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TVTranscript
00:00Guided Missile Destroyer USS Gravely is built to attack and defend.
00:09She's two billion US dollars worth of mean fighting machine.
00:16Gravely is testing her weapons during a high-sea shakedown cruise.
00:23When a real-life crisis puts the crew to the test.
00:31Can the youngest warship in the fleet prove she's ready for action?
00:44USS Gravely is America's newest and deadliest destroyer.
00:49The 57th ship built in the Arleigh Burke class.
00:53Among the ship's duties are protecting aircraft carriers and launching missiles at land and sea targets.
01:02The US Navy has more of these destroyers than any other type of ship.
01:07In his first command is Captain Doug Kuntzman.
01:11Count in officer.
01:13Yeah, all ahead full for 25 knots.
01:22The opportunity to command a ship like this as my first command,
01:27after 30 years of serving in the United States Navy, is an extraordinary experience.
01:32I love coming to work every single day.
01:37Gravely is 155 meters long and 20 meters wide.
01:42When she heads into active duty, she'll be armed to the teeth
01:46with weapons from Tomahawk cruise missiles to attack helicopters.
01:53She's already equipped with anti-submarine warfare sonar,
01:57a 120mm gun and magazine, missile tubes, forward and aft,
02:03and a close-in weapons system, or Gatling gun.
02:09Gravely is in the final stages of becoming battle-ready.
02:13Her next mission is a week of intensive live-fire training exercises.
02:17Today she's sailing out of US Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville, Florida.
02:24Welcome to another Gravely low-vis.
02:27It seems like everything we do is either in low-vis or in heavy seas.
02:33This is a weapons-testing shakedown cruise for Captain Kuntzman and his ship.
02:38He's got just one week to prove Gravely is ready to fight.
02:42Gravely is a new ship.
02:44We've only been commissioned a few short months.
02:47We need to go out and validate that our combat systems,
02:50all the electronics and all the automation and the weapons,
02:54actually perform as designed.
02:58The first priority today is to get out of port without running aground.
03:03Gravely draws 9 meters under the keel, and the channel is tight.
03:09We've got to stay on track.
03:10The center line here, it gets dangerous very, very quickly.
03:14And with a $2 billion warship, the last thing we want to do is hazard the crew or hazard the ship.
03:21You're made up, four naps, sir. Single head line.
03:24Okay, so we're ready. When you're ready, start taking out.
03:27Okay, all set.
03:29The lines are cast off, and the ship's gun crews ready their weapons.
03:35Even off the coast of Florida, Gravely must be prepared.
03:39Most members of this 350-strong crew are just out of basic training.
03:44It's up to Captain Kunzman to turn them into a fighting unit
03:48and get this destroyer ready to deploy on schedule.
03:59On the bridge, the captain pays close attention
04:02as his novice crew navigates Gravely out of the net.
04:05Up for a starboard beam. Time to turn, 3-9.
04:08Dissimilarity is light, 3,800 yards.
04:11Con-eye.
04:12Con-eye concurred.
04:14Very well. Come left steer course 1-0-6.
04:19Con-eye.
04:2123-year-old Ensign Patrick Weir has just graduated from the Naval Academy.
04:26He's conning, or steering, the ship out of port for the very first time.
04:31It's obviously a great honor that I was able to go first.
04:34It just shows that I'm here, open, and ready to learn.
04:36Time 2-2. Navigation holds you on track.
04:39Con-eye steady course 0-9-7.
04:41Con-eye steady course 0-9-7. All right.
04:44Ensign Weir, he's one of our hot runners,
04:47and moving right along with his qualifications,
04:50so we threw him to the fire first to get Gravely underway.
04:53He's one of our hot runners.
04:55He's one of our hot runners.
04:56Moving right along with his qualifications,
04:58so we threw him to the fire first to get Gravely underway.
05:02But the rain and mist are making Weir's job extremely tough.
05:07Visibility right now is just about two and a half miles,
05:10so when you can't see that far, you set the low visibility checklist.
05:13It basically gives you more time to react to a situation if something should arise.
05:18And something has.
05:20There's a nuclear attack submarine nearby.
05:23Somewhere.
05:24Right five degree rudder, steady course 1-1-2.
05:28Finding it is not an easy task for the crew.
05:34I don't see him yet, Con, do you?
05:36No, sir.
05:38It's just over four miles right now.
