Frontier Sentinel exercise underway

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Since the September 11th attacks, the government has taken many steps to tighten security for air travel.

But homeland security is not limited to safeguarding the skies, especially in Hampton Roads.

Beginning on June 4 and continuing through June 11, more than 2000 Canadian and U.S. military personnel are conducting an exercise in the Chesapeake Bay designed to safeguard shipping in the area from attacks both on and beneath the surface.

The exercise, called Frontier Sentinel 2010, is designed to bolster maritime security for the port of Hampton Roads. Mission planners say the live exercise has been under development for seven years.

CDR David Givy, Director of Maritime Homeland Defense for the 2nd Fleet, said the exercise will test "our ability to respond to a maritime threat is at the highest level that we've had since the 9-11 attacks."

The scenario being played out in the exercise involves a foreign threat to domestic shipping in local waters.

CDR Rob Green of the Canadian Navy said the exercise simulates a ship "laden with mines coming out of a German port bound for the United States and a terrorist group getting a hold of these mines and placing them in U.S. waters."

The Canadian Navy sent two war ships outfitted for counter mine missions to take part in the exercise.

Specially trained marine mammals, an integral part of the American Navy's counter mine arsenal, are also participating. The dolphins have an uncanny ability to detect mines below the surface.

"We haven't, as of yet, been able to duplicate their biological sonar," CDR John Schiller, Executive Officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 1. "We want to take the man out of the minefield."

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, or UUVs, help protect both man and marine mammal from the minefield, hunting and neutralizing the mines electronically.

"One day we hope these vehicle will be able to do that job for them so we can bring our ships home and also bring our sailors home," said AG2 Jason Fisher.

While only training, both Navy and the Coast Guard officials say they take the exercise very seriously. Maritime security has a huge impact on both the local and national economy.

"It's going to cost $112 million a day if we close the port down," said LT Jack Smith, United States Coast Guard.