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Combined Force Conducts Live-Fire Exercise During UNITAS LANT

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110506-16
5/6/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Stuart Phillips, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

USS NITZE, At Sea (NNS) -- Three U.S. Navy ships, one U.S. Coast Guard ship and six ships from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina conducted a firing exercise on an aerial drone during the Atlantic (LANT) phase of UNITAS 52, May 4.

Guided-missile frigates USS Thach (FFG 43) and USS Boone (FFG 28), guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), and USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907) worked with partner navies to conduct the firing exercise using two drones launched from Thach.

The two BQM-74E drones were launched from Thach and flown by a team of civilian contractors from Naval Air Warfare Center, based out of Dam Neck, Va.

"Our main job is to help the Navy test their weapons systems and to qualify their weapons systems teams," said Contract Lead, Bob Cook. "We simulate all air threats. We can simulate a missile, we can simulate an airplane."

During their flight the aerial drones were controlled by the combat systems team aboard Nitze. The Nitze team coordinated with the drone pilots aboard Thach to direct the path of flight for the safe conduct of multiple firing events.

"We communicated via combat systems here on Thach, to the Nitze and they directed everything," said Cook. "It went very smoothly. There were no glitches and communication was fine."

"I could not be prouder of the way Nitze performed today," said Nitze's Combat Systems Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Johnson. "The costs of doing actual events are too high to allow for us to do this routinely. Today, Nitze performed on an international stage and proved the value of preparation and training. We all should take pride in how our crew performed today."

All ships used the event to develop their air tracking capabilities. The Argentines and Americans engaged with conventional battery, while the Brazilians used their missile systems to engage the aerial drone.

"You cannot put a price tag on the valuable training our crew has garnered working with these other navies," said Johnson. "The ships we have been working with are nothing less than professional and demonstrate exceptional ship-handling skills. I will remember this exercise for a long time to come."

One drone was recovered by rigid-hull inflatable boat operators from Thach after it landed in the water. The drone will be salvaged and reused in future training scenarios.

"We are able to recover and salvage about 85% of our drones," said Cook. "We can salvage and turn a target around in four or five hours. It's a regular jet engine, so we just have to flush it and the motor out with fresh water and do a corrosion check on the target, making sure nothing is broken."

UNITAS LANT consisted of the drone exercise and a series of other events designed to demonstrate the capabilities and develop cooperation of the partner nations participating this year.

UNITAS, Latin for "unity," is a combined South American and U.S.-sponsored annual exercise series. Active participants for UNITAS LANT 52 include Brazil, the United States, Argentina, and Mexico.

COMUSNAVSO/C4F supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.