The "Grey Knights" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 honed their warfighting capabilities during the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) for Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 off the coast of Southern California.

The Grey Knights operated out of Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, Oct. 22-Nov. 22.

Although these exercises were designed for CSG 1, they brought many opportunities to VP-46. COMPTUEX and JTFEX offered the perfect chance for the squadron to prepare for their upcoming deployment.

VP-46's role was to support CSG 1 by sending real-time information to the strike group on enemy surface and sub-surface contacts. This provided the CSG valuable situational awareness in a dynamic training environment. The Grey Knights were the primary airborne anti-submarine asset, one of the most essential cogs within the maritime patrol domain.

"A VP squadron brings the capability of large scale ASW [anti-submarine warfare]," said Lt. j.g. Jacob Balesi, a VP-46 naval flight officer (NFO). "Although the ships and the helicopters in the exercise bring a lot to the fight, ASW is what VP-46 lives and breathes."

COMPTUEX and JTFEX test multiple systems and the capabilities of the CSG to ensure they are equipped for deployment. Since VP-46 is operating at high-tempo for those exercises, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 10 sent some of their personnel to conduct VP-46's operational readiness evaluation (ORE). This allows the squadron to simultaneously prepare for their deployment and support CSG 1.

The Grey Knights were not the only maritime patrol presence supporting CSG 1. VP-46 worked with the 407TH Long Range Patrol Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, out of Comox on Vancouver Island, British Columbia; No. 10 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, out of Adelaide, South Australia; and VP-9, out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.

"This exercise gives the maintenance teams and aircrew an opportunity to see a new place and gain new insight on what other crews are doing in the rest of the VP Navy, both in the States and from around the world," said Balesi. "Experience in combined operations not only helps us hone our warfighting skills, but it allows us to build relationships with key allies that we will work with in the future."

Each squadron uses a variant of the P-3 Orion, an aircraft that specializes in ASW, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and anti-surface warfare (ASUW).

"It's exciting to work with other squadrons," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Luciano Zinzani, a VP-46 power plant mechanic. "Even though we all come from different areas around the world, we still do the same job. It shows that no matter who we may end up working with, we still accomplish the mission."

Since this was a detachment for the squadron, it offered training in a dynamic, real-time environment by allowing the aircrew and maintainers to work in a fast-paced atmosphere, like it would on deployment. This includes tasks such as getting airborne as soon as possible, working through maintenance problems, and loading buoys and weapons. Also, a real-time exercise tests the ability of the aircraft and aircrew to send accurate and timely information to other operating units in the area.

"This detachment is extremely important to VP-46," said Balesi. "It gives our maintainers an opportunity to see what it is like to work from a detachment site, far from home, working sometimes without everything that they are accustomed to while in Whidbey. It also gives the aircrew real world experience when we work with the numerous helicopter squadrons, various ships from the Carl Vinson Strike Group and, our allied nations, Canada and Australia."

According to Zinzani, the new Sailors of the squadron get the most out of these detachments.

"Detachments offer great experience in getting us prepared for what we may encounter on a six-month deployment," said Zinzani. "It gives the new personnel that have not been deployed yet, firsthand experience in a fast pace environment, which is essential to our deployment readiness."

VP-46 completed 71 out of 71 missions with a total of 485 flight hours during this detachment. They are homeported out of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, with this being the second large-scale exercise they have participated in during their inter-deployment readiness cycle (IDRC).


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