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NORFOLK: Eight class squadrons (CLASSRONs) have been established as part of the Surface Warfare Enterprise (SWE), four of which are being stood up Feb. 15.
CLASSRONs are functional command organizations specific to particular ship classes and are responsible for the manning, training, equipping and maintaining processes. They execute the process of ensuring all ships within that particular class are at the right levels of combat readiness and available for tasking by combatant commanders. CLASSRONs will use metric-based analysis to assess readiness, examine class trends, establish lessons learned, and provide recommendations and solutions.
On October 1, 2006, eight CLASSRON implementation teams formed to facilitate the alignment with existing waterfront and type command organizations. The implementation teams began staffing, defining roles and establishing procedures for their respective CLASSRONs.
Four of the eight CLASSRONs are standing up initial operational capabilities, assuming responsibility for the training, maintaining, manning and logistics processes of ships by class. The CLASSRONs being stood up are: Patrol Coastal Squadron based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va; Guided Missile Frigate Squadron based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.; Mine Warfare Squadron based at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas; and Littoral Combat Ship Squadron based at Naval Station San Diego.
The remaining CLASSRONs are well on their way to becoming fully operational in the late spring of 2007. They are: Guided Missile Destroyer Squadron based at Naval Station Norfolk; Amphibious Assault Ship Squadron based at Naval Station Norfolk; Guided Missile Cruiser Squadron based at Naval Station San Diego; and Amphibious Dock Squadron based at Naval Station San Diego.
Although CLASSRONs support the commanding officers of assigned ships and their ships
