6th Fleet Focus: USS Bainbridge Deploys Friday

In perhaps the quietest international naval deployment in recent memory, the departure of Standing Naval Maritime Group 1 on August 4th has produced not a single shred of news since their departure. The official SNMG1 site reported the first week was focused on training and integration, important tasks for sure, but considering Saturday the deployment will officially be 3 weeks old, it is a safe assumption they have arrived (or will have) to the Gulf of Guinea and have done so with a purpose. I'm actually encouraged a bit by the lack of media reports, if they are going to do some good, best not run around with a high profile announcing your presence, particularly when areas like the Niger River Delta continues to produce a number of challenges.

What we do know however is the USS Normandy (CG 60), which deployed on April 14th of this year will soon be replaced by the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96). As regular readers are aware, I have been looking forward to the deployment of the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96).

As I have said before, I find it more than a bit ironic that Commander Stephen J. Coughlin, the CO of the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) is a graduate of the Naval Academy class of 1988. On April 14, 2024 the USS Samual B. Roberts (FFG 58) hit an Iranian M-08 mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will. I find it ironic because I recently completed reading No Higher Honor (ISBN 1-59114-661-5) by Bradley Peniston, who pointed out that when the frigate was in the Gulf in 1988 it literally had no mine detection capability other than a handful of spotters.

The result of that tragic event was probably the driving factor in increasing the capabilities of destroyers in mine warfare. Nearly 20 years later, the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) represents the lessons learned from that event.

The AN/WLD 1 (V)1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) is intended to be the mine detection system of choice in the future. While it is a primary component to the Littoral Combat Ship MIW capability, on January of this year the USS Bainbridge become the first ship the RMS has been installed to.

The second ship to receive the AN/WLD 1 (V)1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) was the USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) in February. The USS Forrest Sherman, currently deployed with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, had a little incident with a WWII era mine in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Sevastopol during a recent visit. While I haven't heard of the RMS system being involved in that incident, I think it is noteworthy the US Navy has deployed their first two DDG-51s to receive the MIW UUVs, particularly at a time of increased rhetoric between the US and Iran in the Gulf.

A wise precaution given current events if you ask me.

While the local media report states the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) is heading to the Med, this is another example of an ignorant reporter. It was released in European news the ship will replace the USS Normandy (CG 60) as flagship of SNMG1 during the African deployment, sometime during its Cape Town leg, and will be with SNMG1 as it patrols off Somalia and the Horn of Africa before returning to the European theater in early October.