The world of the warfighter is becoming more complex. The threats our sailors face are increasingly sophisticated and proliferating. In the undersea warfare (USW) arena, for example, estimates put the number of modern diesel-electric submarines operating in the Pacific at upwards of 130 by 2020—even as as our overall USW capacity declines.
The Navy’s approach in confronting these issues reflects that of the larger military: maintain a technological edge over any potential adversary sufficient to minimizing casualties while ensuring victory. Unfortunately, while this edge has given our forces the necessary advantage in recent encounters, it is certainly growing slighter, especially with regard to some possible peer-level military adversaries. Also, this situation is exacerbated both by an overall decline in the number of fully capable ships available to us, and by the mission creep that now takes ships away from USW for other endeavors, such as ballistic-missile defense. Meanwhile, we are assured that these new technologies can not only do the job better than our sailors, but that they can free us from the considerable costs of individual training.
Can this be true?
It is certainly true that today, in USW, computer software is dramatically increasing our ability to separate the submarine wheat from the ocean’s considerable chaff. Remarkable strides have been (and are being) made. So are we actually at the point where sailors need not even look at—let alone understand—what lies behind the computer’s analysis? Is technology nearing the ability to correctly answer all questions?
No. And the proof of this lies in the fact that the Navy continues, despite these technological leaps, to maintain a small cadre of acoustic analysts whose entire professional purpose is to provide the most extraordinary human level of USW analytic capability—a capability that exceeds that of the most sophisticated existing software. These few experts, known as acoustic intelligence or “ACINT” specialists, have spent their entire careers mastering the art of acoustic analysis, to the point that the Navy considers them national-defense treasures.
Were the technology there, we would not be (as we certainly are) deploying these ACINT experts in support of every important real-world USW tracking event. If human expertise were not required, we could simply leave the tracking to the technology. But we don’t do that: The work is simply too important to trust to computer software, and this gives lie to the idea that the in-depth training given to USW operators can be reduced.
As for ACINT specialists, they hit a hard advancement ceiling, despite their unique, perishable, and priceless expertise: Only one ACINT senior chief was selected to master chief in the past 17 years. Apparently, boards regard them as esoteric lab assets whose lack of “real-Navy” experience and leadership roles is considered problematic.
The solution lies in manning each afloat training group, as well as other key fleet-training commands, with a single ACINT specialist. These experts would teach, mentor, and share their experience and expertise with the chiefs and officers who actually train fleet sailors—a trickle-down approach in which the trainers are trained by actual ACINT experts.
Like a pebble thrown into a pond, the effect of a single ACINT specialist in such a position would spread widely, and far exceed the impact of a brief visit to a single ship out on station. This approach also would serve the ACINT experts, giving them more and greater leadership roles as well as more opportunities to gauge the real-world status of fleet capability and capacity.
Even a few ACINT specialists could make enormous differences by leading staff-training departments, ensuring that the standards of training are correct, and that both the interpretation of metrics and the conduct of assessment at the fleet training commands is both homogenous and rigorous.
Ultimately, and regardless of technological advances, there can be no substitute for a fundamental and sophisticated understanding of what lies beyond the computer’s analysis. Technology has lagged far behind in the past quarter-century. At last, it is catching up, but we can only meet the growing challenge through a symbiosis attainable between sailors and technology. Better employing our ACINT talent is the key to this.
Master Chief Krokel, a retired master chief STG, is the program manager for ASW Training and Assessments at Undersea Warfighting Development Command, San Diego.