User:Marcd30319/Marcd30319 version 2 Exercise Summer Pulse

Summer Pulse 2004 (SP04) was the codename for a worldwide surge deployment that served as the first full-scale test of the United States Navy's then-new Fleet Response Plan (FRP). During Summer Pulse 2004, a total of seven carrier strike groups were underway at the same time in five different theaters of operations. This number of underway carrier strike groups had not been matched since Operation Desert Storm.

The FRP is designed to allow the Navy to provide up to seven carrier strike groups (CSG) to support any contingency worldwide in 30 days. Per the plan, two more CSGs can be ready within three months to reinforce or rotate out the forces that initially deployed. This allows for a continuous presence and the ability to swiftly respond to different crisis situations. Summer Pulse 2004 also allowed the U.S. Navy to exercise the logistics and shore infrastructure needed to execute a large-scale surge operation, as well as the operational concepts in its Sea Power 21 strategy.

Summer Pulse 2004 also served to strengthen maritime capabilities by improving the U.S. Navy's interoperability with more than 23 allies and coalition partners, as well as other branches of U.S. armed forces. U.S. naval ships and aircraft participated in more than 13 exercises in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; the Arabian, Baltic, Mediterranean, North and Red Seas; and the Sea of Japan and Persian Gulf during Summer Pulse 2004.

Background
Developing upon the lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terrorism, the U.S. Navy executed substantial revisions of its force structure in 2003. One of those revisions included the Fleet Response Plan (FRP), a new concept of planning and organizing fleet assets for deployment that replaced the 18-month Inter-Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC) used during the Cold War. The objective of the FRP was to provide the nation with six aircraft carrier strike groups that can be deployed or be ready to deploy within 30 days and another two aircraft carrier strike groups ready to deploy within 90 days. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark noting:


 * I would rather muster two battle groups for three months and do something really significant internationally, and cooperate with partners in training and so forth, than just go over and hang out for six months without purpose. The position that I’m pushing is that we should be less interested in presence and more interested in presence with a purpose.

The Fleet Response Plan allowed the U.S. Navy to be ready to surge as well as be able to vary the lengths of deployments, providing the Navy with a more flexible, ready to deploy capability. By increasing the duration of time that a ship could be deployed, the operational availability of several ships will always overlap, providing the Navy with the capability of deploying multiple ships or battle groups at once. The FRP also involved new ways of operating, training, manning, and maintaining the fleet, resulting in increased force readiness and the ability to provide significant combat power in a crisis situation as well as reinforce U.S. relationships and interoperability in five theaters of operations. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command was tasked to lead in the implementation of the FRP.

U.S. Second Fleet
On 27 May 2004, the carrier Ronald Reagan departed from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for a two-month cruise prior to changing her homeport to Naval Air Station North Island, California, and the Reagan also participated in Summer Pulse 2004. During this transit, the several squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) were temporarily embarked on board the Ronald Reagan. The main purpose for embarking these CVW-11 squadrons on board Reagan was to complete their training evolutions prior to the battle group's first Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment.

During its inter-fleet transfer, the carrier Reagan and its embarked CVW-11 aircraft participated on several bilateral and multilateral naval exercises. On 17 June 2004, two Super Étendard jet fighters and three S-2T Turbo Trackers antisubmarine aircraft from the Argentine Navy carried out touch-and-go landings on the Reagan's flight deck during Gringo-Gaucho exercises (pictured). The Reagan Carrier Strike Group also participated in a SIFOREX (Silent Forces) exercise with the Peruvian Navy prior to its port visit to Callao, Peru, on 9 July 2004. The most significant naval exercise involving the Ronald Reagan Carrier Battle Group was UNITAS 45-04, the largest multinational naval exercise held in Latin America. Joining the carrier Reagan and Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) were the guided-missile cruiser USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), the dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD-46), and the guided-missile destroyers USS Mustin (DDG-89) and USS Benfold (DDG-65).

Reagan subsequently paid port visits to Valparaíso, Chile, and Callao, Peru, prior to arriving at its new homeport of Naval Air Station North Island, California, on 23 July 2004.

