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y Norman Polmar, Editor, The Ships and Aircraft of the U. S. Fleet
sAlthough the U. S. Sixth Fleet has the U a est operating area of the numbered CQ ' fleets—the Mediterranean Sea en- ifipasses only about one million square CQ' es~~in many respects it is the most w,mP ex ar|d dangerous body of water in ■eh the U. S. Navy regularly sails.1 olitical complexities include the wide e.ctrum °f relationships between the k 'ec* States and the 18 countries that a(jr er lhe Mediterranean, plus six states Tlf'cent t0 the fleet’s operating area, to th6 re*afl°nships consist of nations tied Nath States through the formal
Qr O military alliance (Spain, Italy, WithCe’ • an^ Turkey); those countries “d fW^'ch the United States has special •lord 6nS'Ve” re'at'onships (Israel and . atlh essentially neutral nations with {•_• lch the United States stresses its Wj^ship (Egypt and Yugoslavia);!
and
; states
various other shades of neutrality;
Alb °Penly hostile nations (Libya and I mania). Also, on a regular basis since pi ’ surface warships from the Sixth jnet have transited the Turkish Straits in ? l^e Black Sea to “show the flag,” tiding port calls in Romania.
I he political situation is further com- „ ated by on-going differences between
allies (as
far,
tally
Britain and Spain over Gibral-
and Turkey and Greece over practi
ing Sixth Fleet planners with another set of problems.
Further complicating Sixth Fleet operations are the “enemies.” The Soviet Navy’s Fifth Eskadra in the Mediterranean, in the words of one former Sixth Fleet commander, steams “eye ball to eye ball” with U. S. warships. This is the only area where this naval confrontation occurs on an almost continuous basis. When Soviet warships are not in sight, the ubiquitous intelligence collection ship is generally nearby; the Soviets also operate several nuclear and conventional submarines in the Mediterranean. The eastern Mediterranean is within striking range of Soviet aircraft in the Crimea, with Soviet aircraft able to use airfields in Syria and Libya.
The term “enemies” at this time must include Libyan naval and air forces under Colonel Muommar Qaddafi, which in the fall of 1981 challenged U. S. naval operations in the Gulf of Sidra. Libya has also supported several terrorist activities that affected the United States, including the mining of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez in the summer of 1984. Lesser threats have come from various Muslim terrorist groups.
Sixth Fleet Organization______________
At the same time, the U. S. Sixth Fleet is complemented by the presence of major allied naval forces and land-based aircraft. Most of the allied navies operate regularly with U. S. forces and under certain wartime scenarios would provide a valuable sea control contribution to allied operations in the Mediterranean. Similarly, several allied navies can provide some amphibious assault capability.
The allied naval forces, however, do not contribute to naval strike capabilities in the region except for the French Navy, which has two aircraft carriers available.[1]
The Sixth Fleet’s major contributions to allied capabilities in the region are strike, sea control, and amphibious assault. Strike and sea control are achieved primarily through the two air wings on board two aircraft carriers that are normally assigned to the Sixth Fleet. The U. S. Navy began deploying aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean in August 1946, with a continuous U. S. carrier presence beginning the following year. Since mid-1951, normally two carriers have always been deployed to the Mediterranean, with, at times, an antisubmarine carrier assigned to the Sixth Fleet and a third “attack” carrier available
on ^ eveiYthing), and by the periodic en conflicts and terrorist acts in the region.
