[MilCom] USS George Washington completes MissileEx

[AllanStern at aol.com]

GW Completes MISSILEX
Story Number: NNS060314-11
Release Date:  3/14/2006 5:05:00 PM
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jennifer Crowell, USS  George Washington Pub 
Aff.
 
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73)  
conducted a live fire missile exercise (MISSILEX) March 13 while conducting  
training in the Atlantic Ocean. Sailors in Combat Systems Dept's CS-7 Division  
launched two RIM-7P NATO Sea Sparrow missiles during the evolution.
 
"Our goal was to prove the ship is able to defend itself against a  
low-altitude cruise missile," said Fire Controlman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Derek  Hamric, a 
radar set console operator, "and today we proved we could."
 
The RIM-7P is a semi-active homing missile with foldable wings that uses  
shipboard radar to guide the missile to the target. 
 
"We illuminate the target, so the missile can use that as guidance and take  
out the target," said Hamric.
 
"The Sea Sparrow is a proximity warhead," said Fire Controlman 3rd Class  
Matthew Belanger, who manned the fire control officer's console during the  
launch. "When it takes off, it locks onto a target, and the warhead explodes  [just 
ahead] of the target. The proximity warhead is designed to shatter a  target."
 
Though the shoot was slightly delayed due to early morning fog, the  exercise 
went off without a hitch.
 
"The weather kind of threw us off schedule," Belanger said. "It makes it a  
lot harder for us to track the target, but it can be overcome."
 
The fire controlmen spent most of March 12 preparing for the event.
 
"There were a lot of preloads," Belanger said. "We were making sure the  
system was ready to go for the launch." 
 
The crew conducted a pre-fire to make sure the missiles would leave the  
launchers, and made sure everything was in place, to include the right personnel  
and proper tools. Preventative maintenance was preformed, as well.
 
"All the radars are to be 'tweaked and peaked,'" Hamric said. "Everything  
has to go perfect, and everyone down to the lowest ranking person has to be  
informed of the proper procedures." 
 
After the exercise ended, new and more seasoned Sailors walked away viewing  
the experience as a learning one.
 
"This was a great experience for those who have never done this before,"  
Hamric said. "The whole exercise went well. We put in over a hundred hours of  
maintenance for around two minutes of fun."
 
"Everyone worked hard to get to this point," said Belanger, who had been  
involved in simulated missile shoots before, but not an actual live fire  
exercise. "Everyone did a good job."
 
GW is currently underway for carrier qualifications and shipboard training,  
and is scheduled to return to Norfolk later this month. For more information  
about GW, visit the ship's Web site at http://gw.ffc.navy.mil/. 
 
For related news, visit the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Navy NewsStand  
page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn73/.