05:40With the submarine in there with a low profile,
05:42the low visibility and us still in the channel,
05:45the hazard and awareness also goes up significantly,
05:48so we're just paying attention to that contact.
05:51Come right, steady course 1-0-6.
05:54Slow down here.
05:56Weir safely navigates Gravely past the submarine
06:00and out through the narrow channel.
06:02Well done.
06:04Thank you, sir.
06:06But not everyone has performed up to standard.
06:09Several times the lookouts on the bridge wing and on the folks hull
06:13were facing the wrong direction.
06:15If the ship is going forward,
06:17then they should be facing forward and scanning the horizon.
06:20Gravely is the very definition of a fighting ship.
06:24Her weapons include a forward 120mm or 5-inch gun,
06:29something close to the heart of Gunners Mate First Class James Mayo.
06:34My job and the Gunners Mate's job on board this vessel
06:37is to make sure that the gun right here goes boom.
06:40It's an outstanding weapon.
06:42It can reach anything up to 16 nautical miles.
06:45It takes out air targets, surface targets and land targets.
06:48Now that Gravely is safely at sea and clear of land,
06:52it's time to spin up the turbines.
06:56With her engines pushing twin five-blade propellers,
07:00Gravely's top speed is more than 30 knots or 55 km per hour.
07:07With our four gas turbine engines,
07:09they're all capable of 25,000 horsepower apiece,
07:12so combined that's 100,000 horsepower.
07:13They're the same gas turbine generator you'd find
07:15underneath the wing of a 747.
07:17All four of them can be used at one time for max power
07:20or you can use any combination, four, three, two or one,
07:24depending on speed, use and mission.
07:30Gravely heads northeast from Jacksonville.
07:33Her destination is a live fire zone off the coast of the Carolinas,
07:37a no-go area reserved for the gunners.
07:40The mission there will be to protect the ship
07:43from simulated air and sea attacks.
07:46So we're going to be doing several scenarios
07:49where we will engage targets at various speeds,
07:52both air targets and surface targets,
07:54with our five-inch gun forward
07:56and also with our SeaWiz, which is mounted aft.
07:59The close-in weaponry,
08:01it's going to be a two-man operation.
08:04It's going to be a two-man operation
08:07The close-in weapon system, or SeaWiz,
08:10can fire up to 4,400 rounds a minute.
08:13This fully automated system is the last line of defence
08:17against attack by aircraft and missiles.
08:20But its speed comes at a potentially deadly cost.
08:24The 20mm shells are fired with an electric pulse.
08:28A rogue electrical signal could set them off accidentally.
08:32Fire Controlman First Class Nicholas Jordan
08:34is in charge of the loading.
08:36The gun moves too fast.
08:38At 4,500 rounds a minute,
08:40the firing pin will be seared off going back and forth.
08:42So what happens is they apply voltage to the base of the round,
08:45and that's how it gets set off,
08:47which sets the other danger with it is
08:49when we deal with the ammunition,
08:51we have to shut off certain radars
08:53so that way we know that the ammunition
08:55isn't going to be electronically primed inadvertently.
08:58In the deep magazine, below the 120mm gun,
09:01the loading crew is also getting ready.
09:08In combat, these rounds will be packed with explosives.
09:11But for this week's exercise,
09:13they're filled with sand,
09:15and fired out of the barrel with a canister
09:17jammed with 9kg of powder.
09:22USS Gravely approaches the exercise zone.
09:25She'll soon be under attack from both air and sea,
09:28firing more rounds.
09:29than she would in years of active peacetime patrol.
09:32Additionally, I'd like to welcome aboard
09:34our many guests we have on board.
09:36We have approximately 40 guests on board.
09:38It's imperative and very important
09:40that everyone focuses on the mission this week,
09:43and the job they have to do,
09:45that we're on target and on time.
09:47Best of luck to everybody.
09:49Great shooting this week.
09:51You'll hear me on the 1MC daily updating.
09:53Great job, Gravely.
09:55Safe to sea.
09:56That is all.
09:58It's showtime.
10:00The men and women of USS Gravely
10:02must now prove they have what it takes
10:04to defend their ship.
10:09The brand new guided missile destroyer,
10:11USS Gravely,
10:13is on day two of a live fire training mission
10:15with an inexperienced crew,
10:17and she's about to come under attack.
10:20Aircraft is five miles out on the deck.
