CNO APPROVES NEW ALIGNMENT FOR FLEET INTELLIGENCE MANPOWER

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. Jason Brunson / Navy

In late April, Chief of Naval Operations ADM Gary Roughead approved a new alignment of the Naval Intelligence manpower providing direct support to Fleet operations.  This realignment is necessary to meet current and projected demand for intelligence expertise, and to strengthen and expand current Naval Intelligence capabilities, while remaining within existing Naval Intelligence manpower limits.  After months of in-depth study, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), in conjunction with OPNAV N2, presented a plan to the CNO that met his objectives for an agile, responsive, highly capable Fleet intelligence force.

Development of the new approach was guided by the following core principles: Unity of Effort, Force Readiness, and Operational Support.  Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC), as the Intelligence TYCOM, will have responsibility for executing the new alignment.  IOC is slated for October of 2009 with FOC by October of 2010.

The CNO-approved alignment employs a hybrid direct support (DIRSUP) construct.  Aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships will retain a reduced permanent (PCS) intelligence complement, but will be augmented by fleet intelligence detachments, aligned to carrier and expeditionary strike groups, for underway training, deployment and surge requirements.

These detachments will be comprised of intelligence professionals proficient in critical skill areas such as imagery analysis and targeting.  When not deployed, they will continue to hone and apply those skills at the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, providing reach-back support to forward-deployed forces.  This approach further enhances support to fleet operational units.  It is important to note that under the new construct, CVNs and LHXs will continue to work-up and deploy with intelligence teams manned at levels consistent with recent deployments.  However, team members will be better trained and more proficient in critical skill areas than ever before.

Additional intelligence detachments, aligned to Fleet areas, will be tailored to provide intelligence capabilities to meet increased Fleet demands for such things as Maritime Interception Operations-Intelligence Exploitation Teams (MIO-IET), Scan Eagle UAV detachments, SSGN detachments, and other similar operational requirements as determined by operational commanders.  The intelligence detachments will provide enhanced intelligence capability to maritime operations centers, and serve as the primary source for meeting fleet obligations for individual augmentees in support of validated COCOM requirements.

All Fleet Intelligence Detachments will be administratively aligned under the authority of Commander, NNWC.  NNWC, as the Intelligence TYCOM, will have the appropriate authorities to manage intelligence capabilities and align them to the Navy’s highest priorities.  RDML Sam Cox is presently working execution-level details for this alignment and will oversee implementation.  USFF will publish a billet alignment plan to Fleet stakeholders by August, and align all fleet intelligence detachment billets from the air and surface TYCOMs to NNWC no later than October.

While much work remains, the demand signal from the Fleet, and the guidance from the CNO is clear.  The demand for Naval Intelligence exceeds current supply and resource challenges constrain Navy’s ability to grow that capability further.  Fundamental change is therefore required to enable more complete development and delivery of an agile, responsive, highly skilled Naval Intelligence capability to the Fleet.  At the end of the day, it’s about providing the intelligence capability the Navy requires, at the right time and place, and at the right cost.  This new Fleet Intelligence alignment is a bold step in that direction.