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USS Carl Vinson resumed flight operations shortly after the crash of the F-35C Lightning II

According to a statement released on Jan. 25, 2022, by the US 7th Fleet, the F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter that crashed on Jan. 24 on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and injured seven sailors was lost over the edge of the flight deck.

As reported by USNI News, Carl Vinson resumed flight operations shortly after the crash of the F-35C.

“An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) had a landing mishap and impacted the flight deck and subsequently fell to the water during routine flight operations. The impact on the flight deck was superficial and all equipment for flight operations is operational. Carrier Air Wing 2 and USS Carl Vinson have resumed routine flight operations in the South China Sea,” the statement said.

As we have already reported, the crash occurred while the F-35C was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered via US military helicopter.

According to the 7th Fleet statement, “The pilot and two other sailors were [evacuated] to a medical treatment facility in Manila, Philippines, and four sailors were treated by on-board medical personnel.”

A US 7th Fleet spokesman did not immediately respond to a follow-up question from USNI News as to whether the Navy intended to recover the fighter.

On Dec. 7, 2021, the UK and the US recovered the Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35B that crashed in the Mediterranean while taking off from HMS Queen Elizabeth (R06) on Nov. 17.

As we have already explained the F-35C that crashed on Jan. 24 most probably belonged to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147).

More than two dozen Navy and Marine F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters are currently operating aboard US Navy ships in the Indo-Pacific, amid heightened tensions between the US and China.

Ten Navy F-35Cs belonging to the VFA-147 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore are embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), while 10 Marine Corps F-35Cs from the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., are aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Moreover, six Marine F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant aircraft are operating aboard USS America (LHA-6). This makes the total number of naval F-35s operating in the region 26.

This represents the largest assembly of deployed US naval F-35s to date.

Photo by U.S. Navy

This represents the largest assembly of deployed US naval F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters to date.

Taken on Jan. 22, 2022, the photos in this post feature aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 and CVW 9 flying over a formation consisting of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) JS Hyuga (DDH 181), USS America (LHA 6), USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Spruance (DDG 111), USS Chafee (DDG 90), USS Gridley (DDG 101), and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) and USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) while transiting the Philippine Sea.

Operating as part of the US Pacific Fleet, units assigned to Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Groups, America and Essex Amphibious Ready Groups alongside Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), are conducting training to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Currently, more than two dozen Navy and Marine F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters are operating aboard US Navy ships in the Indo-Pacific, amid heightened tensions between the US and China.

As a US Navy spokesman told USNI News, ten Navy F-35Cs belonging to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147) based at Naval Air Station Lemoore are embarked aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), while 10 Marine Corps F-35Cs from the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., are aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Moreover, a Marine Corps spokesman confirmed to USNI News that meanwhile, six Marine F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant aircraft are operating aboard USS America (LHA-6). This makes the total number of naval F-35s operating in the region 26.

This represents the largest assembly of deployed US naval F-35s to date. In 2021, the US and UK deployed 18 F-35Bs aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R06).

The massing of fifth-generation American fighter jets in the region comes as the Navy begins deploying its new blended carrier air wing. The Carl Vinson CSG with Carrier Air Wing 2 embarked features the first F-35Cs and CMV-22B Ospreys to deploy together aboard an aircraft carrier.

As we have previously reported, VMFA-314’s deployment on Abraham Lincoln is the first Marine F-35C squadron to deploy on a carrier.

Asked recently how he feels about Marine F-35s on carriers, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said “I’m all for it.”

“We are doing it now. And not only are we doing it now, but we’ve deployed the F-35Bs on the Izumo, which is the Japanese converted destroyer version of their aircraft carrier. And did it very very successfully. And so, this is the way of the future,” Del Toro told the Navy Memorial SITREP speaker series on Jan. 18, 2022, referring to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Izumo (DDH183).

Lawmakers on the House Armed Services seapower and project forces subcommittee recently cited the potential for China to invade Taiwan within the next five years in making the case for a larger naval fleet with a consistent presence in the Indo-Pacific.

Photo by MC2 Haydn N. Smith, MCSN Larissa T. Dougherty, MCSN Elizabeth Grubbs, MCSA Leon Vonguyen

An F-35B Lighting II from VMFA-122 touched down on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) on Jan. 11, 2022, marking the first time the ship has landed the new fifth-generation fighter.

As the video in this post shows, an F-35B Lighting II from Marine Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122 touched down on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) on Jan. 11, 2022, marking the first time the ship has landed the new fifth-generation fighter.

Tripoli has been steadily operating and training the crew in preparation for the underway flight operations with VMFA-122, which culminated in the fixed-wing certification for the ship.

