Photo By Jameson E Lynch | 160319-N-QD363-147 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Mar. 19, 2016) – Naval Aircrewman (helicopter)...... read more read more
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"We have multiple systems capable of engaging UASs; it's critical that we build proficiency in this innovative and high-end warfighting area," said Rear Adm. Jesse Wilson, the commander of CSG 10. This validation is the first of its kind accomplished during the operational setting of a COMPTUEX."
"With the increase in drone technology that can be used for targeting or collecting on surface vessels, the counter UAS mission has become a critical capability in protecting the fleet," said Lt. Patrick Dunn, the tactics officer for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7.
The counter UAS exercise, which resulted in an air-to-air takedown of a UAS, involved multiple assets. "We operated as a light division using an MH-60R from HSM-74 to find, track, identify and then vector an MH-60S from HSC-7 to intercept the target," Dunn said.
Specifically, the crew's gunner fired the helicopter's .50-caliber gun to take down the drone.
"Because of their low and slow flying capability, helicopters are well-suited to the counter UAS mission and have been used in previous testing exercises to prove the concept," Dunn said.
These concepts were tested in August 2015 during Black Dart, the largest counter UAS military exercise, which was put on by Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO).
"One of the key events that JIAMDO runs annually is counter UAS tactics-employment and experimentation for kinetic and non-kinetic takedowns of adversary UASs," Wilson said.
The exercise conducted by the strike group involved taking the lessons from Black Dart and applying them to a carrier strike group, which includes an aircraft carrier, cruisers, destroyers and nearly 80 aircraft.
"Some of the work that was done in Black Dart has been operationalized here in the Eisenhower Strike Group," Wilson explained. In a real world scenario, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, in conjunction with cruisers and destroyer assets, was able to track, identify, target and then consummate a kinetic kill on that UAV."
The exercise proved to be a success not just due to the operationalizing of earlier testing and experimentation, but also through the validation of tactical techniques and procedures, or TACMEMO.
A TACMEMO contains guidelines on how to properly employ systems in a military fashion to achieve a specific desired objective.
By confirming the TACMEMO, which was developed using the lessons from Black Dart, the strike group confirmed that it can organically counter UAS threats.
"Demonstrating this capability in an operational environment is a significant step," Wilson said. "It allows us to feed our lessons learned to the strike groups who are on deployment now and those that will deploy in the future," Wilson said.
The lessons learned from the exercise will also be provided to JIAMDO to help further the organization's innovation and to improve future Black Dart exercises.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2016 07:54 |
| Story ID: | 197034 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 316 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, IKE CSG Validates Kinetic Counter UAS Capability During COMPTUEX, by PO1 James Veal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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