Navy Aviation News

Navy Aviation News from the
Association of Naval Aviation Hampton Roads Squadron

Suffolk Developing Plan To Fight JFCOM Closure
Amendment Sought To Protect USN Hornet Buy
Contractor Hired To Upgrade Mayport Pier
Unmanned, Full Speed Ahead
Chinese 'Carrier Killer' Almost Operational: US Admiral
Pentagon Reportedly Eyeing 2nd Fleet Shutdown
DOD, Virginia Officials To Meet About Defense Cuts
Gates To DoD Staff: Cooperate With Efficiency Effort
Proposed Closing Of Joint Forces Command Adds To Headaches

Suffolk Developing Plan To Fight JFCOM Closure

(NORFOLK VIRGINIAN-PILOT 01 SEP 10) ... Jeff Sheler

SUFFOLK - The city is pursuing what it calls a coordinated plan to combat the threatened closing of the U.S. Joint Forces Command and to minimize the economic havoc it would bring to Suffolk and other Hampton Roads cities.

While many questions remain unanswered regarding details of the planned closing, the city's economic development director and other community leaders planned to outline a three-part strategy of "reject, retain and replace."

They say it's aimed at preventing the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenues tied to the command's presence in northern Suffolk.

"Until we get a definitive word from Washington, we'll continue to divide our efforts in these three ways," Deputy City Manager Patrick Roberts said Tuesday.

A group that includes city Economic Development Director Kevin Hughes will outline the program to the City Council tonight.

Roberts said the city's emphasis is working with members of Congress "to make it very clear that the process that has been announced is flawed, and we reject that." He said the Department of Defense should follow "the process that's been in place, whether it's BRAC or some other codified process."

Short of stopping JFCOM's closing, Roberts said, the city will continue working to retain as much of its Suffolk operations as possible by arguing that "much of what's going on at the Suffolk campus, as well as over at the naval base, is valuable to the military."

If JFCOM closes and related business suffer, Roberts said, the city stands ready to help companies redeploy their expertise in other ventures and to recruit new businesses to capitalize on the local talent pool and the high-tech infrastructure.

In a related move, the council planned to designate northern Suffolk's high-tech corridor and the city's central section as economic recovery zones, making businesses in those areas eligible for low-interest financing under President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law in February 2009, set aside $156.6 million for Virginia for bonds to help finance business construction in economically stressed areas.

Hughes said that even though there have not been any layoffs in northern Suffolk yet, it would be declared a recovery zone. "We don't want to lose an opportunity [to use the bonds] should it be needed," he said.

Return to Index

Amendment Sought To Protect USN Hornet Buy

(DEFENSE NEWS 30 AUG 10) ... John Reed

U.S. lawmakers are scrambling to pass a stand-alone amendment to the 2010 Defense Authorization Act to keep the Navy's planned 124-plane Super Hornet deal alive after a pair of technicalities threatened to scuttle the buy.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet flies over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. (U.S. Navy) The four-year purchase of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers for an unspecified amount was approved by the Act, which was signed into law last October. But Navy officials missed the March 1 deadline for declaring its intention to buy the planes, telling lawmakers that they needed more time to negotiate prices with plane maker Boeing.

On May 15, the Navy announced that it would indeed exercise its option to buy the planes. The deal would save the service $590 million through 2013.

But with the deadline past, new legislation is required, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus wrote to the leaders of congressional defense committees in an Aug. 4 letter.

The missed the deadline means the Navy needs congressional approval to move ahead with the deal in the form of a second act "other than an appropriations act" before the end of fiscal year 2010, Mabus' letter said.

In his letter, Mabus urges the lawmakers to pass an amendment to the 2010 Act by Sept. 30.

On Aug. 10, Reps. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., and Todd Akin, R-Mo., introduced an amendment to the Act that would reset the March deadline to September and grant the Navy authority to buy the jets. Taylor is chairman of the House Armed Services seapower subcommittee and Akin its ranking minority member.

Backers plan to have the amendment considered in the House of Representatives on Sept. 14, the day lawmakers return from summer recess, and have it taken up as a unanimous consent bill on the Senate floor later that week, according to one Hill staff member.

Despite the compressed timeline, Hill staffers are confident the amendment will be on President Barack Obama's desk by the end of September.

The staffer said there is always the possibility of "unforeseen roadblocks," but added that "nothing obvious comes to mind right now."

The backup plan is to include the text of the amendment in any continuing resolution that may have to be considered before the end of fiscal 2010, the staffer said.

Return to Index

Contractor Hired To Upgrade Mayport Pier

Work to prepare for nuclear carrier should be finished by next year

(FLORIDA TIMES-UNION 30 AUG 10) ... Timothy Gibbons

The Navy has hired a contractor to upgrade the pier at Mayport Naval Station that is slated to serve as the homeport for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Misener Marine Construction Inc. of Tampa will handle the $22.6 million project, which is expected to wrap up in August 2011.

