Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, along with the Carrier Strike Group it leads, helped test the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare abilities in a recent four-day Undersea Warfare Exercise.
“During the exercise, we performed close-air support for a simulated allied country while enemy submarines attempted to gather intelligence on our strike group,” said Cmdr. Ken Monfore, future plans and submarine operations officer for the strike group, in a news release.
The strike group simulated anti-submarine warfare defensive and offensive maneuvers as part of the operation. The tactics included surface and air-launched torpedoes and use of technologically advanced equipment to track enemy submarines.
“This exercise allowed us to test our … capabilities more intensely than we have been able to in previous exercises by providing a high submarine density training environment,” Monfore said. “Carl Vinson coordinated well with Destroyer Squadron 1 and Carrier Air Wing 17 to determine maneuvering plans in order to provide a hard target for our adversary.”
Combined Task Force 32 and 34 also took part, along with Australian and Canadian units.
“The Strike Group, CTFs 32 and 34 and aviation assets from Australia and Canada, worked effectively as a team and demonstrated a high level of … performance,” said Capt. Patrick Keyes, deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Training and Readiness at U.S. 3rd Fleet.
“The exercise was designed to stress all aspects of this critical warfare area and it was the Strike Group’s last chance to hone their … war fighting skills prior to arriving in the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility.”
The anti-submarine warfare exercise concluded Sept. 3.
The Vinson left Coronado Aug. 22 with more than 6,000 sailors and aboard the carrier and the strike group’s units, Carrier Air Wing 17, Destroyer Squadron 1, guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill and guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley, USS Sterett and USS Dewey.
The U.S. 3rd Fleet operates in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international date line.