10:23This Learjet, codenamed Phoenix,
10:26will soon begin a simulated assault on the ship.
10:34Gravely will defend herself
10:36by firing a deadly array of weapons
10:38for the first time.
10:40It's Executive Officer Michael Witherspoon's job
10:43to brief the crew.
10:49Everyone's attention on the bridge
10:50this morning we're going to be conducting
10:52a live firing exercise
10:54where we're going to be exercising
10:56the ship's sensors and guns
10:58against a subsonic threat.
11:00So I need everyone to be engaged.
11:02Lookouts, tune in.
11:04Security, security, security.
11:06All stations, this is US Naval Warship 107.
11:08I will be conducting a live fire exercise
11:10in the vicinity of...
11:12Nearby marine and air traffic
11:14is warned to stay clear.
11:16Request all vessels stay clear 15 nautical miles.
11:18This is US Naval Warship 107.
11:20Standing by channel 16, out.
11:26First, the forward 120mm gun
11:28will fire on the target,
11:30followed by the SeaWiz.
11:35Even without explosive shells,
11:37these weapons are lethal
11:39and leave no room for error.
11:41That's why Gravely won't shoot
11:43at the jet itself,
11:45but at a target drone it's towing.
11:48The drone is two and a half metres long
11:50and 45 centimetres wide
11:52and is towed five kilometres
11:54behind the Learjet.
11:56This drone will simulate
11:58an attacking aircraft.
12:00Once the jet has safely crossed over Gravely,
12:02the crew will try to blast the drone
12:04out of the sky.
12:06Any shell that comes within
12:0810 metres of the target
12:10is considered a kill.
12:12Deep within the vessel,
12:14in the Combat Information Centre,
12:16or CIC,
12:18Captain Doug Kunzman
12:20will be the one
12:22to give the orders.
12:24So once we are sure
12:26that the Lear is safe,
12:28then I'll give batteries
12:30the release authority
12:32and pass that to the tactical action officer
12:34who will actually execute the engagement
12:36to destroy the drone.
12:388 miles inbound.
12:40MSST status of 1-6.
12:43This is Gravely's first live test
12:45against an aerial attack.
12:47Tactical Action Officer Mark Taylor
12:49is responsible
12:51for protecting the ship.
13:04My job is defence of the ship,
13:06self-defence of the ship.
13:08I have batteries release authority
13:10when it comes to defending the ship.
13:12I don't have to wait on the captain
13:14to tell me permission granted.
13:16Gravely's survival depends
13:18on the decisions made here.
13:20The Combat Information Centre
13:22is the most highly protected area
13:24of the ship,
13:26capable of surviving virtually any attack.
13:28The bulkheads around CIC
13:30are of a hardened steel Kevlar fabric
13:32type material
13:34that would protect
13:36Combat Information Centre
13:38from most threats
13:40that we would see today.
13:420054,
13:44give me a 0054
13:46On the deck,
13:48the XO spots the Learjet approaching
13:50at more than 300 knots,
13:52with the drone 5km behind it.
13:58The 120mm gun
14:00and the SeaWiz are dialed in,
14:02ready to shoot down the drone.
14:12There's the drone.
14:17The forward 120mm gun
14:19engages the target drone
14:21to defend the ship.
14:23Each round leaves the barrel
14:25at more than 800m per second,
14:27nearly 3,000km per hour.
14:35Set on automatic,
14:37it can fire between 16 and 20 rounds a minute.
14:40But,
14:42because the sand-filled practice rounds
14:44can't detonate,
14:46the target won't actually be destroyed
14:48unless it takes a direct hit.
14:50Well,
14:52the best indication
14:54is to watch it blow up.
14:56That doesn't happen very often
14:58because it is such a small target
15:00that we're shooting at.
15:02As long as it's within a given range
15:04of that target,
15:06it's called a successful hit.
15:07There are several of those
15:09which prove that the system work is designed.
15:11In order to track and hit the target,
15:13Bravely uses a weapons system called Aegis,
15:16named for the shield
15:18carried by the Greek god Zeus.
15:23Massively powerful radars
15:25mounted behind these panels
15:27see in all directions at once
15:29and create a protective bubble
15:31around the ship.
15:35Receiving a constant flow
15:37Aegis tracks incoming threats
15:39from almost 200 km away
15:41and automatically aims
15:43the ship's guns and missiles
15:45at multiple targets simultaneously.