U.S. Third Fleet
On 24 May 2004, the John C. Stennis carrier strike group departed Naval Station San Diego, California, for its 2004 Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment as part of Summer Pulse 2004.

The carrier strike group's first major undertaking for its 2004 WESTPAC deployment was participating in Operation Northern Edge 2004. Held from 7 June through 16 June 2004, Northern Edge 2004 focused on air-centric tactics and procedures with an emphasis on air-to-air, air-to-ground, and on personnel recovery operations in remote areas of the Pacific Alaska Range Complex (PARC) near Fairbanks, Alaska, and over water in the Gulf of Alaska. The carrier Stennis paid a port visit to Esquimalt, British Columbia between 18–21 June 2004, and the carrier strike group also participated bi-lateral exercises with the Canadian Navy between 22–29 June 2004.

The Stennis CSG paid a port visit to Pearl Harbor between 22–26 June 2004, prior to RIMPAC 2004. The biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise was a two-week-long multinational series of naval war games involving 40 ships, seven submarines, 100 aircraft, and nearly 18,000 military personnel from seven nations. RIMPAC 2004 focused on multinational training while building trust and cooperation among the participating naval partners (pictured). The carrier John C Stennis was the flagship for the Multinational Task Force Commander, Rear Admiral Patrick Walsh, Commander Carrier Group 7, the commander of the Stennis Carrier Strike Group.

U.S. Fifth Fleet
On 30 January 2004, the George Washington carrier strike group departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for its 2004 Mediterranean (MED) deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet. The carrier strike group completed a 16-hour transit of the Suez Canal and entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility on 16 February 2004. On 20 February 2004, the GW carrier group transited the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, leaving the Red Sea and heading into the Arabian Sea. On 28 February 2004, the George Washington CSG transited through the Strait of Hormuz and entered into the Persian Gulf, assuming the watch for Operation Enduring Freedom as Task Force 50. The carrier George Washington paid a port visit to Jebel Ali, UAE, between 14-19 March 2004.

On 9 April 2004, a second port visit to Jebel Ali, UAE was cancelled, and the George Washington carrier strike group was ordered to remain on station in the Persian Gulf after fighting in Fallujah, Iraq, intensified between Coalition Forces and Iraqi insurgents. On 28 April 2004, Carrier Air Wing Seven squadrons VFA-136, VFA-131, VF-11, and VF-143 flew combat air sorties against anti-Iraqi forces in the city of Fallujah, dropping 13 GBU-12 guided bomb units on enemy positions, while providing combat air support to the U.S. Marines of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force defending their positions against insurgent attacks.

On 25 April 2004, the strike group steamed back to the Persian Gulf after terrorists attacked the Khor Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) off the coast of Basra, Iraq, and the subsequent boarding incident involving the U.S. patrol ship USS Firebolt (PC-10). The carrier George Washington subsequently paid a port visit to Jebel Ali between 7-11 May 2004. Beginning 2 June 2004, the George Washington carrier strike group (pictured) began its participating in Summer Pulse 2004 and would continue until the group's return to Norfolk on 26 July, with the carrier George Washington being called the tip of the spear for the entire surge exercise.

On 7 June 2004, the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group departed Naval Station Mayport, Florida, to participate in Combined Joint Task Force Exercise 04-2 (CJTFEX 04-2), code-named Operation Blinding Storm, to complete the strike group's certification to deploy. Held between 14-18 June, Operation Blinding Storm marked the first Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) integration event, with training focused on functional coalition component commands. All branches of the U.S. armed forces were involved, as well as the British light aircraft carrier HMS Invincible (R05). Following Operation Blinding Storm, John F. Kennedy carrier strike group began its Mediterranean (MED) deployment to the U.S. Fifth Fleet. The JFK carrier strike group paid a port visit to Malta between 26-30 June 2004, before transiting the Suez Canal from 2-3 July 2004.

