Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Craig Collins | Lt. Larry Gulliver, expeditionary division officer, AG3 Tonja Boyles, technician, and...... read more read more
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CARTEGENA, Colombia - This was the setting for the first leg of Oceanographic-Southern Partnership Station 2010, a bilateral engagement with the Colombian Navy which served to pave the way forward for future engagements and information sharing between the U.S. Navy's Naval Oceanography Office and Fleet Survey Team and the Centro de Investigaciones Oceanograficas e Hidrograficas of the Colombian Navy.
The Oceanographic theme is a new addition to the Southern Partnership Station concept, providing partner nations the chance to exchange ideas and capabilities in the areas of oceanography and hydrography.
"We value our strong relationship with Colombia, and seek to continue to expand our partnership through Navy-to-Navy, face-to-face, hands-on oceanographic activities," said Cmdr. Oscar Monterrosa, mission commander for O-SPS.
The USNS Henson arrived in Cartagena, Colombia, and work began almost as soon as it dropped anchor. Some of the NAVOCEANO and FST Oceanographers and Hydrographers boarded the Colombian naval hydrographic survey ship ARC Providencia, while subject matter experts from the Colombian Navy's CIOH boarded Henson to begin sharing information and planning the final details of the upcoming week's events. On a gray Sunday morning both ships slipped out of the Bay of Cartagena into a restless southern Caribbean Sea to conduct at-sea oceanographic demonstrations and a joint military survey in territorial waters selected by the Colombian Navy. The survey data collected during this demonstration was used in other events throughout the remainder of the exchange.
Henson is one of seven oceanographic military survey ships belonging to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command and operated for the Commander Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Comamnd. The 329-foot ship is equipped with two Hydrographic Survey Launches and two Expeditionary Survey Vehicles. Their equipment includes multi-beam sounders, side-scan sonar, GPS, and other ancillary systems. The ship can quickly be reconfigured for a variety of military survey missions.
Hydrographers from NAVOCEANO twice deployed an HSL from Henson during the bilateral engagement. During the first evolution they completed a demonstration survey in a portion of the Bay of Cartagena with three Hydrographers from CIOH on board. During the survey a Colombian research buoy that sunk in a recent storm was located. Colombian Coast Guard authorities were notified so that divers could recover the buoy.
HSLs are 34 feet in length and are equipped with a Multi-Beam Echo Sounder, a Dual-Frequency Single-Beam Echo Sounder and other equipment used to conduct hydrographic surveys for military and nautical purposes. HSLs can also tow a Digital Sidescan Sonar package to gather data about the sea floor. The data collected during this demonstration was also used to discuss oceanographic and hydrographic survey concepts later in the week.
On the second evolution from Henson, the launch made its way to the CIOH dock to pick up Colombian Naval personnel and Cadets from the Naval Academy, located on the same grounds as CIOH. A familiarization ride allowed many Colombian O-SPS participants to experience the HSL and some of the technology the U.S. Navy uses to conduct shallow water surveys.
The FST members spent a lot of time on their sleek, silver Expeditionary Survey Vehicles throughout the week demonstrating the capabilities of their vehicle to a select group of Hydrographers from CIOH. They quickly developed a productive working relationship.
"Our counterparts, Diego, Edar and Andreas were hard working and made us feel at home. Every day we were on the water each of them wanted to be hands on," said Navy Lt. Larry Gulliver, expeditionary division officer, Fleet Survey Team, U.S. Navy. "They even helped us move the ESVs and trailers in and out of the water," he added.
The first day was spent in the Colombian navy's shipyard, cruising at three knots around the docks, going over the operation of the Expeditionary Survey Vehicle and the shallow water survey equipment it uses to collect very shallow water data.
Mounted on the Expeditionary Survey Vehicle are a LOWRANCE Single-Beam Echo Sounder and a NAVCOM 2040 survey-grade GPS which is used to insure accuracy during the survey process. The display and controls for the survey equipment is mounted between the handlebars of the Expeditionary Survey Vehicle, effectively giving the operator a heads-up display. This allows the operator to maintain course and monitor the survey while safely operating the vehicle.
One of the strengths of the Expeditionary Survey Vehicle is rapid deployment capability to conduct beach landing surveys and short notice Check Surveys to insure safe navigation through waters that may have recently been affected by a shipwreck or other event that may have altered the sea floor.
Demonstration of that survey capability took place on a clear but windy day in a selected area of the Bay of Cartagena. The gleaming white skyline of Cartagena was the backdrop as AG2 Nicholas Wissler and AG3 Tonia Boyle "ran lines," slang for surveying an area, in the bay's choppy waters, taking along CIOH Hydrographers for a close-up look at how the system works at operational speeds.
"Our Colombian counterparts jumped right in alongside us to wire the ESVs, put them in the water and survey," said Wissler. "When complications or challenges arose they didn't criticize or complain but instead shared examples of challenges they had faced and how they overcame them," he said.
After completing the survey they immediately returned to the Hydrography offices at CIOH to run the data through CARIS Hips and Sips 6.3, a software program that takes the collected data from the LOWRANCE and turns it into a graphic representation of the sea floor. The data can also be fed into electronic nautical charts to provide instant updates.
A very slight breeze made a vain attempt to cool those attending a reception and review of O-SPS 2010's Colombia leg on the fantail of Henson. Rear Adm. Jonathan W. White, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, U.S. Navy received Rear Adm. John Henry Blain, commander of the Colombian Caribbean Naval Fleet Forces Command, Colombia Navy on board Henson, anchored in the Cartagena Bay, for the event.
"The work being accomplished under the O-SPS initiative provides an avenue to enhance professional and personal relationships while allowing an opportunity for information sharing," said White. "The Naval Oceanography Office surveyors and technicians along with the crew of the USNS Henson, and Fleet Survey Team, all did a great job of partnering with their Colombian Navy counterparts to generate long-lasting and positive relationships," White added.
This engagement provided a framework to demonstrate how both navies perform their oceanographic and hydrographic surveys while sharing expertise and information regarding techniques. During the process, the oceanographers and Sailors gained a better understanding for each other's military and cultural customs.
The Colombia leg of O-SPS 2010 came to a close in Cartagena, Colombia, the following day after a meeting between White and Rear Adm. Leonardo Santamaria, general director, Dirección General MarÃtima at the Colombia Navy's Officer's club. They were joined by several of the senior-level participants of O-SPS 2010 for a summary briefing of the events that made up the engagement and spent some time discussing the way forward after a successful week.
Southern Partnership Station is a recurring deployment conducted by Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. Fourth Fleet (C4F) with a variety of objectives.
The USNS Henson, NAVOCEANO personnel, and Fleet Survey Team will continue O-SPS 10 in Brazil in the near future.
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2010 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 47078 |
| Location: | CARTAGENA, CO |
| Web Views: | 654 |
| Downloads: | 447 |
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