Bataan Serves as Flagship for Multinational Exercise
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS050817-08
Release Date: 8/17/2005 5:00:00 PM
By Journalist Seaman Joanne De Vera, USS Bataan Public Affairs
CARIBBEAN SEA (NNS) -- USS Bataan (LHD 5) served as the flagship for PANAMAX 2005 while underway in the Caribbean Sea, in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) Aug. 4-16.
PANAMAX is a multinational training event geared toward the defense of the Pacific and Caribbean approaches to the Panama Canal. The exercise brought 15 countries together this year to conduct training for potential emergency response in defense of the Panama Canal, in case the government of Panama ever requested such a response.
“The exercise in its third year has grown from three nations and three ships in 2003 to 15 nations and 35 ships this year,” said Rear Adm. Vinson E. Smith, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command. “The number of personnel also grew tremendously, from 700 in the first year of the exercise to 4,000 this year.”
Bataan acted as the command and control center for the exercise. The ship's crew loaded equipment and personnel in support of mine countermeasure operations from Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadrons (HM) 14 and 15 while the ship was moored at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, July 26-28 in preparation for the exercise. After she left Texas, Bataan embarked foreign military officials who would be involved in the exercise.
“This particular exercise was something a big deck [amphib] has never done before,” said Capt. Nora Tyson, Bataan commanding officer. “It was something we’ve learned a lot from because it’s different for this type of platform. It was also something we’ve never done mission-wise - supporting mine countermeasures - being a command and control platform in support of a Commander, Joint Task Force. We’ve gained a lot of new experience from this exercise.”
Bataan was the first amphibious assault ship to participate in PANAMAX and proved herself a valuable asset to the exercise with all she has to offer.
“All of the things necessary for command and control are right here on a big deck," said Smith. "The well deck is great for boat operations, the flight deck is of sufficient size for flight operations and the crew size is sufficient to handle any multinational staff. We have conducted this exercise with a headquarters element at sea and at shore, and having USS Bataan as the command ship for this exercise has made it so much easier than it has been in the past.”
As part of PANAMAX, Bataan worked with HM-14 and HM-15 to conduct Mk 105 Minesweeping Sled mine warfare operations. The Mk 105 is a helicopter-towed, hydrofoil-mounted Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) System designed to provide a reliable and safe method of detonating magnetic influence mines.
“We wish we could embark ships more often, because our guys need the ship experience,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Hopper, HM-15 detachment officer in charge. “Our leadership jumped on the chance to get on Bataan because ships provide the best platform for mine countermeasure sweeps.”
Tyson said the entire crew of Bataan played a key role in the success of integrating the squadron personnel and foreign military officials with the crew.
“We can all take the experience gained from this exercise forward. Whether it’s on this ship supporting future missions or when we all go our separate ways, it’s valuable experience we can all take with us,” said Tyson.
The Panama Canal is critical to the free flow of trade and goods in the Western hemisphere and the world. The region’s economy and stability largely depend on the safe transport of several hundred million tons of cargo through the canal each year. PANAMAX 2005 had support from the naval forces of host nation Panama, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru and the U.S., with observers from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Mexico and Uruguay.
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