• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

USS Coronado Deploys to Western Pacific

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040302-04

Release Date: 3/2/2004 1:33:00 PM

From Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The command ship USS Coronado (AGF 11) will deploy March 5 from San Diego to the Western Pacific. Coronado will provide a command platform for the Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet staff and serve as a temporary replacement for USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) while it undergoes a maintenance period. Blue Ridge is currently forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan.

The Navy is testing an innovative manning concept aboard Coronado that combines the skills of Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command (MSC) Civilian Mariners (CIVMARS). Coronado recently completed a two-month yard period, during which its basic engineering, navigation and hotel services were converted to civilian specifications.

Feb. 18, a commissioned naval officer resumed command of Coronado, and the ship began operating with a hybrid crew, where less than half of the ship's company are Sailors and the majority are CIVMARs. This combined crew is an innovative experiment aimed at operating Navy ships at a reduced cost while maintaining or improving capability.

Transitioning auxiliary ships to MSC is nothing new. However, this is the first time the Navy and MSC have transitioned only a portion of the crew while the ship maintains its commissioned status. MSC CIVMARs perform the duties of navigation, propulsion and auxiliary machinery operation, maintenance and repair, food service and other utility type responsibilities. Navy personnel retained operation of the C4I suites (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence equipment), the Sea Based Battle Lab, helicopter detachment, weapons systems and other command/mission capabilities.

Coronado has typically been manned with 481 Sailors. The ship will retain a military crew of 117 Sailors. The MSC crew will include 86 CIVMARs in port, 126 CIVMARs at sea off southern California and up to 146 CIVMARs when deployed overseas.

Coronado's mission is to provide fleet commanders sea-going command and control during fleet operations. It is designated by the Secretary of the Navy as the Navy's Sea Based Battle Lab for rapid prototyping of technologies, and the center for naval innovation and technology experimentation.

Coronado is homeported at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif.