ARLINGTON, Va. — A U.S. Navy F/A-18 strike fighter crashed Oct. 20 west of Ridgecrest, California, according to a source and a local news bulletin.  

A source said the pilot of the Super Hornet — assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) — ejected. VFA-14 is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.   

The ABC station in Bakersfield, California, reported at 11:07 Pacific Time that the California Highway Patrol confirmed the crashed aircraft was a Navy fighter and that the Kern County Fire Department was on the scene. A small brush fire was caused by the crash.  

Within days of an Argentine navy submarine reported missing in 2017, several hundred tons of U.S. Navy rescue equipment arrived in South America and went to sea in a hastily assembled international rescue mission.

The diesel-electric submarine ARA San Juan (S-42) had last made contact with the Argentine Navy on Nov. 15, 2017, when the captain of the 44-member crew reported the boat had taken on water while surfacing in heavy seas to get air through its snorkel. Two days later, Argentina mobilized a search-and-rescue mission with the help of the U.S. Navy and international partners.

Within a day, crews with Undersea Rescue Command (URC) at North Island Naval Air Station, California, loaded equipment cranes, a rigid-hull boat and conex boxes packed with the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (SRDRS) onto an Air Force C-5M Super Galaxy plane, one of several that transported equipment to Argentina. The rescue system included a Sibitzky remotely operated vehicle to assess the disabled sub and rescue hatch clearance, a tethered Pressurized Rescue Module ROV to carry up to 16 personnel at a time to the surface and a transfer-under-pressure capability to decompress rescued personnel.

A week later, the mission transitioned to search and recovery. One year after San Juan went missing, the seabed exploration company Ocean Infinity found its wreckage in a ravine at 3,018 feet at the edge of the continental shelf, near where international anti-nuclear proliferation monitors had first detected an underwater explosion.

URC crews, at one point in the operation, thought they had found the sub. “But it turned out not to be the San Juan. It was an old ship,” recalled Cmdr. John Babick, Submarine Squadron 11 deputy for undersea rescue, speaking at his office at Naval Base Point Loma, California. “Unfortunately, in that case, the visual verification target was not the target that they were looking for.”

The Argentine mission was URC’s first real-world operational use of the Sibitzky ROV, which came online in 2016. Most recently, in August, crews deployed the ROV for visual verification and initial survey of a Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle that sank off California’s San Clemente Island, killing eight Marines and a Navy corpsman that were trapped inside.

URC’s unique team of undersea and rescue specialists – about 140 active-duty Sailors, Reservists and contractors – constantly train and prepare 24/7 to surge and deploy to help rescue a disabled submarine down to depths of 2,000 feet. “Our mission is primarily a humanitarian one,” said Cmdr. Josh Powers, URC’s commander. “Thankfully, we’re not called upon to respond very much, which is a good thing.

“Rescuing a submarine,” Powers said, “is a no-fail mission.”

Time is most critical. “If there is some tragedy that occurs, if asked, our job is to remain ready to go on an airplane and fly anywhere,” said Capt. Patrick Friedman, who as Submarine Squadron 11 commander is the immediate-superior-in-charge responsible for the unit. Friedman also is the first person to leave if the call comes. “I’m the United States combined rescue forces commander. If it’s a United States-led rescue effort, I would fly immediately to the location.”

Challenges in Rescue

Submarine rescue is a complex military operation, requiring deploying search-and-rescue capabilities – from URC, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, international military partners and contracted firms – to an airport and seaport closest to the disabled sub’s last-reported location, if known. Remote locations are harder on logistics. Then there is locating the submarine and grappling with weather and sea conditions that can hamper search-and-rescue efforts.

“It’s a big ocean, and if a DISSUB [distressed submarine] goes down, you’re really hoping that they’re able to launch a radio buoy or something to alert you to where they are – because this all starts with you have to find them first,” Babick said.

The Sibitzky usually arrives first, ahead of the rescue module. It can attach a beacon to mark location and can survey the disabled sub.

“It’s going to try to make communications, if it can, either underwater telephone or hull taps. They’re going to want to know how many survivors you have, what your atmospheres are. It’s going to want to know what the list and the trim of the boat is on the bottom,” said Babick. “It’s also going to be taking a look at the hatches, to make sure … you’re going to use has a clean and free rescue seat to mate with.” If needed, operators can use the ROV’s arms to cut netting or move debris blocking a hatch.

If the sub’s hull is intact and deemed survivable, the rescue module Falcon (PRM-1) swims down and mates to the boat. “If the internal pressure of the submarine is pressurized, you can take that Sailor … all the way to the surface support ship … [and] put him into a decompression chamber,” Babick said.

But likely scenarios of flooding or fire mean higher internal pressures put the crew at greater risk of decompression sickness that worsens with each hour and day waiting for rescue.

“You just can’t take that Sailor, him or her, straight to the surface,” he said. “You do need that transfer under pressure capability to ensure that the Sailor does not suffer from a decompression sickness, the bends.”

Rescue teams also have a submarine rescue chamber, a system largely unchanged since its inception in the 1930s. An SRC rescued 33 men from the sub USS Squalus (SS-192) in 1939, “and the system has been relatively unchanged since then,” Babick said. It can carry up to six personnel per sortie, “so it takes time to get everyone off, and the submarine cannot be pressurized, which is the biggest limitation.” The SRC operates at depths to 850 feet, pulling itself along a cable to mate to the disabled sub.

The PRM is “the most advanced capability that we have,” Friedman said, noting “we’re taking some steps toward the digital age. Connections to the units are via fiber optics, so we can get faster connections to be able to get more information on and off the ship or off the rescue asset.” SRDRS in 2008 replaced the deep submergence rescue vehicles Avalon and Mystic, part of the DSRV program developed after the 1963 loss of USS Thresher (SSN-593).

Navy Leads The Way

The worldwide proliferation of inexpensive, small diesel-electric submarines makes undersea rescue capability even more critical. “There’s a lot of interest in submarines, especially smaller countries,” said Friedman, who participated in international sub rescue exercise Pacific Reach off Australia last year. “More than 40 countries are operating submarines – more than 400 throughout the world.”

Undersea Rescue Command has to be ready to mate with different types of subs, said Babick, so it’s important to understand particular features of those subs, such as where a hatch is located and how it opens. “If you want your submarine to have the opportunity to be rescued from the U.S., there is a NATO standard that your rescue seat has to mate to.” Otherwise, those subs might only have escape as an option if no available rescue system matches up.

“It’s important to partner with nations all over the world to make sure we lend our expertise and support in different areas of the world so that we can affect a submarine rescue,” said Powers. “If there’s a submarine on the bottom waiting to be saved, it’s going to be the news story of the day and the event that everybody’s focused on,” he added.

Exercises like Pacific Reach help identify differences and commonalities in navies’ boat and rescue capabilities. “We did a lot of work on how we cooperate with other submarine rescue systems operating together in close proximity in the waterspace above the disabled submarine and how we would conduct that command-and-control needed to have two submarine rescue vehicles in the same waterspace at the same time so, we minimize rescue vehicle sortie times and speed up how fast it takes to get all of those survivors off of the submarine,” Powers said.

“You can’t afford to have complacency toward any aspect of this mission if you want to be successful when you’re called on to respond. There’s always things to learn. Every time you take the system out, you learn something new,” he said. “We just had the decompression complex delivered for the first time as part of our equipment at the end of last year. We are just finishing our first operations periods at sea with that system, and we’re learning a lot about how to decompress Sailors, the different scenarios we might encounter on a disabled submarine, and how we communicate internally inside and outside the decompression complex, as well as how we coordinate with assets off of our vessel for follow-on medical care.”

Friedman noted that while its capabilities have been rarely used for real-world missions, URC remains ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. “Our commitment to Sailors is: If you’re in rescueable waters, we’re coming to get you,” he said. “We will do everything we can to make sure we can live up to that commitment.”

