by JOC(SW/AW) David Rush, JOC(SW/AW) Mark Piggott and JO3 Steven Feller, USN
Photo by PH1 David A. Levy
SURGE
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F A L L 2 0 0 4 U N D E R S E A WA R F A R E
PROTECTORS Submarines Prove Vital to the Navy’s Fleet Response Plan n the face of decreasing resources and growing global responsibilities, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) ADM Vern Clark instituted the Fleet Response Plan (FRP) in 2003 to increase the Navy’s effectiveness in maintaining presence with purpose and projecting power from the sea. “I would rather muster two battle groups for three months and do something really significant internationally – or cooperate with partners in training and so forth – than just go over and hang out for six months without purpose,” Clark told a Navy Times editorial board. “The position that I’m pushing is that we should be less interested in presence and more interested in presence with a purpose.” The basic goal of FRP is to keep the Navy ready to surge adequate forces at a moment’s notice, without regard to fixed deployment times and intervals. This approach increases readiness and adds significant flexibility to the employment of Navy assets any time, anywhere. Under the FRP, the Navy can provide six Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) in less than 30 days to support contingency operations around the globe, with two more CSGs ready in three months to reinforce or relieve the initial respondors, to continue presence operations in other parts of the world, or to support military action in another crisis. This concept was tested in Summer Pulse ’04, the Navy’s first exercise using the FRP. Beginning in June and continuing through August, Summer Pulse ’04 exercised the full range of skills involved in deploying and employing CSGs simultaneously around the world. Summer Pulse ‘04 incorporated already-scheduled deployments, surge operations, joint and international exercises, and other forms of advanced at-sea training.
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According to former VADM Kirk H. Donald, Commander Naval Submarine Forces, submarines provided a significant portion of the credible combat force that mustered during Summer Pulse ‘04, and they demonstrated the Submarine Force’s ability to surge combat power across the globe quickly for operations in multiple theaters MA1 James Farrar, assigned to with other U.S., Mobile Security Detachment 22 allied, and coalition (MSD-22), provides security for Portsmouth as she sails through forces. “Surge deploythe Panama Canal. ments in support of the Fleet Response Plan and Summer Pulse ‘04 are historical demon- responsiveness, accuracy, and lethality.” strations of the Navy’s ability to provide comWhile supporting Summer Pulse ’04, bat power to meet any challenge efficiently,” submarines also maintained their role in Donald said. “Every submariner and all real world operations in several Areas of those who support submarine operations are Responsibility. According to RADM Paul contributing to the Navy’s combat force.” F. Sullivan, Commander Submarine Force, In today’s operations, submarines are Pacific Fleet, submarines are key to impleproviding unique – and often critical – menting the FRP and remain essential to capabilities. “The ongoing global war on our ability to respond to contingencies and terrorism has required rethinking how fight the Global War on Terrorism. naval forces, including submarines, pre- “Submarines are a major contributor to pare to deploy and are sustained during a both peacetime and wartime operations. protracted war,” VADM Donald Arguably, Commander Pacific Fleet’s priexplained. “The role of the submarine mary focus is on anti-submarine warfare, force continues to expand,” he continued. which is potentially a major concern in “We provide a unique capability to surge almost any real-world scenario. Pacific when and where we are needed, arrive on Fleet attack submarines are involved on a station early, observe the enemy covertly daily basis in operations that set the stage as long as necessary, deploy special opera- for any future conflict, and are likely to tions forces, unmanned underwater vehi- have a significant impact on the outcome of cles and unmanned sensors, and conduct any contingencies based on that preparastrike operations with unmatched speed, tion,” said RADM Sullivan.
