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
The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 38 bombing exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is an
increase from the 35 exercises conducted under current schedules.
Sinking Exercise. A discussed in the summary of future Rim of the Pacific exercises, sink exercises provide training
to ship and aircraft crews in delivering live ordnance on real targets. Each Sinking Exercise uses an excess vessel
hulk as a target that is eventually sunk during the course of the exercise. The target is an empty, cleaned, and
environmentally remediated ship hull that is towed to a designated location where multiple types of weapons fire
shots at the hulk. Sink Exercise vessels can number from one to as many as six during a major range exercise. The
duration of a Sink Exercise is unpredictable since it ends when the target sinks, sometimes immediately after the first
weapon impact and sometimes only after multiple impacts by a variety of weapons.
Weapons can include missiles, precision and non-precision bombs, gunfire, and torpedoes. Examples of missiles that
could be fired at the targets include AGM-142 from a B-52 bomber, Walleye AGM -62 from FA-18 aircraft, and a
Harpoon from a P-3C aircraft. Surface ships and submarines may use either torpedoes or Harpoons, surface-to-air
missiles in the surface-to-surface mode, and guns. Other weapons and ordnance could include, but are not limited to,
bombs, Mavericks, and Hellfire.
If none of the shots result in the hulk sinking, either a submarine shot or placed explosive charges are used to sink
the ship. Charges ranging from 100 to 200 pounds, depending on the size of the ship, are placed on or in the hulk.
The vessels used as targets are selected from a list of destroyers, tenders, cutters, frigates, cruisers, tugs, and
transports that have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Department of the Navy and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1996). The EPA granted the Department of the Navy a general permit through the
Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act to transport vessels “for the purpose of sinking such vessels in
ocean waters…” (40 CFR Part 229.2) Subparagraph (a)(3) of this regulation states “All such vessel sinkings shall be
conducted in water at least 1,000 fathoms (6,000 feet) deep and at least 50 nautical miles from land.” In Hawai’i,
SINKEX events take place within PMRF Warning Area W-188.
The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 6 sinking exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is the
same number of exercises conducted under current schedules.
Anti-Surface Warfare Torpedo Exercise (Submarine-Surface). Submarines conduct most of their torpedo firings at
Pacific Missile Range Facility, and many of those are against surface targets. Surface targets will typically be Pacific
Missile Range Facility range boats or targets, or U.S. Navy combatants. Antisurface Warfare Torpedo Exercises
culminate with the submarine firing a MK-48 torpedos against the surface target.
Twice a year, “Hollywood” operations are conducted on Pacific Missile Range Facility as part of the Submarine
Commander’s Course, which trains prospective submarine Commanding Officers and Executive Officers. These are
integrated operations involving complex scenarios that will include a coordinated surface, air, and submarine force
challenging the submarine’s Commanding Officers and crew. During these events, submarines are typically engaged
in torpedo firings during anti-surface warfare exercises, as well as anti-submarine warfare tracking exercises and
anti-submarine torpedo exercises.
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