This story is from the October edition of Seapower magazine. Check out the digital version of the full magazine here.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard returned 28 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Friday and Sunday, while 20 other migrants were repatriated Oct. 12, following the interdiction of three illegal voyages in the Mona Passage near Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an Oct. 19 release.

One of the interdicted migrants remains in Puerto Rico to face possible federal prosecution on charges of attempted illegal reentry into the United States. Seven of the interdicted migrants claimed to be Brazilian nationals, while the remaining claimed Dominican Republic nationality. 

The interdictions are the result of ongoing multiagency efforts in support of Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG). 

“We value the strong collaboration and professionalism which exists between the Coast Guard, our sister federal law enforcement agencies, and our long-standing partners of the Puerto Rico Police,” said Capt. Gregory H. Magee, Sector San Juan commander.  “Our collective response in these three cases helped save the lives of 49 migrants, who were endangered by the unsafe conditions of traveling aboard grossly overloaded and unseaworthy makeshift boats, which most often have no lifesaving equipment and are continuously taking on water.” 

The first interdiction occurred the night of Oct. 11 and early morning of Oct. 12, when the crew of a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit stopped a 28-foot makeshift boat, approximately three nautical miles west of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant (WMEC-617) and the Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser (WPC-1116) to the scene. 

Once on scene with the migrant vessel, the crew of the cutter Vigilant safely embarked 21 migrants, 20 men and a woman.  After embarking all migrants, the crew learned that one migrant, who is now facing federal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, had a criminal and immigration history.  U.S. Border Patrol agents received custody of the migrant in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 

The second interdiction occurred Oct. 14, when the crew of a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit stopped a 20-foot makeshift boat, approximately half a mile west of Aguada, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. (WPC-1107) that arrived on scene and, with the help of the cutter’s crew, embarked 10 migrants, nine men and a woman. 

The third interdiction occurred Oct. 15 morning, after the crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft detected an illegal voyage, approximately 60 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The cutter Charles David Jr. responded to the sighting and interdicted a 26-foot makeshift boat.  The cutter’s crew safely embarked 18 migrants from the migrant vessel, 12 men and six women, seven of whom claimed Brazilian nationality. 

Once aboard the Coast Guard cutter, all migrants received food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. 

The 48 migrants were transferred to a Dominican Republic navy vessel for their return to the Dominican Republic. 

Cutter Charles David Jr. and cutter Winslow Griesser are fast response cutters respectively homeported in Key West, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cutter Vigilant is a medium endurance cutter homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida.

CAMDEN, N.J. — L3Harris Technologies has received a contract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group to provide the integrated communications system for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), L3Harris announced in an Oct. 19 release. The Coast Guard has said that the OPC program is the highest acquisition priority in the Coast Guard, providing the capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and Fast Response Cutter. 

The initial award to L3Harris includes the design, development and production of the first two ship systems with options for up to as many as four OPC systems. L3Harris integrates its MarCom voice communications system, K2 tactical terminal and Symphony communications manager products. The L3Harris integrated system is also designed to support the Department of Defense’s cyber risk management framework requirements, providing Eastern Shipbuilding and the Coast Guard with a lower-risk solution. 

“The OPC award reinforces our investments in C5ISR technology and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bring integrated mission-critical capabilities to the Coast Guard,” said Dave Zack, president, Maritime, L3Harris. “L3Harris is continuing to develop a full range of highly reliable and affordable capabilities to enable secure interoperability across all military and interagency partners.” 

Offshore patrol cutters will conduct missions, including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. Each cutter, equipped with L3Harris technology, will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups and serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by regulating and protecting emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska. 

ARLINGTON, VA. — An Oct. 15 ceremony marked the deactivation of Marine Attack Squadron 311 (VMA-311), an AV-8B Harrier II squadron at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, as the squadron shifted some assets to merge with sister squadron VMA-214.

VMA-311 will be re-activated in early 2022 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 (VMFA-311) at MCAS Miramar, California, to fly the F-35C Lightning II strike fighter, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in an Oct. 16 release. 

VMA-311 “became the first Marine squadron to employ the AV-8B Harrier in combat during Operation Desert Shield,” the release said. “VMA-311’s Harriers were the first to fly combat missions in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and participated in the first combat sortie of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.” 

“The reputable Tomcats have an exceptional level of esprit de corps representing 78 years of superior performance,” said Sgt. Maj. Colin Barry, VMA-311 sergeant major, in the release. “The Tomcats imbued a level of morale within each other that was unmatched, but I have no doubt the newly adopted VMA-214 Black Sheep identity will be embraced, and they will continue performing remarkably.” 

The deactivation leaves VMA-214 as the only Harrier squadron left in Yuma-based Marine Aircraft Group 13. Three other Harrier attack squadrons ― VMA-223, VMA-231 and VMA-542 — are based at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, along with a replacement training squadron, VMAT-203. 

VMA-214 also will make the transition to the Lightning II, in this case the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing version. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Romania of Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defense Systems (CDS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $300 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in an Oct. 19 release.   

The Government of Romania has requested to buy two Coastal Defense Systems (CDS) consisting of: up to ten Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS).  Also included are two Coastal Defense System Fire Distribution Centers; four Mobile Launch Vehicles; Transport Loading Vehicles; Naval Strike Missiles; non-operational Inert Handling/Loading Missile to support missile handling and loading/unloading; training missile and equipment spares; associated containers; training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; spares parts; loading and mobile maintenance support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.  The estimated total cost is $300 million. 

The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving Romania’s maritime defense capabilities in the Black Sea and increasing interoperability with the United States.  Romania will use this long-range, precision strike weapon to enhance mission effectiveness, survivability, and NATO interoperability in current and future missions and operations.  Romania will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces. 

The principal U.S. contractor will be Raytheon Missile and Defense, Tucson, Arizona.   

HACHINOHE, AOMORI PREFECTURE, Japan — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) kicked off a series of validation flights on Oct. 15 for Japan Coast Guard (JCG) in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. GA-ASI is working with Asia Air Survey (AAS) in Japan to conduct the flights. 

“We appreciate Asia Air Survey’s support in demonstrating how the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPAS [remotely piloted aerial system] can provide affordable, long-endurance airborne surveillance of Japan’s maritime domain,” said Linden Blue, chief executive officer, GA-ASI. “The system’s ability to correlate multiple sensor feeds and identify vessel anomalies provides effective, persistent maritime situational awareness.” 

The SeaGuardian flights will validate the wide-area maritime surveillance capabilities of RPAS for carrying out JCG’s missions, from search and rescue to maritime law enforcement. These flights follow successful “legacy” MQ-9 maritime patrol demonstrations in the Korea Strait in 2018 and the Aegean Sea in 2019. The Hachinohe operation features the MQ-9B configuration, capable of all-weather operations in civil national and international airspace.  

The SeaGuardian RPAS features a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, a High-Definition – Full-Motion Video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras. This sensor suite, augmented by automatic track correlation and anomaly-detection algorithms, enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.  

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B is revolutionizing the long-endurance RPAS market by providing all-weather capability and compliance with STANAG-4671 (NATO airworthiness standard for UAVs). These features, along with an operationally proven collision-avoidance radar, enables flexible operations in civil airspace. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps has officially retired the Bell AH-1W “Super Cobra” from their ranks after 34 years of dependable service, Bell Textron, the helicopter’s builder, said in an Oct. 19 release.   

The last detachment of AH-1Ws to complete a deployment returned earlier this year with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The detachment, temporarily assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), was part of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 (HMLA-167), based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.  

The last AH-1W sortie was flown on Oct. 14 by HMLA-773 Detachment A at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana. 