“This is what Tripoli was built for,” said Capt. Joel Lang, Tripoli’s Commanding Officer, to Lt. Davis Anderson, USS Tripoli Public Affairs, for the article Tripoli Recovers F-35Bs, certifies for fixed-wing operations. “The crew and supporting organizations have worked incredibly hard to get us to the point where we can launch and recover aircraft, rising to every challenge the Navy has put before them since we were commissioned. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished.”

Bringing the aircraft to the ship required a lot of coordination between Tripoli and the Marines who operate the fighter.

“It was an honor to support Tripoli in accomplishing such an important event,” said Maj. Randy Brazile, the landing signal officer embarked from VMFA-225. “The Marines and pilots from VMFA-122 and (Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron) VMX-1 are excited to see Tripoli achieve its fixed-wing flight certification.”

The Sailors who comprise the flight deck crew have trained their entire careers to run flight operations, and they worked efficiently and safely while accomplishing this milestone.

“Everything flowed perfectly,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Paul Salame. “We did everything we practiced for. I got to launch the first jet ever from Tripoli; it was a good feeling. We’re all very excited to do it again.”

As crewmembers crowded vulture’s row or viewed the flight operations on one of the ship’s monitors, the excitement was palpable throughout the command.

“The crew has sacrificed time away from their families and friends to accomplish our mission,” said Lang. “Days like today prove that the time those families have given us isn’t wasted.”

Tripoli is an America-class amphibious assault ship and was commissioned in July 2020. The ship is homeported in San Diego and operates under commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3.

Tripoli is the second LHA to be delivered to the Navy, and the third in naval history to bear the name which harkens back to the first US battle fought on foreign soil. The name Tripoli was previously assigned to a Casablanca-class escort carrier that saw service in the Second World War. Later, the first amphibious assault ship with the name USS Tripoli (LPH 10) served in Vietnam and during the Gulf War.

Tripoli was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Tripoli, the only America-class amphibious assault ship in San Diego, joins the Wasp-class large deck amphibious assault vessels USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), and USS Makin Island (LHD 8). As the largest amphibious ship on the waterfront, Tripoli serves as an LHD variant designed to accommodate the Marine Corps’ future Air Combat Element (ACE) including the F-35B Lightning II and MV-22 Osprey.

U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana

On Jan. 15, 2022, the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) departed Bremerton for a 16,000-mile journey around South America for its ultimate fate: scrapping at a Texas shipyard.

On Jan. 15, 2022, the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), the US Navy’s last oil-fired aircraft carrier, departed Bremerton for a 16,000-mile journey around South America for its ultimate fate: scrapping at a Texas shipyard.

Among the onlookers, there were many former sailors aboard the Kitty Hawk. They watched as tugs pulled the aircraft carrier into Sinclair Inlet on a foggy Saturday morning. The warship will be tugged through the Strait of Magellan en route to Brownsville, Texas because at more than 1,000 feet long, the Kitty Hawk won’t fit in the Panama Canal.

As reported by Kitsap Sun, the Kitty Hawk follows from Bremerton’s mothball fleet the USS Constellation, USS Independence, and USS Ranger, which were all dismantled at the same place: International Shipbreaking Ltd. The company contracted for the warship, along with fellow carrier USS John F. Kennedy, for the stately price of one cent.

In 2021 the carrier got a rare visit to one of the Navy’s only two carrier dry docks so that its marine growth could be scraped off. Under an agreement with the state, Suquamish Tribe, and other groups, the ship’s hull could not be cleaned in Sinclair Inlet after a previous carrier’s scrubbing sparked environmental concerns.

The Kitty Hawk will not be turned into a museum like it already happened for five former US Navy aircraft carriers. The service declined to pursue that course although many sailors and others advocated for its preservation. In fact, since all of the nuclear-powered era aircraft carriers must be mangled to remove all radioactive remnants, advocates worried that there will never be another one preserved for posterity. The San Diego-ported USS Midway, a flattop that served from 1945 to 1992, was the last aircraft carrier the Navy turned into a museum.

The USS Kitty Hawk was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the site of the Wright brothers’ first powered airplane flight. She was the lead ship of the Navy’s second class of supercarriers [the other two were USS Constellation (CV-64) and USS America (CV-66)]. Initially commissioned as an attack aircraft carrier CVA-63, she was redesignated as a multi-purpose aircraft carrier CV-63 on Apr. 29, 1973.

The Kitty Hawk was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, on 27 Dec. 27, 1956. The ship was launched on May 21, 1960, and commissioned on Apr. 29, 1961.

