Destroyer Squadron 21 Serves as At-Sea Commander during Inaugural Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem

by Lt. Kevin Lapolt, Destroyer Squadron 21

24 April 2021 The Navy conducted its first Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) in which unmanned systems above, on, and below the sea were integrated by commanders at sea to enhance force lethality and act as a force multiplier for manned platforms, April 19-26. 
Destroyer Squadron 21 led the efforts at sea and propelled naval unmanned systems development into the future.
“The integrated capabilities demonstrated [during UxS IBP 21] are tactically crucial to improve our warfighting advantage,” said Capt. T.J. Zerr, DESRON 21’s commodore and the senior afloat commander for UxS IBP 21.
During the exercise, tactical commanders employed proven unmanned systems against a high-end adversary, reducing risk to manned platforms while improving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for battlespace awareness, increasing the accuracy of targeting solutions and delivering offensive fires from longer distances.
The event culminated in the firing of an SM-6 missile against a simulated surface target at long range.
“The missile shoot was definitely challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Doyle, UxS IBP 21 lead live-fire planner. “This entire exercise was a great opportunity to get staff exercise planners, program designers, and most importantly Sailors to work together and integrate multiple unmanned capabilities that are tactically relevant in many areas of the world today.”
Other unmanned systems involved in UxS IBP 21 included medium-displacement USV Seahawk, the sister ship to Sea Hunter; MQ-8B Fire Scout UAV; MQ-9 Sea Guardian UAV; Vanilla ultra-long-endurance UAV; Office of Naval Research’s Super Swarm Project; and the Ocean Aero Triton-Class Dual-Modality Underwater and Surface Autonomous Vehicle. 
Manned ships that participated in UxS IBP 21 included Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001); Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59); Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Spruance (DDG 111), USS John Finn (DDG 113), USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62); Independence-class littoral combat ships USS Oakland (LCS 24) and USS Coronado (LCS 4); San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23); and Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767).
Destroyer Squadron 21 is based out of San Diego, CA and is the Sea Combat Commander for Carrier Strike Group THREE.  UxS IBP 21, a U.S. Pacific Fleet exercise executed by U.S. Third Fleet and led by Commander, Carrier Strike Group Three, integrated manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages.