The Navy is Developing Mothership Operations

I love this article. We are seeing the early development of a new concept that has the potential to change the way the Navy conducts its peacemaker security roles at sea. This is a sign of the evolution of peacemaker operations under the NCW model.

Amphibious transport dock USS Cleveland (LPD 7) completed first-time Interaction Patrols (IPATS) by integrating the use of a landing craft utility (LCU) with air assets during a recent series of exercises in the Persian Gulf.

IPATS are an element of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) which help generate support and awareness amongst commercial vessels sailing in the region of the coalition's efforts to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment. Coalition forces also conduct MSO under international maritime conventions so that commercial shipping and fishing can occur safely in the region.

Cleveland, operating as an afloat forward-staging base, demonstrated the ability to direct multiple IPATs using its visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) teams on maritime security missions while effectively maintaining command and control of aircraft. Utilizing an embarked landing craft utility (LCU) from Amphibious Assault Craft Unit 1 (ACU 1), Cleveland's VBSS teams deployed from the smaller, more maneuverable landing craft.

Notice what we have here. A Motherhip (USS Cleveland LPD 7) deploying medium sized, independent platforms able to independently support VBSS operations, in this case using LCUs. The reason for the LCU is cited as a platform that extends range beyond that of the RHIBs, in other words, endurance. We note this is two of a three step process we have previously described for peacemaking at sea.

The afloat forward-staging base is not a new concept, rather a concept that has been exploited by the Navy in theater many times. We believe the afloat forward-staging base can be used in a number of ways beyond the ways described in the past, and this story is one such example.

The next step is to find a platform that can self deploy from motherships that can support the VBSS operations of a RHIB, thus extending the network and extra 'hop'. While that is a process down the road, we commend the Navy for leveraging these existing platforms in this way.

The concept is brilliant in its simplicity, by leveraging aviation for maritime domain awareness, and by leveraging the endurance of the LCU, the mothership is able to coordinate security over a wider area as part of a peacemaking network.

"Our efforts to improve our maritime patrol procedures aims to minimize maritime crime and harassment in the region," said Capt. Billy Hart, Cleveland's commanding officer. "Ultimately, these efforts will bolster security and stability in the region. We experimented with this new concept, along with Destroyer Squadron 26, proving the concept and then putting the pieces into motion. It boosts efficiency and may become the standard for maritime security patrols."

We hope so, the establishment of peacemaking doctrines to support the new Maritime Strategy is an important step. All ahead steady. Test and verify. Evolution not transformation. We can't commend this activity enough, because we see it as an evolutionary step in the establishment of true Maritime Domain Awareness and acknowledgment of the peacemaking possibilities of the mothership in the 21st century.

In the future we believe the mothership will become the MDA centric surface platform, centralizing the C4ISR role within the peacemaking model. The mothership will manage deployable aviation platforms, mostly unmanned but also manned, to support not only the scouting responsibilities, but also the security support responsibilities. We also believe the establishmwnt of doctrine under this model will lead to the Navy developing naval specific platforms (as opposed to amphibious platforms) for the mid-sized endurance platform. That mid-sized deployable platform, if armed and designed with both speed and endurance in mind, will expand the network even further enabling the Navy to independently manage security operations in areas of very long coastlines and heavy shipping traffic without requiring an entire strike group or a destroyer squadron.