Lessons Learned from the Royal Navy

Here in the last few years I have heard the name Sir John Fisher, First Sea Lord, brought up increasingly when it comes to how the US Navy can still be competitive in a limited budget environment. I had done some limited research on the First Sea Lord, but nothing definitive. To my surprise in this month's issue of USNI Proceedings (October 2012) there is a excellent article written by Captain Gerard Roncolato, USN (RET.) on not only the First Sea Lord's concepts but how they are applicable to the US Navy. I would like to extrapolate that one further, by applying those concepts to the US Coast Guard. 
By the time of Sir John Fisher, the United Kingdom was seeking ways to pay off war debt from several wars in South Africa, and after large ground conflicts, the Royal Navy was the service under the chopping block. So with a limited budget to function with Sir John Fisher took that time to reset naval thinking and doctrine. Some of his ideas where to have more agile, faster, and more advanced vessels forward deployed throughout the Empire, with the slower, older, larger, but heavier hitting vessels in the homefleet to protect the British Isles. He sought to increase the use of at the time state of the art communications and Intelligence to allow his fleet increased forewarning of hostile activity so he could concentrate his fleet in those areas. These concepts alone still ring true today in the USN and USCG, over one hundred years later. 
Captain Roncolato looks within Sir John Fisher's concepts and applies them to the modern US Navy and its current budget issues. I feel that while most of them are applicable to the Coast Guard there are a handful that will be immensely important to the USCG:
* "Procurement decisions that can be made with maximum flexibility for uncertain futures." I see this as being a call for the USN and USCG to pull back from the idea of designing vessels around current technology and mission requirements and to being looking more generally when it comes to hulls and capabilities. 
* "Programs that by nature limit tactical options can or should be dropped." A similar concept to the one above, but I read it is a more anything that is single mission specialized should be eliminated for a more versatile asset. 
* "How the Navy might better use and integrate its considerable educational and wargaming capacity to ensure realistic concept development." This concept actually leads into several others made by Captain Roncolato, but I think the USCG would have to focus in this respect before they could even try to move any further in planning and development. The USCG has maintained the mindset of a reactive force for so long, that in relation to our sister services our planning capacities are severely lacking. For a service so small, budget that matches, we should maximize our planning operations to look at all the most likely eventuality before we commit any of our hard earned budgets to any system or process. 

There is a quote within the article that rang home for me, and if thought out of context of the Jutland Campaign, I see its application to the USCG, "The failure was not due to very smart British Officers not working hard to solve though problems. It was, in fact, that they were working so hard - though a flawed system. The prism was too limited, and this brought them up short. It was a case of wrong thinking by committed, intelligent, trained professionals; it was not a case of no thinking." (Roncolato, Proceedings Magazine, October 2012) We as a service have worked so hard within Deepwater to revitalize the Fleet, and our systems, but have fallen short at times. If Sir John Fisher can teach us anything it is to not let anyone system become too specialized, we must plan and develop not for one specific enemy or mission, but instead develop assets that will have application to a wide range of eventualities, those predicted and unpredicted.

Happy 222nd Birthday USCG

To the United States Coast Guard, happy Two Hundred and Twenty-second Birthday!

Included is the Commandant of the USMC’s Birthday Message to the USCG

R 271935Z JUL 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 032/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/222ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  ON BEHALF OF ALL WHO WEAR THE EAGLE, GLOBE AND ANCHOR, IT IS WITH GREAT RESPECT THAT I SEND BEST WISHES TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ON YOUR 222ND ANNIVERSARY. 
2.  SINCE 4 AUGUST 1790, THE NATIONS OLDEST CONTINUOUS SEAGOING SERVICE HAS SUPERBLY PROVIDED MARITIME SAFETY, SECURITY AND STEWARDSHIP.  TODAY YOU CONTINUE THIS PRAISEWORTHY MISSION, SAVING LIVES, PROTECTING AMERICAN COASTS AND PORTS, AND GUARDING U.S. INTEREST OVERSEAS.  THROUGHOUT YOUR STORIED HISTORY, IN TIMES OF WAR AND PEACE, YOU HAVE HELD FAST TO YOUR CORE VALUES OF HONOR, RESPECT, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY, CREATING A PROUD LEGACY OF SERVICE TO OUR GREAT NATION.
3.  AS YOU CELEBRATE YOUR ANNIVERSARY, KNOW THAT THE ENTIRE MARINE CORPS REMAINS PROUD OF YOUR SACRIFICES AND SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
4.  SEMPER FIDELIS AND SEMPER PARATUS, JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//

