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Eight Countries Completing Anti-submarine Exercise in Med

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050628-03
Release Date: 6/28/2005 11:47:00 AM

From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- Approximately 2,000 service members from eight countries are in the final stages of Shark Hunt 2005, a nearly month-long exercise in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea combining air, surface and sub-surface platforms to practice anti-submarine warfare (ASW) techniques. The U.S.-led exercise includes participating units from Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

U.S. Sailors aboard the submarines USS Augusta (SSN 710), USS Miami (SSN 755), USS Philadelphia (SSN 690) and USS San Juan (SSN 751), surface combatant USS Nicholas (FFG 47), submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and Patrol Squadron (VP) 10 are participating in the exercise, designed to enhance theater coalition cooperation between participating nations and rehearse the transition of command and control capabilities between theaters and countries.

“The multinational, multiplatform ASW operations we’ve conducted in the Shark Hunt 05 exercise have replicated real-world ASW challenges we face today," said Capt. Robert Schmidt, U.S. Navy Europe. "Submarine Operations Effective communications and familiarity with international operations procedures are musts for us to continue moving forward in our international global war on terrorism efforts. The participants did a great job coming together to achieve the exercise objectives.”

Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, Vice Adm. J. Boomer Stufflebeem emphasized the benefits of the international engagements.

“Fostering mutual commitments to regional stability and advancing multinational interoperability are invaluable contributions to the international fight against terrorism," said Stufflebeem. "Our goal is to enable a more agile, potent and technologically advanced international ASW force in theater.”

The exercise kicked off with a tactical development torpedo exercise involving San Juan, Emory S. Land, P-3 Orion patrol aircraft from VP-10, and Dutch Navy ships HMNLS Dolfijn and HMNLS Mercuur. The exercise successfully capitalized on the collaborative relationship between the Dutch and the United States to support multiple torpedo launches by submarines from both nations.

“The torpedo exercise mission was excellent training for the squadron and Task Force 67 staff," said Lt. Stephen Weeks, exercise officer for Commander, Task Force 67. "We haven’t dropped a torpedo in the Med in recent memory, so it was a great evolution and a great process for all involved.”