Photo By Chief Petty Officer Janweb Lagazo | ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 05, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) fires...... read more read more
By Seaman Janweb B. Lagazo, USS Mason (DDG 87) Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 4, 2016) The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), assigned to Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG), participated in a multi-ship warning shot/disabling fire exercise (WD-EX) during a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).
The training scenario allowed Mason to hone its ability to engage a non-compliant vessel with a variety of weapons in order to increase its effectiveness during maritime interdiction operations (MIO).
"The warning and disabling exercise simulates a scenario where Mason is faced with a potential MIO vessel that refuses to slow and allow a boarding,” said Cmdr. Christopher J. Gilbertson, Mason’s commanding officer.
Gilbertson explained that if the threat is validated and the fleet commander authorizes it, the ship will use warning shots or if deemed necessary disabling fire to force a vessel to accept Mason’s boarding team alongside.
“The purpose of WD-EX is to increase our overall weapons familiarity and increase our proficiency to react during these situations,” said Ensign Kenneth Williams-Spittner, anti-terrorism tactical watch officer (ATTWO) during the exercise.
The target was an unmanned vessel towed with a 5,000 foot cable by training support vehicle (TSV) Hugo, a government-owned, civilian-crewed ship. Hugo is able to perform a variety of military training functions to include electronic warfare services, operational security monitoring, cryptologic training, threat simulation, maritime interdiction operations training support and mine laying and retrieval operations.
“This was my first time granting release authority,” said Williams-Spittner. “We definitely performed well and maintained a safe environment for the evolution.”
Mason engaged the unmanned vessel with ten blind, loaded and plugged rounds fired from the MK 45 5-inch gun, 100 rounds from a M2HB .50-caliber machine gun, 100 rounds from an M240B machine gun, 100 rounds from a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun, and 200 rounds from close-in-weapons system (CIWS).
“It was a great demonstration of American firepower and superior gunnery skills,” said Lt. j.g. Alex Bracco, Officer of the Deck during the exercise.
All rounds were deployed to the stern of the towed target. Half of the rounds served as warning shots while the remaining rounds were aimed to hit the target.
Bracco praised his bridge team for their flexibility and effort.
Ensign Derek Fox, the conning officer during the evolution, explained that their success was due to a thorough pre-watch tour and a detailed brief.
“I knew the criteria for green range and gave the orders to maneuver accordingly,” Fox said.
Mason, along with the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (DDG 61) and the guided-missile destroyers Stout (DDG 55) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) participated in WD-EX.
"The exercise is intended to hone Mason’s skills and practice key elements of counter-piracy operations. You never know what kind of actions you will need to take when deployed, and we train for the worst so we are prepared for almost every eventuality,” said Gilbertson.
Along with Mason, Ike CSG includes the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 staff, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61), and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 with its associated ships: USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).
Join the conversation with Mason on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MASONDDG87/.
Find more information about Mason at www.navy.mil/local/ddg87.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2016 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 194980 |
| Location: | ATLANTIC OCEAN |
| Hometown: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 209 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mason Participates in Multi-ship Live Fire Exercises, by CPO Janweb Lagazo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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