And the Commandant of the USCG’s Birthday Message

R 021732Z AUG 12

ALCOAST 356/12

COMDTNOTE 1000

SUBJ: SHIPMATES 23: COAST GUARD BIRTHDAY - FOCUS ON PROFICIENCY

1. Shipmates, I recently had the great privilege of visiting the

headquarters of the National Archives, where the archivists showed me

the original legislation which gave us our beginning, signed by

President George Washington on the 4th of August, 1790. This was a

very special event that vividly reminded me of the connection our

Service has to the history of the United States of America. This

year, as we celebrate the 222nd birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard, we

will dedicate time to honor our profession by focusing on proficiency

throughout the Service.

2. I invite you to view a Coast Guard Day video message from me and

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Leavitt using the

following links:

http://www.dvidshub.net/video/150864/coast-guard-birthday-message-adm

iral-robert-papp-and-masterchief-michael-leavitt

or

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2(underscore)itemId(equal)170424

0

3. The Coast Guard remains an organization undergoing change while

sustaining a broad range of operations and support activities across

a diverse range of missions. Increased activity in the Arctic, the

continued flow of drugs and migrants toward our shores, threats to

fisheries, and our mandate to assure the safe and secure approaches

to American ports all confront us like uncertain and stormy seas-and

all in the context of shrinking budgets. At the same time, however,

we must rely on the enduring anchors that define us as Coast

Guardsmen - members of the profession of arms - and that are crucial

to our success: proficiency in craft, proficiency in leadership, and

disciplined initiative.

4. This week I published an article linked below that communicates my

vision and intent on proficiency, why it is important, what the

service is doing to improve it, and what I expect of each of you.

http://tinyurl.com/cff9hzr. I encourage you to read it and discuss it

with your shipmates.

5. Proficiency in craft, proficiency in leadership, disciplined

initiative-these are the anchors upon which we will hold fast in the

uncertain and stormy seas that we are facing.

6. Beyond the current situation, they are enduring. Their value and

necessity to our ethos and our mission success is proven in our rich

heritage and the long blue line of Coast Guard men and women who have

gone before us. They will sustain us in the future as they do now and

have before.

7. Within the next 30 days, commanding officers and

officers-in-charge shall discuss the contents of the article at

quarters or an appropriate muster. I encourage you to continue these

discussions in the mess deck and hangar deck, Chiefs Mess, wardroom,

and among staffs and teams.

8. As we face uncertain and stormy seas, current threats, or future

challenges, I am always confident that we will succeed because of the

great men and women of our Coast Guard. I am proud to be your

Commandant. Linda and I want to take this opportunity to thank you -

our Active Duty, Reserve, Civilian and Auxiliary members as well as

our retirees and all of our Coast Guard families, for your service,

sacrifice and dedication to duty.

9. We are Coast Guardsmen. This is our chosen profession. This is our

way. This is what we do.

10. Stand a Taut Watch. Semper Paratus.

11. Admiral Bob Papp, sends.

12. Internet release authorized.

GMC Ernie Borgnine, USN Fair Winds and Following Seas

On July 8^th, 2012 Ernest Borgnine crossed the bar, and passed away surrounded by his family. I know many tributes will be made to his Oscar and Emmy awards for acting. Maybe even a few passing comments will be made to his very real US Navy service when they discuss his leading role on McHale’s Navy. To me his USN service is one of the greatest things about Chief Borgnine, and a thing to be celebrated.

