U.S., Peru scout out stealthy, diesel submarines in joint Silent Force Exercise
By Lisa Burgess,
Washington bureau
Courtesy of the U.S. Navy
The USS Rodney M. Davis steams in the open sea in this file photo. The frigates Davis and
USS Halyburton, along with the cruiser USS Ticonderoga, recently completed the Navy's
first joint exercise with the Peruvian navy. |
The first joint exercise ever held between U.S. surface warships and
the Peruvian navy’s diesel submarine fleet wrapped up July 27 with shore leave in
Callao, Peru, for sailors from the Aegis cruiser USS Ticonderoga and the guided missile
frigates USS Rodney M. Davis and USS Halyburton.
Navy Lt. Corey Barker, spokesman for the Silent Force Exercise
(SIFOREX), said the exercise “focused on undersea-warfare training aimed at
increasing interoperability and appreciation of each country’s naval forces.”
Sailors arrived at Peru’s main navy base in Callao, near the
nation’s capital of Lima on July 27, after their weeklong engagement with three
Peruvian diesel submarines and a Lupo-class frigate.
The Ticonderoga, commanded by Cmdr. Glen Sears of Honolulu, Hawaii,
was designated as the antisubmarine warfare command ship for the four surface ships in the
task group, Barker said.
The Ticonderoga, which is based in Pascagoula, Miss., also served as
the flagship for fleet exercise leader Capt. Bob Riche, commander of Destroyer Squadron
23.
The exercise began before sunrise on July 23, as the three U.S.
warships and the Peruvian frigate Montero set to sea. But danger lurked directly ahead
— the Peruvian submarines were lying in wait at the harbor’s outlet, ready to
pounce on the exiting ships, Barker said.
Thanks to the ships’ sophisticated sub-hunting electronics and
the technicians who operate the equipment, the little fleet was able to locate the
“enemy” subs and successfully fight their way out of the shallow harbor into the
open ocean, Barker said.
“Leaving a port knowing that there are submarines trying to sink
us makes my job very tricky,” said Sonar Technician Geographic Second Class Jeremy
Admas of Houston, Texas. “But that is what I do: I find subs.”
Admas said his job was made more challenging because of all the
acoustic activity generated underwater by the normal operations of the busy commercial
harbor, Barker said.
“It was especially difficult to try and pick out the submarines
from all of the noise in the harbor,” Admas said.
SIFOREX 2001 was the first time U.S. Navy ships have had the chance
to work with the best of Peru’s submarine force. Officers from the two navies
“exchanged engagement theories and tested each other’s tactics and
technology,” Barker said.
“We do not have many opportunities to engage in training
operations with this many diesel submarines specifically focused on undersea and
antisubmarine warfare in a littoral environment,” said Cmdr. Jim Vitha, chief staff
officer of Destroyer Squadron 23. “SIFOREX was an important exercise to polish our
ability to execute and evaluate antisubmarine warfare maneuvers against very skilled
Peruvian diesel submarines.”
The U.S. ships’ technicians, in particular, appreciated the
opportunity to play war games with high-quality diesel subs, Barker said.
“This is my first time to work so openly with diesel
submarines,” Admas said.” Usually, they are very secretive, but the Peruvians
taught us how to detect, recognize and identify diesel subs.”
After the initial break-out from port, subsequent days included a
fast-moving exercise in which the ships simulated bombing two shore targets — a dummy
radar installation and a “navy base” — while two submarines and two
fast-attack missile subs tried to prevent the operation, Barker said.
After the exercise was completed, the U.S. sailors enjoyed free time
to see the sights of Lima. Some sailors shopped for native Inca handcrafts in the
city’s open markets, while others headed to downtown movie theaters to watch
“Jurassic Park III” and “Planet of the Apes,” Barker said.
Sonar Technician Geographic Second Class Cameron R. Bennett of
Kennewick, Wash., said he enjoyed his tour of local Inca ruins so much that he’s
planning to return to Peru on his own.
“I’ll definitely return for a vacation with my
girlfriend,” Bennett said.
Back to August stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from July, 2001
Stories from June, 2001
Stories from May, 2001
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home |