Misener will build a steel sheet pile bulkhead that it will tie to the existing wall structure, install a new concrete cap and foam fenders and pave the adjacent area. The project also includes an option to build a second-deck wharf with mooring hardware, vehicular access ramps and pedestrian stairways.

Work on the wharf is required for a nuclear-powered carrier to come to Mayport, but has been also talked about in general terms as necessary for general operational readiness.

"Improvements to Charlie wharf is a project that has been in the works for many years," said Capt. Aaron Bowman, Naval Station Mayport commanding officer. "This double-decker pier will enhance overall operational efficiency and readiness."

The project was funded last year after tussling between legislators from Florida and Virginia had the money put in and taken out during different stages of the congressional process. That bill also included $46.3 million for dredging the St. Johns River near the naval station.

Return to Index

Unmanned, Full Speed Ahead

CNO: Need `Sense Of Urgency' On Air, Underwater Advances

(NAVY TIMES 6 SEP 10) ... Michael Hoffman

The Navy can't afford to put unmanned systems on the back burner as the Defense Department tries to cut budgets, the Navy's top officer said Aug. 25.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said the fleet would depend on unmanned aircraft systems and unmanned underwater vehicles to fill critical maritime intelligence gaps during a speech at the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International Unmanned Systems North America 2010 conference in Denver.

"We are in the process of re-imagining naval power with cyber power and unmanned systems," he said.

By 2020, Roughead said the Navy will operate both unmanned and manned aircraft, including the F-35C Lightning II on aircraft carriers. The pursuit of the carrier-based drone known as the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike should not hamper the acquisition of the F-35C, he said.

"As rapidly as we want to engage with the unmanned systems on carriers, we are also moving forward with an incredible capability in the Joint Strike Fighter, and we've got to get to that aircraft," Roughead said.

In March, the Navy set a 2018 deadline to integrate the CLASS into the fleet. When asked if that deadline was realistic by a member of the audience, Roughead said it was not only realistic but told the crowd of defense contractors and military officers that he expected it before 2018.

"My thinking is that it's too damn slow, seriously. We have got to have a sense of urgency about getting this stuff out there. And I am encouraged by what we are seeing with that capability and I understand the complexities," he said.

Those complexities include landing an aircraft onto the deck of a carrier bursting with electromagnetic energy without a pilot in the cockpit. Despite the challenge, Roughead remains optimistic.

For underwater unmanned systems, developing the power source remains the greatest challenge. Half of all research and development funding over the next five years for UUVs will go to finding that power source, according to the Navy's fiscal 2012 budget proposal.

The source must power the UUV over three to four weeks and maintain a reserve power source for maneuvers and strong water currents, Roughead said. He did not rule out using nuclear power on UUVs, although he cautioned it would carry increased safety concerns.

Roughead said he would not green light a UUV program until the unmanned system could be integrated into the fleet's intelligence networks.

"It's power, power, power, and then we need to figure out how to get the network together," he said.

Return to Index

Chinese 'Carrier Killer' Almost Operational: US Admiral

(SINGAPORE STRAITS TIMES 29 AUG 10)

Hong Kong--China's anti-ship ballistic missile--a long-feared weapon known as the "carrier killer"--is close to being operational, says a senior US military official.

Admiral Robert Willard, the commander of the United States Pacific Command, made the remarks in Tokyo last week, the South China Morning Post reported yesterday.

He said the US would not be deterred from deploying vessels in the region because of the missile, widely known as the ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile).

"To our knowledge, it has undergone repeated tests and it is probably close to being operational," Adm Willard was quoted as telling Japanese journalists.

"We have not allowed the development of these capabilities and capacities to deter our right to navigate in international waters in areas around China, nor do you want us to.

"The security in the region is dependent on the regional militaries' presence on the water and in the air...to ensure that the sea lines of communication and air lines of communication are kept safe."

Adm Willard said concern over such a weapon highlighted the need to resume Sino-US military exchanges, reported the Post.

His remarks came after mainland media reported a new base in Shaoguan in northern Guangdong being built by the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Second Artillery ballistic missile brigade.

The report triggered speculation in Washington that the ASBM could be based there, putting the disputed islands of the South China Sea within range.

Analysts have warned that the missile could have a range of 1,500km from the mainland coast, putting much of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines within range.

This will complicate the traditional strategic picture in the western Pacific, particularly war scenarios involving Taiwan.

The missile is one of the PLA's most controversial weapons, said the Post.

The US and the former Soviet Union formally pledged never to pursue building such a weapon. Wary of its costs and dangers, Moscow and Washington included an ASBM ban in arms-limitation talks towards the end of the Cold War.

