What’s Next for Third Fleet Forward?

The U.S. Third Fleet was born out of necessity, forged during the peak of the war in the Pacific. Its first commander, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, was admired for his aggressive nature and warfighting intellect. More than 70 years after its creation, Third Fleet has returned to the forefront of Pacific warfighting. Following in Halsey’s footsteps, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson took the Third Fleet somewhere it had not been in decades—across the international dateline. Under direction from Commander Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, this “Third Fleet Forward” concept has featured surface action groups (SAGs) under the command of Third Fleet operating in regions of the Pacific historically under the command of Seventh Fleet.¹

As the Third Fleet Forward strategy has matured, its value to the nation's pivot toward the Pacific has been apparent. Third Fleet’s new commander, Vice Admiral John D. Alexander, and incoming Pacific Fleet commander, Vice Admiral John Aqulino, have a chance to tap the strategy’s full potential and take it in a new direction. The question is, what is next for Third Fleet Forward? The Navy’s helicopters and conventional surface combatants make up its most flexible units, capable of providing the greatest range of operational tasks. Both units see their effectiveness reduced when part of a carrier strike group (CSG), because of the carrier aviation constraints and the political weight of the strike group. While there is no doubt that the carrier strike group needs surface combatants and helicopters, it inherently underuses them. Third Fleet Forward presents the ideal construct to employ this team to its highest potential.

An Experimental SAG

The timing is perfect for Third Fleet to prepare and deploy a new experimental SAG (X-SAG). With the recently delivered USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (T-ESB-4) slated for Sixth Fleet, the future USNS Miguel Keith (T-ESB-5) should be on tap as a Pacific Fleet asset.² The Navy’s expeditionary sea base (ESB) provides the backbone for the X-SAG. By commissioning her a warship like the first ship in the ESB class, the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3), the Miguel Keith can serve as the X-SAG’s core element. This is not the first discussion of such a SAG, but ESB-5 presents the opportunity

for Third Fleet to be the first to put it in practice.³

The X-SAG would be based around the ESB with an embarked helicopter sea combat (HSC) squadron of six MH-60S helicopters and, pending the installation of a mission control station, two MQ-8C unmanned air system

s. The massive flight deck of the ESB allows for simultaneous operations of four MH-60 or MQ-8 aircraft, a capability only matched by an aircraft carrier or amphibious

assault ship. The ESB's cavernous mission bay below the flight deck allows for an extensive and varied list of mission support from small boats to expeditionary medical facilities. The ESB also offers command-and-control spaces, ordnance magazines, and hangar space.

Sailing with the ESB in the X-SAG would be two destroyers. One or both destroyers would include a combat element consisting of two MH-60R helicopters. The destroyers bring strike warfare, air defense, antisubmarine warfare, electronic support, and more to the X-SAG portfolio. The MH-60R also provides an ideal pairing with the ESB's MH-60S aircraft for a full range of rotary-wing operations. The X-SAG also could incorporate littoral combat ships (LCSs) by moving different ships into and out of the SAG based on their installed mission packages. In addition to LCSs, other ships could be leveraged, including the Mark VI patrol boat, the expeditionary fast transport (EPF), Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships, and partner navy ships.

This combination of ships and aircraft would offer more operational flexibility than any group currently in service. As important as its capability would be the contrast in cost and political consequences of operating such an X-SAG compared to a carrier or expeditionary strike group. At a fraction of the monetary and political cost of a full strike group the X-SAG could provide:

• Air defense
• Strike warfare
• Antisubmarine warfare
• Surface warfare
• Maritime surveillance and sea control
• Electronic support
• Search and rescue, combat search and rescue, and casualty/medical evacuation
• Non-combatant evacuation and humanitarian assistance
• Mine warfare
• Special operations

X-SAG’s First Deployment

To appreciate the potential of the X-SAG to Third Fleet Forward operations, it is important to imagine what a deployment could include. While it is unlikely that the X-SAG's first deployment would be quite so eventful, the following is one possible scenario:

The X-SAG starts its deployment supporting a multinational exercise. The helicopters conduct cooperative training with local forces and support U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) training with the host nation. The helicopters support most operations from the ship, but also move into the country when in range. The surface combatants also participate in combined underway periods and surface fire-support exercises.

Toward the end of the exercise, a regional power begins harassing fishing, merchant, and government ships transiting international sea lanes. The X-SAG moves into the area to provide security and to reassure regional partners. With the ESB established in the contested areas, the MQ-8Cs are launched to provide continuous reconnaissance. The destroyers transit the sea lanes with their MH-60Rs escorting traffic and maintaining an antisubmarine warfare screen. The MH-60S stand alert on the ESB, ready to launch up to four fully-armed strikers.