On 5 July 2005, the George Washington strike group departed the Persian Gulf and turned over Task Force 50 to the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group. During its nearly five-month deployment to the Fifth Fleet, the George Washington carrier strike group spent 231 day away from home port and steamed 70,750 nautical miles. Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) amassed nearly 8,800 sorties, including 1,500 in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedon, expended approximately 164,000 pounds (74,389 kg) of ordnance, and flew more than 21,000 flight hours. Destroyer Squadron 28 executed 200 Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) boardings and logged more than 12,000 surface contacts in the Persian Gulf.

On 10 July 2004, the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group launched air strikes in support of Operation Iraqi Freedon, with Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) providing air combat support to Multi-national Corps-Iraq and Iraqi forces. On 20 July, CVW-17 aircraft destroyed two anti-Iraqi positions in the strike group’s first active engagement of anti-Iraqi targets, using GBU-12 and GBU-32 guided bombs on the enemy positions. On 20 November 2004, the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group relieved the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group (pictured).

During its 2004 MED deployment with the Fifth Fleet, the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group launched 8,296 sorties for a total of 21,824 flight hours, with 4,396 sorties and 11,607 of the flight hours in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the course of operations in Iraq, 54,000 pounds (24,494 kg) of ordnance were dropped by the jets of CVW-17 squadrons. Carrier Air Wing 17 aircraft flew a combined total of 6,054 sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom - Afganistan (OEF-A). During the height of operations, CVW-17 aircraft flew an average of 38 missions a day in support of ground troops. The John F. Kennedy carrier strike group returned from its deployment on 7 December 2004.

U.S. Sixth Fleet
On 2 June 2004, Harry S. Truman carrier strike group departed Naval Station Norfolk, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea as part of Summer Pulse 2004. The Harry S. Truman carrier strike group entered the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of responsibility on 24 June 2004 and paid a port visit to Naples, between 2–6 July 2004. On 3 June 2004, the Enterprise carrier strike group departed Norfolk for its trans-Atlantic phase of Summer Pulse 2004. Between 11–14 June 2004, Enterprise carrier strike group participated in Neo Tapon, a Spanish-hosted NATO exercise, with the carrier Enterprise serving as the exercise's flagship. The Enterprise carrier strike group operated with British, Dutch, French, Italian, Moroccan, and Portuguese forces, as well as ships from Standing Naval Forces Atlantic and Standing Naval Forces Mediterranean, testing air and surface warfare and strike mission capabilities. The Neo Tapon exercise tested NATO surface warfare, air warfare, and strike mission capabilities, as well as the strike group’s ability to implement plans quickly.

Steaming northward, the Enterprise carrier strike group participated in Joint Maritime Course 04-2 (JMC 04-2) exercises, a NATO operation hosted by the Joint Maritime Operations Training Staff, between 19–30 June 2004. Over 50 ships from Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and the United States participated in the exercises while operating off the coast of Scotland. The JMC involves two distinct phases, with the first phase one being the training exercise. During this phase, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) conducting gun-support operations and air defense coordination and Carrier Air Wing One conducting air operations with live ordnance on firing ranges. The second phase was the operational phase, with the 50 participating ships will split into two task groups. Enterprise served as one task group flagship, and the commander of the Belgian and the Netherlands task group command the other force. The fast logistics support ship USS Detroit (AOE-4) provided logistic support, and it also acted as a high-value asset during the exercise. The carrier Enterprise made its first port visit at Portsmouth between 2–6 July 2004. On 11 July 2004, the Enterprise and Harry S. Truman carrier strike groups participated in NATO Operation Medshark/Majestic Eagle 2004 (MS/ME04), held between 11–16 July 2004 in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Morocco. The exercise included ships and aircraft from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Morocco under the overall command of Vice Admiral Henry G. Ulrich III, USN, the Commander Strike Force NATO (SFN). Hosted by Morocco, recently designated as a major non-NATO ally by U.S. President George W. Bush, the objective of Operation Medshark/Majestic Eagle was to develop interoperability and build military relationships between the participating ten allied nations, and this exercise was the first to use the Cap Draa training area in the southwest part of Morocco to conduct live fire training exercises. The first phase involved sea control war games between the two carrier strike groups, and the second phase simulated choke point transit through a strait. Operation Medshark/Majestic Eagle involved more than 20,000 personnel, nearly 150 aircraft, and 30 ships from 10 nations led by the carriers Enterprise, Harry S. Truman, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Principe De Asturias.