15:48The energy required to do this
15:50is more than 4 million watts of power.
15:56As the Learjet passes over
15:58Bravely for the fifth time,
16:00the ship's thermal imaging camera
16:02keeps the drone in sight.
16:04If real explosive rounds were being used,
16:05the drone would have been destroyed by now.
16:18It will be up to the close-in
16:20weapons system to finish the job.
16:32The SeaWiz has its own radar.
16:33Once it's locked onto the target,
16:35it fires by itself.
16:39Here it comes.
16:41This ought to be nasty.
16:43This ought to be good.
16:45Commenced live firing run
16:47with SeaWiz port side.
16:49Come on, baby.
16:51Yes, come on.
16:59Ooh, check it.
17:01Tracking.
17:04The direct fire.
17:06And I saw him hit on the PDU.
17:09There you go, SeaWiz.
17:11Beautiful.
17:13Two and a half miles like clockwork.
17:15I got my AFC with a good job on that one.
17:18Yeah, very good.
17:22Lethality of the weapons systems
17:24with the 5-inch and the SeaWiz
17:26with a highly trained crew
17:28is, you can't replace that combination.
17:31We dropped the drone in the water
17:33with both contact by a 5-inch
17:35and Mount 22, the SeaWiz round.
17:38So it was a great, great day.
17:40Captain Kunzman congratulates his crew.
17:43Gravely has successfully splashed
17:45the drone about 150 yards astern of Gravely.
17:49So great job to everybody
17:51on this mission.
17:53It's a great day.
17:55It's a great day.
17:57It's a great day.
17:58It's a great day.
18:00It's a great day.
18:02Gravely has passed her first test.
18:05But the next won't be so easy.
18:08Defending against an attacker
18:10that's all but invisible.
18:15Guided missile destroyer USS Gravely
18:18is on day four of her 7-day live fire exercise,
18:21out to prove she's ready for combat.
18:25But the first task this morning isn't fighting.
18:28It's cleaning.
18:29Good morning.
18:30Nothing like the smell of Windex and coffee in the morning, huh?
18:34All right.
18:35Awesome.
18:36Not only does it maintain the visual cleanliness of the ship,
18:39but also there's a lot of sophisticated electronic equipment
18:42that we have on board the ship.
18:44Airborne dust affects the direct operation
18:47and the efficiency of that equipment.
18:50With all hands scrubbing, polishing and dusting,
18:53the ship's pristine in just 30 minutes.
18:56Hey, carry on, guys. Let's go.
18:59Out on the chopper deck, the crew now prepares its next target,
19:03a drone called an EMAT,
19:05which mimics the movement of an enemy submarine.
19:09EMAT. There you go.
19:11It simulates submarine tunnels,
19:13so we can use it to track it and get our training in
19:16without using a live submarine.
19:18It's basically just a little miniature submarine.
19:20We've got different settings in there.
19:22It runs its own course and it'll run for a couple of hours
19:25and sink to the bottom.
19:29The sonar system on Gravely is extremely powerful
19:32and highly classified.
19:36It's mounted in the hull near the bow
19:39and can discover multiple enemy submarines at the same time.
19:48The drone is detected
19:50and Gravely's weapons system begins to track it.
19:53Even in a training exercise, on-screen information is top secret.
20:00Underwater warfare specialist Tammy Wilson
20:03is in charge of destroying the submarine.
20:05Right now we've tagged our contact,
20:07what appears to be the EMAT that we have out in the water.
20:10Now we've reported it to fire control.
20:12After we do that, we're going to fire on our simulated contact
20:16and hopefully win the war.
20:19Captain Doug Kunzman orders the attack.
20:22But no real weapons are fired.
20:24This is a virtual battle
20:26with computers simulating the ship's assault.
20:29In actual combat, Gravely would use everything
20:32from missiles to torpedoes to destroy the threat.
20:43Gravely's anti-submarine warfare team hones its hunting skills.
20:48500 yards. Classification PASA Blow 2.
20:51It's like they say, if you don't use it, you lose it,
20:53and this is a very losable talent,
20:55so we practice like this as much as we can.
20:57That way if we get in a real situation,
20:59we know exactly what we're supposed to do.
21:01Fall station sonar. Sonar has loud underwater explosions.
21:04The submarine is destroyed.
