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# USS Fort Worth Conducts Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea with Chinese Navy 

By Lt. Lauryn Dempsey, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 Public Affairs

                SINGAPORE  –              The littoral combat shipUSS Fort Worth (LCS 3) practiced the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea(CUES) with the People's Liberation Army-Navy [PLA(N)] Jiangkai II frigateHengshui (FFG 572) Feb. 23 enhancing the professional maritime relationshipbetween U.S. 7th Fleet and the PLA(N).Fort Worth and Hengshui were conducting routine training and operations ininternational waters of the South China Sea when the ships realized a trainingopportunity was present. CUES, a set of procedures endorsed by naval leaders at the Western PacificNaval Symposium in April 2014, is a guideline for unplanned maritime encounterswhile at sea, providing standards for communication, safety procedures andmaneuvering instructions for naval ships and aircraft."The interaction with the Hengshui was safe and routine, and theprofessionalism that was on display by both ships is commendable," saidCmdr. Matt Kawas, Fort Worth Crew 103 commanding officer. "As the firstunderway for Crew 103 aboard Fort Worth in U.S. 7th Fleet, this was a real-timesituation where we relied upon our months of training in San Diego toexecute."Fort Worth and Hengshui rendezvoused and used CUES as a signaling protocol toindicate ship maneuvering."Having a standardized protocol of safety procedures, basic communicationsand basic maneuvering instructions is critical as we work together to preventmishaps and miscommunications at sea," said Capt. Fred Kacher, commodore,Destroyer Squadron 7. "This will likely not be the last time Fort Worthconducts CUES as she continues to operate extensively throughout Southeast Asiaand expand her operational footprint to Northeast Asia during the remaining 12months of her deployment to the Asia-Pacific." Fort Worth departed Singapore Feb. 19 following the first of three crew swapsas part of the ship's maiden 16-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific. FortWorth is the first LCS to deploy under the "3-2-1" manning concept,which allows LCS to sustain a 16-month forward presence without fatiguing thecrew during the extended deployment. It is named "3-2-1" becausethree rotational crews will support two LCS ships and maintain one deployedship. Two additional crew swaps will occur during the remainder of Fort Worth'sdeployment, roughly every four months.During the first five days of the current underway period, the crew conductedat-sea workups to maintain the proficiency achieved as part of their deploymentcertification in San Diego. Fort Worth is now headed north for Foal Eagle inMarch. Held annually with the Republic of Korea navy, Foal Eagle is also thefirst exercise in Northeast Asia that incorporates LCS participation.Fort Worth is the second LCS to deploy as part of an initiative for up to fourrotational deployments of these ships simultaneously to U.S. 7th Fleet in thecoming years. Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships aredesigned to operate in near shore environments and employ modular missionpackages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures oranti-submarine warfare. Fort Worth will employ the surface warfare mission package for her entiredeployment, augmenting her 57mm gun and rolling airframe missile launcher withtwo 30mm guns, two 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats, two six-membermaritime security boarding teams, a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and a MQ-8B FireScout unmanned aircraft system.The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support ofU.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As theU.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 othermaritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promotestability and prevent conflict.

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