Seven Carrier Strike Groups Underway for Exercise “Summer Pulse 04”

Navy Tests New Operational Construct Seven Carrier Strike Groups Underway for Exercise “Summer Pulse 04”

The Department of Defense announced today that this summer, simultaneous deployment of seven aircraft carrier strike groups (CSGs) will demonstrate the ability of the Navy to provide credible combat power across the globe by operating in five theaters with other U.S., allied, and coalition military forces. “Summer Pulse 04” will be the Navy’s first exercise of its new operational construct, the Fleet Response Plan (FRP). FRP is about new ways of operating, training, manning, and maintaining the fleet that results in increased force readiness and the ability to provide significant combat power to the President in response to a national emergency or crisis.

Beginning this week and continuing through August, the Navy will exercise the full range of skills involved in simultaneously deploying and employing carrier strike groups around the world. “Summer Pulse 04” will include scheduled deployments, surge operations, joint and international exercises, and other advanced training and port visits.

Under the FRP construct, the Navy can provide six CSGs in less than 30 days to support contingency operations around the globe, and two more CSGs can be ready in three months to reinforce or rotate with initially responding forces, to continue presence operations in other parts of the world, or to support military action in another crisis. “Summer Pulse 04” will exercise the logistics and shore infrastructure necessary to execute a large scale surge operation, stress the operational concepts in the Navy’s Sea Power 21 strategy, and improve Navy interoperability with numerous allies and coalition partners as well as other U.S. military forces.

The seven aircraft carriers involved in “Summer Pulse 04” will include: the Norfolk-based USS George Washington CSG and the San Diego-based USS John C. Stennis CSG, both currently deployed, and Yokosuka, Japan-based USS Kitty Hawk. The Mayport, Fla.-based USS John F Kennedy CSG will begin a combined and joint exercise early this month, followed by a scheduled overseas deployment. The Norfolk-based USS Harry S. Truman CSG will conduct a scheduled training exercise followed by overseas pulse operations with the Norfolk-based USS Enterprise CSG, beginning early this month. USS Ronald Reagan will conduct operations in the U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command theaters during the ship’s interfleet transfer from Norfolk, Va., to its Pacific Fleet homeport of San Diego.

The near-simultaneous deployment of seven carrier strike groups provides the Navy and the joint combatant commanders an opportunity to exercise the FRP while maintaining the ability to respond to crises around the globe, enhance regional security and relationships, meet combatant commander requirements including forward presence, and demonstrate a commitment to allies and coalition partners. “Summer Pulse 04” is scheduled to conclude in August.

Look at the list of ships and forces on the move.....holy moly.

Something major is happening...

Carrier Group Leaves On Deployment Ships Are Not Scheduled To Support Operations In Iraq http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3339032/detail.html

HUGE NAVAL STRIKE GROUP IS DEPLOYED! Western Pacific

(1) Aircraft carrier Stennis (CSG)

(2) Guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57)

(3) Burke-class destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83)

(4) Guided-missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54)

(5) Fast-attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716)

(6) Replenishment ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) Also

(7) amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood

(8) amphibious transport dock ship Denver

(9) amphibious transport dock ships Comstock

(10-11) Burke-class guided missile destroyers Preble and Hopper -- will depart next month.

(12) USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment

(13) Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell

Also: USS McCampbell (DDG 85) departed May 5 for its first deployment. The ship and its crew are headed to Southeast Asia in support of a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) cruise. McCampbell will be conducting joint naval exercises with the countries of Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Also: Twenty Royal Navy ships, led by HMS Invincible, are heading off to take part in the exercise called Rapid Alliance, which is taking place off the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Article: Marines Take off for Naval Exercise with U.S.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2918574

Mediterranean Sea Surface Strike Group deployment:

(14) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61)

(15) Guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71),

(16) Guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55)

USS John C. Stennis Strike Group Deploys for Pacific Operations:

Navy-Marine strike group leaves on 6-month deployment:

More than 5,000 sailors and Marines with the Belleau Wood Expeditionary Strike Group will leave San Diego Thursday for

a six-month deployment in support of the war on terrorism The amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood and the amphibious transport dock ships Denver and Comstock will depart from 32nd

Street Naval Station beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. "It is the first time an expeditionary strike group will be commanded by a Marine general, according to the Navy. http://www.nctimes.com/articles/

2004/05/27/military/20_54_265_26_04.txt

"The Army begins a major staging operation today at the port to ship equipment to southwest Asia." Article: Army to ship vehicles overseas via Olympia: http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20040520/topstories/54346.shtml

Official explanation: Strike Group Deploys Early To Help Quell

Insurgency "The plan was developed to train naval forces for quick response to crises and in support of national interests."

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/militaryconnection/3351632/detail.html

Ford heads to sea Frigate's crew departs for 4 months http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/05/27/loc_ford001.cfm

USS Tucson Departs on Western Pacific Deployment http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13418

Surface Strike Group Ships Deploy From Norfolk http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13096

"coastal patrol ships Typhoon and Sirocco prepared to leave port at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Friday to relieve two sister ships"

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=69752&ran=237692

ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) accompanied patrol boats USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Sirocco (PC 6) on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Naval Station Rota, Spain, and arrived in port with the two PCs May 12. http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13328

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.