Return to Index

Pentagon Reportedly Eyeing 2nd Fleet Shutdown

(NAVY TIMES 6 SEP 10) ... William H. McMichael

The lobbyist's memo focused primarily on the Pentagon's openly stated desire to shut down U.S. Joint Forces Command but included a cryptic final line: The Pentagon also is considering a move to "mothball" the venerable, Norfolk-based 2nd Fleet.

More strangely, the lobbyist and his boss both declined to comment on the supposition just days after being widely quoted on the topic. The Navy said, essentially, "No comment."

But naval analysts and a retired admiral who commanded Atlantic Fleet surface forces say they're hearing exactly what the lobbyist claimed: 2nd Fleet, in charge of fleet operations for defense of the East Coast and afloat training in the North Atlantic for more than 60 years, could soon be a thing of the past.

"I'm hearing that it's going away," said Norman Polmar, a nationally respected naval analyst who stays closely connected with the active and retired Navy. "U.S. national interests are no longer centered in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. ... You don't need a three-star admiral there for the one or two exercises a year." Russia continues to pose a threat in the North Atlantic, where 2nd Fleet would lead the naval fight should hostilities erupt, Polmar said. "But it's just a small fraction of what it was," he said. "Our interests now are Africa, South America and the Middle East – not the North Atlantic."

Naval analyst and strategist Scott Truver said he's heard a lot of recent rumors about Navy reorganization, "and that's one of them."

Retired Vice Adm. Hank Giffin, who stays in close touch with active and retired naval officials, also has heard that 2nd Fleet is on the chopping block. "That's reasonably common knowledge around my community," he said. But Giffin argues that the command's responsibilities would not be so easily replaced, or provide significant savings. Second Fleet and the various type commanders, such as his former command, Sur-face Force Atlantic, "are critical to keeping our forces combat-ready and ready to deploy — which is what the Navy's function is." Second Fleet's training and operational capabilities could be rolled up into Fleet Forces Command, Polmar and Giffin said – just as the Pentagon might roll Joint Forces Command's force provider mission up to the Joint Staff. But, Giffin pointed out, Fleet Forces, a force provider, "is really not an operational organization." The Navy would save money on salaries – the admiral, and the admiral's aide, and the chief of staff," Giffin said. "But you need everybody else."

"They obviously do a whole lot of work over there, so somebody would have to take it," said a Norfolk-based naval officer familiar with headquarters operations.

Talk of eliminating the command, Giffin and the analysts said, is being driven by Defense Secretary Robert Gates' drive to eliminate excess overhead costs and in particular, his June announcement that he wants Pentagon agencies and the services to find $100 billion in overhead savings over the next five years. The biggest impact on service members and families is widely expected to be in the form of changes – fee increases or service cutbacks – to Tricare, the military's heath care plan.

Gates also wants to eliminate 50 flag or general officer billets over the next two years, and to shutter Joint Forces Command "in about a year." Joint Forces is a four-star billet most recently filled by Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, recently named as the top officer at U.S. Central Command. His confirmed replacement is Army Gen. Ray Odierno, who is stepping down from command of U.S. Forces-Iraq.

Second Fleet is led by a three-star flag, with just-arrived Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway now at the helm.

Yet while savings are important, Polmar said, the Navy's thinking on organizational changes such as elimination of 2nd Fleet is also being driven by the long, continuous shift away from a Cold War mentality.

"The world has changed," Polmar said. "We're fighting very different wars. Not only do we need different tactical organizations and different weapons, we may need different fleet structures."

The Navy wouldn't bite – much. "Specific details and discussions regarding Navy's efficiencies and the iterative budget submissions are pre-decisional, and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further," said spokesman Lt. Myers Vasquez.

The Navy, he said, "is committed to working more efficiently and cost-effectively in this resource-constrained environment. We also remain focused on delivering a high-performing, mission-focused force to meet the full spectrum of operational demands."

Members of the Virginia congressional delegation would love to be privy to the Navy's plans as well to more detail on the proposal to close Joint Forces Command. A spokeswoman for Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., said he hadn't heard anything about a proposed 2nd Fleet shutdown until he read the memo, written by a staffer with the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, dedicated to "preserving and growing federal capabilities" in the military-rich region.

"We are attempting to verify the facts surrounding this memo,"said Forbes in a statement.

Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Va., also learned of the 2nd Fleet proposal from the memo. He, like the other delegation members, wants more information — and isn't getting it.

"Congressman Nye has repeated asked the Department of Defense and the administration for any sort of concrete proposal and analysis," said spokeswoman Leah Nelson. "He and the rest of the Hampton Roads delegation have been completely stonewalled. ... All we have to go on is all these rumors."

