officers and 300 enlisted men, plus one Australian sailor, is one of a number of USN guided missile destroyers fitted with the Aegis Weapon System to make the trip over to Hawaii for the exercise.

“Aegis is designed to integrate overall management of a task group's combat assets for air, surface and underwater operations,” CPO Young said.

It can react quickly and with enough firepower to destroy fast, intelligent targets in the most difficult electronic warfare and physical environments. Aegis comprises four main components: the phased array multi function radar, the command and decision system, the Aegis display system and the weapon control system.

CPO Young’s first posting in the United States was to Dahlgren, Virginia, where he attended nine months of specialist courses to learn the Aegis System. Young and two Royal Australian Navy exchange officers (LEUT Kelli Bolt and LCDR Des O’Neil) performed admirably in their courses, regularly achieving top marks.

Once the courses were out of the way, it was time to consolidate on the real thing. Moving across the USA, CPO Young’s next posting was to San Diego California; the home port for USS Pinckney. To date, the Aussie has spent four rewarding months onboard, with the prospect of another year posted to the ship.

“Hopefully I will conduct an operational deployment during my time on USS Pinckney,” Young said.

Pennant number 91, USS Pinckney is equipped with ‘Baseline 7’, the most modern version of the Aegis Combat System currently in use in the United States Navy. According to CPO Young, one of the most exciting aspects of his involvement with the Aegis system is that Australian AWD’s will be fitted with an even more modern upgrade.

“I am excited to say that we will be getting the very best Aegis system,” said CPO Young.

“The version we are currently utilising in USS Pinckney has amazing capabilities but the US is yet to commission a ship which will have the generation that Australia will receive.”

The Baseline 7 Aegis Weapon System contains the first complete commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Aegis advanced processing computing architecture and the new AN/SPY-1D(V) radar.

According to CPO Young, the transition to a complete COTS computing environment and network infrastructure increases the Aegis systems' flexibility.

“It’s a major step toward an open architecture and will help ease introduction of future computing features and upgrades,” he said.

CPO Young said that after nineteen years in the Royal Australian Navy he now feels like he is starting a brand new career.

The father of two young children, with another on the way, Young has embraced his United States experience.

“In Virginia, we lived just eight miles from George Washington’s and Robert E Lee’s birthplaces. The entire area was steeped in Civil War history and my wife and I took advantage of every opportunity to travel and see the country,” he said.

“But it is the attraction of working on this most exciting project that motivates me to get out of bed every morning,” said CPO Young.

In June 2007, the Australian government announced that the Spanish Navantia F100 design had been selected to be the RAN's AWD. With four of the class already commissioned in the Spanish Navy, and a fifth under contract, the F100 was selected ahead of the US Gibbs and Cox Evolved Design. The ships, to be named Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney, are expected to enter service in 2014, 2016 and 2017 respectively and will be known as the HOBART class.

HOBART class destroyers will displace around 6 250 tonnes full load, be 147 metres in length, have a maximum speed of more than 28 knots, operating range in excess of    5 000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 18 knots, and have a ship's company of about 180 personnel.

The Aegis Combat System is already in service with the navies of the United States of America, Japan, Norway, Spain and the Republic of Korea.

TOBRUK SAILORS RIDE ON FRESH AIR

11 July - An invitation from USS Bonhomme Richard was all that was required to motivate thirty sailors from HMAS Tobruk (CMDR Brett Wolski) to rise early and turn up for the ride of a lifetime.

The WASP class Amphibious Assault Ship, Bonhomme Richard can carry up to three Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), high-speed, over-the-beach fully amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 60 tonne payload. Most people would recognise these vehicles as hovercraft.

So when the opportunity arose for Tobruk sailors to take a ride during a loading evolution, many jumped at the chance.  In preparation for the ‘at sea’ phase of RIMPAC 2008, the LCAC’s were required to embark heavy USMC vehicles, transporting them from nearby Ford Island to the waiting Bonhomme Richard. Three Tobruk sailors at a time were allowed to sit in the pilot house of the LCACs as they made the one hour round trip.

“It was a chance to experience something we cannot see at home,” said Able Seaman Steward Michael Kotiw.

“They are just awesome craft. Once you are inside it almost feels like you are in the cockpit of an aircraft,” AB Kotiw said.

“It was a real thrill to come to Hawaii for RIMPAC and getting the chance to ride on an LCAC is the icing on the cake.”

