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

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FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013 The AN/SSQ-101 ADAR Sonobuoy is an expendable passive sonobuoy. After water entry, the ADAR sonobuoy descends to a selected depth and deploys hydrophones. Once activated, the ADAR sonobuoy works in conjunction with the SSQ-110 sonobuoy sound source, receiving active echoes reflecting off any target or reverberant present, including submarine hulls, seamounts, bottom features, etc. Ordnance is used during these exercises. Sonobuoys are released from aircraft and active and passive sonar is used. The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 4 EER/IEER exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is the same number conducted under current schedules. Electronic Combat Operations. Electronic Combat operations consist of air-, land-, and sea-based emitters simulating enemy systems and activating air, surface and submarine electronic support measures (ESM) and electronic countermeasures systems. Appropriately configured aircraft fly threat profiles against the ships so that crews can be trained to detect electronic signatures of various threat aircraft, or so that they can be trained to detect counter jamming of their own electronic equipment by the simulated threat. The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 100 electronic combat exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is an increase from the 50 exercises conducted under current schedules. Mine Countermeasures Exercise. Mine Countermeasures exercises train forces to detect, identify, mark, or disable mines using a variety of methods. Organic Mine Countermeasures include systems deployed by air, ship, and submarine. Five Organic Airborne Mine Counter-measures systems are deployed by the MH-60S Seahawk Multi- Mission, including: • Advanced Mine Hunting Sonar: The AN/AQS-20A Advanced Mine Hunting Sonar is a single-pass multisonar system designed to detect, locate, and identify mines on the sea floor and in the water. • AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS): The AN/AES-1 ALMDS is a sensor designed to detect moored, near surface mines using light detection and ranging technology. • AN/ALQ-220 Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS): The AN/ALQ-220 OASIS System is a lightweight magnetic/acoustic system employed by the MH-60S. • AN/AWS-2 Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS): The AN/AWS-2 RAMICS is being developed to destroy near-surface and floating mines using a 30-mm cannon hydro-ballistic projectile, and includes a target reacquisition pod on the MH-60S. • AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS): The AN/ASQ-235 AMNS is a lightweight expendable system designed to rapidly neutralize bottom and moored mines The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 62 mine countermeasures exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is an increase from the 32 exercises conducted under current schedules. Mine Neutralization. Mine Neutralization operations involve the detection, identification, evaluation, rendering safe, and disposal of mines and unexploded ordnance (which the Navy abbreviates as UXO) that constitutes a threat to ships or personnel. Mine neutralization training is conducted by a variety of air, surface and sub-surface assets. 26
FINAL PROGRAMMATIC BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON U.S. NAVY ACTIVITIES IN THE HAWAII RANGE COMPLEX 2008-2013 Tactics for neutralizing ground or bottom mines involve the diver placing a specific amount of explosives which, when detonated underwater at a specific distance from a mine, results in neutralization of the mine. Floating, or moored, mines involve the diver placing a specific amount of explosives directly on the mine. Floating mines encountered by fleet ships in open ocean areas are detonated at the surface. In support of a military expeditionary assault, the U.S. Navy deploys in very shallow water depths (10 to 40 feet) to locate mines and obstructions. Divers are transported to the mines by boat or helicopter. Inert dummy mines are used in exercises. The total net explosive weight used against each mine ranges from less than less than 1 pound to 20 pounds. Occasionally, marine mammals are used in mine detection training operations. The U.S. Navy's Very Shallow Water Mine Countermeasures Detachment of Commander Mine Warfare Command deploys trained Atlantic bottlenose dolphins of their marine mammal mine-hunting systems in several missions. Each mission includes up to four motorized small craft, several crew members and a trained dolphin. Exercises using dolphins are coordinated with other U.S. Navy units to avoid conflicts with other U.S. Navy activities, underwater acoustic emissions associated with those activities, or civilian craft. Any unplanned situation that has the potential for exposing a dolphin to dangerous or conflicting underwater acoustic emissions or other interference is mitigated by recalling it into a small craft and moving the dolphin out of the area. As such, these marine mammals are continuously protected. These animals are transported to and housed in the State of Hawai’i in accordance with applicable regulations of the Hawai’i State Department of Agriculture. Mine neutralization operations take place offshore in the Puuloa Underwater Range (called Keahi Point in earlier documents), Pearl Harbor; Lima Landing; Barbers Point Underwater Range off-shore of Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point/Kalaeloa Airport (formerly Naval Air Station [NAS] Barbers Point); Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai (Majors Bay area); Pacific Missile Range Facility and Oahu Training Areas; and in open-ocean areas. All underwater demolition activities are conducted in accordance with Commander Naval Surface Forces Pacific Instruction 3120.8F, Procedures for Disposal of Explosives at Sea/Firing of Depth Charges and Other Underwater Ordnance (Department of the Navy 2003) or other appropriate authority. Before any explosive is detonated, divers are transported a safe distance away from the explosive. Standard practices for tethered mines is to tie off the explosive counter charge as closely as possible to the mine case. For mines on the shallow water floor (less than 40 feet of water), only sandy areas that avoid or minimize potential impacts to coral are used for explosive charges. The U.S. Navy plans to conduct about 68 mine neutralization exercises each year in the Hawai'i Range Complex, which is an increase from the 62 exercises conducted under current schedules. Mine Laying. Mine laying operations are designed to train forces to conduct offensive (deploy mines to tactical advantage of friendly forces) and defensive (deploy mines for protection of friendly forces and facilities) mining operations. Mines can be laid from the air (FA-18/P-3) or by submarine. Airborne mine laying involves one or more aircraft and either computer-simulated or inert exercise mines. Mine warfare operations are limited to either simulations of mines deployed from aircraft, where no actual mine ordnance is dropped, or the use of inert exercise mines or inert exercise submarine-deployed mines. The use of inert exercise 27
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