21:06Evaluator sonar. We've got a lot of good training done.
21:09We were able to track simulated contacts,
21:11put correct fire control solutions on those contacts.
21:15We've been doing it right, putting warheads on foreheads.
21:22But the sonar team now detects something else in the water,
21:26and it's getting closer.
21:28This is one of our underwater hydrophones,
21:30and right now if you hear those squeaks going back and forth,
21:33those are actually dolphins.
21:35We get to listen to ships and submarines,
21:37but the dolphins are definitely the coolest.
21:39Sure enough, riding Gravely's bow wave,
21:42there's a pod of dolphins.
21:45We're going to have a good time.
21:51Captain's on the bridge.
21:53Next, Gravely's flight operations team is put to work.
21:57Flight quarters, flight quarters.
21:59All hand-maintain flight quarters stations.
22:01The ship's own helicopters have yet to be deployed,
22:05so a US Coast Guard Jayhawk
22:07looking for some deck-landing practice stands in.
22:11The chopper makes a series of touch-and-goes.
22:14The pilots need to complete a number of take-offs and landings
22:17every few months to remain proficient.
22:19In return, Gravely's crew gets some much-needed experience.
22:25Preparing for the real thing means the crew needs to face
22:28realistic scenarios in training.
22:30And on board Gravely, the intensity is about to increase.
22:36All ahead full for 25 knots.
22:39From almost 40 kilometres away,
22:41three remote-controlled speedboats have been launched
22:44from a mothership, Nought 38.
22:48All three will attack the ship at the same time,
22:51simulating a bomb-laden suicide boat assault.
22:56This is part of a complicated geopolitical scenario
22:59where a fictitious nation called Garnatia
23:01has begun to attack US warships.
23:07It gives them a sense of reality in the training
23:09and also gives them a sense of how to respond
23:12as the ship ramps up into different states of readiness.
23:22But as Gravely manoeuvres into position to start the exercise,
23:25there's a problem.
23:29A civilian vessel has entered the test area.
23:32The exercise is put on hold.
23:36What's his range?
23:39OK, hand me the razor bridge.
23:41Nought 38, this is 107, over.
23:45Nought 38, yeah, I'm coming to a new course of 030.
23:48I've got that contact up to the north-east that is a concern,
23:53so I'm going to come north a little bit
23:55so I can get a green range early, over.
23:59This is 107, standing by channel 76, out.
24:03Captain Kunzman quickly repositions Gravely
24:05to get the civilian ship out of firing range,
24:08then gives the order to start.
24:11Teo, bridge, hold range, green visually.
24:14Thank you, Ivan.
24:16Nav, tell Nought 38 we're ready to start when they are.
24:20Ready to commence.
24:23The remote-controlled attack boats begin their assault.
24:26Officer Deck, what's his speed?
24:2918 knots, sir.
24:3118 knots? All right, roger, good.
24:33Teo, Captain, coming to 30 knots.
24:35Do you, Ivan?
24:37Call range at 8,000.
24:39Slicing through the water at over 30 knots,
24:42Gravely bears down on the attackers,
24:44trying to take them out before they reach the ship.
24:48Batteries released, mount 5-1.
24:52Teo, Captain, you got him on the optical site?
24:54We got him further in the weeds.
24:58The attacking speedboats are 9km away and approaching fast.
25:04Gravely uses sand-filled practice rounds.
25:07If actual high-explosive shells were used,
25:09the attack boats would have been vaporised by now.
25:14Sir, range 8,800 yards.
25:18As the attackers get closer to Gravely,
25:20her weapon of last resort, the SeaWiz, comes to life.
25:25Two of the attackers are disabled by Gravely's guns.
25:31What was the range of contact?
25:34Just over 6,000 yards, sir.
25:41But Captain Kunzman suddenly puts destruction
25:44of the last attacker on hold with an unexpected command.
25:47Go to general command.
25:49The call to general quarters, sounding throughout Gravely,
25:52means the ship is now in imminent danger.
25:55Everyone quickly dons fireproof clothing.
26:01The last of the inbound attack boats could get through.
26:08Every crew member must be ready to go.
26:13The ship is now in imminent danger.
26:17Every crew member must be ready to save the ship.
26:21General quarters, we have to be prepared for any type of casualties
26:24because normally general quarters is sounded when you're in a battle scenario
26:28or when the ship itself is threatened due to fire or flooding.
