BARKING SANDS — From foreign admirals to politicians to retired Navy personnel, the multi-national Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises brought many big guns out to the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility here yesterday. The big guns were aboard
BARKING SANDS — From foreign admirals to politicians to retired Navy personnel, the multi-national Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises brought many big guns out to the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility here yesterday.
The big guns were aboard vessels from several navies including the U.S. Navy, and the big guns were several high-powered local officials.
It was a chance for many of the base’s supporters to see some of the capabilities of PMRF in action, and a time for other spectators to witness the Kaua‘i portion of RIMPAC’s month-long exercises in and around Major’s Bay yesterday because, for the first time in this biennial exercise, spectators had something to see from shore.
The visual highlight of the day was the “assault” of Major’s Bay by a number of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft. The ships, able to carry 60 tons of cargo, dropped off a number of trucks carrying 155-millimeter Howitzer guns.
The huge, high-speed LCAC stomped through a small swell at the Housing’s surf spot, flopped right up onto the beach, and eventually pulled right up to the public parking lot to drop off the trucks.
Combined with a number of rigid-hull ships that dropped off troops south of Shenanigan’s Restaurant, the exercise was to simulate a Marine landing, said Capt. Robert J. Connelly, PMRF commanding officer.
“I hope you enjoy the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in action,” said Connelly to a crowd of VIPs set up under a tent near the public bathrooms at Major’s. If it were real, “we would be able to strike with authority.”
Connelly described the details that go into both the exercise and a landing in real life.
First, he said, in a “hot” landing, ships and troops would be covered by air support, as well as have the backing of numerous intelligence sources.
The D-day invasion of World War II “will never happen again,” said Connelly. “Intel will know where the enemy is deployed, and we will avoid them.”
But in case of counter-attack, LCACs are supported by a number of ships, including the USS Tarawa and Rushmore, which were among close to a dozen ships in the Kaulakahi Channel that separates Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.
While many of those ships in the channel provided support to the mission, others, including foreign navy ships, were there to shoot live fire at “Fake Island,” a mythical area in the ocean used as a target yesterday. In the heart of PMRF’s sonar array, PMRF personnel could track shots onto “Fake Island” within 30 feet, Connelly said.
LCACs have tremendous capability to move in and out quickly between ocean and sand, Connelly added. In a torrent of sand, they quickly pushed up the beach, unloaded their cargo, and headed back out. When they get back to the ship, the LSD Anchorage-class ships like the Tarawa, the back of the LSD sinks, allowing for the LCAC to slide directly into her stern, said Connelly.
Before an exercise, especially one with live fire, Connelly said, aircraft search over the “Fake Island” area to see if any marine life, fishermen, or tour boats are in the hazardous area. They continually check for marine life on the water, and, before an amphibious landing, on the shore for turtles, seals, and other life, the captain continued.
“It’s part of our environmental effort,” he added.
U.S. Navy officials have played host to a number of representatives of foreign navies during RIMPAC exercises, and representatives of Chile and Singapore were ashore yesterday to observe the landing and other action.
One of the onlookers, Vice Admiral Jorge Huerta Dunsmore, commander of naval operations of the Chilean Navy, was extremely excited to be on Kaua‘i.
“It’s a big change. I came here depressed” from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where a humanitarian crisis continues after the overthrow of president Jean-Baptiste Aristide, he said.
“Everything is wonderful” on Kaua‘i.
This is Chile’s fifth consecutive participation in RIMPAC, and they have two vessels, one surface ship and one submarine, participating in the exercises, Dunsmore said.
“We want to be present and operate with our allies,” the admiral said.
“We have common interests, and we need the practice.”
Forty ships from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Chile are testing their capabilities in a show of international presence, spanning the spectrum from the might of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the specialized technology of minesweepers.
Seven submarines and 100 aircraft are also part of the month-long exercises, which conclude Tuesday, July 27.
All the surface ships will be involved in live-fire exercises in the ocean range that PMRF supports, Connelly said.
Many of the subs will be involved in exercises utilizing some of PMRF’s 1,100-square-mile instrument underwater range as well, he added.
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
