In the unforgiving conditions of the Arctic, a Navy destroyer is challenged even in routine operations. The challenges multiply on special evolutions, such as underway replenishments. In 2018, the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group operated above the Arctic Circle, the first time a carrier strike group had done so in nearly three decades. Ship designs and operating procedures were tested, and limitations became apparent. Based on my perspective as first lieutenant on board the USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) during that deployment to the High North, several safety improvements are needed in such unforgiving environments.
Tremendous changes have come about since the Arleigh Burke–class destroyer completed its maiden voyage in March 1993 and then-Commander James Stavridis penned his formative article describing the class’s shiphandling, engineering, and structural design elements.1 Since then, the Arleigh Burkes have become the workhorses of the fleet and have thrived in many environments, enduring everything from unforgiving shamals in the Middle East to wintry conditions in the North Atlantic.
In some cases, certain evolutions can be postponed when a ship faces harsh weather conditions. However, delays are not always possible, especially in the case of vital underway replenishments for fuel and stores. As the Navy reconsiders which evolutions must be done in an Arctic environment to ensure a ship can fight, move, and communicate at sea, surface community leaders should consider additional safety measures based on what the Forrest Sherman experienced in her 2018 Arctic deployment.
Deck Safety in Heavy Seas
The Forrest Sherman observed Arctic seas as high as 8 to 10 feet crashing between oilers and the ship. The breaking of heavy seas onto the fuel station rig team is one of the most challenging situations for deck sailors. This commonly happens at the beam amidships. While deck instructions allow for lifelines to remain in place, practical considerations during underway replenishments require that the lifelines be removed at the fueling stations and replaced with a single line. Preparing a station for refueling provides the room required for the fueling rig to be received and additional maneuver room for the fuel rig team to rig and operate it, but it limits protection for the team. A man overboard is a serious concern for underway replenishments under any environmental conditions.
Arctic weather conditions not only increase the difficulty of deck operations, but also severely limit recovery options for a man overboard should a deck operation go awry. Weather conditions during most underway replenishments, and connected replenishments in particular, included near-freezing water temperatures and an average Beaufort Scale sea state of four to five (wave heights between five and eight feet).2 The short survival time of a man overboard in these conditions demands prompt recovery. Rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) cannot safely operate in sea states of four or higher, but the commanding officer must weigh the risk to the RHIB boat crew against the prospect of losing a sailor. Launching a search-and-rescue helicopter operation is also limited by the sea state and wind envelope. Foc’sle recovery is a time-intensive operation that requires disconnecting from the replenishment vessel, complex maneuvering in a tumultuous sea state, and additional risk when deploying a search-and-rescue swimmer into the frigid seas. Depending on conditions, a foc’sle recovery may also be limited.
Each underway replenishment evolution illustrated limitations that must be addressed if the Arleigh Burke class is to sustain Arctic operations. Two deck safety improvements are needed—safety harness anchor points at refueling stations for underway replenishments and heavy weather lifeline system modifications for man-overboard recoveries. These improvements would make for safer crew operations in this austere environment.
Specifically, the following recommendations should be considered:
• A harness system should be installed with designated anchor points or an anchor harness bar near the main deck and foc’sle fueling stations, with the ability to connect as many as eight rig-team sailors. This modification will enable freedom of movement of sailors operating topside in all weather conditions and provide an upgraded safety system in severe weather. This is a streamlined improvement of current approved procedures that use j-bar davit cleats and deck-edge bits to secure a personnel tending line in combination with an approved shipboard harness for the sailor closest to the deck edge.
• The foc’sle heavy weather lifeline system includes temporary stanchions and inboard lifelines rigged in anticipation of heavy weather conditions on the foc’sle. The lifeline configuration currently does not allow sailors in the harness system to work the j-bar davit (pendants are too short) and be attached to the heavy weather lifeline. The Navy should review the practicality of the heavy weather lifeline system to conduct a man overboard recovery with the foc’sle j-bar davit. The commanding officer and crew need an additional capability to recover sailors in high sea states that limit RHIB and flight operations.
• In the interim, the Navy MK-1 life preserver already has a D-ring buttonhole on the center back side of the preserver that allows for the separate underlying harness to be used with the proposed designated anchor points. However, the sailor wearing the preserver must be able to access the D-ring buttonhole.
• Navy ships are issued integrated harness personal flotation devices (PFDs) that combine the harness and PFD into a single system. This maritime safety system is available commercially and known as an offshore dual system. The integrated PFD would provide sailors the ability to concurrently self-access the safety harness and working lines. The single system allows quick outfit but will require additional training to operate safely.
The Navy is committed to operating in the North Atlantic, including in the Arctic regions, and it is prudent that it modify procedures and equipment to the harsh environment to support sustained combat operations. The recommended modifications are not costly and have potentially life- and mission-saving benefits. By making these changes, ships and sailors will be better able to execute their missions safely and effectively in a vital region in the world only growing in strategic importance.
1. CDR James Stavridis, USN, “Handling the Arleigh Burkes,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 120, no. 10 (October 1994): 66–68.
2. In connected replenishment, two or more ships steam side by side and hoses and lines are used to transfer fuel, ammunition, supplies, and personnel; Beaufort scale is a method of measuring winds and seas. Afloat operations typically limit most evolutions to a Beaufort scale sea state of three or less.