NUWC Division, Keyport hosts first-of-itskind warfighting readiness tabletop exercise

ByFrankKaminski

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport

NavalUnderseaWarfareCenterDivision, Keyporthostedrepresentativesfromacross the Naval Sea Systems Command Warfare Centers the NAVSEA Warfare Centers Headquarters and the Naval Sea Logistics Center for a warfighting readiness tabletop exerciseatNavalBaseKitsap-Keyport,June 13-15.

The event, titled “Warfare Centers Command, Control and Communications IntegrationTabletopExercise,”markedthe first time all 10 Warfare Center Divisions, Warfare Center Headquarters and NSLC have been brought together for an in-person wartime readiness command, control and communication tabletop exercise, said NUWC Division, Keyport Advanced Skills ManagementLogisticsLeadCaeleighVillarreal.

Its goal was to test wartime response plans to address gaps identified during last year’s Naval Innovative Science and Engineering-funded Warfare Center Megaproject Command and Control tabletop event hostedbyNavalSurfaceWarfareCenterPort HuenemeDivision.

Villarreal,wholedtheplanninganddevelopmentofthisyear’sexercise,saidtheevent had a remarkable turnout and exceptional participantengagement.

“We originally were hoping to have 40 peoplecome butbecauseoftheuniqueness of the event we ended up with 70 people,” said Villarreal “There was a lot of enthusiasmandengagementandcommitmentfrom alltheparticipants.”

Atabletopexerciseisatestingandevaluation event where participants discuss and analyze the impacts of a negative event such as a natural disaster, supply chain disruption or cyber attack—on an organization’s or system’s ability to perform a mission-essential function, in order to test and improve preparedness and response capabilities

This tabletop was a direct response to a 2021 memo issued by former Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) James Geurts, mandating that all field activities organize a wartime acquisition response tabletop exercise to test wartime response plans, to includecommandandcontrol.

In the memo, Geurts stated, “An established and practiced wartime response is a core proficiency of both acquisition and warfighter readiness [...] I remain committed to ensuring that the United States Navy Acquisition community is ready to support thenextmajorconflict.”

NUWC Division, Keyport Chief Logistician Wendy Kierpiec delivered the exercise’sopeningremarks.Sheencouragedthe group to use the event as an opportunity to learn and navigate unfamiliar operating environments, while also emphasizing the importanceofhoningtheircommunication, command and control skills that would be vitalinsupportingawartimescenario

The exercise focused on three scenarios, or“turns,”centeredaroundtypesofdamage likely to occur to aircraft, ships, submarinesandashoreinfrastructureinsustained conflict. Participants devised innovative repair solutions and determined optimal asset allocations to address the challenges posedbythesescenarios,saidKierpiec.

Aftereachturn,eachWarfareCenterDivision provided three types of deliverables: actionitems,observationsandinsights,and recommendations.Thesedeliverableswere thensharedwiththeentiregroup,allowing valuable knowledge and experiences to be exchanged.

On the final day of the exercise, participantsdividedintogroups,eachtaskedwith developinganoptimalcrisisresponsecenter command, control and communications framework,or“C3.”Villarrealdescribedthe resultingC3sasbeingamongthemostvaluableoutcomesoftheexercise,emphasizing their potential to enhance communication flowfromthefleettotheWarfareCenters.

Villarreal said this exercise has provided theWarfareCenterswithawealthofactionable data, which they are currently using to refine their wartime response plans and prepareforthePacificFleetTalismanSabre exercisecomingupthisAugust.

About Naval Undersea Warfare Center DivisionKeyport NUWC Keyport provides advanced technical capabilities for test and evaluation, in-service engineering, maintenance and industrial base support, fleet material readiness, and obsolescence management for undersea warfare to expand America’s underseadominance