as "' here are military problems with allies prWeH as opponents. For example, f0rc”Ce. maintains large naval and air
,.ry exercise with U. S. forces. But alljnCe ’S not a Part °h the NATO military cance and hence such activities must be for Uttec* separately from other allied as ]eS' *■A hi- S. Navy captain is assigned acj lais°n in Toulon and a French rear staffhA is on the NATO naval planning tyjjj at Naples.) Turkey and Greece, t0 ^h both provide useful contributions t0 '/IT’s defenses, do not work well
allied Cr’ at aP’ anc* fhe quality of the h forces in the region varies, provid
lari
°Cee<lings / February 1986
Commander Sixth Fleet
CTF-60 |
| CTF-61 |
| CTF-62 |
| CTF-63 |
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Commander Battle |
| Commander |
| Commander |
| Commander |
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Force |
| Amphibious Force |
| Landing Force |
| Service Force |
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Carrier Group |
| As assigned |
| MAU |
| Service Squadron 6 |
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CTF-64 Commander FBM Submarine Force | CTF-66 Commander Area ASW Force |
| CTF-67 Commander Maritime Surv & Recon Force |
| CTF-68 Commander Special Task Force |
| CTF-69 Commander Attack Submarine Force | |||||||||||||
Submarine Group 8 | As assigned | Fleet Air Med | ComSixthFIt | Submarine Group 8 | ||||||||||||||||
127
during changeover periods.
During the Iranian crisis that began in January 1980, the Sixth Fleet dispatched the carrier Nimitz (CVN-68) to the Persian Gulf, leaving only one U. S. carrier in the Mediterranean.[2] 2 [3] [4] Since then, there has been only one Sixth Fleet carrier on a regular basis to support a continuous naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
The battleship New Jersey (BB-62), on her first deployment after being recommissioned in 1982, operated in the Mediterranean from September 1983 through May 1984. Her guns were used to “project 16-inch shells” against hostile groups in the Beirut area.
Sea control and surveillance are performed in part by the carrier air wings, but also by the dozen or so surface combatants—cruisers, destroyers, and frigates—assigned to the Sixth Fleet. These ships, which primarily provide antiair warfare/antisubmarine warfare defense for the carriers and amphibious ships, are supplemented by one-and-a- half squadrons of P-3 Orion antisubmarine warfare/patrol aircraft, and a mixed squadron of EP-3 Orion and EA-3B Skywarrior electronic surveillance aircraft (the latter assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron [VQ] 2). These planes fly primarily from air stations at Rota, Spain, and Sigonella, Sicily.
The planned outfitting of the later 77- conderoga (CG-47)-class cruisers and Spruance (DD-963)-class destroyers with Tomahawk land-attack missiles will provide an enhanced strike capability to the Sixth Fleet.
Another aspect of sea control is provided by the several nuclear attack submarines regularly deployed to the Mediterranean. Submarine operations as well as support are under Submarine Group 8’s command. The submarine tender Orion (AS-18), assigned to Submarine Group 8, is homeported at La Mad- dalena, Sardinia, providing the base for a submarine refit and training group.
The Sixth Fleet also has an amphibious assault force—a Marine amphibious unit with approximately 2,300 officers and enlisted men embarked in an amphibious assault ship (LPH or LHA) and perhaps four other amphibious ships. A mixed squadron of helicopters and Harriers is embarked in the assault ship.
Another amphibious-type ship in the Sixth Fleet is the Coronado (AGF-11, formerly LPD-11). She was converted in 1980 to serve as a flagship and is now based at Gaeta, Italy, flying the flag of Commander Sixth Fleet. She replaced the destroyer tender Puget Sound (AD-38), which served as a less-than-impressive fleet flagship from 1980 to 1985. The
Navy plans to modify the missile cruiser Belknap (CG-26) to serve as a numbered fleet flagship.
There are 12 support ships assigned to the Sixth Fleet, forming Service Squadron 6. These ships are based in the United States and rotate from the Atlantic Fleet. Logistics support is also provided by Navy shore-based helicopters and transports, most flying from the Sigonella air base.
