Naval Warfare Systems and Safety Quiz

Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist

• This role involves detecting hostile targets, reporting range and bearing to the Targeting Authority Officer (TAO)
• TAO authorizes weapon release
• Self-Defense Weapons Coordinator designates targets for Weapon Delivery Systems
• The role involves directing forces and weapons to accomplish the mission goals
• Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) provides gunfire support for troops during landings or operations on the beach

Combat Systems Missions

• Detect to Engage: Detects hostile inbound targets, reports range and bearing to the TAO, and receives weapon release authority. The self-defense weapons coordinator designates targets to the weapon delivery system, which destroys the target.
• Information Warfare: Directs forces and weapons to achieve mission goals.
• Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS): Provides gunfire support for troops landing or conducting operations on the beach.

RADAR & SONAR

• RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging): Detects the range, bearing, speed, and altitude of air and surface contacts.
• SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging): Detects range, bearing, speed, and shape of underwater objects using sound.

Defense Systems in Warfare Areas

• Naval Gun Systems: Supports air, surface and undersea warfare.
• Naval Missile Systems: Supports air, undersea, surface and strike warfare.
• Fire Control: Designated operators in their respective warfare areas with CO authorization to deliver weapons on targets. These operators conduct tracking and fire solutions to maximize the probability of a kill on target.
• Commanding Officer: Overall responsibility for weapon delivery from the ship. Higher echelon authorization may be required depending on the mission.

Threats to U.S. Ships

• ASM/ASCM
• Submarines
• Torpedoes
• Aircraft
• UAVs
• Warships
• FAC/FIAC
• Fast Attack Craft/Fast Inshore Attack Craft
• Mines
• Shore Batteries
• Cyber Attacks

Ship's Weapons

• Harpoon: High subsonic anti-ship, tactical surface-to-surface cruise missile. Guidance is by terrain matching and inertial navigation.
• Tomahawk: Guidance is by terrain matching and inertial navigation.
• Vertical Launched ASROC: Anti-submarine weapon
• Standard Missiles: Medium range/extended range SM-2
• RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile): Lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget missile designed to destroy anti-ship cruise missiles.
• Torpedo: Anti-surface and anti-submarine weapon
• CIWS (Close-In Weapon System): Uses high velocity cannon, a forward-looking infrared sensor, a low light television camera, and a laser rangefinder for shipboard self-defense
• NATO Sea Sparrow/ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile): Radar-guided surface-to-air missile based on the Navy and Marine Corps AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile.
• Nulka: Decoy that provides a larger, more attractive target for the missile; moves slowly away from the ship, thus defeating the threat.

Uses for Radar Systems

• Air: Search and track air contacts
• Surface: Search and track fire solutions on surface contacts
• Fire Control: Generates fire solutions for surface or air targets
• Navigation: Provides information for safe navigation

Radar Systems

• 2-Dimensional: Radar detections provide bearing and range.
• 3-Dimensional: Radar detections provide altitude, bearing and range

Combat Systems Operational Sequencing System (CSOSS)

• Ship-specific "blueprints" of onboard systems located in spaces with corresponding equipment and CSMC (Combat Systems Maintenance Center)
• Detailed procedures for system start-up, shutdown, casualty line-up, and emergency procedures are provided.

CSOSS Watchstanders

• Combat Systems Coordinator/Combat Systems Readiness Officer: Ensures maintenance is performed on all systems to maintain equipment readiness.
• Combat Systems Officer of the Watch: Ensures members perform maintenance, reduce conflicts in tag-outs, and maintain communications during equipment casualties (Combat Systems);
• Area supervisor (air, surface, undersea, electronic): Responsible for personnel and equipment status updates from the watches for that specific area.

Torpedo Countermeasure Transmitting Set (AN/SLQ-25C Nixie)

• Ship-towed decoy system used to divert incoming hostile torpedoes
• Creates acoustic noises similar to propeller and machinery to attract and deceive incoming torpedoes

Passive & Active SONAR

• Passive SONAR: Uses computer processing to determine an object's characteristics based on sound the object produces; only bearing can be gained.
• Active SONAR: Discovers objects by transmitting sound waves into the water and processing the return; bearing and range can be gained.

SONAR Performance

• SONAR performance is affected by temperature, pressure, salinity, and depth of water
• Speed of sound in the ocean affects SONAR detection ranges
• Temperature, pressure, and salinity affect speed of sound
• Temperature is the strongest factor affecting sound performance underwater

Weapon Casualties and Safety

• Hang Fire: Delay in the detonation of primer/ignition charge
• Misfire: Weapon fails to discharge rounds
• Hot Gun: Gun barrel and chamber wall temperature has been raised through prolonged firing to the cook-off point
• Train Warning Circle: Painted outside the radius of the gun, marking the safety zone

Weapon System Components

• Detection: Identifying a target
• Direction: Aiming the weapon towards the target
• Delivery: Firing of the round
• Destruction: Detonation of the round

Frequency Radiation Safety

• Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO): To reduce the amount of frequencies being used, high frequencies may detonate a round
• Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Personnel (HERP): Measurements must be accomplished at operator locations, personnel common areas, and entry/exit points to prevent damage;
• Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Fuel (HERF): Combustible hazards associated with fuel handling areas and operations

Frequency Ranges

• High Frequency (HF): 3-30 MHz
• Very High Frequency (VHF): 30-300 MHz
• Ultra High Frequency (UHF): 300-3000 MHz
• Super High Frequency (SHF): 3-30 GHz
• Extremely High Frequency (EHF): 30-300 GHz

General Combat Systems Knowledge

• Primary gun batteries: 5 in, 76 mm
• Blue color coding: Designates the round as a dummy/training round
• Electronic cooling systems: Ensures system operations within operating temperatures
• Ships' gyro: Trains system weapon on a target and remains constant