Wait….?
What….?
Wasn’t OPTEVFOR the enemy, or at least our adversary?
Well, yes, especially when the test objectives wanted us to fight the ship contrary to our battle orders (which sometimes did not work out – see Ashleaf 712).
In COTF defense, they did have some ‘related’ test objectives that required situations that we observed as non-tactical, but necessary to prove some systems. And you might envision some instances in combat where the ship was not as optimally positioned as we strived to be.
But we were there to fight our ship – we took the Admiral’s direction seriously – “This ship is built to fight – you better know how.”
Success of the program depended up a robust test all capabilities. And some deficiencies were found – electric plant, engine room ventilation, among a few.
In one of the controversial moves, COTF wanted put biometric monitors on the TAOs for stress. (Remember, we were only a few years removed from the Airbus, an event sensitive to the Navy, and personal to several of us.) But really, how much stress did you really feel facing the entire Puerto Rican Air Force? The biometric monitors did not make the cut, but I seem to recall the TAOs were recorded on video. (Frankly, our stress peaked when the test director would stomp out of CIC enroute the CO stateroom to get the CO to recalibrate TAO whom the TD thought was reading the Battle Orders too literally.)
So a robust operational test is critical to real program success. Years later when getting the original AEGIS BMD capability to sea the COTF rep was a critical member of the working party. We had only a few tests to move from scripted test events to full tactical employment, and a lot of political overhead on realism of the BMD testing. See Why Did AEGIS BMD Succeed.
Success has many parents – failure has none. The official remembrances of RADM Hill focus on submarines and Naval Academy, but no doubt the robust OT under his watch contributed to the enduring success of the DDG51 class.
In Memoriam: Rear Admiral Virgil L. Hill Jr., USN (Ret.) – Sept. 11, 2024 – Sam Cox (Rear Adm. USN, Ret.)
OBITUARY- RADM Virgil L Hill Jr., USN (Ret.) – April 2, 1938 – September 6, 2024
USS Arleigh Burke Association 