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PANAMA CITY, Fla. – USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1), operated by the Military Sealift Command, departed Panama City, Florida, upon the completion of Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) period one from June 14 – 22.
The FLEX Campaign portion of SPS-JHSV-15 examined the composition, transport, deployment and employment of mission enabling Adaptive Force Packages (AFPs) and associated command and control gear to support various missions. These missions included expeditionary mine countermeasures, afloat forward staging base, maritime command and control and counter-illicit trafficking.
The FLEX Campaign tested the potential of the JHSV-1. Several types of patrol craft were deployed and placed into operation by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and SPS-JHSV-15 team. Crew members met and overcame challenges of the maritime environment. They quickly assessed challenges and developed innovative solutions to accomplish FLEX objectives all of which can be attributed to military training and preparation.
The AFP for FLEX period one came from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and was composed of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units Two and Eleven, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two, U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Expeditionary Combat Camera, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and Navy Warfare Development Command to test their capabilities aboard the JHSV-1.
“This exercise highlights that the JHSV platform can not only quickly transport equipment and personnel, but that it is also able to operate in the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) role for a variety of missions to include expeditionary Mine Countermeasures (MCM), said Capt. Bob Cepek, SPS-15 mission commander, “We are just exploring the tip of the iceberg in what JHSVs can do – I suspect there is a lot more and we intend to prove just that during SPS-15 this year.”
Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two divers, one of the elements of the AFP participating in FLEX period one, are capable of underwater search operations, diving operations in various bodies of water, emergent underwater repairs and salvage operations in all environments in depths up to 300 feet of seawater.
“We’ve been able to show that we can conduct expeditionary mine countermeasures from the JHSV-1,” said Cmdr. Ford Ewaldsen, commander of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, San Diego, California. “There are challenges when conducting operations from this vessel but this exercise has been a great opportunity to develop standard JHSV operating procedures, hone our skills and work with counterparts from multiple commands.”
The FLEX Campaign period two is set to take place in July at Key West, Florida.
SPS-JHSV-15 is a U.S. Navy deployment focused on experimentation and subject matter expert changes with partner nation militaries and security forces.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet support U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.
For more news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and 4th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusns/.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2015 23:09 |
| Story ID: | 167885 |
| Location: | PANAMA CITY, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Southern Partnership Station 2015 completes Fleet Experimentation Period One, by Gary Loten-Beckford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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