RimPac SinkEx

[flipper35]

On the video just before the first Harpoon (?) hits there is a high speed splash going aft on the starboard side. What is it?

[john70t]

Looks like a head-on miss. Slow enough to be on camera. Maybe a small cruise missile w/o wings or a shell?
[edit a word]

[masraum]

Originally Posted by john70t

Looks like a head-on miss. Slow enough to be a camera. Maybe a small cruise missile w/o wings or a shell?

Yep

Click the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the video next to the word "YouTube" and change the playback speed to .25x. then watch the front of the ship in the 11-12 second range.
It's VERY hard to see, but if you watch the video, you can see it come in from the front.


And then, of course, you see the disturbance in the water out the back a short time later.

[flipper35]

Thanks. I did go frame by frame but never saw the little tyke coming in head on. Looks like it should have been a little further to its right. Would it cause more damage at the bow, or just make it hard to engage because they came from two directions?

[Seahawk]

Very cool.

A SinkEx, I've done two, (plus shoot downs of NOLOs), are more stressful than the real deal.

Everybody is taking notes.

There are some sad tales of careers ended.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Thanks. I did go frame by frame but never saw the little tyke coming in head on. Looks like it should have been a little further to its right. Would it cause more damage at the bow, or just make it hard to engage because they came from two directions?

In a couple of the frames, it's nearly invisible. I have it blown up almost full screen, and watched it several times before I caught it. Here's another earlier frame.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Very cool.

A SinkEx, I've done two, (plus shoot downs of NOLOs), are more stressful than the real deal.

Everybody is taking notes.

There are some sad tales of careers ended.

Wow, really? How bad to you have to botch that to end your career? Or is it that they are just never able to advance afterwards?

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by masraum

Wow, really? How bad to you have to botch that to end your career? Or is it that they are just never able to advance afterwards?

The SinkEx crews are usually hand-picked.

When I was in flight test, I shot a number of missiles off the SH-60B, including participating in a SinkEx off of Rosey Roads, But we were still in test.

The next year, after the missile was approved for the fleet, they did a SinkEx in RIMPAC that involved a lot of other assets. Generally, they shoot the crap out of the target, starting with smaller weapons and eventually sinking the thing with Harpoons and jet launched weapons, etc. Sometimes ships will close and just gun the thing. It is harder to sink a ship than you think.

A SinkEx is an expensive big deal. Just getting the target ship ready to sink is an ordeal, as it should be, to ensure the thing is environmentally safe.

So the crew of the SH-60B, the aircraft commander was a friend of mine, is next in the barrel. Remember, a whole bunch of aviation and surface officers are watching.

My buddy does his thing, gets into position, all systems go. He hits the launch button.

The missile, the first Navy helicopter missile launch in a Navy fleet exercise, falls harmlessly into the Pacific, like a Seagull turd.

He forgot to select the right launch sequence on his armament panel: The missile could talk to him and tell him it was ready, that the target was selected, but without a specific switch position, the motor wasn't going to light off.

Ouch.

He actually got out of the Navy early.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

The SinkEx crews are usually hand-picked.

When I was in flight test, I shot a number of missiles off the SH-60B, including participating in a SinkEx of of Rosey Roads, But we were still in test.

The next year, after the missile was approved for the fleet, they did a SinkEx in RIMPAC that involved a lot of other assets. Generally, they shoot the crap out of the target, starting with smaller weapons and eventually sinking the thing with Harpoons and jet launched weapons, etc. Sometimes ships will close and just gun the thing. It is harder to sink a ship than you think.

A SinkEx is an expensive big deal. Just getting the target ship ready to sink is an ordeal, as it should be, to ensure the thing is environmentally safe.

So the crew of the SH-60B, the aircraft commander was a friend of mine, is next in the barrel. Remember, a whole bunch of aviation and surface officers are watching.

My buddy does his thing, gets into position, all systems go. He hits the launch button.

The missile, the first Navy helicopter missile launch in a Navy fleet exercise, falls harmlessly into the Pacific, like a Seagull turd.

He forgot to select the right launch sequence on his armament panel: The missile could talk to him and tell him it was ready, that the target was selected, but without a specific switch position, the motor wasn't going to light off.

Ouch.

He actually got out of the Navy early.

Ouch for sure!

[flipper35]

I see the Navy is working on a LIDAR mine detection unit on Seahawks now. Sounds like they are able to look underwater a fair distance with it.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by flipper35

I see the Navy is working on a LIDAR mine detection unit on Seahawks now. Sounds like they are able to look underwater a fair distance with it.

Looking for mines in the surf zone, near surf zone has been the Quest for the Holy Grail for over 30 years.

As a CDR I actually worked what was then called "Organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures", or OAMCM. What a cluster foxtrot. We tried to take system developed for the MH-53E and stuff them in a MH-60S.

Yikes.

However, their is value in LiDAR and other systems. The Navy flew a system called "Magic Lantern in the 80's and 90's.

Here is a picture of an AQS-20, side scanning sonar that is towed by the host aircraft squeezed into a 60S. I actually had a hand in this sheep dip:





I never flew it. A good friend of mine, who was the CO of VX-1 when this thing was in test, did. He said it was the hardest, most vexing flying he did in over 4000 helo hours.

Program did not move forward.

[flipper35]

This at least looks like it fits the pylon better.



https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2166762/anaes-1-airborne-laser-mine-detection-system-almds/

[Seahawk]

ALMDS is great!

I should have said that. AMCM is just so freaking hard. ALMDS is a near surf zone, surf zone tool. It gets really hard in deeper water because ALMDS can't see through the volume of water at certain depths.

During the first Gulf War the Tripoli was hit by a mine. I was the Air Boss on the USS La Salle and we took their sleds and other gear and put it our well deck. The MH-53E would come get their stuff and go do their thing.

The Mine Warfare Staff was also embarked. I learned then what a vexing, difficult problem mine warfare is.

We cleared the lane into Kuwait and were the first ship to dock. If I knew then what I learned later I would have swam (swum?) in

We were working five systems for OAMCM: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/amcm.htm

Long time ago!

[flipper35]

I can't imagine the difficulty involved in sweeping a zone. Short of detonating a few MOABs underwater along the way.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by flipper35

I can't imagine the difficulty involved in sweeping a zone. Short of detonating a few MOABs underwater along the way.

Sorry to hijack your thread. I can get you back on track.

Two ships I served on, one I was a Plank Owner on, have been "Sinkex'ed".

The first, CG-50, the USS Valley Forge:



The second, AGF-3, the USS La Salle:



In better times.

Valley Forge going through the Panama Canal. I took the pic:



Me on the "3" during DS/DS:



I got to fly a bunch as well.

[flipper35]

No worries on any attempt to hijack. I think they are interesting exercises and sometimes it is interesting to see how much punishment some of those ships take.

A torpedo hit makes an interesting show!

[Zeke]

You guys are good detectives. There is another streak left to right just above the hit at 0:15. Then it disappears.