Navy Times Articles - Restructured Intel Force and BAMS unmanned aircraft on patrol in Middle East

[Anna]

Navy plans expanded, restructured intel force
By Andrew Scutro
[e-mail]
The Navy is growing its cadre of intelligence specialists to meet the continuing need for intel support in the fleet, a naval intelligence official said. At the same time, the Navy is reorganizing its intelligence structure to effectively pore through the mountains of data coming in from the fleet.
Because of the sensitive nature of intelligence work, officials would not say how many more sailors they need. There are 2,557 sailors in the IS rating, but the intel field also includes cryptologic and information systems technicians.
“We’ve been fortunate in the past several years to sustain intelligence as a growth industry,” said Capt. J. Todd Ross, commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. “It’s been coincident with an insatiable demand for more intelligence across our various customer sets.” That demand has led to a new division of responsibilities across four mission areas at ONI headquarters in Suitland, Md. The centers, established in February, are named Nimitz, Kennedy, Farragut and Hopper.
Ross said sailors at the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center are organized into “geographic cells” that provide support to the fleet. Ross said the majority of work goes to operations in 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets.
Along with the Navy’s recent identification of “irregular warfare” as a high-priority mission area, the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center was set up to support naval special warfare units and the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.
“The KIWC [will be fully staffed] in fiscal year 2010. We will start bringing a lot more billets online for both sailors and officers,” Ross said.
In addition to Kennedy and Nimitz, the Farragut center specializes in technical analysis of adversary abilities to “prevent technological surprise to the fleet,” ac cording to a fact sheet on the restructuring effort. The fourth center is Hopper Information Services, which “enables enhanced access to ONI products and expertise.” An expanded facility to house the four centers in Suitland is expected to be completed in 10 months and cost $60.7 million.
Some 800 Navy officers and enlisted sailors work there, along with 800 mobilized reservists. Another 1,300 civilians also work at the site.
Ross said one of the major factors pushing the need for more intelligence support comes from the Navy’s use of unmanned aerial surveillance aircraft. The largest such aircraft, a “marinized” version of the RQ-4 Global Hawk flown by the Air Force, is being flown under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program.
The imagery gathered by BAMS is so extensive that it needs to be shipped back to the Nimitz center to be “exploited” and repackaged for delivery to deployed ships. That delivery is handled by groups of sailors called Fleet Intelligence Specialist Teams.
Another source of high demand comes from the ongoing struggle to thwart piracy off the Horn of Africa.
“Intelligence support to counterpiracy is one of our key mission areas here in Suitland. It’s something we do here seven days a week even when it’s not on the networks or in the newspapers,” Ross said. “From an intel support standpoint, the crisis continues.”


BAMS unmanned aircraft on patrol in Middle East
One of the Navy’s two large unmanned aircraft — initially purchased for testing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. — has deployed to Middle East to bulk up the military’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The Navy’s RQ-4 Global Hawk was sent in January to join the Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, a refueling and reconnaissance unit, a program manager said. The Navy is not releasing the specific location.
The Northrop Grumman-built aircraft is launched, recovered and maintained in the Middle East, but is controlled by Navy officers and contractors at Pax River.
Global Hawks are primarily Air Force aircraft, but the Navy bought two as it continues to develop a program called the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft.
The BAMS aircraft will be larger than the Global Hawks, have more powerful sensors and will be specifically designed for a maritime environment. It is slated to join the fleet in 2015, said Capt. Robert Dishman, the BAMS program manager at Naval Air Systems Command. Ë — Andrew Tilghman

[Ellen]

Thanks for posting these, Anna. One of my neighbors works at the VA here and shares his Navy Times with me. I have learned so much from reading it.
If any of our sailors are considering making the Navy a career, they are in a great field to do it....I would assume that advancement opportunities will be available as they grow the rate. I am so proud of our kids' service to our country.

[Rene]

Thanks Anna for sharing this. This is exactly the kind of thing that my sailor thinks will help him be able to go active...because of the demand for this rate.

[Anna]

Rene and Ellen,
Your both welcome. I'm glad I could get the article in my computer to post it on here. I think you're right Rene, your son should be able to take this article in with him and say - - see, they need me!!!

And you are right Ellen - what a great opportunity for them!!!