Navy seeks to enhance military training in Marianas, eyes new weapon systems

By Jayvee Vallejera

The Department of the Navy's proposed military training activities in the Marianas region's open seas cover 501,873 square nautical miles—much larger than Texas and California combined—incorporating new platforms and weapon systems such as next-generation aircraft, amphibious vessels, unmanned vehicles and advanced sensors.

According to the recently released supplemental environmental impact statement for the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Study Area, proposed changes in training activities range from individual tasks to large-scale exercises, aimed at enhancing the U.S. forces’ capability to “meet modern operational needs and standards.”

 At-sea activities include air, amphibious, anti-submarine, electronic, expeditionary, mine, strike and surface warfares.

Proposed training and testing activities include the use of explosives, sonar and other acoustic sources.

The supplemental environmental impact statement was prepared by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast

Guard.

The public comment period, which began on March 2, will run until May 1 (ChST). Officials will brief Guam and CNMI residents and gather community input during two public meetings scheduled for next week.

For more information, visit www.nepa.navy.mil/mitte 

Public meetings: 
Guam: March 18, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dededo Senior Center, 319 Iglesias Circle, Dededo 
Saipan: March 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Crowne Plaza Resort, Coral Tree Ave., Garapan

The supplemental analysis provides more detail on planned military training activities within the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Study Area and outlines training plans for at-sea areas of the Mariana Islands Range Complex, additional areas in the high seas north and west of the complex, and the transit corridor between the complex and Hawaii.

It also covers underwater areas from the sea surface to the ocean floor.

Pier-side training will continue at Guam’s Apra Harbor, including channels and routes to and from the port and in wharves and facilities within the Navy port, nearshore areas of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and the uninhabited island of Farallon de Medinilla, which the U.S. military has been using for bombing practice for decades.

The U.S. Navy continues to use the complex as an ideal environment for realistic multi-domain training and systems testing.

“MIRC is strategically located and provides the expansive sea space, specialized airspace, and unique island infrastructure necessary to ensure U.S. and allied forces maintain readiness for Western Pacific contingencies,” the impact statement states.

The Navy said continuous training is essential for maintaining a continuous presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Realistic training and rigorous testing in a marine environment would enable U.S. forces to respond to a wide range of contingencies, from full-scale armed conflict to humanitarian assistance, the Navy said.

“Training ensures personnel are proficient in the tactics necessary to defend U.S. national interests, while testing allows for the development of advanced systems that maintain a technological edge,” the impact statement says.

The document acknowledges the military activities’ potential impact on the quality of sediments, water and air, marine habitats and life forms.

The Navy said the proposed actions are consistent with military readiness activities that have been done in the Mariana Islands for decades, and that the supplemental statement just updated the types, frequency, duration and intensity of training.

There are no proposed changes in land-based activities on Saipan, Tinian and Rota, but the Navy has identified 10 military readiness activities as “new” for this phase.

These include dive and salvage operations, underwater construction team training, port damage repair, training on spill and hazmat response for oil or hazardous waste, waterborne training, pierside sonar, unmanned aerial systems testing, unmanned surface vehicle testing, in-port maintenance testing and underwater mine countermeasures.

The only activity that uses explosives involves the deployment of unmanned surface vehicles, which may carry loads such as cameras, sonar or explosives. In these cases, activities involving explosives will occur more than 12 nautical miles from land.

Foreign militaries may occasionally participate in multinational training and testing events in the study area.

The U.S. Department of the Navy issued the supplemental environmental impact statement to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Department of War Implementing Procedures.

It evaluates the potential environmental impacts of conducting training, testing, and range modernization and sustainment activities in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Study Area.

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