A U.S. Navy destroyer simulated wartime repair in the Philippines through an initiative that seeks to improve the fleet’s readiness during a port visit to Subic Bay earlier this year.
USS Benfold (DDG-65) conducted a shipboard wartime repair & maintenance exercise at the former American naval installation in January. The drills consisted of a team of sailors networking into Naval Information Warfare Systems Command’s watch center to recieve assistance and technical support for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer’s maintenance.
This was the third wartime repair exercise to include the command’s watch center in the region, with the other two drills occurring on vessels in Guam last fall and this spring. “During SWARM-EXs, which are designed to test ship capabilities and vulnerabilities in a controlled environment, the NWC was manned 24/7 to respond to any changes or threats to the ships’ onboard information systems by deploying remote or onboard technical assistance,” stated a NAVWAR release.
“The exercises help us maintain situational awareness of everything that’s going on in the Fleet, especially in areas of interest, so we can understand that environment,” said Kristin Brimager, assistant director for wartime readiness at NAVWAR.
These wartime maintenance drills have included more technologies to smoothline wartime repair, including the recently introduced augmented reality maintenance system. Through augmented reality glasses, sailors can visually relay the challenges they face to engineers and other logistical staff. The system was first received aboard USS Spruance (DDG-111) in February, and has been installed across the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group before its deployment in March. NAVWAR aims to get the system operational by this year.
“With ARMS, NAVWAR In Service Engineering Agents (ISEA) could be more efficient, which would ensure ships could return more quickly to operational capability,” stated a release on the initial deployment of the augmented reality system.
Washington’s forward-based repair and maintenance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, particularly around the first island chain, has been bolstered in recent years amid the growing power of the Chinese Navy. The vast maritime domain also means that American naval facilities in the region are few and far between, making them vulnerable to massed long-range precision fires. Initatives started by former-Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro saw U.S. logistical vessels receive repairs in Japanese, Korean and Indian yards, relieving strained American yards and keeping the vessels in theater.
American defense officials have eyed Subic Bay, the home of what was once the largest U.S. naval base in the world, as a renewed hub for ship maintenance and repair. While Washington departed the base in 1992, a revitalized U.S.-Philippine defense partnership in the face of Chinese threats in the South China Sea has seen a flurry of activity return to the strategically-positioned bay.
The Subic Drydock Corporation, located next to the pier Benfold docked in, is the only yard in the Philippines with a master ship repair agreement with the U.S. Navy. Acquired in 2008, the company has repaired and hosted numerous military sealift command ships. Littoral Combat Ships have also docked at the yard.
Suspected Chinese spies arrested in Subic Bay earlier this year took note of U.S. Navy vessels exiting and entering the area. They were also found with photos of several vessels, including the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28).
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This article was curated by memoment.jp from the feed source: Naval News.
Original article: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/06/u-s-navy-destroyer-practices-wartime-repair-in-the-philippines/
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