The Chief joined the United States Navy in 1935, and was trained as a Gunner’s Mate. He had a short break in service in 1941, but re-enlisted directly after Pearl Harbor and served until the end of the war in 1945. Chief promoted to GM1 over the course of his ten years of service. He served aboard the destroyer USS Lamberton during the course of the war and earned the military decorations: the Navy Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Chief Borgnine later became such a staunch supporter of the Navy and Navy families that he was given the honorary rating of GMC by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

Yes, then we have lost a great actor, but we have also lost a member of the greatest generation, and a Navy Combat Veteran. With that said, I will quote the Lone Sailor Memorial’s response to the passing of the Chief:

"Shipmate you stand relieved….we have the watch. Ring the Ship’s Bell: Chief Borgnine Departing."

Offshore Patrol Cutter: The USCG needs to look to the past to prepare for the future

USCGC Ingham (WPG-35) en-route to her home as a museum ship at the Truman Annex pier in Key West, FL

When you ask a Coast Guard Sailor to name a historical Cutter, they will most likely give you a name like “Spencer”, “Ingham”, or “Taney". There is a very good reason that the Coast Guard’s Treasury Class was, and is, easily the most effective cutter design we have had to date.  For a class of cutters that only numbered a total of 7 ships, they had a profound impact on the on the service for a period of fifty years. The cutter class exemplified the adaptability of the service and I think for very good reason we need to review what made them successful in the medium endurance cutter role, when we look to choose a vessel design to fulfill the medium endurance cutter role it once filled. 

Treasury Class (WPG)

USCGC Spencer (WPG-36) on convoy escort patrol in the North Atlantic

The Treasury class was designed based on an existing USN design that was proven and even shared the same engineering spaces to improve standardization and cost-effectiveness.  The Coast Guard’s further reasons to choose this vessel class, was its long range and relatively high speed vessels which aided it in its high-seas search and rescue, and high-seas narcotics interdiction roles, beyond a strictly national defense mission. What truly made these cutters so effective though, was there adaptability. This adaptability was served it well in the course of its fifty years in service, with the addition of systems like sonar, radar, HF/DF, a multitude of weapons systems, and even addition of aviation assets like Grumman Seaplanes.  This adaptability can be credited to necessity of the Second World War, or an oversized hull for its original mission, but I think it is something even more simple then that. In my readings over the years I can see a drastic change in how we developed weapons systems over the last sixty years, and this mindset even found its way to shipbuilding. Ships and aircraft now are designed around a specific weapons system to be delivered; examples of this are the F-14 Tomcat with the Phoenix missile or the A-10 Warthog with the Vulcan canon, ships of 60+ years ago where designed for durability, sea keeping, and performance first, ordnance and other systems came secondary. 

SIGMA Class Corvettes

The KRI Diponegoro conducting seatrials of off the Netherlands.  

I think there are currently an immense amount of designs available on the market now that would meet the requirements OPC and they range from the very well proven German MEKO design to BAE Systems OPV design. I think there is one vessel that stands out strongly for consideration for the offshore patrol cutter, or the Maritime Security Cutter Medium (WMSM), and that is DAMEN’s SIGMA (Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach). The reason I think this exemplifies the requirements of the WMSM is its approach is towards versatility and not towards a specific weapons or sensor system. You see the extreme adaptability that the class was based on with its versatility to act as more a constabulary vessel for the Indonesians and a similar design more heavily focused on combat operations for the Moroccans. The Indonesians and Moroccans have both asked for, and purchased a frigate based on the SIGMA concept. 

So why do I chose the SIGMA over so many other designs, or even an organically designed cutter. I do it from what I have visually gathered in touring some northern European navies ships. The German Navy Sachsen class, the Danish Absalon class, the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen class, and the Dutch SIGMA class are all designed with multi-mission modularity in mind. The Europeans cannot afford the mindset that the American shipbuilding holds, of designing a hull to a specific mission. They do not have the budget or the manning to be able support all those sole purpose vessels. The European mindset, of multi-mission capable vessels is what the whole SIGMA class is based on and could only benefit the USCG in the future. 

The USN to have loaned the Royal Navy vessels during the Falklands

The US Naval Institute (USNI) has an interesting piece of history that may become relevant yet again in today's current events. The article describes how President Reagan was going to lend the USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) to act an Assault Carrier, Admiral Zumwalt's sea control ship concept, for the Royal Navy if they had lost one of their carriers to the Argentinians during the Falklands War. This would be the lend/leasing of equipment that at that point had not been seen in 35 years. It begs to question on how close we are still with our British Allies under the current political environment, and if we would still do the same, especially now with the RN limited to one Helicopter carrier, and the Illustrious being retrofitted to act as an additional helicopter carrier until the Queen Elizabeth II is commissioned.