The Kitty Hawk participated in combat operations during the nation’s wars in Vietnam (during her second WestPac tour of the Vietnam War, the ship spent 117 days at Yankee Station. CVW-11 aircraft flew 5,466 combat and 4,887 support sorties, dropping 11,780.64 tons of ordnance on a “resourceful and determined enemy.” “On the line” for 117 days, USS Kitty Hawk conducted key strikes, a total of 38, against North Vietnamese targets near Haiphong, Kep, Bac Giang, Hon Gai, Van Dien, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, and Ninh Binh, together with 15 mining missions), Afghanistan and Iraq.

For 10 years, Kitty Hawk was the forward-deployed carrier at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan. In October 2008, she was replaced in this role by George Washington (CVN-73). Kitty Hawk then returned to the US and had her decommissioning ceremony on Jan. 31, 2009. She was officially decommissioned on May 12, 2009, after almost 49 years of service. The USS Kitty Hawk was replaced by the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).

The following video was taken on Nov. 17, 2017, and shows the USS Kitty Hawk filmed as it sat moored in Bremerton, WA.

Photo by PHAN Lee Mccaskill / U.S. Navy

US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can outrun virtually every surface ship in most sea states. The rougher it is, the more they will be able to outdistance other watercraft.

US Navy aircraft carriers continue to be the centerpiece of the forces necessary for operating forward. In times of crisis, the first question leaders ask is: “Where are the carriers?”

Aircraft carriers are the most adaptable and survivable airfields in the world. On any given day, Sailors aboard an aircraft carrier and its air wing come to the fight trained and equipped across a full range of missions. They are ready to control the sea, conduct strikes, and maneuver across the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace. No other naval force fields a commensurate range and depth of combat capabilities.

US Navy aircraft carriers also move fast. According to Forbes ‘Fast enough, in fact, to outrun most submarines. Because they can sustain speeds of 35 miles per hour, the Nimitz-class carriers populating the current fleet can move to anywhere within a 700-square mile area within 30 minutes. After 90 minutes, that area grows to over 6,000 square miles. So, finding a carrier isn’t the same thing for enemies as successfully targeting it. By the time their weapons arrive, it will likely be gone.’

James O’Shea, BS Electrical Engineering & History, explains on Quora:

‘Due to their size and engine power American nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can outrun virtually every surface ship in most sea states. The rougher it is, the more they will be able to outdistance other watercraft. There are watercraft which can go faster than carriers, in good weather. In bad weather, carriers will outrun almost everything afloat. An antisubmarine frigate can’t possibly keep up. A destroyer would have a better chance but still would have problems. Since the old CALIFORNIA class nuclear cruisers were decommissioned, no American cruiser can keep up with a carrier. The Russian KIROV class battlecruisers might be able to stay with a carrier, maybe, but not for long, especially in bad weather.

‘Note that if you look up the official top speed of American carriers, you’ll see mealy-mouthed phrases like “in excess of 30 knots” as the Navy doesn’t want to say. USS KITTY HAWK once made a sprint in which she averaged 42 knots by simple math. USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) allegedly once hit 50 knots. Allegedly. The Navy refuses to say. CVN-65 is now decommissioned and will be replaced by a GERALD R. FORD class carrier, CVN-80, which is, allegedly, faster than CVN-65.’

O’Shea concludes;

‘The only surface warships which could sustain speeds close to or superior to those of an American nuclear-powered carrier would be the various fast minelayers of the WWII era, such as the British ABDIEL or MANXMAN, both of which could exceed 44 knots. Very large transatlantic liners such as QUEEN MARY could also go very fast, for much the same reasons as the carriers. QUEEN MARY once rammed and cut in two a cruiser without slowing down.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

The EMALS comes in 2 launcher configuration while the AAG will have 3 engines.

As noted by Alert 5, France has secured the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for its next aircraft carrier as the US State Department approved the Foreign Military Sale on Dec. 21, 2021.

According to Transmittal No 21-65, the EMALS comes in 2 launcher configurations while the AAG will have 3 engines. The package is worth up to $1.321 billion.

EMALS is the US Navy’s newest complete carrier-based launch system designed for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and future Ford-class carriers. The launching system is designed to expand the operational capability of Ford-class carriers, providing the Navy with the capability for launching all current and future carrier air wing platforms – lightweight unmanned to heavy strike fighters. The mission and function of EMALS remain the same as the traditional steam catapult; however, it employs entirely different technologies. EMALS uses stored kinetic energy and solid-state electrical power conversion. This technology permits a high degree of computer control, monitoring, and automation.