Return to Index

 

DOD, Virginia Officials To Meet About Defense Cuts

(WASHINGTON POST 27 AUG 10) ... Virginia Politics Blog

The U.S. Department of Defense has scheduled a Sept. 8 meeting with Virginia's congressional delegation and Gov. Bob McDonnell's office to talk about Defense Secretary Robert Gates's decision to shutter the Joint Forces Command, a military installation employing more than 6,000 in Hampton Roads.

The meeting will include officials from the offices of Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, Reps. Glenn Nye, Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes and Rob Wittman, as well as McDonnell's office, according to Webb's office.

The initial briefing will allow DOD to clarify its proposal and respond to the many concerns and requests for information that Virginia officials have posed, said Jessica Smith, Webb's spokeswoman.

The Senate Committee on Armed Services and a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold hearings on Gates's decision to close the Joint Forces Command and to cut the Pentagon's military contracting budget by 10 percent a year for the next three years.

McDonnell (R) and Virginia's congressional delegation has been protesting the Defense Department budget shifts since they were announced by Gates.

Return to Index

Gates To DoD Staff: Cooperate With Efficiency Effort

(DEFENSE NEWS 19 AUG 10) ... John Reed

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week codified the 20 elements of his effort to cut "excess and duplication" with the publication of a memo detailing his plans, distributed throughout the Pentagon Aug. 16.

The document, which does not list any new elements of Gates' war on excess, officially orders key Pentagon staff to assist in executing the 20 moves aimed at eliminating redundancy, which the secretary described in a widely publicized Aug. 9 speech.

"All DoD components will fully support and cooperate with the [task force responsible for implementing the cuts] in the execution of its mission," the memo reads. "This includes being responsive to all requests for relevant information, detailed personnel or other support so that the [task force] can deliver its final report in 120 days."

The task force is to be led by Gates' special assistant, Robert Rangel, and will include representatives from "appropriate DoD components," according to the memo.

The 20 cuts proposed by Gates involve everything from eliminating U.S. Joint Forces Command and reducing the number of reports sent to Congress every year, to slashing the number of flag officers and senior civilian Pentagon staff by at least 200 in the next two years, and cutting 10 percent of the funding for private intelligence contracts along with reviewing the entire DoD intelligence structure.

Those cuts are just one part of his four-pronged plan aimed at reducing DoD costs over the next five years. The focus areas of the so-called efficiency effort are:

• Shifting overhead costs to force structure and weapons-buying accounts.
• Soliciting outside advice on how the Pentagon can be made more efficient.
• Conducting "front-end assessments" to inform the 2012 budget request.
• Reducing excess and duplication.

 

Return to Index

Proposed Closing Of Joint Forces Command Adds To Headaches

(NEWPORT NEWS DAILY  PRESS 19 AUG 10) ... Hugh Lessig

It has been a stressful two weeks for the Hampton Roads military community. With one press conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called into question thousands of local jobs with his plans to close Joint Forces Command in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Ah, remember those halcyon days when the region only had one military emergency to worry about?

In case you've forgotten, the Navy still plans to move an aircraft carrier from Naval Station Norfolk to Mayport, Fla., although it shouldn't happen until 2019.

Still, there is continued focus on Mayport even as local politicians deal with the planned JFCOM closing.

Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk, said he has called on the U.S. Government Accountability Office to conduct further studies.

One study focuses on how many personnel must travel from Norfolk to Mayport to maintain a nuclear-powered carrier.

"We will have a study on the nuclear workforce and what it all takes — the expense, the hardship to the families — to move those workers around to do work in Mayport, which could very easily be done in Norfolk, as it is right now," Nye said this week.

Nye also wants to know what the military considered as alternatives to homeporting a carrier in Mayport and an economic analysis of the ship repair facilities in that area.

Finally, he's interested in what other types of ship-basing proposals could be feasible at Mayport. There might be a combination of vessels that would be more advantageous for the Florida base than a single carrier.

Speaking of Florida

Virginia is already butting heads with Florida over aircraft carriers. Could the Sunshine State play a role in whether Joint Forces Command stays or goes?

It is conceivable that Florida officials could see the reshuffling of JFCOM as a chance to boost its own modeling and simulation industry, said Joe Bouchard, a retired Navy captain and former state lawmaker. Bouchard is a member of Nye's military advisory commission.

"Keep an eye on what Florida is up to," he advised commission members this week.

The focus is an array of modeling and simulation facilities known collectively as "Team Orlando." The agencies and centers cut across different branches of the military and have academic affiliations as well.

The Orlando mod-sim industry has a slightly different focus from the one here in Hampton Roads, said Bouchard, but it's still worth watching.

"I've recommended people keep an eye on the press down there to see what's being said about it," he said. "If we get wind that Florida sees this as an opportunity to grab the Joint Warfighting Center, then we need to be all over that."

Return to Index