NORFOLK, Va. – The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group got underway Thursday to take-part in a major pre-deployment training exercise.
Composite training unit exercise, known as COMPTUEX, is a month-long exercise designed to integrate the units of the strike group, while testing their ability to carry out combat operations at sea.
Ships and air squadrons will be tested in areas such as air warfare, strait transits, as well as responses to surface and subsurface contacts and electronic attacks.
“COMPTUEX tests our ability to combine all units and capabilities within the strike group into a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force that can perform sustained combat operations at sea,” explained Rear Adm. Gene Black, commander of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. “Performing this critical evolution now, before deployment, allows our strike group to find out its strengths, but more importantly to pin-point where we can better integrate as a team.”
COMPTUEX is the final stage of pre-deployment workups for the strike group, which includes the following elements:
- USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and embarked Carrier Air Wing One
- staffs from Carrier Strike Group 8 and Destroyer Squadron 28
- guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60)
- guided-missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51)
- USS Bulkeley (DDG 84)
- USS The Sullivans (DDG 68)
- USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81)
- USS Farrragut (DDG 99)
- USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109)
- USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98)
- the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311)
- the Sachsen-class German frigate FGS Hessen (F 221)
“More than anything, COMPTUEX gets us into the right state of mind,” said Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Horstead. “The things we do are essential. It prepares us for a variety of scenarios we may encounter on deployment. COMPTUEX is the symbolic battle between our adversaries and coalition forces.”
The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is scheduled to deploy later this year.
