By Geoff Fein
The Navy today will make its first-ever deployment of an Atlantic Fleet-based ballistic missile defense (BMD) capable destroyer, as the USS Ramage (DDG-61) heads to the Mediterranean for a six-month tour, a Navy official said.
“This is the first operational deployment of a BMD ship on the Atlantic Fleet to the Mediterranean. Obviously, it is a significant milestone–the fact that the ship has this capability and the crew is certified and trained, and we have in fact loaded her with the capability,” Rear Adm. Alan Hicks, Aegis BMD program director, told reporters during a teleconference yesterday.
“I think it is further evidence and validation of what we already have proven in the Pacific Fleet area of responsibility…of getting the capability out to the warfigher,” he added.
Hicks noted that the USS Stout (DDG-55) has had the BMD capability installed and she just completed certification of her crew for training.
“She gives us a second Atlantic Fleet ship…that gives us 16 Pacific and two Atlantic Fleet ships of which all will be equipped and certified by the end of this calendar year,” Hicks said.
Right now, the Navy has 15 BMD capable ships with the 16th in the process of being modified, he added.
“[We are] looking at options to accelerate more ships in the Atlantic Fleet with BMD capability,” Hicks noted. “Those discussions are ongoing with leadership. I feel fairly confident we will be accelerating more BMD ships for the Atlantic Fleet.”
The Navy would need four to six more BMD capable ships in addition to the Ramage and Stout to meet what Hicks believes is the requirement for the next two to three years.
“We are working with Fleet Forces Command, OpNav staff within the agency…looking at what EUCOM and CENTCOM requirements are and what we can balance with PACFLEET,” Hicks said. “I believe, near-term, we need an additional four to six Atlantic Fleet ships to give the necessary flexibility to fleet commanders to keep presence forward.”
Ramage will be able to do search and track, engagement and defend against air threats, Hicks added.
“She is loaded,” he said.