Riding on an air cushion 1.2 metres above the surface of water or land, an LCAC can carry troops or heavy cargo, such as an M-1 tank, at high speeds. Their payload and speed mean more forces can reach the shore in less time, with shorter intervals between trips. The air cushion allows the vehicle to access more than 70 percent of the world's coastline compared to 17% with conventional landing craft.

Exercise RIMPAC 2008 is currently being conducted in waters off the Hawaiian Islands. With ten participating countries, 35 surface ships, 6 submarines and almost 20 000 personnel, RIMPAC is the largest maritime exercise in the world.

The Royal Australian Navy’s participation includes HMA Ships Anzac (CAPT Stuart Mayer, CSC), Tobruk (CMDR Brett Wolski), Success (CMDR Simon Brown) and Waller (CMDR Brett Sampson), a Clearance Diving element, Exercise Planners and Fleet Battle Staff.

FIREWORKS ROCK DA HOUSE

10 July - Royal Australian Navy ships HMAS Anzac (CAPT Stuart Mayer, CSC, RAN) and HMAS Tobruk (CMDR Brett Wolski, RAN) shared centre stage with a huge Fourth of July fireworks display as American Independence Day celebrations rocked Pearl Harbour Naval Station in Hawaii.

The ships, along with HMAS Success (CMDR Simon Brown, RAN) and HMAS Waller (CMDR Brett Sampson, RAN) were in Hawaii for Exercise RIMPAC 08, the largest maritime exercise in the world with ten participating nations, 35 ships and 20 000 personnel.

As the Harbour Phase of the exercise drew to a close, participants took time out to join with their US hosts to celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day. The Pearl Harbour Naval Station was opened to military affiliated friends and families and a huge ‘block party’ with rides and games for the kids, craft and food stalls, entertainment, exhibitions and a display of  hot rod cars culminated in a fireworks display which rivalled almost anything you can experience on News Years eve.

The twenty minute show was fired from the same wharf where Anzac and Tobruk were berthed and those few who stayed on board reported feeling the shock waves of the closest fireworks. Upper decks were out of bounds to ensure safety from any firework debris but all was well; the light winds ensured that all ships were treated to a lighting display in the sky, not on the ground.

Able Seaman Photographer Craig Owen was one of the few who were actually working when the celebrations were on. As those on the ground were mesmerised by the display of aerial colour, AB Owen found some high ground and with the help of a steady hand and long exposure, was able to capture some stunning photographs.

TOBRUK PLAYS HOST TO USN ADMIRAL

10 July - A visit by Vice Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, Commander, United States Third Fleet, to HMAS Tobruk (CMDR Brett Wolski) was a major highlight for the ship during the Harbour Phase of RIMPAC 08.

Vice Admiral Locklear stepped on board Tobruk for the first time, exchanged salutes with CMDR Wolski and immediately set an informal tone for the visit as Commanding Officer Wolski hosted an afternoon tea in his honour.

“It was a special privilege to receive Vice Admiral Locklear,” said CMDR Wolski.

“This is Tobruk’s first involvement in RIMPAC and we are the only foreign amphibious ship in the exercise.”

Admiral Locklear watched as US Marines drove Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) from the waters of Pearl Harbour onto Tobruk’s tank deck through the stern door. The operation, a trial in preparation for amphibious exercises later in RIMPAC, came off without a hitch as the vehicles made it on board and were able to execute a three point turn on the tank deck in preparation for a land assault.

“This was a great example of the interoperability that RIMPAC participating nations are looking to achieve out of the exercise,” CMDR Wolski said.

“On board Tobruk we expect to embark US Marines with the AAVs, a small contingent of US Navy support troops and Canadian Infantry.”

Below decks in the Embarked Forces Mess, Vice Admiral Locklear engaged with Tobruk sailors in a friendly and open manner.

“We all talk about the ‘thousand ship navy’,” Vice Admiral Locklear told the assembled officers and sailors.

“But in truth the US Navy has less than 300 ships. Cooperation and the ability to work together as coalition partners is essential to ensure our world remains safe and secure,” he said

“As we look forward to the at sea phase of RIMPAC, we are excited that the participating nations can practice working together in a dynamic but safe environment.”

And with that, Vice Admiral Locklear made his way through the crowd, shaking hands with Tobruk officers and sailors alike; the man who was once an ordinary sailor himself, now Commander 3rd Fleet in the United States Navy.