USNI Article

OPSAIL 2012 West Ghent Piers cont.

The second ship moored at the West Ghent Piers was the HDMS Esbern Snare (L-17). The tour of the ship was led by a Danish Navy Marinekonstabel, or by my best translation “Seaman”. The once on the vessel the Seaman requested that I not take any pictures, and I was more than happy to oblige. The tour took us from the bridge, to the flight deck, and the internal bay of the ship. The Seaman’s biggest point he impressed upon us was that the Danish Navy is a small one, so while this ship is a frigate it cannot be a single mission platform like we have in the US Navy. 

HDMS Esbern Snare (L-17)

The twin hanger flightdeck of the Esbern Snare

 

This frigate and all that follow her in the Absalon class, are classed as multi-mission frigate or combat support ship, and therefor capable of conducting Anti-submarine warfare, strike missions, and naval gunfire support. What surprised me is how well the Danes have been able to build and field exactly what the US Navy has been trying to build in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The Esbern Snare has a weapons deck, known as the “Bathtub” which is designed with five module weapons slots. This allows the standard weaponry of the Absalon class to be supplemented with additional missile-firing weapons. This could be Harpoon anti-ship missiles or Sea Sparrow SAMs. The Esbern Snare is also armed with a BAE Systems 5” deck gun, and a Swiss Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Close in Weapons System.

You can easily see the the 5" gun and the Millennium gun present on the bow

The interesting point of the Oerlikon is it ties into the ships fire control RADAR, staying user controlled, unlike the automated American CIWS/Phalanx. The biggest take away from the modular special weapons deck was multipurpose “Flexdeck” that runs down the centerline of the ship. This flex deck is designed to support everything from containerized command and control centers, to mine warfare, to containerized hospital support modules. Even without the containerized modules, the flexdeck can support moving 200 marines and support vehicles all deployed from a stern launch ramp.

The stern launch for the flexdeck on the Esbern Snare

 This is all supported by the ships existing compliment of two small boats deployed from a retracable boat davit and two medium helicopters which could be EH-101s or Westland Lynx. The Seaman did indicate the Danish Navy is currently contracting to switch to the SH-60 Seahawk.  From the bridge to the Combat Information Center (CIC) the ship was controlled by state-of-the-art glass displays that can be multitasked from any number of missions and be redundant to other controls. 

OPSAIL 2012 West Ghent Piers

Operation Sail 2012 was broken into three main areas, Town Point, Fort Norfolk, and West Ghent. The West Ghent Pier contained two of my favorite ships from OPSAIL 2012 in Norfolk. The first was the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus (A-135), and the Her Danish Majesty’s Ship Esbern Snare (L-17). The previous day both ships had been closed for tours, so in response I made sure they were my first stop on Saturday.

In talking to the Royal Navy (RN) Petty Officer standing gangway petty officer of the watch, the previous day the RFA Argus had hosted all the other visiting vessel Captains and local British Armed Service personnel for a dinning in event for both OPSAIL and the Diamond Jubilee for HM Queen Elizabeth II.  The Petty Officer told me that the RFA Argus was currently conducting an Atlantic Patrol and that her primary role would be to provide Humanitarian aid and Disaster relief support to the UK’s British Overseas Territories and Commonwealth Nation islands during the Caribbean hurricane season.

The tour of the ship started with the bridge of the ship, moved down to the sickbay of the ship, into the hanger area of the ship and finally out onto the flight deck.  It was easily the most detailed tour of all the warships present, and was a blast. You could sense the pride in this vessel from all of the ship’s company I was able to interact with, whether Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Navy or Royal Marines.  The RFA Argus does not comply with the Geneva Convention’s definition of a ‘hospital ship’ as she is fitted with self-defense guns and decoys and may have operational units embarked, i.e. Royal Marine Commandos. Thus RFA Argus is not classified as a hospital ship and does not display the International Red Cross symbol. Her secondary role is to provide specialist aviation training facilities, which leads back to her days as a helicopter carrier. RFA Argus has served in the Falklands War, Gulf War I, and Gulf War II for major conflicts, with half a dozen smaller sorties as well such as the action in Libya.  She started life as a Merchant Ship for the Falklands conflict, she was then refit as an Aviation Training Ship/Helicopter Carrier, with a more recent refit making her a Casualty Recovery ship. The best way to describe the RFA Argus is a cross between an LHD and the USNS Mercy or Comfort. 

