PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges program office’s (PMA-205) Ocean Systems Fixed Ranges team recently achieved full operational capability on the Undersea Warfare Training Ranges Increment I (USWTR INC I) program 13 months ahead of schedule, the Naval Air Systems Command said in a Nov. 1 release.
The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges program office’s (PMA-205) Ocean Systems Fixed Ranges team recently achieved full operational capability on the Undersea Warfare Training Ranges Increment I (USWTR INC I) program 13 months ahead of schedule. U.S. NAVY
The USWTR INC I training range supports fleet readiness through realistic training and the tactical development of submarine, surface ship, and aircraft undersea warfare capabilities.
“Since completing installation, the fleet has conducted four exercises on the Increment I range, to include critical anti-submarine warfare exercises, which shape future exercises and further advance the capabilities the Navy has to offer,” said Brandi Payne-Tapponnier, the program’s team lead. USWTR INC I allows for timely and accurate feedback of training performance to exercise participants and the ability to rapidly reconstruct the training event, enhancing the quality of complex training scenarios, she said.
The USWTR program consists of three increments. During USWTR INC I, the team managed the installation of the ocean sensor and shore electronics subsystems located off the coast of Florida. Under Increments II and III, the team is upgrading previously installed systems at the USWTR’s other range locations in areas of the Pacific Ocean and international waters of the Caribbean Sea.
“These ranges are essential to our national security, and provide critical support to the helicopter maritime strike, maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and Navy ship communities,” said Capt. Kevin McGee, PMA-205 program manager. “They include a vast array of technology providing a realistic training environment that enables ships and aircraft to track targets for anti-submarine warfare training, which increases fleet capability and lethality.”
The team acquired and installed an additional total of 500 nautical miles of instrumented undersea warfare training ranges in littoral waters in the Atlantic Ocean. Secondary missions of USWTR INC I include training in shallow water and conducting regional conflict operations training.