New intelligence indicates a rogue regional government may be attempting to smuggle weapons to known terrorist groups in neighboring countries to destabilize their governments. U.S. Air Force para-drop naval special warfare small boat teams to the X-SAG while under way. The operators and boats are loaded into the ESB’s mission deck, while MQ-8Cs search for contacts of interest. The destroyers position and launch their MH-60Rs while the ESB sorties the MH-60Ss and boat elements, allowing full maritime interdiction operations. The terrorist group begins retaliatory attacks after learning that the weapons shipments were intercepted. U.S. SOF elements are on the ground to advise local forces, but the host government is sensitive to a more extensive U.S. presence ashore. On the way to support, the ESB pulls into a friendly port long enough to load a naval expeditionary medical team and their containers into the mission bay.

Off the coast, the destroyers execute an approved slate of missile strikes against terrorist camps. The MH-60Ss go in-country to pick up injured U.S. and allied forces and bring them to the medical team staged on the ESB. The X-SAG has the unique advantage of being able to reposition the ESB offshore based on the changing location of SOF missions to provide the best response times. The MQ-8Cs, teamed with the MH-60Rs, keep an eye on the space around and below the SAG. As the situation escalates, an amphibious ready group (ARG) moves and begins Marine operations against the terrorist forces. The X-SAG plugs into the ARG providing casualty evacuation, defense of the amphibious task force, and a flight deck ready for refueling and rearming.

When intelligence identifies the time and place of a terrorist leadership meeting, commanders task their highest tier assets for the mission. When they arrive at the ESB, the organic aircraft are moved into the hangar, or folded and stuffed clear of the ESB’s aircraft spots. With the mission launched, the MH-60S aircraft are positioned back on the spots to provide combat rescue-and-casualty evacuation coverage. As the situation escalates, the fleet commander elects to push a CSG off the coast of the rogue state, but there is evidence of mining in the intended operating area. The X-SAG is retasked and lands MH-53E helicopters and their gear. The MH-53Es and a mine warfare-equipped MH-60S from an LCS sweep and clear mines in the area. The destroyers provide air defense while teams of MH-60Rs and MH-60Ss keep hostile surface and subsurface contacts at bay.

With the operating area swept for mines, the CSG moves in and assumes control of the X-SAG. The destroyers integrate into the CSG while the ESB positions to provide combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) coverage for the aircraft carrier. The remaining MH-60Ss team with the MQ-8Cs to patrol the area for hostile guided-missile patrol boats that carry capable antiship cruise missiles and lurk in the shallows or hide among shipping traffic. Unfortunately, a ship from the destroyer squadron is hit by a missile in a surprise attack. The X-SAG launches a team of MH-60Rs, MH-60Ss, and MQ-8Cs to target the source of the attack, while the CSAR alert aircraft quickly reconfigure for the new mission. They forgo their ground rescue element in favor of a team of damage controlmen (DCs) and their equipment. After arriving at the stricken ship, the helicopters insert the DCs to serve as “fresh legs” and begin to evacuate the injured onboard and rescue those blown overboard.

While the CSG steps up its strikes following the attack, the X-SAG launches its aircraft to hunt and kill patrol boats still hiding out in the area. While maintaining the CSAR alert, the helicopters integrate with the CSG's MH-60Rs and MH-60Ss and leverage landing spots on the ESB. The increased overland strikes bring the rogue government to the negotiating table. Still, the CSG remains on station to keep the pressure on their erratic leader. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles to the south, a devastating typhoon hits a regional ally. Fleet leadership cannot let the carrier leave, but the X-SAG detaches, and steams south to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. With helicopters ready to rescue those in distress and deliver relief supplies, the X-SAG can support those in need until the next tasking comes.

The probability of that much action in a single deployment may be low, but it helps paint the picture of what could be possible.

The Next Generation

The X-SAG represents an exciting new capability. The ESB is perfect for vertical-lift platforms and can work with an ARG, CSG, or independently, all in the same deployment. This makes it ideal for the Third Fleet Forward concept by providing the Pacific Fleet leaders with presence and power. It is also a model ready for use in Fifth and Sixth Fleets, and even in Fourth Fleet by replacing the destroyers with LCSs or Coast Guard cutters to execute counter-narcotic and transnational criminal organization missions. The Miguel Keith will be ready next spring, and Third Fleet must start now to be prepared to hit the ground running.

Lieutenant Foster is a Seahawk weapons and tactics instructor at the Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Pacific in San Diego, California. He previously has written for Proceedings and Proceedings Today.