Following Summer Pulse 2004, the Enterprise carrier strike group returned to Norfolk on 23 July 2004. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group re-entered the U.S. Second Fleet's area of responsibility on 21 July 2004, and it returned to Norfolk on 25 July 2004.

U.S. Seventh Fleet
On 19 July 2004, the Kitty Hawk carrier strike group departed from Yokosuka, Japan, to participate in Summer Pulse 2004. While underway, Carrier Air Wing Five executed carrier landing qualifications (CQ) for its naval aviators.

The John C. Stennis and Kitty Hawk carrier strike groups subsequently operated together in Joint Air and Sea Exercise 2004 (JASEX 04) beginning on 8 August 2011 (pictured). This second annual joint exercise involved air and sea training events focused on integrating joint training while improving interoperability and teamwork between the two carrier strike groups, as well as with land-based Air Force and Marine Corps units forward deployed to in the Western Pacific. Typhoon Rananim complicated the exercise, causing the two carrier strike groups to re-deploy 600 nmi east to the Iwo Jima operating area. JASEX 02 ended on 15 August 2004.

The Stennis carrier strike group returned to San Diego on 1 November 2004 prior to the upcoming homeport change of the John C. Stennis to Bremerton, Washington, in 2005. The Kitty Hawk carrier strike group completed its Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) Phase III training exercises and returned to Yokosuka on 7 September 2004, concluding Summer Pulse 2004.

Submarine operations
In addition to seven carrier strike groups, the U.S. Navy also surge deployed 17 submarines and one submarine tender for Summer Pulse 2004. While details on U.S. Navy submarine operations remained highly secret, one Pacific-based submarine, USS Salt Lake City (SSN-716), was identified as being deployed with the John C. Stennis carrier strike group during Summer Pulse 2004. Additionally, three Atlantic-based submarines were identified as participating in Summer Pulse 2004:


 * USS Toledo (SSN-769) deployed with the John F. Kennedy carrier strike group.
 * USS Miami (SSN-755) deployed with the Enterprise carrier strike group.
 * USS Albuquerque (SSN-706) deployed with the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group.

Albuquerque, Miami, and USS Albany (SSN-753) were also identified as units participating in Operation MEDSHARK/Majestic Eagle 2004 (pictured). Finally, the submarine tender was identified as being the USS Emory S. Land (AS-39), and it also participated in Operation MEDSHARK/Majestic Eagle 2004.

Aftermath
Regarding the success of Summer Sure 2004, Rear Admiral Michael C. Tracy, Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Two (COMCRUDESGRU-2), noted:


 * It takes all the assets in a Carrier Strike Group – the cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and logistic support ships that complement the carrier and its embarked air wing – working together seamlessly to truly implement a concept like the Fleet Response Plan. This was demonstrated during Summer Pulse ’04 when the Harry S. Truman Strike Group carried out multiple roles and missions and exercised the operational concepts of the Sea Power 21 strategy, while working alongside nine other nations during exercise Majestic Eagle. Each of the assets in the Truman Strike Group is integral and essential to the Strike Group team, and all performed superbly during both the COMPTUEX and Majestic Eagle exercises. This demonstrates that our team is really ready to surge.

This was reiterated by Rear Admiral James D. Kelly, Commander Carrier Group Five (COMCARGRU-5), who noted:


 * Summer Pulse ’04 and the [FRP] are not about how often and how long we can deploy. They are about being able to answer the nation’s call in force – six CSGs in 30 days and two more within three months – by providing credible combat power where and when it is needed. Summer Pulse ’04 is the proof of our readiness.

Although there was some congressional criticism, the Fleet Response Plan remains the operational cornerstone of the post-Cold War U.S. Navy.