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The U.S. and U.K. co-hosted carrier strike group exercise Saxon Warrior 2017 to demonstrate interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats

Taken on Aug. 5, 2017 the interesting photos in this post show an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31, bottom, and an F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the “Blacklions” of VFA-213 fly in formation above the HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017.

The U.S. and U.K. co-hosted carrier strike group exercise demonstrates interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats.

Noteworthy as reported by The Telegraph members of Britain’s new carrier strike group are engaged with the U.S. Navy and other international allies in Exercise Saxon Warrior, aboard American aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush (CVN 77).

Commander Betton, commander of the Royal Navy’s carrier strike group, told the Press Association the two new carriers (in the form of HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales) marked a huge step for UK defense that would “usher in a new era of carrier strike activity.”

Speaking aboard USS George HW Bush, he added: “Carrier enabled power projection, which is the formal term for this capability, offers the strategic choice to Her Majesty’s Government. The ability to scale from humanitarian assistance, response to natural disasters, through to a poise to try and deter a potential conflict and if necessary to engage as a serious tier-one partner in the international coalition to take our place at the top table. As a United Nations permanent security council member, I feel it’s firmly the right thing for the United Kingdom to be doing.”

Betton was echoed by Captain Ken Houlberg, the UK carrier strike group chief of staff, who claimed: “It’s got hard power tools that can deliver capability across the spectrum of conflict, from humanitarian and disaster relief through defense engagement to full high-end warfighting with our coalition allies.

“It sets Britain apart.”

Cmdr Betton said the two British carriers would operate at a high state of readiness, with one or the other always available at short notice to undertake carrier strike operations.

Cpt Houlberg concluded: “We’ve got to get from two carriers the sorts of things the Americans get from a lot more, and that’s going to be quite a challenge, but it’s something I’m confident we can deliver.”

Photo by Capt. Jim McCall / U.S. Navy

VX-23 F/A-18F Super Hornet flown by Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Struck caught the number two arresting wire of Ford’s advanced arresting gear (AAG) system and was launched from catapult one using the electromagnetic launch system (EMALS)

On Jul. 28, 2017, less than one week after Pres. Donald J. Trump commissioned the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) launched and recovered its first fixed-wing aircraft off the coast of Virginia.

As reported in a U.S. Navy press release, the F/A-18F Super Hornet Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 based at Patuxent River, Maryland was flown by Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Struck of Tallmadge.

Noteworthy the Super Hornet caught the number two arresting wire of Ford’s advanced arresting gear (AAG) system and was launched from catapult one using the electromagnetic launch system (EMALS).

“Today, USS Gerald R. Ford made history with the successful landing and launching of aircraft from VX-23 using the AAG and EMALS,” said Adm. Phil Davidson, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces. “Great work by the Ford team and all the engineers who have worked hard to get the ship ready for this milestone.”

“AAG and EMALS have been successfully tested ashore at Lakehurst, New Jersey, but this is the first shipboard recovery and launch of a fleet fixed-wing aircraft,” said Capt. Rick McCormack, Ford’s commanding officer.

“My team has worked closely with industry, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and the flight test community to make this historic event in Naval aviation happen. I am very proud of my crew.”

The software-controlled AAG is a modular, integrated system that consists of energy absorbers, power conditioning equipment, and digital controls, with architecture that provides built-in tests and diagnostics, resulting in lower maintenance and manpower requirements. AAG is designed to provide higher reliability and safety margins, as well as to allow for the arrestment of a greater range of aircraft and reduce the fatigue impact load to the aircraft.

The mission and function of EMALS remain the same as the traditional steam catapult; however, it employs entirely different technologies. It delivers necessary higher-launch energy capacity, improvements in system maintenance, increased reliability and efficiency, and more accurate end-speed control and smooth acceleration. EMALS is designed to expand the operational capability of the Navy’s future carriers to include all current and future planned carrier aircraft – from lightweight unmanned aircraft to heavy strike fighters.

In the following videos, you can see Lt. Cmdr. Struck F/A-18F performing the first “fixed-wing aircraft launch” and first “trap” onboard USS Gerald R. Ford.

Photo by Erik Hildebrandt and Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cathrine Campbell / U.S. Navy

On Jul. 29, 1967, a rocket was accidentally fired aboard USS Forrestal, causing massive damage to the ship and a fire that killed 134 Sailors and injured many more

On Jul. 29, 2017, the 50th anniversary of the tragedy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59) was commemorated at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall with a special ceremony.

As reported in the article USS Forrestal Tragedy Remembered 50 Years Later written by Chatney Auger, more than 250 surviving crew members and their families filled the seats of Conmy Hall to remember the Sailors who died in the fire on USS Forrestal. Sailors stationed at nearby commands including the Center for Service Support Detachment Defense Information School, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, Expeditionary Combat Camera (COMCAM), and Naval District Washington presented American flags during the ceremony to represent each Sailor who passed away.

“The first time I heard about the Forrestal fire was in boot camp,” said Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Allison Strong, event volunteer coordinator, assigned to Naval District Washington. “We watched a video about what happened on the Forrestal and we were told that was the impetus for everyone learning about damage control. Being part of this event is very special to me and it was an honor to be able to help put it together.”

On Jul. 29, 1967, a rocket was accidentally fired aboard USS Forrestal, causing massive damage to the ship and a fire that killed 134 Sailors and injured many more. It took more than 24 hours for Forrestal Sailors as well as Sailors from nearby ships to completely extinguish the fire.

