Composite Training Unit Exercises and Joint Task ... - Govsupport.us

COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Chapter 2The participants in Counter Targeting operations include:EA-6B aircraftShipsOPFOR ships2.3.4.4 Final Battle Problem (FBP)The Final Battle Problem is an operation that is unique to the COMPTUEX. It is designed to test allwarfare areas of the NSG in a simulated war. The operation occurs in W-291. Many of the operationspreviously listed are conducted during the Final Battle Problem.The participants or assets in a FBE include:NSG aircraftOPFOR aircraftTanker support aircraftShipsOPFOR shipsSmall OPFOR boatsSubmarine(s)OPFOR submarine2.4 DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVESAlternatives to the Proposed Action must be considered in accordance with NEPA, CEQ regulations forimplementing NEPA, and the Department of Navy Procedures for Implementing NEPA (32 CFR 775).Only those alternatives determined to fulfill the purpose and need for the Proposed Action requireddetailed analysis. Reasonable alternatives have the qualities required by the selection criteria.2.4.1 Alternatives Considered2.4.1.1 No Action AlternativeThe No Action Alternative consists of the individual operations at existing major ranges and facilitiesassociated with COMPTUEX and JTFEX events. Under this alternative, Commander, THIRD Fleetwould continue to conduct training operations, as anticipated, from February 2007 through January 2009.These operations would include three ESG COMPTUEXs, four CSG COMPTUEXs, three ESGCOMPTUEX/JTFEXs, and four CSG COMPTUEX/JTFEXs, for a total of fourteen exercises in 2 yearsin the southwestern United States and SOCAL OPAREAS.The purpose of including a no action alternative in environmental impact analyses is to ensure thatagencies compare the potential impacts of the proposed Federal action to the known impacts ofmaintaining the status quo. The current level of activity is used as a benchmark. By using the status quoas the no action alternative here, Navy compared the impacts of the original proposal and preferredalternative to the impacts of continuing operations.With regard to the no-action alternative, it currently exists in the EA/OEA as a baseline, where the actionpresented represents what is at essence a "continuing action", that is to say, a regular and historic level ofactivity on the SOCAL Range Complex to support this type of training and exercises. The no-actionalternative serves as a baseline, or representative "status quo" when studying levels of range use andactivity. The analysis then of this type of no-action alternative is a snapshot of continuing use of the asset,2-31 February 2007