WEB SPECIAL - STRIKE GROUP HEAD HONCHO

STRIKE GROUP HEAD HONCHO

During a recent visit to the Middle East, Guy Toremans interviewed Rear Admiral H.Denby Starling, Commander George Washington Carrier Strike Group, which was, at the time, on deployment up-threat in the Gulf.

Pictured: Admiral Starling aboard the USS George Washington in the Gulf (photo by Guy Toremans); the George Washington launches aircraft during one of her final patrols in the northern Gulf, in late June 2004 (photo by US Navy); the Canadian Halifax Class frigate HMCS Toronto cruises ahead of USS George Washington (photo by US Navy).

What has been the main purpose of the USS George Washington CSG during its deployment to the Middle East?

"The number one concern has been to support Coalition forces ashore. We have tried to be 'overhead' so that, whenever US forces or the Coalition assets on the ground need support, we will be there. During this deployment we have flown missions mainly over the northern Gulf, primarily armed reconnaissance and on-call Close Air Support for the ground forces. We also provide air support missions for the multi-national Coalition hunting terrorists. The ships assigned to my CSG have been scattered all across the maritime Area of Operations (AOR), engaged in a number of missions. The destroyer USS Bulkeley, assigned to COMDESRON-50, has conducted Maritime Interdiction Operations in the northern Gulf. Meanwhile the Canadian frigate, HMCS Toronto has spent a lot of time down in the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The cruiser USS Vella Gulf has tracked both air and maritime contacts with her sophisticated radar systems and transmitted this information via satellite links to the other ships and shore installations."

The George Washington CSG is the only strike group deployed in the AOR. Is that sufficient ?

"I think that in the current environment, one CSG is sufficient. The number of surface combatants out here, both as part of the CSG and the Coalition forces, is quite sufficient to carry out all our tasks and missions. In fact, the number of sorties the Washington's air wing is carrying out right now is only a small percentage of what could be flown. Right now, I think that the way our Chief of Naval Operations has decided to force package our ships into CSGs, Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESGs) and Surface Strike Groups (SSGs) makes a tremendous amount of sense."

Is it easy to keep people motivated?

"I think that the people out here are highly motivated.On this type of deployment you go through different phases. Everybody is excited when the CSG leaves. In the middle of a deployment you get comfortable with what you are doing. You set yourself in a kind of routine and, after four months, you start thinking of the return home. However, to keep people sharp, we are constantly assessing ourselves, in order to be able to react to any kind of threat, be it at sea or ashore. We regularly exercise our security forces on board and conduct flight-deck and general quarter drills in order to improve our safety and effectiveness. But, above all, the fact that our contribution means a lot to the guys on the ground keeps us motivated."

The USS Enterprise CSG was the first to be deployed over here. Did Admiral Stavridis - Commander of the Enterprise CSG - give you some advice?

"We got a lot of information and feedback from him and also from the Enterprise CSG. I stayed in contact with him while we were doing our COMPTUEX and work-ups. While we were training he was giving me a lot of 'on the spot' feedback, which I could instantly include in our training sessions back home. We conducted a video-tele-conference 'hand-over' and exchanged a lot of e-mails throughout the period."

How is inter-operability with the Coalition forces going?

"There is a lot of talking going on about the capability to communicate. A big effort has been put into building a communications and tactical architecture. I can send e-mails to the Coalition ships, just as I can to US Navy ships. The constant flow of strategic and tactical data allows us to maintain a comprehensive picture of what is going on out here and enables every part of the strike group to have the most up-to-date data possible. Secured internet and radio communications make updating information a quick and easy task."

Where would you like to see improvement?

"Perhaps in the field of communications. But, then again, it is a matter of technology as well as bandwidth. The one thing that would make our lives easier would be if everybody had as much bandwidth as our USN ships. We are good at communicating on secure nets but our Allies, on the contrary, don't have the same capabilities. We are working hard to bring them along through the Coalition-wide area network. The major challenge is that this network is not cheap. However, one of the things we have been doing aggressively, and very well, dare I say, has been to build communication architecture that allows us to exchange classified material with those allies that are allowed to share that kind of information. We are also working with the automatic translator system, which is very useful during boarding operations."

What is the difference between a CSG and a Carrier Battle Group?

"It is all to do with the projection of power. With a CSG we operate smaller, more flexible and agile packages of ships. The USN has discovered that it doesn't need to move around with big battle groups, but rather in smaller, more flexible strike groups."

How do you see the future of the Carrier Strike Groups?

"The Enterprise CSG was the first and the Washington's is the second to be deployed. The results have been very promising indeed. I am confident that, at least in the near future, CSGs will continue to meet the requirements of theatre combatant commanders. The CSG concept aims to provide regional combat commanders with more capable sea-based power projection.

The enhanced combat power and ability to reconnoitre, track and monitor a much larger battle space, and link with other CSGs or ESGs, deployed joint forces and theatre assets gives the CSG unique capabilities. These include better integrated joint fires, extensive air-defence expertise, expanded land-attack missile capability, submarine support, undersea warfare self-defence and surface warfare capabilities."

The dawn of the CSG and ESG obviously reflects the change in the perceived threats...Will the types of ships change as well as the types of formations they are deployed in?

"We have moved away from being a 'blue water' Navy, into conducting operations near the littorals as well as intelligence gathering. Smaller, more agile groups that can be moved around to various places at very short notice, are required. The CSGs have a significant potential for autonomy and independence and certainly provide the capability to respond to a variety of crises. But, in the long term, it is expected that traditional aircraft carriers, as well as amphibious ships may be replaced by 'expeditionary carriers', i.e. vessels with a well-deck to give them an amphibious assault capability as well as a flight-deck to provide these platforms with an ability to project aerial combat power."

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