The Watcher
New Member
Brits boast royal resource to help 'shape' battlefield
June 13,2004
WILMINGTON - Three weeks ago, just before a major military exercise was to begin, the small crew of the HMS Roebuck was mapping Onslow Bay, not to mention the beaches and inland passes.
Such is a day in the life of a British Coastal Survey Vessel. And when the 28,000 U.S. and allied troops started Task Force Exercise 2 last week, they relied heavily on information supplied by the Roebuck.
Sailors on the Robeuck use traditional navigational radar and a global positioning system to figure out where they are. They check the water's depth with on-board sonar, by towing side-scan sonar underwater or taking sediment samples from the sea bed.
The crew can use a small boat, electronically equipped for automatic surveying and mapping, or they can go ashore and use traditional civil engineer tools to take measurements of the beach.
"This is exactly the same as the ship did along Al Faw Peninsula during Operation Iraqi Freedom," Law said. "It allowed larger ships to get in closer, so the helicopters had less distance to fly. We were one of the first units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Iraqi Navy only lasted about 45 minutes."
Gunnery Officer Lt. Robbie Nash was lost deep in thought as he scanned computer screens filled with information before they could push off into the Cape Fear River.
Petty Officer 1st Class Rachel Small, a survey recorder checked paper printouts that would become permanent records of Onslow Bay's bottom, beaches and approachable breaks in the dunes and nearby trees.
"This will tell the landing craft where to go and tell the tracked vehicles the right way," Law said.
The information allows ships to get closer inland, allowing helicopters to travel toward the enemy for support, reconnaissance and medical evacuation, if necessary.
They give their troops the latest picture of the shifting underwater silt and above ground sands, so they can make their way ashore and deeper inland more quickly.
"We used to do only coastline assessments along the United Kingdom," Law said. "This is a relatively new concept for us - called Rapid Environmental Assessment. This is a good opportunity to practice what we learned in Operation Iraqi Freedom."
source
June 13,2004
WILMINGTON - Three weeks ago, just before a major military exercise was to begin, the small crew of the HMS Roebuck was mapping Onslow Bay, not to mention the beaches and inland passes.
Such is a day in the life of a British Coastal Survey Vessel. And when the 28,000 U.S. and allied troops started Task Force Exercise 2 last week, they relied heavily on information supplied by the Roebuck.
"Shaping the battlefield" is an expression used to describe the time leading up to a combat operation or training exercise when experts try to figure out every possible detail that might be useful later.
Sailors on the Robeuck use traditional navigational radar and a global positioning system to figure out where they are. They check the water's depth with on-board sonar, by towing side-scan sonar underwater or taking sediment samples from the sea bed.
The crew can use a small boat, electronically equipped for automatic surveying and mapping, or they can go ashore and use traditional civil engineer tools to take measurements of the beach.
"This is exactly the same as the ship did along Al Faw Peninsula during Operation Iraqi Freedom," Law said. "It allowed larger ships to get in closer, so the helicopters had less distance to fly. We were one of the first units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Iraqi Navy only lasted about 45 minutes."
Gunnery Officer Lt. Robbie Nash was lost deep in thought as he scanned computer screens filled with information before they could push off into the Cape Fear River.
Petty Officer 1st Class Rachel Small, a survey recorder checked paper printouts that would become permanent records of Onslow Bay's bottom, beaches and approachable breaks in the dunes and nearby trees.
"This will tell the landing craft where to go and tell the tracked vehicles the right way," Law said.
The information allows ships to get closer inland, allowing helicopters to travel toward the enemy for support, reconnaissance and medical evacuation, if necessary.
They give their troops the latest picture of the shifting underwater silt and above ground sands, so they can make their way ashore and deeper inland more quickly.
"We used to do only coastline assessments along the United Kingdom," Law said. "This is a relatively new concept for us - called Rapid Environmental Assessment. This is a good opportunity to practice what we learned in Operation Iraqi Freedom."
source
