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Defense Professional
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These are the pilot objectives as laid out by the Navy:
Quote:
A Strategic Initiative
GFS will establish a self-sustaining sea-base from which to conduct regional operations, through tailored and adaptive packages, and to launch a variety of engagements with partner nations within a regional area of interest.
Each GFS will be capable of deploying regional detachments of trainers, subject matter experts, Seabees, salvage divers, EOD teams, security force personnel, small expeditionary medical and logistics teams, as well as members of the Foreign Area Officers program or Civil Affairs detachments.
Each GFS will host partners from other services, agencies, nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This can include Coast Guard, Army Engineers, Marine Small Craft Companies and Department of State teams, as well as riders from host nations and other regional nations.
Activities conducted by GFS will range from traditional security operations, to mobile training teams, construction assistance, medical outreach, humanitarian assistance missions, disaster relief, and information sharing.
Pilot Global Fleet Station
A GFS pilot deployment will commence in April 2007 when HSV-2 SWIFT deploys to SOUTHCOM for 6 months.
SWIFT will engage Belize, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Jamaica.
This pilot sets the stage for future GFS deployments, including an upcoming NAVEUR GFS deployment to W. Africa.
Upon pilot completion, Navy will determine how future GFS deployments might be tailored for operations in other regions.
Through GFS Pilot, the Navy will…
Provide a highly visible, positively engaged, reassuring and persistent sea base from which to interact with the global
maritime community of nations.
Deliver comprehensive and coordinated regional engagement and stability, and increase the capability of other services, agencies, Partner Nation governments and NGOs to engage regional areas of interest.
Key Messages
GFS directly supports the growing international interest in global maritime partnerships, a foundation and enabler for
the 1,000-ship Navy concept.
Navy can play a key role in providing diplomatic, informational, humanitarian, economic and other non-combat efforts to support the diverse people and nations of each region.
With the direct assistance of our maritime partners, the USMC and USCG, our Navy stands uniquely capable to
provide persistent, non-threatening training, outreach and assistance to partners.
Only through a persistent presence and interaction with host nations can the required cultural awareness and mutual
trust be achieved. This cannot be adequately achieved through surge or episodic deployments alone.
GFS provides a low-investment, high-yield sea-based option for achieving national objectives while relieving some of
the stress on traditional CSG/ESG training and deployment cycles.
Develop and sustain relationships to improve the interoperability and capability of our enduring and emerging partners’ maritime forces as well as NGOs.
Encourage nations to provide security within their territorial waters and to reduce tensions between neighboring
countries.
Provide Combatant Commanders tools that are not only implements of war, but implements for stability, security and
reconstruction.
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I'll wait and see before commenting further, my impression in reviewing much of the new Navy information about the Global Fleet Station concept is that they are not taking a very broad look at the littoral presence issues the Navy has been talking about for the last decade.
As best I can tell, the Navy is publically saying the pilot is a "one ship" operation, making the USS Pearl Harbor deployment something else. If that is true, I say opportunity missed. |