Benefits

• Increased reliability and efficiency
• More accurate end-speed control and smoother acceleration
• Expanded operational capability with increased sortie rates
• Cost reduction over time due to decreased manning and maintenance requirements
• Ability to launch a broader range of naval aircraft – from lightweight unmanned to heavy strike fighters- with less stress on the ship and aircraft
• Provides necessary higher launch energy capacity
• Substantial improvements in system weight, volume, and maintenance
• EMALS over steam catapults means quieter and cooler work and living spaces for Sailors
• More intuitive maintenance software will reduce troubleshooting times

AAG is a modular, integrated system consisting of energy absorbers, power conditioning equipment, and digital controls, designed as the follow-on to the Mark-7 (Mk-7) arresting gear. The Navy is currently utilizing the Mk-7 Mod 3 and Mk-7 Mod 4 designs on all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

The AAG architecture, Health Monitoring Assessment and Prognostics technology, and digital control system provide built-in tests and diagnosis, resulting in the system requiring less maintenance and manpower to operate than the Mk-7. This change in architecture is designed to provide higher reliability and safety margins while allowing Sailors to focus on other areas of need. The system is also designed to allow the potential arrestment of a broader range of aircraft, from the lightest unmanned aerial vehicles to the heaviest manned fighters.

Benefits:

• Employs advanced technologies to provide higher reliability and safety margins
• Requires less maintenance and manpower to operate than the legacy arresting system
• Recovers all current and projected future carrier-based aircraft, from the lightest unmanned aerial vehicles to the heaviest manned fighters
• Allows for increased sortie rates, lower energy consumption, and a decreased gross ship weight

Photo by U.S. Navy

The US Navy and Boeing have successfully maneuvered an MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler on a US Navy aircraft carrier for the first time.

The US Navy and Boeing have successfully maneuvered the Boeing-owned T1 test asset on a US Navy aircraft carrier for the first time – an early step forward in ensuring the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueler will seamlessly integrate into carrier operations.

According to a Boeing news release, during an underway demonstration aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Navy flight deck directors – known as “yellow shirts” – used standard hand signals to direct T1 just like any other carrier-based aircraft. Instead of a pilot receiving the commands, however, it was a Boeing MQ-25 Deck Handling Operator (DHO) right beside the “yellow shirt” who commanded the aircraft using a new handheld deck control device.

“This is another significant step forward in demonstrating MQ-25’s integration into the Carrier Air Wing on the flight deck of our Fleet’s aircraft carriers,” said Capt. Chad Reed, Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager. “The success of this event is a testament to the hard work of our engineers, testers, operators, and the close collaboration and teaming from Naval Air Force Atlantic and the crew aboard CVN 77.”

The demonstration was intended to ensure the design of the MQ-25 will successfully integrate into the carrier environment and to evaluate the functionality, capability, and handling qualities of the deck handling system both in day and night conditions. Maneuvers included taxiing on the deck, connecting to the catapult, clearing the landing area, and parking on the deck.

“Early testing allowed our team the opportunity to evaluate many new systems for the first time at sea with T1,” said Reed in a NAVAIR news release. “Our initial look at taxi operations on the flight deck successfully demonstrated the MQ-25’s ability to maneuver just like a manned aircraft in the shipboard environment.”

“The Navy has a rigorous, well-established process for moving aircraft on the carrier. Our goal was to ensure the MQ-25 fits into the process without changing it,” said Jim Young, MQ-25 chief engineer. “From the design of the aircraft to the design of the system moving it, our team has worked hard to make the MQ-25 carrier suitable in every way.”

DHO’s trained in Boeing’s deck handling simulation lab in St. Louis, where they practiced entering commands from simulated “yellow shirts” into the real handheld device. A simulated MQ-25, running the aircraft’s real operational flight code and interfaces, would move accordingly. The handheld controller is a simple, easy-to-use device designed specifically for a generation of sailors who natively understand such handheld technology and have experience with controllers used in the gaming industry today.

The deck handling demonstration followed a two-year flight test campaign for the Boeing-owned T1 test asset, during which the Boeing and Navy team refueled three different carrier-based aircraft – an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an E-2D Hawkeye, and an F-35C Lightning II.

“The Navy gave us two key performance parameters for the program – aerial refueling and integration onto the carrier deck,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing MQ-25 program director. “We’ve shown that the MQ-25 can meet both requirements, and we’ve done it years earlier than traditional acquisition programs.”

When operational, the director and deck operators will be able to taxi the MQ-25 on the carrier flight deck to the catapult launch position and to a parking location after landing. The MQ-25 will be controlled while airborne from the UAWC where the air vehicle operator executes a pre-planned mission.

The MQ-25 will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is integral to the future carrier air wing (CVW). It will provide an aerial refueling capability that extends the range, operational capability, and lethality of the CVW and carrier strike group (CSG).

Photo by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Roberson