Ships assigned to the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group completed a Tomahawk land attack missile exercise (TLAMEX) March 27.

TLAMEX is designed to support the coordination of all Tomahawk-capable ships to provide the maximum efficiency and effectiveness possible in a coordinated Tomahawk strike.

"These exercises are important," said Chief Fire Controlman Leon Herring, strike division's leading chief petty officer on the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey. "This [exercise] allows us and the other ships involved to work as an effective strike group."

Laid out in three main phases, phase one of TLAMEX allows the strike group to work mainly on communication with each other in the coordination of Tomahawk attacks. Phase two focuses on strike planning.

"During the second phase, cruisers and destroyers receive missions and plan their respective flight paths to meet required TLAM tasking," said Lt. Cmdr. Steve Gangler, TLAM officer for Carrier Strike Group 10.

As the exercise continues, each phase of TLAMEX will become progressively more difficult.

"In the final phase, units conduct deliberate execution of their assigned missions, and they may also conduct dynamic tasking and post-launch, inflight mission updates," Gangler said.

After the completion of the third and final phase, the strike group will be certified for strike execution.

"We are being tested on our ability to meet the strike mission and project power from afar. After phase three, we will be ready to execute any TLAM tasking on target and on time," Herring said.

Ike CSG is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise in preparation for a future deployment. Ike CSG is comprised of the CSG-10 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 staff, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61) and the ships assigned to DESRON 26: the guided-missile destroyers USS Stout (DDG 55), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).

For more news from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), visit www.navy.mil/