26:37Three decks below the bridge,
26:39Ensign Patrick Weir prepares his damage control team.
26:42Maximum readiness status for the ship.
26:45Ready to fight any casualties.
26:47Whether it be a bomb, they hit us with side missiles, guns, etc.
26:50So we're all ready.
26:55Nav, verify what was the speed advance required to get there.
27:01In this phase of the exercise,
27:03the crew has to deal with a simulated hit on Gravely.
27:08That was just a hit alpha. That means that we just got hit.
27:12I'm on Gravely. It's the officer deck.
27:14A couple of minutes ago, we had a small motion inbound.
27:17It popped up and hit us off the port quarter.
27:20The engine room is on fire.
27:22Weir orders his team to fight the simulated blaze.
27:26Wearing 11-kilogram breathing tanks, they push into the engine room.
27:33The fire team deals with the crisis under the watchful eye of red-capped trainers
27:37like Damage Controlman First Class Rahenia Bisham.
27:42Right now, they're very hot.
27:45The FFEs alone, the firefighting ensemble that they're wearing
27:48is causing a lot of stress on them.
27:52They're pretty miserable.
27:55But knowing that they're doing a good job is what's keeping them persevering.
27:59Team Rochelle, you got the other hot spot?
28:01Team Rochelle, you got the other hot spot?
28:18The drill over, the Damage Control team climbs out of the engine room.
28:23Hull Technician Second Class Olivia Robertson is exhausted.
28:27Never know what's going to happen. You have to be ready at all times, in shape.
28:31Hydrated, it's hot. Keep your head on the swivel.
28:35Buddy check, make sure everyone around you is OK.
28:38So we go in as one team, we come out as one team.
28:41The crew performed well, did a phenomenal job, and we would have saved the ship.
28:4660 to 70 percent of our sailors on board are brand new
28:49and they're straight out of A school and boot camp, but they're eager to learn.
28:53Knowing how to react under extreme stress is where realistic training scenarios pay off.
28:59Captain has this theory that there's three things you do when you get shot at.
29:02You die for cover, you stand there and freeze, or you shoot back.
29:05And this is us being able to shoot back, you know, it's our training.
29:07The more you practice something, the more second nature it is, you don't have to think about it.
29:14The Damage Control exercise is a success.
29:18But unfinished business remains.
29:20The last suicide attack boat is still out there.
29:29Oh! Got it. Got it.
29:32Got it.
29:34Hit.
29:43The forward 120mm gun takes out the speedboat's steering and leaves it dead in the water.
29:49The smile is because we're putting ordnance on target and we hit the target,
29:55but more than that, it's about the sailors and their performance
29:58and the fact that they maintain calm, cool and collective
30:01and we're able to execute the mission flawlessly and kill the threat.
30:06So far, Gravely and her crew have performed well under pressure.
30:10But before long, they'll be faced with a real crisis at sea.
30:16It's the last day of guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely's week-long shakedown cruise.
30:22And the pressure's as intense as ever.
30:25Lieutenant General Power of the House, this is Ensign Nicholls.
30:28Lieutenant J.G. Crissow has the car.
30:31The officer of the deck, or OOD, is responsible for driving the ship.
30:36To qualify, crew members must be proficient in high-speed maneuvering.
30:40Today, a number of them hope to get their OOD qualification.
30:44And that means completing a man overboard rescue.
30:49The victim is a killer tomato target.
30:53This will serve double duty.
30:55First as the man overboard, then it'll be shot to pieces for target practice.
31:02Stand by for heavy rolls as the ship comes about.
31:05Oh, it's a man overboard port side.
31:08This is a droon to droon, man overboard, man overboard, man overboard port side.
31:13Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Treat hopes to prove he's got what it takes to qualify as officer of the deck.
31:19We're going to kick the stern away from the man, so the rudders don't kick into the man and chew him up.
31:24And once we get ahead, we're going to do a variety of turns and steady back up.
31:29And we're going to try to keep the rudders from kicking into the man.
31:33Once we get ahead, we're going to do a variety of turns and steady back up alongside the man and do a shipboard recovery.
31:43Gravely's four gas turbines and dual rudders kick into action
31:47as she accelerates into a short radius turn to get to the man overboard.
31:52Here's one powerful machine.
31:56We're talking 100,000 plus horsepower.
31:59This definitely has got the kind of horsepower we need to get that fast when we need to.
