“The operational pause is a more significant version of a safety stand down and will impact the Navy as a whole. All ships will dedicate an entire day to revisiting the basics of seamanship and navigation.”
The U.S. Navy announced an operational pause following significant incidents at sea over the past eight months in the 7th Fleet Area of Operations, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan.
Most recently, the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while operating in the Strait of Malacca. The collision occurred in the early morning hours on August 21. The U.S. Navy, with assistance from local authorities, the Royal Malaysian Navy, and the Republic of Singapore Navy performed an exhaustive search for ten missing Sailors and recovered the remains of one Sailor. The Navy announced that it had called off the search on August 24 after more than 80 hours.
Many are wondering how such an incident could occur. It is of particular concern following the June collision of the USS Fitzgerald and a merchant vessel, also in the 7th Fleet, which led to the deaths of seven Sailors. Both ships are Guided-Missile Destroyers, some of the most maneuverable ships in the Navy. The USS Lake Champlain, a highly-maneuverable Cruiser collided with a fishing vessel in May and the USS Antietam, another Cruiser, ran aground last January.
7th Fleet Commander relieved of command
In response to these incidents, the Navy announced that Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin had been relieved of command of the U.S. 7th Fleet on August 23 due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.” It is important to note that this action does not follow an official investigation, which is still in progress and will most likely take months to complete. It does not imply that Vice Admiral Aucoin was personally negligent or at fault. Rather, it shows that leaders in the Navy are held accountable for the actions of their subordinates without exception.
The difference between this situation and other naval incidents, as well as the reason it is receiving so much attention, is that it marks a trend rather than an isolated event. While the action or inaction of individuals may be responsible for the collisions, the fact that there were four incidents, two involving numerous fatalities, within an area of responsibility, demands attention.
The investigation will focus on what actions were taken by all parties involved leading up to and after the collision. There are many factors at play during normal operations at sea, including personal and electronic means of maintaining safe seamanship and awareness of merchant traffic.
Regardless of time spent at sea, basic seamanship and general safety will be a priority in the review.
It is important to provide answers to the families of those lost in the collision, as well as the general public, to maintain the country’s confidence in the Navy to protect its interests effectively and professionally. But conducting a thorough investigation takes time. The Navy will have to consider all possibilities and causes that may have contributed to the collision.
The future of the U.S. Navy
After any mishap or incident, a military unit conducts a safety stand down to retrain and refocus on safety. The operational pause is a more significant version of a safety stand down and will impact the Navy as a whole. All ships will dedicate an entire day to revisiting the basics of seamanship and navigation. The area where the incidents occurred is one of the busiest that the Navy operates in. Ships in the 7th Fleet are forward-deployed, meaning that they are operating at a higher tempo and spending more time at-sea than their counterparts in other areas of the world. Regardless of time spent at sea, basic seamanship and general safety will be a priority in the review.
The operational pause was ordered by Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, and is being overseen by Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. These incidents are rightfully receiving attention from the Navy’s highest leaders. While individual units review procedures, training, and qualifications, Navy leadership will conduct a review of the last ten years of operations at sea.
Unit commanders will conduct these reviews with all personnel who are involved in seamanship and navigation with the entire chain of command being active participants. The Commanding Officer, or CO, of any Naval vessel is ultimately responsible for the safe conduct of that ship. COs take this responsibility very seriously and outline specific reporting requirements in their “Standing Orders” to their watch teams.
These orders are designed to provide guidelines to the watch team on when to inform the CO of close-quarters situations with other ships, when to call the CO to the bridge to assist the watch team, and other situations that warrant informing the CO to ensure safe conduct. Understanding and demonstrating compliance with these procedures are major components of the qualification process for all watch standers. During the operational pause, personnel will discuss these procedures and how they impact safety of navigation.
While ships are conducting procedural reviews, higher leadership will focus on developments throughout the fleet. Part of maintaining ship proficiency includes simulator training, at-sea exercises, and system maintenance requirements. Leadership will consider how these things are being implemented and existing limitations that may be affecting them, including high operational tempo such as that in the 7th Fleet area of operations.
Ultimately, the U.S. Navy is charged with the protection of U.S. interests at-sea and around the world. To carry out this charge, the surface fleet must be able to operate safely and professionally in all situations. Following four significant incidents at-sea in a single area of operations, the Navy is considering what factors have contributed to this trend and is addressing the issues in the ordered operational pause.
Rest assured, following a comprehensive investigation into the collision of the USS John S. McCain, the Navy will hold all responsible parties accountable and make swift changes to ensure safety of navigation across all fleets around the world.
