Enhancing Domain Awareness in the Arctic

By Tech. Sgt. Donald Hudson, Alaskan NORAD Region/Alaskan Command/11th Air Force

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, UNITED STATES – During Operation POLAR VORTEX, a Naval and Amphibious Liaison Element (NALE) led by U.S. 3rd Fleet and supported by U.S. Fleet Forces was embedded into the bi-national Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

The NALE is primarily a function of the Navy Reserve, with Reserve personnel filling roughly 98 percent of NALE billets, given the operational tempo of this unique work. NALE Sailors train in mobilization to billet (MOB to-billet) positions and generally deploy on 90 to 270-day orders, responding both to planned operations and emergent crises, including training exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. MOB-to-billet is the activation (other than for training) of SELRES Sailors to serve in the authorized and funded manpower billet at the command to which they are permanently assigned.

NALE units are attached to U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and most numbered fleets.

While in Alaska, the NALE worked alongside U.S. Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) members in the 611th Air Operations Center (AOC) to increase domain awareness in the Arctic region during Operation POLAR VORTEX by instantly linking maritime and air domain awareness.

“The situational awareness the NALE has provided is the most maritime awareness the AOC has had in the 14 years I’ve been here,” said Alaska Air National Guard Col. Jeff Smith, deputy commander, 611th AOC. “It’s been great to see the coordinated efforts between air and maritime domains.”

By co-locating, the NALE and 611th AOC were able to coordinate information instantly to the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) and provide a detailed real-time operating picture from the surface to air across some of the most remote operating areas in Alaska.

The NALE worked to seamlessly integrate their expertise of maritime domain awareness and employ a Navy P-8 Poseidon alongside joint and bi-national air assets. The cooperation increased tactical performance of joint forces validating command and control and tactical execution of mission objectives between various aircraft including exercising simulated air-to-surface strikes.

“The NALE has been essential to air operations,” said RCAF Brig. Gen. David Moar, deputy commander, Alaskan NORAD Region. “They were key in synchronizing air operations with naval air assets and providing information to enable the JFACC to coordinate and support the maritime component.”

3rd Fleet operations in U.S. Northern Command’s (USNORTHCOM) area of responsibility throughout the Gulf of Alaska aligned with Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet objectives to demonstrate resolve and credible deterrence in defense of the homeland in the area. The operations also supported USNORTHCOM and NORAD’s mission of homeland defense, aerospace warning and control, and preserving a stable Arctic region in cooperation with U.S. Allies and partners.

“The NALE is an essential part of integrating the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) and AOC to provide multi-domain awareness to both Component Commanders,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Chris “Turtle” Turl, NALE director. “By coordinating information between each Commander’s guidance, the NALE facilitates the planning and execution of the mission to effectively meet the commander’s intent.”

NALE Sailors regularly engage in training exercises, freedom of navigation operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to enable better integration between joint air assets. The NALE provide the necessary face to-face contact among planner, commanders and staff to ensure mutual understanding, unity of effort and reduce friction between components.

Operating across the vast distances and remote areas in the Arctic comes with many operational hurdles to overcome such as harsh weather and sea conditions causing increased risk to aircrews should an incident occur. Enhancing communication between joint forces is essential to meet the mission while overcoming obstacles and lowering operational risks.

Through joint and bi-national teamwork the NALE and 611th AOC were able to maximize domain awareness and more effectively employ air assets saving time, and costs while reducing risk and increasing efficient use of tactical air assets and manpower.

Lederer Stresses Critical Role of Reservists, Contested Logistics in Naval Warfare

NEWS | Oct. 21, 2024

Lederer Stresses Critical Role of Reservists, Contested Logistics in Naval Warfare

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Brett Dodge

NEWPORT, R.I. – In an era of increasing global tensions and evolving threats, the U.S. Navy faces fresh challenges in maintaining operational readiness and effectiveness. One concept gaining recent attention is ‘contested logistics’ – a term born from logistical struggles that stemmed from the Pacific campaigns during World War II and one that underscores the complexities of sustaining warfighting readiness in potentially hostile environments.

Rear Adm. Marc Lederer, Reserve Deputy, Installations and Logistics, N4R, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, stressed the importance of training our Reserve Sailors on logistical practices over the Operational Level of Warfare (OLW) continuum.

“Whether we’re resupplying our Sailors at sea, refueling our ships, rearming our ships, repairing our ships in times of conflict, contested logistics is what we do,” said Lederer. “We have to train to sustain the fleet, to ensure we're able to project power in distributed maritime operations environments.”

The Red Sea region serves as a prime example of why contested logistics has become a top priority for the Navy. Recent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi rebels highlighted the vulnerabilities to maritime traffic in this critical waterway. These incidents underscore the potential challenges the Navy could face in sustaining operations in regions where both state and non-state actors can threaten supply lines.

“Contested logistics is an important focus across all of our areas of operation, it’s not limited to one specific fleet, one specific time, it’s a continuum,” said Lederer. “Sustainment is a key warfighting function, and contested logistics is integrated into the OLW and everything we do in the Maritime Operation Center (MOC). It allows us to forward deploy in the maritime domain, 24/7 across the globe.”

Lederer also emphasized the value real-world training environments play in maintaining the readiness of Naval Reservists, with each series of exercises building upon the next creating numerous opportunities for Reserve Sailors to hone their skills.

“Our Reservists play a huge role in the OLW, the MOC, and contested logistics,” said Lederer. “With the Reserve component making up roughly half of our war time fleet staff, there isn’t a fleet you can visit or a command you might go to where you won’t find a Reservist supporting the fight. Exercises are a great opportunity to bring the team together, to allow Reservists and their active counterparts to integrate and train together so we can fight together.”

The lessons learned from the current geopolitical landscape and practical, real-world scenario-driven exercises, will undoubtedly shape the future of naval logistics and underscore the importance of the U.S. Navy adapting to a world where supply lines can no longer be taken for granted. According to Lederer, advanced training and exercises like the recently concluded MAKO Global ensure Navy Reserve warfighters are ready to join the fight when called to action.

“Contested logistics is key to everything we do at the Operational Level of War, whether it's at the fleet level or down echelon, we are giving our Sailors the ability to train the way we fight and fight the way we train,” said Lederer. “Looking at the CNO’s priorities, warfighting functions in the MOC are key as we go forward and execute across all areas of the globe. We need our Reservists ready on day one to sit at their workstation, plug in, and execute.”

According to Lederer, in an increasingly complex global security environment, the Navy's focus on contested logistics represents a critical adaptation to modern warfare realities. By focusing on robust training, the Navy is strengthening our ability to sustain operations in theaters worldwide. This renewed emphasis on logistical readiness is not just a tactical consideration, but a strategic imperative that underpins the Navy’s ability to project power and maintain a forward presence in contested waters. As geopolitical tensions continue to simmer in regions like the Red Sea, the Navy's commitment to mastering contested logistics may well prove to be a decisive factor in future maritime operations and conflicts.