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Stennis Opens Fire While Testing Defenses

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070125-17
Release Date: 1/25/2007 5:58:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Porter Anderson, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

USS JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors from USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) Combat Systems Department performed a live fire exercise with the MK 15 close-in weapon system (CIWS) utilizing a towed drone unit (TDU), Jan. 22.

The exercise was successful, and fulfills one of the requirements needed for Stennis to earn the prestigious Battle E award.

“This exercise went extremely well,” said Chief Warrant Officer James East, fire control officer from combat systems. “The weather was perfect, the operators performed superbly [and] communications were excellent.”

A TDU is a 9-foot long missile-shaped object, and is attached to a Lear jet by a 13,000-foot long cable to simulate low-altitude, fast moving objects for CIWS to target.

“We can track both the Lear jet and the TDU,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class Jordon Jacobs, CIWS work center supervisor. “The CIWS is even sensitive enough to target the cable that tows the TDU, and shoot up the cable.”

The goal of the exercise was to test the distance and accuracy of CIWS against a live target in case enemy aircraft or missiles manage to get past Stennis’ other lines of defense.

“CIWS is our last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft, so we need to make sure it is ready,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Sean Morcom, work center supervisor. “To make sure it is calibrated right, we will do pre-aim calibrations (PAC) with CIWS throughout the deployment and will keep it loaded with live rounds.”

During the exercise, 1,550 rounds of 20 mm tungsten ammunition was loaded into each of the three CIWS mounts, giving CIWS fully stocked ammo drums, which allows for 10 to 15 seconds of continuous fire before the ammo drum is empty.

To ensure that the live-fire exercise was performed safely, the security department helped by ensuring that catwalks and the flight deck were cleared of all personnel during the exercise.

PAC-fire and TDU exercises are part of the ship’s routine operations in order to guarantee that if all other lines of defense have missed an inbound enemy target, that CIWS will act in critical times defending Stennis.