“Originally designated as the AH-1T+, the Super Cobra first flew on November 16, 1983 at Bell’s Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas,” the release said. “Bell delivered the first AH-1Ws to the Marines on March 27, 1986 and delivered the final aircraft in 1999, for a domestic fleet of 179 attack helicopters. Through August 2020, the Marine Corps flew the Super Cobra for 933,614 hours.”     

The AH-1W served in numerous combat actions, including Operation Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and in operations in Libya.   

“The AH-1W Super Cobra has served admirably and leaves a remarkable legacy of on-time, on-target attack helicopter support for our Marines,” said Col. David Walsh, the program manager for Light/Attack Helicopter Programs (PMA-276), in the release. “Although the AH-1W chapter is closing, the AH-1Z Viper stands ready with even greater capability to support our Marines for years to come.”   

“We are tremendously proud of the capabilities the AH-1W has brought to the United States Marines for the past 34 years,” said Michael Deslatte, H-1 Bell program manager. “The Super Cobra’s tremendous legacy is a testament to the excellence and dedication the men and women at Bell put into these platforms for generations and we look forward to continuing that legacy for years to come.”    

All HMLA squadrons are now equipped with the four-bladed AH-1Z Viper.  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Venturous (WMEC-625) transferred custody of four suspected smugglers and 246 kilograms of seized cocaine to federal law enforcement authorities at Sector San Juan Oct. 15, following the interdiction of a drug smuggling go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea. 

The interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution for this case. 

The estimated wholesale value of the seized drug shipment is more than $6.8 million. 

“Successful outcomes as in this case are a testament to the strong relationships between the Coast Guard and participating partner agency units who share an unwavering resolve to stopping drug smuggling vessels at sea,” said Lt. Andrew Russo, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez (WPC-1114) commanding officer.  “The crew of the Heriberto Hernandez is proud to help safeguard the Caribbean and our nation’s southernmost maritime border to protect our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against this threat.” 

The bust occurred during the evening hours of Oct. 5 and early morning hours of Oct. 6, 2020, after the aircrew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operations aircraft detected a suspicious panga style 35-foot go-fast vessel in Caribbean Sea waters near the Dominican Republic. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft, which relieved the CBP aircraft and maintained aerial coverage of the go-fast throughout the interdiction. 

The cutter Heriberto Hernandez responded to the sighting and interdicted the go-fast vessel with the assistance of the cutter’s small boat.  During the interdiction, the Coast Guard boarding team seized eight bales of suspected contraband, which tested positive for cocaine. 

The crew of the cutter Heriberto Hernandez embarked four men from the go-fast, two Venezuelan, a Colombian and a Dominican Republic national, along with the seized contraband. The cutter Venturous transported the suspected smugglers and contraband to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were transferred to awaiting Caribbean Corridor Strike Force federal law enforcement agents. 

Cutter Heriberto Hernandez is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while the Cutter Venturous is a medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida.  

ARLINGTON, Va. — The fleet replacement squadron for the Navy’s CMV-22B Osprey community has been established by the Navy to prepare future aviators, aircrew, and maintenance personnel for operating and maintaining the fleet’s newest aircraft type. 

Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron 50 (VRM-50) was established on Oct. 1 at Naval Air Station North Island, California. The SunHawks, as they are known, will grow the squadron over time to assume training of Navy personnel from Fleet Logistics Medium Multi-Mission Wing Training Detachment 204, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. 

One of the two fleet squadrons destined to operate the CMV-22B, VRM-30, was established in 2018. It will be the first to deploy a detachment of CMV-22Bs to replace C-2A Greyhound carrier-onboard-delivery aircraft on aircraft carriers.  

The Navy took delivery of its first CMV-22B in February. The aircraft type is scheduled to reach Initial Operational Capability on 2021, in time to deploy on USS Carl Vinson, which also will take the F-35C Lightning II strike fighter on its first deployment. 

A fleet squadron for the East Coast carriers, VRM-40, will be established in the future.