OKINAWA, Japan (Sept 25, 2019)

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4
Courtesy Story

Date: 09.25.2019
Posted: 10.07.2019 03:35
News ID: 346251

OKINAWA, Japan (Sept 25, 2019) – U.S. Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, are constructing support facilities for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), its next generation Air Surveillance/Air Defense and Air Traffic Control Radar on Futenma Marine Corps Air Station. The system is a short and medium range multi-role radar designed to detect unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, air breathing targets, rockets, artillery and mortars.
The support facilities being constructed will house the USMC air defense and surveillance radar site for the entire Pacific region. The site will be used for maintenance, storage, and exercising the capability of the new G/ATOR system. Another new G/ATOR site is scheduled to be built later this year at Marine Corps Base Camp Hansen, which will accommodate a ground weapons locating radar system. More than forty G/ATOR and test sites are expected to be fielded in other bases in the next four years.
The project will help to satisfy expeditionary needs across the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). “The U.S. Marines are excited for this project because it is a big improvement to their current assets and is very powerful,” said Lt. Jeremiah Cahill, Construction Manager for Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Far East. “It combines and improves the capabilities of five existing radar systems.”
The Seabees have demolished and repaired the site’s existing concrete foundational footing and are constructing two elevated steel-reinforced concrete pads with operational shore power, electrical grounding system, tie-down anchors and other site improvement work such as installing more perimeter lights, concrete curbing, and asphalt where the radar equipment group will be staged and operated.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense Okinawa Defense Bureau has a high interest in the project due to environmental concerns and the local community’s perceived buildup of the base. As a result, the Seabees have rigorous environmental controls for sediment and erosion during all facets of construction to minimize or avoid impact to the environment. Specifically, they have established mitigation measures to ensure red water, run off water from the construction site, does not flow out to nearby rivers and that the dust and noise are controlled.
The Seabees working the project are also benefitting both in knowledge gained and in personal experience.

“I never expected to learn as much as I have from this project,” said Construction Electrician 3rd Class John Barry, also a crewmember for the project.
NMCB-4 is forward deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region and United States ready to support major combat operations, theater security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Seabees provide general engineering and civil support to Navy, Marine Corps and joint operational forces globally. (U.S. Navy photo by Captain Godfrey Manera/Released)