NMFS Biological Opinion on U.S. Navy training ... - Govsupport.us

FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013
As a combined force, submarines, surface ships, and aircraft will conduct anti-submarine warfare exercises against
submarine targets representing an opposing force. Submarine targets would include real submarines, target drones
that simulate the operations of an actual submarine, and virtual submarines interjected into the training events by
exercise controllers. The primary event of each exercise involves from one or more surface ships equipped with
sonar, with one or more helicopters, and maritime patrol aircraft (P-3s, P-8s, or analogous aircraft) searching for one
or more submarines.
Each of the training events are expected to last for about 72 to 96 hours. Over this time interval, expeditionary strike
groups would engage in about 140 hours of active sonar training while carrier strike groups would engage in about
222 hours of active sonar training. All of the proposed Undersea Warfare Exercise activities would occur within the
Hawai’i Range Complex which encompasses offshore, near shore, and onshore areas located on or around the major
islands of the Hawai’ian Island chain.
The following narratives discuss those aspects of the proposed USWEX that are necessary to understand their
potential effects on threatened and endangered species under the jurisdiction of <strong>NMFS</strong> and critical habitat that has
been designated for those species. For a complete description of all elements of the proposed exercises, readers
should refer to the U.S. Navy’s Final EIS on the Hawai’i Range Complex.
Antisubmarine Warfare
The types of anti-submarine warfare training conducted during the proposed USWEX include the use of ships, submarines,
aircraft, non-explosive exercise weapons, and other training related devices. Anti-submarine warfare events
could occur throughout the Hawai’i Range Complex.
Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Operations During Undersea Warfare Exercises
Undersea Warfare Exercises typically employ tactical mid-frequency sonars that are designed to search for, detect,
localize, classify, and track submarines. The types of active sound sources that would be used in the Undersea
Warfare Exercises include:
Sonar Systems Associated with Surface Ships. A variety of surface ships might participate in the proposed Undersea
Warfare Exercises, including guided missile cruisers, destroyers, guided missile destroyers, and frigates. Some ships
(e.g., aircraft carriers) do not have any onboard active sonar systems, other than fathometers. Others, like guided
missile cruisers, are equipped with active as well as passive sonars for submarine detection and tracking.
Sonar Systems Associated with Submarines. Submarines are equipped with a variety of active and passive sonar
systems that they use to detect and target enemy submarines and surface ships. However, submarines rarely use
active sonars and, when they do, sonar pulses are very short.
Sonar Systems Associated with Aircraft. Aircraft sonar systems that typically operate during a USWEX include
sonobuoys and dipping sonar. P-3 aircraft may deploy sonobuoys while helicopters may deploy sonobuoys or
dipping sonars (the latter are used by carrier-based helicopters). Sonobuoys are expendable devices used by aircraft
for the detection of underwater acoustic energy and for conducting vertical water column temperature measurements.
16