The bridge of the RFA Argus with the Lieutenant (RN) leading the tour. 

The RFA Deck Officer,a civilian sailor.

Inside the RFA Argus sickbay. The vessel has over 100 beds for different levels of care. 

Inside one of the dry stores bays, currently loaded with supplies for disaster relief. 

The world's only afloat CT scanner.

One of two Westland Lynx onboard.

OPSAIL 2012 Norfolk

The CGC Eagle's ship's wheel

So the Norfolk leg of Operation Sail 2012 is officially over. The Fleet has been blessed, the ships have set sail, and the vendors of every sort have packed up and left. I have to say for a military and ship enthusiast, maybe better described as nerd, this was a once in a lifetime experience. I wasn't there for any of the pop music acts that where part of HarborFest, and while the food was good, its only purpose was to keep my strength up to go from ship to ship. My goal was to hit every Naval Vessel there, to tour them, and gain a feel for each one. I have to say this was a very well planned event, there was enough parking at Town Point Park, Fort Norfolk, and West Ghent for you to be able to drive into each location, park and tour the ships. If this didn't work for you, there was always the free buses for the events, and the Norfolk Tide trolley system. And while I will detail each of the military ships by their pier and post pictures I first wanted to share the star of the show.

The star of the event could simply be put as the CGC Eagle. During the Parade of Sail the first vessel in was the Eagle, and while she is a pretty ship, the entrance of the Colombians and Indonesians on their ships, the Gloria and Dewaruci respectively, should have overshadowed her. The Colombian crew in the rigging, with their shirts matching the tree horizontal stripes of their National flag, singing their national anthem as they made port should have trumped the Eagle. The Indonesians garbed in full military dress in their ships rigging, singing a traditional Indonesian song all as one while they moored to the pier should have surpassed the Eagle as well. That was simply not the case, because while the Coast Guard Academy cadets where all in the ships rigging, they where functionally dressed in working uniforms. The didn't sing the National Anthem as they made port, or Semper Paratus, or even the Academy fight song. They simply went about their work and safely moored the cutter. The Eagle speaks for herself, the cut of her hull, the simpleness of her white hull, and the stringiness of her Coast Guard stripe. She is so beautiful because she is OURS. The Naval Academy doesn't maintain a sailing Barque, nor does the Merchant Marine Academy, or even any of the civilian Merchant Marine Academies. The little Coast Guard Academy does, and when she flies the National Ensign off her stern she becomes every Americans'.

The weekend of OPSAIL could be easily classified as one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. While my wife, who is also in the USCG, had to work the whole time because of OPSAIL we where both able to still share some time there. OPSAIL was established in the 1960s under President Kennedy to reinvigorate the American public's appreciation of sailing. The founders of OPSAIL decided that each OPSAIL should coincide with major American historical events, such as the 1964 World's Fair, and the 1976 Bicentennial. This years historical event is the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, and sounds like as good an excuse as any to hold this event. The vessels start in Norfolk, Virginia and cruise up the Eastern Seaboard to their final destination of the New York City Harbor, after making several port visits along the way. After seeing the ships depart Norfolk, both my wife and I where struck with a feeling of melancholy that can only be cured with the knowledge that the in seven years we will be blessed with the 100th Anniversary of the conclusion of World War I and we can only hope, another Norfolk OPSAIL. 

OPSAIL 2012

Well it has finally reached Hampton Roads, but OPSAIL 2012 is here. I spent the day yesterday watching the Sea and Air Power Parade of Ships and was somewhat surprised how mundane it was. I have to realize this is Norfolk; the home of the largest Naval Base in the world, seeing Haze Grey Ships come in and out of port is a normal occurrence here. I am honestly very excited about touring the foreign flagged vessels this weekend, and intend share the pictures.