Finally, three strategic missile submarines carrying the Trident D-4 or Poseidon C-3 missile are believed to periodically operate in the Mediterranean. These submarines support theater strike requirements of the senior NATO commander in Europe, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Thus, there are normally about 40 U. S. naval ships in the Mediterranean. Although allied minesweepers could be made available, the major shortfall of the Sixth Fleet, according to some observers, is the lack of a viable mine countermeasures capability. While RH-53D or MH-53E minesweeping helicopters can be flown out to the fleet (by C-5 transport) or brought out by ship, when operating at sea they would displace troop helicopters or Harrier strike aircraft on the amphibious ships.
Organization: There are nine principal task forces assigned to the operational control of Commander Sixth Fleet. As shown in Figure 1, the senior deployed battle group commander is permanently assigned to the Sixth Fleet as Commander Battle Force (Commander Task Force [CTF] 60). Under him, one or two carriers form the nucleus of two battle groups (Task Groups 60.1 and 60.2). CTF-60 normally commands one carrier group and the commander of either a deploying carrier group or cruiser-destroyer group has the other. Also under CTF-60 is the commander of the cruiser/destroyer screen (CTG-60.5), usually a destroyer squadron commander.
CTF-67 is Commander Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force. He directs the maritime patrol air groups (i.e., P-3 squadrons) at Sigonella (CTG- 67.1) and Rota (CTG-67.2), a P-3 detachment at Souda Bay, Crete (CTG- 67.3), and the air reconnaissance group flying the EP-3/EA-3 surveillance aircraft (CTG-67.4).
CTF-68 is Commander Special Task Force; the command structure is effected for special operations when specific forces are assigned. ComSixthFlt usually wears this hat when the organization is activated, as for operations in the Black Sea.
Command: The vice admiral commanding the Sixth Fleet is double-hatted with both U. S. and NATO responsibilities. Under the U. S. chain of command, the Commander Sixth Fleet reports to the Commander in Chief (CinC) U. S. Naval Forces Europe (an admiral) stationed at Naples, Italy. He, in turn, reports to the CinC U. S. Forces Europe (a general) at Stuttgart, West Germany.
Under his NATO hat, the Commander Sixth Fleet is Commander Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe. When so directed, he assumes his NATO hat to direct operations of the Sixth Fleet and naval forces assigned from other NATO navies.
In the NATO context, the CinC U. S- Naval Forces Europe holds the NATO post of CinC South while the CinC U. S. Forces Europe holds the NATO post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe- Accordingly, the Sixth Fleet commander has separate chains of command under his U. S. and NATO hats, but reports to the same individuals. At all levels, however, there are dual staffs, looking at U. S. and NATO planning, with the Sixth Fleet having two separate planning staffs, one embarked in his flagship (U. S.) and the other (NATO) located in Naples.
The Sixth Fleet operates in a compleX environment—in peace as well as in war- The fleet depends on allied naval forces to survive and operate effectively m full-scale war, while those navies (and nations) depend on the Sixth Fleet in war-
“The question often asked is ‘can the Sixth Fleet survive in a war with the Soviet Union?’”—according to one former fleet commander. The answer is complex, depending on how the war begins, where the U. S. and Soviet forces are at the start, if and when nuclear weapons release is granted to either side, and the like. More important than questions are the facts: The Sixth Fleet would have a significant role in a conflict with the Soviet Union. It also has a role in deterring Soviet actions against U. S. allies an neutral nations. More likely—and >n some respects more important—will be the role of the Sixth Fleet in limited conflicts, counterterrorist activities, and >n supporting allies.
128
Proceedings / February
[1]Spain and Italy each have one V/STOL carrier-
'See Norman Polmar, “The U. S. Navy: The Se enth Fleet,” Proceedings, August 1985, pp- 8U
Spanish Navy flies both Harriers and helicopters- Italians operate only helicopters at this time. Previously, Sixth Fleet carriers passed through Strait of Gibraltar for port calls on the Atlantic , but the ships were still considered to be “chopPe to the Sixth Fleet. yaj
[4]On 1 January 1983, the Commander in Chief fj® f Forces Europe (London) and Commander in r South (Naples) positions were combined. Prevto both positions were held by U. S. admirals.