The Navy has resurrected a WWII-era tactic so aircraft can talk to ships without being overheard
"The WWII bean-bags were filled with stuffing but the one I made is weighted down with a one-pound steel bar sown into the bottom of the naugahyde (artificial leather) and webbing package," said Freireizurieta.
The message container Freireizurieta created was dropped onto Boxer's flight deck as a proof-of-concept option for silent communication. Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21 crewmembers aboard an MH-60S Sea Hawk delivered the container.
"We've got the best communication technology onboard our helos [helicopters] but today we practiced the use of a more conventional form of aircraft-to-ship communication in the event electronic communication is not an option," said Lt. Taryn "SISS" Steiger, the pilot who flew the HSC-21 Sea Hawk tasked to drop the bean-bag on Boxer.
Aboard Boxer, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Bradley Peterson darted toward the bean-bag container dropped on deck, scooped it up and ran it to Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Cedric Williams who delivered the message to the intended recipient, Capt. Jason A. Burns, Commander, Amphibious Squadron FIVE.
"The purpose of the bean-bag drop was to show timely pilot-to-ship communication can be done without electronic transition," said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Brown, the HSC-21 detachment officer in charge. "Together HSC-21 crew and Boxer demonstrated timely communication from the aircraft to the ship during EMCON [emissions control] procedures."
!["The purpose of the bean-bag drop was to show timely pilot-to-ship communication can be done without electronic transition," said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Brown, the HSC-21 detachment officer in charge. "Together HSC-21 crew and Boxer demonstrated timely communication from the aircraft to the ship during EMCON [emissions control] procedures."](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-70684160,width-700,height-525,imgsize-372389/the-purpose-of-the-bean-bag-drop-was-to-show-timely-pilot-to-ship-communication-can-be-done-without-electronic-transition-said-lt-cmdr-michael-brown-the-hsc-21-detachment-officer-in-charge-together-hsc-21-crew-and-boxer-demonstrated-timely-communication-from-the-aircraft-to-the-ship-during-emcon-emissions-control-procedures-.jpg)
The fleet of the 1940s was outfitted with single regular-frequency-band radios and the power switch was safety-wired in the "off" position so that the crews could use only in abject emergencies.
The broadcast waves of those radios would bounce back and forth between the earth's surface and the ionosphere, and transmissions from such equipment could be detected over the horizon by both friendly and enemy forces. Listeners could detect and plot the direction of the senders, even at great distances.
Under radio silent conditions, Boxer leadership could send a message to pilots using a helicopter's onboard mechanism or briefly landing on the flight deck.
"In some cases we use our rescue hoist to deliver and retrieve parts and messages or we would land and have someone get out and retrieve the message," said Steiger.
With modern-day aviation advancing technologically and despite new levels of communication between aircraft and ships we cannot forget those before us who have pioneered tried and true alternative communication methods. Lt. James "Barney" Barnitz's legacy carries on today as was demonstrated aboard USS Boxer.
Boxer is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and is deployed to the US 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.
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