Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Victoria Mejicanos | POLARIS POINT, Guam (August 12, 2021) Torpedoman’s Mate 1st Class Michael Cloran,...... read more read more
POLARIS POINT, Guam (August 15, 2021) – Sailors assigned to the weapons department aboard the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) were recertified to handle Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) following an assessment by representatives from the Tomahawk Weapons System Program Office, August 9-13.
The TLAM recertification is a requirement needed to assume the duties of the Lead Maintenance Activity (LMA) in Guam, which is one of several capabilities to facilitate logistics and material movement across the Pacific Ocean. The recertification allows them to load and reload weapons onto submarines and surface combatants while forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet.
The TLAM is an all-weather, long range, subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack warfare. TLAMs are launched from U.S. surface ships and submarines. They are designed to fly at extremely low altitudes at high subsonic speeds, and are piloted over an evasive route by several mission-tailored guidance systems.
“This gives us the ability to deploy anywhere and reload submarines and surface combatants,” said Chief Torpedoman’s Mate Jeremy Stoker, Land’s weapons handling chief. “This recertification is an assessment of our ability to directly support the warfighter with one of our major mission capabilities: to maintain the Navy's capability of reloading warships with tomahawk missiles worldwide; bringing the fight to the fleet.”
The five-day recertification process entailed a variety of assessments to include administrative reviews, knowledge evaluations and the handling of inert TLAMs.
“We handled inert missiles and inert shapes, and demonstrated our proficiency in our ability to get those warheads onto warships,” said Stoker.
As the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) prepares to turnover LMA responsibilities to Land, the weapons department aboard Land stands ready to assume the duties with their approved TLAM certification.
“I look forward to my team demonstrating their professionalism and expertise over the course of the next year as LMA,” said Lt. Christopher White, Land’s weapons officer. “At the end of the day, our role in the grand scheme of things remains an important part of ensuring the success of the tender mission.”
The crews of Frank Cable and Emory S. Land operate under a two-tender concept where both ships work together to repair, resupply and rearm submarines and surface vessels forward deployed to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. One tender assumes the role as LMA to conduct repairs pier side at the homeport of Guam. The other tender acts in an expeditionary role and can deploy to various locations to service submarines or surface vessels. Land recently returned to Guam after completing an eight-month regular overhaul and dry-dock period at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California.
For more information about USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), visit http://www.csp.navy.mil/emorysland/ or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EmorySLand. For more news from USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), visit http://www.navy.mil/local/as39/.
Are you interested in taking orders to Guam? Want to learn more about the duty station and life on our island? For more information, check out the ‘Go Guam!’ website at http://www.csp.navy.mil/go-guam/ and download the ‘1st Fifteen’ checklist.
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2021 20:15 |
| Story ID: | 403848 |
| Location: | POLARIS POINT NAVAL BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 255 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Land Completes TLAM Recertification, by ENS Jordyn Diomede, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT