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Pacific Submarine Force commander envisions new era of warfare

COMSUBPAC Release

Release Date: 1/15/2004

By By JOC(SW/AW) David Rush COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

Pearl Harbor, HI --The events of 9/11 have had a major impact in the way the U.S. Navy operates. The impact of the Global War on Terrorism has changed everything, including submarine warfare.

In March 2003, at the outset of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), there were 12 U.S. Navy submarines directly involved, including two British submarines. Four of the 12 were COMSUBPAC attack submarines. USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), homeported in Pearl Harbor, was the first U.S. warship to launch Tomahawks into Iraq.

According to Rear Adm. Paul F. Sullivan, Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), his submarines have to be ready anytime, anywhere. "We all wanted to get out there and do something to strike back at terrorism (following 9/11), but as President Bush has said repeatedly, "Be Ready." The President also stated this conflict will be very long. It's like running a marathon; you have to stay the distance. We have spent a lot of time since then working in areas of the world we haven't operated in for a long time, and we need to be able to better understand the environment, and eventually over time, understand how terrorist networks operate so we can interdict them, not necessarily with submarines but some military or national capability," Sullivan said.

Since the terrorist attacks, a new era of submarine warfare is evolving. "Particularly since 9/11, submarines have operated in places that they have not normally operated in," said Sullivan.

"The day of submarines operating on their own similar to what I grew up with during the Cold War is well in the past. Our future depends on the ability to operate in a Joint environment. That means being able to operate and communicate with not just an Expeditionary Strike Group or Carrier Strike Group, but also to operate with Marines, the Army, and of course the Air Force -- to do that you have to understand joint operations and your role.

The submarine, in general, plays a significant role in the beginning of a conflict, primarily with battlespace preparation. It provides situational awareness for the joint task force commander," Sullivan added.

According to Sullivan, the presence of a submarine, or several submarines, still sends a very loud signal to potential adversaries. "The submarine's ability to reposition rapidly with nuclear propulsion and to arrive on scene in a covert fashion is extremely important. To do it covertly in a non-provocative posture, or in a provocative posture, that's a powerful tool. As we advance the levels of warfare, the ability to maintain undersea supremacy becomes very important. It's one area in which our country enjoys a large advantage and it's incumbent on us to keep that advantage," said Sullivan.

"We often think of deterrence as nuclear deterrence, which our submarines played a significant role in for 40 years. But if you can deter any other kind of aggression where a shot is not fired, it's still a very powerful instrument of national policy," added Sullivan.

As the environment in which the submarines operate shifts, those going into harm's way must know how to do it effectively, safely, and with the right equipment. Sullivan attributes this success to effective training, new technology, and good old-fashioned experience. "The ability to operate in a littoral environment is extremely important. It's a challenge and it tends to be more difficult because of limited depth and the likelihood that the area might be crowded with surface shipping.

"The acoustics are more complicated because of the effects of temperature, salinity, and effects on the bottom. It's a dramatically more difficult environment but over the last ten years we have made significant advances to be able to do that. We are modernizing our periscopes so we can have better range capabilities, our fire control systems so we can track efficiently multiple contacts in order to provide situational awareness, and sonar systems that can provide immediate ranging," said Sullivan.

As the threat of potential competitor nations' diesel submarines and other sea and land-based adversaries multiply, the ability of the submarine force to respond becomes even more essential in reducing or eliminating such potential threats to military and commercial assets.

According to Sullivan, submarines have to be there and 'online.'

"It's clear that to be able to communicate on a network and stay connected is extremely important. I've heard the analogy that the Cold War was like a football game -- you huddle up, try a play. If it worked, great, you scored a touchdown. If it didn't you would huddle up and try it again. The environment we're in today you have to be more agile. It's almost like a soccer game. You have to know what the other players are doing. The game is constantly in motion."

Monitoring and making the right move at the right time is something that newly installed technology will help submariners do now, and in the future.

"That's where you see the advancements with the modernizations from commercial off-the-shelf technology (COTS). The equipment costs about one tenth what the legacy systems cost, and gives you much more powerful computers that you can update every three to four years," said Sullivan.

As the need for new technology has increased, the applications have spanned a broad range within the submarine force. "There's been a lot of advancement in communications, with the high-data rate antennae, updates in the radio room, sonar, and new fire control systems. Most recently with the BYG-1, which is on USS Columbus and USS Tucson, in which the software can be changed rapidly based on changes we learn from operating," said Sullivan.

"We now have a fairly significant pool of submarines that have been modernized to the point that we can take advantage of this technology. COTS is not a panacea -- you have to be committed to updating the software on a regular basis. The goal is once per year, and you have to be willing to update the hardware every three years."

Sullivan believes that this program is a long-term union between evolving technology and crew training. "You also have to keep up with your trainers. The submarine force, more than any part of the Navy, is wedded to their shore-based trainers because of the ability to put the students in different scenarios that you couldn't allow to occur at sea. Once you start down that path you have to continually make the investments," said Sullivan.

No one can say exactly when and where the next operation will take place, but as far as Sullivan is concerned, the attack submarines of the Pacific fleet will be there. "No matter what the conflict will be, I believe the submarine will play a significant role in battlespace preparation prior to hostilities. We have the endurance, the flexibility and the ability to be there when needed," said Sullivan.

Due to their clandestine capabilities, Navy SEALs and other service's special operations forces have become an integral part of joint warfare. The submarine can get the teams to insertion points undetected, where surveillance can be conducted for the joint task force commander. At his beck and call is a strike force with rapid response and real-time connectivity. That strike force includes attack submarines.

Sullivan believes this integration of the submarine force with joint task forces communicating in real-time will help to fill the gap in rapid response warfare.

"The submarine is an extremely capable instrument of military power, with its endurance, flexibility, utility, and the ability to stay on station for a long period of time. They can also adapt quickly to emerging situations. The list of attributes is very important for the world we live in and in fighting the Global War on Terrorism," said Sullivan.

As a member to the Navy team for more than 33 years now, Sullivan said there is one constant that has remained -- the Sailors who man the stealthy attack and boomer submarines are the best the Navy has to offer.

"The integrity of submariners is impeccable. Our lives depend on truth. I'm not saying mistakes aren't made, but the ability to own up to your mistakes and learn from them and move on underpins our ability to operate safely at sea," said Sullivan.

Having 'been there and done that' as the old saying goes, Sullivan attributes the unity among submariners as the primary reason for joining the silent service.

"I have been a submariner for a long time. What drew me to become a submariner is that I like close-knit crews. When you're only going to sea with 130 plus a relatively small wardroom, you have real responsibility from the get go. You really have to want to be a watch stander and be part of the team. That was one attribute that I was impressed with when I first went aboard USS Sam Houston (SSBN 609) as a young midshipman," said Sullivan.

More than three decades later, Sullivan believes that team effort has been the backbone of every crew he has either been a part of, or responsible for.

"I have operated every type of submarine from a diesel submarine to all of the different classes of SSNs and an older SSBN. I have commanded both a 688 class and a Trident submarine, so every submarine I have been on has been different -- more capable with greater abilities, but the one thing that never changed was the extraordinary ability of the crew. I have talked to many former crewmembers, and they look back on their time spent on submarines as a life forming experience. Their ability to think on their feet and to be able to integrate into a team, and to understand the need to pull together for success -- those are lessons that stay with you for the rest of your life. I wouldn't change any of my experiences," said Sullivan.

According to Sullivan, having the prestige and the responsibilities that go with being COMSUBPAC is all fine and good, but he prefers to take his leadership role out of the headquarters and to the deck plates where he believes it is most useful.

"I'm not one to go to the mountain and come back with a long list of priorities, I believe my primary job is to support the commanding officers and the crews on our waterfront. I do that any way I can. That's why I spend a lot of time out of this office. My goal is to see with my own eyes how I could better support the commanding officers. In the big scheme of things I'm delivering a product to the combatant commander. If my commanding officers are not competent and their crews are not ready, then I have failed," said Sullivan.

So what's the bottom line for present and future submarine warfare as far as Sullivan is concerned? "Submarines are unique, but we need to be contributing to the Joint team. You have to be part of the bigger Navy team and the naval component to Joint warfare. If you're an asset that's understood and able to be used by the task force commander, you contribute to the greater good on the Global War on Terrorism or any other operation," concluded Sullivan.