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Communications System Lets Navies See Eye-to-eye During CARAT

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040702-13 Release Date: 7/2/2004 9:00:00 PM

By Chief Journalist Melinda Larson, Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Task Group Public Affairs

SATTAHIP, Thailand (NNS) -- Communications between the U.S. Navy and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) will jump to a new level during the Thailand phase of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), with installation of the Portable Allied Command, Control and Communications Terminal (PAC3T) aboard His Thai Majesty's Ship Taksin.

The system, being used for the first time in the history of CARAT Thailand, was installed July 1 and will be put to the test during the under way phase of the exercise. In the meantime, RTN communications specialists and operations personnel are being introduced to the system and its capabilities through a series of practical demonstrations.

"The PAC3T is designed to provide tactical exchange of voice and data between U.S. and allied forces during multinational exercises and operations," explained Information Systems Technician 1st Class Rich Miller, leading petty officer of Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific's (COMLOGWESTPAC) mobile communications team.

Miller and his team installed the portable unit, about the size of two office filing cabinets, in a small space aboard the RTN frigate. Miller and two other U.S. Navy technicians will embark Taksin during the at-sea phase. Because of cryptological equipment that will be installed during the under way phase, a watchstander must be with the PAC3T at all times.

During a demonstration of the system aboard Taksin July 2, Miller and his team briefed a group of RTN officers, including two RTN admirals, on the capabilities of the system that will provide a combined operational picture that commanders aboard Taksin will use to maintain situational awareness of U.S. and RTN units.

"This system helps ships see further, because you can see what another ship sees," Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Matthew Zahm, a member of the COMLOG WESTPAC mobile communications team, told the group during the demonstration. "The PAC3T display will give a contact's course and speed, its characteristics and attributes."

The RTN personnel listened intently and asked thoughtful questions as they learned more about the PAC3T.

"They were very interested in the system once they understood the concept," Zahm said. "The more they understood, the more they wanted to know about its capabilities. In the end, they wanted to know how much it cost and how to get a PAC3T system."

CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually throughout Southeast Asia that began in 1995 by combining a number of existing exercises to be conducted sequentially by a single U.S. Navy task group. CARAT Thailand is the third of the five phase annual exercise.

CARAT Singapore was conducted May 31-June 11, while CARAT Brunei took place June 21-26. Other phases this year include the Philippines and Malaysia.

The U.S. CARAT Task Group is under the leadership of Capt. Buzz Little, commander of Destroyer Squadron 1.

Nearly 1,400 U.S. Sailors and Coast Guardsmen, along with 2,600 Royal Thai Navy and Marine personnel, are participating in the exercise.