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2nd Fleet Launches Transformational Center of Excellence to NATO

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050315-03
Release Date: 3/15/2005 2:13:00 PM

From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- At a ceremony held March 14, aboard the 2nd Fleet flagship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet moved forward to establish an interim-capability U.S. Combined Joint Operations from the Sea (CJOS) Center of Excellence (COE).

Hosted by the United States, this CJOS COE will facilitate joint maritime expeditionary transformation in support of NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (ACT). Second Fleet will be looking forward to the participation of NATO signatory nations to volunteer a few of their talented personnel to work side by side with the 2nd Fleet staff in developing and advancing capabilities and concepts.

"We couldn't be more excited," said Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. "This center will position us to better enable interoperability with our allies as we develop and vet burgeoning concepts in maritime command and control, including rapidly evolving technologies like communications and collaboration."

The COE is not envisioned to be a part of NATO Command Structure (NCS), but when approved by NATO, will help form part of a wider framework supporting the NCS.

"Drawing upon the collective wealth of our national experiences and expertise, we are looking to create, to meld and to orchestrate revolutionary and evolutionary transformation within the alliance," said Spanish Army Maj. Gen. Angel Guinea Cabezas de Herrera, assistant chief of staff (ACOS) Capabilities Allied Command Transformation. "To accomplish these dramatic and wide sweeping changes, we are embarking upon a number of new approaches that are in themselves transformational."

Speaking after the event, U.K. Commodore Peter Walpole, deputy commander, NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic (CSFL) said, "This organization is truly going to be lean and mean."

"A Center of Excellence for combined, joint network-enabled operations from the sea integrated within the 2nd Fleet staff will capitalize on the ongoing exercises and operations here, in particular the conduct of training, experimentation, transformation and development of concepts and doctrine," said Walpole. "Second Fleet is uniquely positioned for a COE in this regard, and I'm excited about what the future holds."

While NATO and the participating countries will benefit, members of the 2nd Fleet staff will also gain broader understanding and insight in combined operations by virtue of having the expertise resident in the staff. Meanwhile, the integration also allows represented nations access to U.S. training and transformational initiatives that improve interoperability through more realistic, robust training conducted with 2nd Fleet operations and exercises.

Much of that training today includes significant experimentation in maritime operations. The Hampton Roads area allows the center to leverage the technology of the Navy Network Warfare Command, as well as Air Force Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) Langley, Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Joint Forces Command (JFCOM).

"The COE will be fantastic for experimentation in our transformation efforts," said Cmdr. Chris Kennedy. "Such a symbiotic arrangement within the Alliance will promote and exploit the use of the sea in future conflict, and will explore joint command and control from the sea, including Sea Strike and Sea Basing," he said.

As militaries work to deal effectively with transformation, this maritime COE affords some degree of continuity in a sea of change. Since the center is uniquely positioned to be supported by embedded members of the sea-going 2nd Fleet staff, the COE will target its activities on areas where gaps may exist in maritime experience and expertise within the Alliance. Maintaining linkage to the U.S. development in expeditionary maritime operations offers potential in improving NATO efforts, such as Operation Active Endeavor.

The integrated COE will leverage concepts through synergistic, opportunistic cooperative efforts. It will draw benefits directly from the operational tempo of its surroundings and maintain a high state of operational readiness. This organization will support NATO's transformation by maintaining a core group who can develop, test, and refine the means and mechanisms by which a leader can command and control from afloat a key pillar when assigned contingency tasking such as the Maritime Component Commander for NATO's Response Force.