32:06Treat carefully maneuvers Gravely close enough to be able to recover the target.
32:11This proves he's capable of rescuing someone with speed and efficiency.
32:15Though the target is actually left in the water for the next qualifying officer.
32:21That's what we just recovered.
32:24How's the mission going?
32:28Next up is Ensign Elizabeth Williams.
32:31Fresh out of officer training school, this is her first time trying to qualify as officer of the deck.
32:41Learning to turn a 155 meter long destroyer in a hurry isn't easy.
32:54Right 10 degree rudder.
32:58Very well.
32:59Rudder midship.
33:02But as Gravely cuts towards the man overboard, the drill is suddenly shut down.
33:07There's a problem with the ship's mast.
33:11We just had a phone call.
33:17Very well.
33:18The reason we just came around to one third and steadied up is because we actually have a small little casualty up on the mast.
33:24The tacan is shaking all over us, so that's why we steadied up just now.
33:29Heading for the port bridge wing, Captain Kunzman inspects the damage.
33:33It's serious.
33:35The tacan, or tactical air navigation antenna, has snapped.
33:40This is what helicopters use to find and land on the ship.
33:44The antenna is located at the highest part of the vessel, 45 meters above the waterline.
33:52For Captain Kunzman, it's a first.
33:55Hey, 30 years I've never seen anything like that.
33:58That where it would fall could potentially damage some other equipment.
34:04And it's either on the MRSAT antenna or down into the stacks for the main engines.
34:09So we'll limit our maneuverability here for a little bit until we assess the situation.
34:13Right now we're going to send people aloft, which will take a few minutes,
34:16but we're going to send some of our sailors up there to determine how it's being held on and what the next step is.
34:23A damage assessment team prepares to go aloft.
34:26A long lens photograph gives them an idea of what they have to deal with.
34:34The captain updates the crew.
34:37Good afternoon, this is the captain.
34:39Now we have a casualty on our mast.
34:41The tacan antenna, it looks like about the top 20 feet, is hanging down at about an 80 degree angle.
34:49So we're sending folks aloft to secure it and also to assess the damage.
34:53Based on the results, once they come down, we'll determine what we're going to do this afternoon.
34:57Additionally, we're going to commence live fire here off the starboard side,
35:01because we have to sink the killer tomato that's currently coming up off the starboard bow.
35:06That is all.
35:10Electronics technician second class Josh Redden is part of the team that will try to secure the broken antenna.
35:16We're going to go up, tie down everything up there, make sure that nothing falls off,
35:20because it could possibly get on the stack, possibly take out an array.
35:23We're going to try to minimize the damage that's already been committed.
35:27The broken antenna is dangling five stories above the deck.
35:32The only way up is through a system of ladders inside the mast.
35:40Senior chief John Deacon gets a close-up view of the damage.
35:45There's nothing going on.
35:47Basically, the two flanges of the base of the antenna to the base of this antenna.
35:53The weld right around that bottom flange is what broke off.
35:59For master warrants officer Donovan Visser, the consequences could have been a lot worse.
36:05Well, at the time, there was people on the port side of the ship looking up and they heard the bang.
36:10So everybody that was down there on the port side could have potentially been injured or killed.
36:16The antenna is precariously balanced.
36:18A deadly two-meter-long, 180-kilogram spear.
36:23It's held in place by just a few cables, so securing it is the first priority.
36:31Those physical cables that send electricity up and down,
36:34the antennas talk to our pieces of gear down in combat systems.
36:38It runs from the top of the mast all the way down to the radar rooms we're holding the mast on.
36:45The damage assessment team needs to fix it before the cables snap and send the antenna crashing down onto the ship.
36:53Luckily for Gravely, this has happened on the last day.
36:56Any earlier and the mission would have been abandoned altogether.
37:03As work continues, the final training exercise is completed.
37:06The killer tomato is shredded by .50 caliber machine guns.
37:13If left to float away, it would be a hazard to navigation.
37:23Shakedown cruises are all about identifying problems.
37:27But even for a 30-year veteran like Captain Kunzman, this one has been unusual.
37:33Obviously it's not expected at all, but the reason we're out here right now is to test all our systems
37:38and give the ship a good shakedown.
37:40It just happens that the top of the main mast appears to have an issue right now,
37:44so we're going to address that issue and get it fixed and move on.
