SINGAPORE –
The littoral combat ship
USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) practiced the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea
(CUES) with the People's Liberation Army-Navy [PLA(N)] Jiangkai II frigate
Hengshui (FFG 572) Feb. 23 enhancing the professional maritime relationship
between U.S. 7th Fleet and the PLA(N).
Fort Worth and Hengshui were conducting routine training and operations in
international waters of the South China Sea when the ships realized a training
opportunity was present.
CUES, a set of procedures endorsed by naval leaders at the Western Pacific
Naval Symposium in April 2014, is a guideline for unplanned maritime encounters
while at sea, providing standards for communication, safety procedures and
maneuvering instructions for naval ships and aircraft.
"The interaction with the Hengshui was safe and routine, and the
professionalism that was on display by both ships is commendable," said
Cmdr. Matt Kawas, Fort Worth Crew 103 commanding officer. "As the first
underway for Crew 103 aboard Fort Worth in U.S. 7th Fleet, this was a real-time
situation where we relied upon our months of training in San Diego to
execute."
Fort Worth and Hengshui rendezvoused and used CUES as a signaling protocol to
indicate ship maneuvering.
"Having a standardized protocol of safety procedures, basic communications
and basic maneuvering instructions is critical as we work together to prevent
mishaps and miscommunications at sea," said Capt. Fred Kacher, commodore,
Destroyer Squadron 7. "This will likely not be the last time Fort Worth
conducts CUES as she continues to operate extensively throughout Southeast Asia
and expand her operational footprint to Northeast Asia during the remaining 12
months of her deployment to the Asia-Pacific."
Fort Worth departed Singapore Feb. 19 following the first of three crew swaps
as part of the ship's maiden 16-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific. Fort
Worth is the first LCS to deploy under the "3-2-1" manning concept,
which allows LCS to sustain a 16-month forward presence without fatiguing the
crew during the extended deployment. It is named "3-2-1" because
three rotational crews will support two LCS ships and maintain one deployed
ship. Two additional crew swaps will occur during the remainder of Fort Worth's
deployment, roughly every four months.
During the first five days of the current underway period, the crew conducted
at-sea workups to maintain the proficiency achieved as part of their deployment
certification in San Diego. Fort Worth is now headed north for Foal Eagle in
March. Held annually with the Republic of Korea navy, Foal Eagle is also the
first exercise in Northeast Asia that incorporates LCS participation.
Fort Worth is the second LCS to deploy as part of an initiative for up to four
rotational deployments of these ships simultaneously to U.S. 7th Fleet in the
coming years. Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships are
designed to operate in near shore environments and employ modular mission
packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or
anti-submarine warfare.
Fort Worth will employ the surface warfare mission package for her entire
deployment, augmenting her 57mm gun and rolling airframe missile launcher with
two 30mm guns, two 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats, two six-member
maritime security boarding teams, a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and a MQ-8B Fire
Scout unmanned aircraft system.
The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of
U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the
U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other
maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote
stability and prevent conflict.