“When that happened, I didn’t expect to be here 50 years later,” said Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class (ret) William Solt, Forrestal fire survivor. “I asked my son, his wife, and two of my grandsons to come with me to attend this. I want them to see and know what a sacrifice these Sailors made. We had a past president of the Forrestal Association who would say ‘friends are for life and shipmates are forever.’ That’s what’s playing out here today.”

The USS Forrestal Association is a non-profit veterans’ organization formed in 1990 that is committed to preserving the memory of those lost in the tragedy. The group puts together events every year to help honor and remember their fallen shipmates.

“I’ve got 45 years of service in the military, nine in the Navy and 36 in the Army, and I will never forget what happened July 29, 1967,” said Army Colonel (ret) Emmet O’Hare, event coordinator and Forrestal fire survivor. “We have to do things like this. There’s no getting around it, it’s a duty we took on after we lost those Sailors.”

O’Hare says three years ago, on Jul. 29, a young woman came up to members of the USS Forrestal Association as they were laying a wreath to honor fallen Sailors. She had never met her father and told them he was killed in the fire on the Forrestal. She asked the group if any of them recognized her father’s name.

“Three of the guys there knew her dad and she spent the next three hours crying, listening to stories about him. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about getting other people to understand what we went through and the comradery that we shared on that ship,” said O’Hare.

The following video, which actually is a U.S. Navy motivational film for the service personnel on the prevention of fire and for learning firefighting damage control measures, tells the story of the tragic fire onboard USS Forrestal.

Photo by U.S. Navy

Only 3 MiG-29Ks out of a fleet of 10 were normally available for operations in 2016 because of problems with engines and electronic control system

Taken on Jul. 16, 2017, the interesting photos in this post feature Indian Navy MiG-29K Fulcrum fighter jets flying over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Bay of Bengal during Exercise Malabar 2017.

The Mikoyan MiG-29K (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum-D) is a Russian all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter developed by the Mikoyan design bureau and described as a 4++ generation aircraft by its manufacturer.

The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from MiG-29M but since the Russian Navy preferred the Su-27K (later re-designated Su-33), the aircraft was not ordered into production and only two prototypes were originally built in the early 1990s. However, the Mikoyan Design Bureau did not stop its work on the MiG-29K aircraft despite the lack of financing since 1992. The program got a boost in the late 1990s to meet an Indian requirement for a ship-borne fighter following the purchase of a former Soviet aircraft carrier (in the form of the INS Vikramaditya which was originally built as Baku and later renamed Admiral Gorshkov), and the MiG-29K was first received by the Indian Navy in 2009.

Noteworthy in 2016 Comptroller and Auditor General of India (the country authority which audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments), issued a report criticizing the fighters for problems with engines and electronic control systems which resulted in “serviceability” of the airplanes “varying between 16 percent and 39 percent” meaning that out of fleet 10 fighters only 3 were normally available for operations at a given time.

Nevertheless,  the Russian Navy, with their Su-33s nearing the end of their service lives by 2010, has also ordered the MiG-29K as a replacement.

Malabar 2017 is a tri-lateral, two-phase exercise hosted by the Indian Navy and held in Chennai and the waters of the Bay of Bengal. The drill, which lasted from Jul. 10 to 17, consists of an ashore and at-sea phase that emphasize high-end warfighting skills, maritime superiority, and power projection through subject-matter expert and professional talks on CSG operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and antisubmarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), helicopter operations, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11 staff, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9. The deployed units from DESRON 9 include the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Pinckney (DDG 91), and USS Kidd (DDG 100).

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Colby S. Comery and Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Weston A. Mohr / U.S. Navy

Ronald Reagan and the CVW-5 provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region

On May 22, in the Water South of Japan Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) completed carrier qualifications aboard the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

As explained in the article Ronald Reagan Completes Carrier Air Wing Qualifications, more than 100 pilots in more than 60 aircraft from nine squadrons based out of Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi and Iwakuni, Japan, completed almost 700 events, including over 200 touches and goes and almost 500 arrested landings to qualify pilots to conduct missions as the ship begins patrol in the 7th Fleet area of operation.

Noteworthy CVW-5 mission is critical to the U.S. commitment to the peace and stability of this region.

“The BADMAN team was last deployed with FREEDOM in December 2016, and since then, we executed Spring training detachments focused on the most demanding missions and ensured our aircraft and personnel are ready for any contingency,” explained Capt. Michael S. Wosje, commander, CVW-5. “As the Navy’s only 9-1-1 air wing, no one is better prepared to ensure the peace and stability of the region. We are excited to have the FREEDOM/BADMAN team back together, operating forward.”

CVW-5 is the always-ready, air-combat arm of Battle Force 7th Fleet, with warfighting assets that include the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, C2-A Greyhound, and MH-60R/S, as well as the latest edition of the E-2D Hawkeye after the “Tigertails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 replaced the “Liberty Bells” of VAW-115 earlier this year.

“With the completion of these qualifications, I can say with confidence that USS Ronald Reagan and Carrier Air Wing Five are disciplined, well-prepared, and stand ready to answer our nation’s call,” pointed Capt. Buzz Donnelly, USS Ronald Reagan commanding officer.

The mission of CVW-5 is to conduct carrier air warfare operations and assist in the planning, control, coordination, and integration of eight air wing squadrons in support of combat operations.

Ronald Reagan and the embarked air wing provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Burke / U.S. Navy