• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sonar Techs Train Hard During SEASWITI 10-3

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100610-08
6/10/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Daniel Gay, Naval Public Affairs Support Element East Detachment Southeast

USS MAHAN, At Sea (NNS) -- Sonar technicians aboard USS Mahan (DDG 72) have been training hard during the multi-ship Southeast Anti-Submarine Warfare Integration Training Initiative (SEASWITI) exercise 10-3 held June 4-9 off the eastern coast of Florida.

Sonar technicians have been using their equipment to track underwater targets.

"This training has been very in-depth, we have been coordinating with all the other ships involved to try and track and localize potential hostile undersea threats," said Sonar Technician 1st Class (SW) Raico Barnes, one of the senior sonar technicians aboard Mahan.

Throughout SEASWITI, sonar technicians used active and passive sonar to train as if they were tracking true threats.

"What's extraordinary about this training is that we have the chance to not just talk about how to track subs but to really track them, and tracking real submarines is not something we get to do every day," said Barnes.

The other watchstanders in sonar control said the training was important.

"I have been working mostly with the active and passive sonar displays," said Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SW/SS) Thomas Smith. "I feel that this training is very effective because of how in-depth it is, you have other ships out there, you have actual submarines out there and we have been able to train in multiple scenarios with all of them."

Sonar technicians usually train with their on board trainer (OBT), which can be programmed to simulate different scenarios, but Barnes said that nothing beats the real thing.

"With the OBT we can plan all sorts of things such as false positives, but in reality it takes a trained eye to recognize the differences, and that's what SEASWITI is doing, it's training us to know and recognize the real thing, it's making us better watchstanders."

Sonar technicians aboard Mahan have been standing watches designed to make them more confident in their job.

"This training is making me more comfortable with what I may have to do in the future; I would love to have a chance to be a part of SEASWITI again, and I think all sonar techs should have a chance to train like this," said Smith.

The men and women working in Mahan's sonar control room have been participating in various drills and scenarios as part of SEASWITI 10-3, an exercise where ships from several different countries are working together to improve their ASW readiness and proficiency.