THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604190506
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
The British are coming in record numbers to the Mid-Atlantic coast, sailing 30 warships to the Virginia Capes - nearly one-third of their fleet - to join their American counterparts in the largest maritime exercise since the Persian Gulf War.
About 53,800 British and American military personnel are scheduled to join the maneuvers in the western Atlantic and at coastal and inland sites in North Carolina.
The United States plans to send 26 ships to the monthlong maneuvers, spearheaded by the carrier Enterprise, and the helicopter and troop carrier Saipan, both based in Norfolk.
The British task force will be led by the carrier Illustrious, and the helicopter and troop carrier Fearless.
The maneuvers, named Combined Joint Task Force Exercise '96, will begin Thursday and will include more than 270 aircraft from both nations. About 5,000 air force personnel from both countries will participate.
A major nighttime parachute drop is planned May 15-16 at Fort Bragg, N.C., with U.S. troops from the 18th Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division, and British army troops from 5 Airborne Brigade. The combined airborne force will total more than 17,000 personnel.
Joint Marine operations are planned at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and nearby coastal sites involving elements of the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force Forward and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and the Royal Marines' 3 Commando Brigade, a combined force of 13,000.
``It's the largest exercise in our memory,'' said Cmdr. Paul Weisauph, a spokesman for the U.S. 2nd Fleet, headquartered in Norfolk.
The exercise will combine three traditional exercises: Market Square, normally operated by the U.S. Army; Purple Star, operated by the Royal Navy; and a combined joint task force conducted by the U.S. Atlantic Command.
The exercise will cost the United States an estimated $17 million. The British said they will spend about $45 million.
Maneuvers will be held off the Virginia Capes, and at Marine Corps facilities in and around Camp Lejeune, at Fort Bragg and at Pope Air Force Base, all in North Carolina.
They will be directed by Marine Corps Gen. John J. Sheehan, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Atlantic Command, headquartered in Norfolk. Vice Adm. Vernon E. Clark, commander of the U.S. 2nd Fleet, also headquartered in Norfolk, will conduct the exercise and serve as commander of the joint task force.
The exercise is designed to test the skills of the forces in combat and in operations other than war, according to the Atlantic Command. The personnel will be required to deploy rapidly, conduct joint operations during a crisis and refine tactics, techniques and procedures in a high-threat environment involving air, naval and ground operations.
The training scenario involves four fictitious maritime nations. An aggressor nation invades a neighbor nation. The United Nations condemns the aggression, imposes an embargo and issues an ultimatum to the aggressor to withdraw its forces. A combined joint task force deploys to the region.
U.S. objectives of the exercise are to conduct forcible entry operations, including amphibious and airborne maneuvers.
The U.K. objectives are to conduct a strategic deployment, conduct command and control and maintenance of its Joint Rapid Deployment Force. The British forces also will support maritime and air forces in combined operations with coalition forces. by CNB