37:47Photos are taken and sent to naval headquarters for analysis.
37:52Meanwhile, the damage assessment team comes up with a plan,
37:55using torpedo slings to hold the antenna in place.
37:59The straps that we use on the mast are normally used for torpedo handling.
38:03That's the straps that we use to raise and lower the torpedoes,
38:06either out of the water or from the flight deck to the missile deck.
38:11It was their idea, they came up with torpedo slings that can take in excess of 5,000 pounds,
38:15so if over the night the mast would come loose because of the cables that are currently holding it in place,
38:21then it would be secure up there, which prevents it causing further damage to the rest of the ship
38:26or, even more importantly, hazard the personnel.
38:30As the damage team secures the antenna, all the crew can do is watch.
38:37The seas below are calm, but above, winds are gusting.
38:42When we first went up there, the wind wasn't real bad,
38:44and then when it got to 14, 15 knots of wind, it got pretty scary.
38:49I'm not real big on heights either, but sometimes you've got to suck it up and do your job.
38:57Thanks to the ingenuity of the crew, the crisis is brought under control.
39:03Gravely can now sail safely back to port.
39:13The weather holds, and so do the torpedo straps securing the snapped antenna.
39:20But Gravely is scheduled to start a new exercise in a few days' time,
39:24so the captain needs her fixed quickly.
39:27So when we get pierside today, I expect to be met with those that are capable of not only identifying the casualty
39:34and everything that's wrong with the antennas and the mast itself, but also the ability to fix them.
39:41Good morning, Gravely. In a few minutes here, we're going to be in the channel.
39:50Mayport Naval Base is a busy place.
39:52This morning, the latest American supercarrier, USS George H.W. Bush,
39:57is heading out to sea with its 5,000-strong crew.
40:02The Navy's newest aircraft carrier, they're out here doing start group operations,
40:06getting ready to deploy later this year.
40:09When the two ships pass, they exchange honors, a long-standing naval tradition.
40:14All hands, topside, fall into course.
40:23All hands, ahead one-third for three knots.
40:27A tug brings the harbor pilot to guide Gravely safely through the narrow channel.
40:32We have plenty available.
40:33Yeah, they said that last time.
40:34Captain Kunzman points out the damaged mast.
40:37See the antenna?
40:38Yeah.
40:39That's a 45-degree angle pointing down.
40:41Yeah.
40:42It's supposed to go straight up.
40:44The weld broke.
40:47They should have a crane and bucket either there waiting for me or coming to fix this.
40:51I got four days to do the repair before I get underway again.
40:53Well, I'll talk to the dockmaster.
40:55Roger.
40:56Okay.
40:58The pilot maneuvers Gravely through the channel and into her berth.
41:08Repair crew's immediately swinging to action.
41:11They've got to move fast to get Gravely ready in time for her next mission.
41:15Combat systems engineer Tim Michoac is up for the challenge.
41:19We'll get them underway no problem when they're scheduled on the way date.
41:23A special 120-meter crane moves into place to remove the damaged antenna.
41:28We're about to put some rigging on this antenna.
41:31Once we get this antenna removed and determine what we have to do for new cables, new foundation,
41:38once we get that in place, get a new antenna and put new antennas in.
41:44The engineers have assured me based on what they found that we're going to be able to recover quickly,
41:50conduct repairs over the next four days and get the ship underway on time, on schedule to go conduct our next mission.
41:59Obviously, it's unfortunate, but since it did happen, the timing was good.
42:03With the resources that the Navy's able to bring to bear and the support that we have for these ships,
42:08I see us sailing on time four days from now.
42:14And right on schedule, Gravely does head back out to sea for her next mission, complete with a new antenna.
42:21Gravely is one of the most sophisticated warships afloat today.
42:26Every single thing on this ship operates together to bring together the Aegis combat system,
42:32which is by far the most powerful combat systems afloat.
42:36Despite the challenges of commanding a warship like Gravely, this is a dream job for Captain Kunzman.
42:42I wake up every morning with goosebumps.
42:45It's not only an honor, but it's a privilege to command a warship like this.
42:49But I'd say what makes Gravely what it is, is the crew,
42:52and their proficiency, their training, their attitude and their motivation.
42:57And our motto here is on target, on time, and they've proved that this week.
43:05USS Gravely is ready for action, prepared to protect American waters for decades to come.
43:35NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology