DDG 51 CLASS ADVISORY NO. 05-91
VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEM MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION
**** CANCELLED *** CANCELLED *** CANCELLED ***
MSGID/GENADMIN/AEGIS PROG MGR//
REF/A/DOC/NAVSEA/-//
AMPN/TECHNICAL MANUAL S9410-AL-AEG-030, AEGIS COMBAT SYSTEM
CONSOLE SUPERVISORS OPERATING PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES//
REF/B/DOC/NAVSEA/-//
AMPN/WEAPONS CONTROL SYSTEM MANUAL S9410-AL-AEG-280, QUICK
REFERENCE GUIDE FOR MISSILE SYSTEM SUPERVISOR//
RMKS/1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLASS ADVISORY IS TO ALERT COMBAT
SYSTEM PERSONNEL TO POTENTIALLY MISLEADING INDICATIONS OF
VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEM (VLS) MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION. UNDER
CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE MISSILE SYSTEM
SUPERVISOR (MSS) TO BELIEVE HE HAS REMOVED MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION
FROM A LAUNCHER, WHILE IN FACT THAT LAUNCHER CAN STILL LAUNCH
MISSILES.
2. MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION IS USED BY COMMAND AND DECISION (C&D)
TO CONTROL SELECTION OF ALL MISSILE TYPES IN EACH LAUNCHER. VLS
WILL NOT SELECT A MISSILE FROM A LAUNCHER IF IT HAS RECEIVED A
VALID COMMAND FROM C&D VIA A WEAPONS CONTROL SYSTEM (WCS) TO
REMOVE MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION. HOWEVER, IF ANY CELL HAS ALREADY
BEEN SELECTED IN A LAUNCHER AT THE TIME AN ORDER IS RECEIVED TO
REMOVE MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION FOR THAT LAUNCHER, VLS REJECTS THE
COMMAND AND MAINTAINS THE LAUNCHER STATUS AS MAGAZINE AUTHORIZED.
3. MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION VARIABLE ACTION BUTTONS (VAB) CAN BE
ACCESSED BY C&D OPERATORS, EITHER THE TACTICAL COMMAND (TC) OR
THE COMBAT SYSTEM COORDINATOR (CSC). IF A C&D OPERATOR ATTEMPTS
TO REMOVE MAGAZINE AUTHORIZATION FROM A LAUNCHER WITH A CELL
SELECTED, THE CUE LAMP FOR THE VAB CORRECTLY BLINKS, SHOWING THAT
THE LAUNCHER HAS NOT REMOVED AUTHORIZATION. THE VLS INVENTORY
AND STATUS DISPLAY ALSO SHOWS THE CORRECT LAUNCHER AUTHORIZATION.
THIS IS BECAUSE C&D MONITORS THE VLS REPORTED AUTHORIZATION
STATUS TO ENSURE THAT THE REPORTED AUTHORIZATION AGREES WITH THE
ORDERED AUTHORIZATION.
4. THE CURRENT WCS DESIGN SUPPLIES THE MSS WITH VABS LABELED
QUOTE - FWD MAGZNE AUTH - UNQUOTE AND QUOTE - AFT MAGZNE AUTH -
UNQUOTE. THESE LABELS ARE INCORRECT AS THEY GIVE THE MSS
OPERATOR THE IMPRESSION THAT HE CAN ENABLE OR REMOVE MAGAZINE
AUTHORIZATION WHEN HE CAN ONLY ENABLE OR REMOVE STANDARD MISSILE
(SM) AUTHORIZATION FROM THAT MAGAZINE. DEPRESSION OF ONE OF
THESE VABS DOES NOT RESULT IN WCS ORDERING VLS TO CHANGE MAGAZINE
AUTHORIZATION, BUT MERELY PROVIDES OR REMOVES PERMISSION FOR WCS
TO USE THAT LAUNCHER FOR SM ENGAGEMENTS. WHEN A MSS MAGAZINE
AUTHORIZATION VAB IS USED TO PREVENT SM LAUNCHES FROM A LAUNCHER,
IT DOES NOT AFFECT AUTHORIZATION TO LAUNCH TOMAHAWK OR VERTICAL
LAUNCH ASROC (VLA) MISSILES FROM THAT LAUNCHER.
5. A CHANGE TO THE AEGIS WCS COMPUTER PROGRAM TO CORRECTLY
INDICATE THE SM PERMISSION STATUS IN THE MSS SUBMODE AND RENAME
THE MSS MAGZNE AUTH VABS IS INCLUDED IN COMPUTER PROGRAM DELIVERY
4.2 SCHEDULED FOR INSTALLATION IN DDG 51 DURING PSA.
6. ACTION. UNTIL THE CHANGES ARE IMPLEMENTED THE FOLLOWING
ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN:
A. FOR DDG 51: ENSURE THE MSS OPERATORS ARE AWARE THAT THE
MSS MAGZNE AUTH VABS AND THE MAGAZINES AUTH STATUS DISPLAYED ON
THE MISSILE SYSTEM SUMMARY DISPLAY RELATE TO MSS PERMISSION TO
USE A LAUNCHER FOR SM ENGAGEMENTS.
B. FOR AEGIS TRAINING CENTER: ENSURE THAT THIS INFORMATION
IS EMPHASIZED IN THE CIC OPERATOR'S COURSE TRAINING MATERIALS.
7. FOR COMNAVSURFPAC/COMNAVSURFLANT: REQUEST TASK DDG 51 TO
ADHERE TO GUIDANCE OF PARA 6A ABOVE.
8. THIS CLASS ADVISORY HAS NO EFFECT ON CSOSS, EOSS OR PMS. THE
WEAPONS SYSTEM FILE, REFS A AND B AND TRAINING PROGRAMS WILL BE
UPDATED WITH THE NEXT PROGRAM UPDATE.
9. THIS CLASS ADVISORY WILL BE CANCELLED WHEN COMPUTER PROGRAM
4.2 IS INSTALLED AND REFS A AND B AND THE TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE
BEEN UPDATED.
10. POC IS MR. N. S. SMITHSON, PMS400F431, AV 332-5981 OR COMM
(703) 602-5981. TPOC IS MR. MIKE BARE, PMS400B334, COMM (703)
663-7832.//
CG-47