Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center (NOMWC) Sailors took advantage of the Corpus Christi Maritime Homeland Security Limited Objective Experiment (CC MHS LOE) to learn a little bit more about operating their unmanned vehicles in ports and about working with other mine warfare assets.
The CC MHS LOE took place in the Port of Corpus Christi May 11-15.
NOMWC works hand-in-hand with Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) operating unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), collecting and analyzing data.
Lt. Scott Parker, NOMWC UUV officer, said they took away a lot of lessons from the exercise and experimented with some new technology and operational techniques.
"Every time we get a chance to operate the vehicles, we learn a little more about the best way to operate them, particularly in exercises and experiments because you must adapt to changing conditions," Parker said.
The Corpus Christi exercise marked the first time NOMWC Sailors recovered vehicles at the pier to mimic a real-world situation, according to Parker. His team had always recovered the vehicles while in a boat.
"If there are mines in the water, we don't want to be operating from boats," he said.
Also, for the first time, NOMWC worked with the Navy's mine warfare marine mammals unit, which uses dolphins to help classify mine-like contacts.
The Sailors were able to work with emerging technologies – a UUV with the next-generation sonar that can not only cover a wider swath in a pass but also emit varying frequencies that penetrate the harbor floor, allowing units to detect buried mines.
NOMWC operates UUVs in shallow water – 40 to 200 feet – in harbors, ports and other confined areas. Consequently, they do most of the UUV operation for mine warfare and for homeland defense. So they were part of the experiment because of their expertise, but they also benefited.
"The beauty of working in a port and harbor area in the U.S. is that we learn specifics about this particular area and hone our skill sets. Those skills and lessons learned apply equally well in any overseas operation – the 'home and away game.' We can be prepared for a homeland event while staying ready for anything overseas," said Cmdr. Paul Oosterling, NOMWC commander.
George Lammons (NNS)
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