Tag:

Navy

Phantom HMS Eagle 1170x585 1

Old footage shows Royal Navy Phantom fighter jets conducting trials aboard HMS Eagle aircraft carrier

by Till Daisd February 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Eagle was chosen to test the then-new supersonic Phantom, which was already armed with subsonic De Havilland Sea Vixen all-weather fighters and Blackburn Buccaneer low-level strike aircraft

The following breathtaking vintage clip was shot aboard the HMS Eagle (R05) in 1969 and depicts McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.Mk 1s conducting trials prior to entering operational service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA).

The Eagle was chosen to test the then-new supersonic Phantom, which was chosen by the Royal Navy in 1964 to meet the requirement for a new generation of fighter aircraft to serve aboard its carriers. The Eagle was already outfitted with subsonic De Havilland Sea Vixen all-weather fighters and Blackburn Buccaneer low-level strike aircraft. The FAA model of the legendary F-4 needed a telescoping nose wheel oleo, as seen in the video, to enhance the angle of attack during takeoff from the cramped decks of British flattops.

The HMS Ark Royal (R09), not the Eagle, was ultimately chosen to fly the Phantoms of 892 Squadron, the only operational FAA unit to fly the Phantom FG.Mk 1 after extensive trials were completed aboard from March to June 1969.

Notable changes were an 8° inclined deck, new, more powerful steam catapults, and heavy-weight arrestor gear on both carriers to accommodate the new jets. The real reason the Ark Royal was preferred to the Eagle was never made public. The latter was not only a more dependable vessel with a hull in better shape than the Ark Royal, but it was also a more contemporary aircraft carrier equipped with cutting-edge sensors that were installed during the 1964 refit.

February 13, 2023 0 comment

The story of how a U.S. Navy F9F Panther scored the first true air-to-air victory in a jet-vs-jet battle

by Till Daisd February 13, 2023

written by Till Daisd

When Lt. Cdr. Amen downed Grachev’s MiG-15, he made aviation history because he was the first pilot to win an all-jet dogfight.

For both sides of a war, the Korean War, which raged for three years from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953, witnessed the first significant use of fighter aircraft powered by jet engines.

These aircraft raised the speed and lethality of air combat. Compared to the previous piston engines, the jet engines delivered significantly better performance, including higher top speeds, cruise speeds that were twice as fast, higher ceilings, and sustained climb rates. In addition to the United States and its allies, North Korea and China also used fighter jets during the Korean War. Eventually, some of these aircraft were flown by Russian pilots.

On November 8, 1950, a U.S. Air Force F-80C from the 16th Fighter Squadron came into contact with a MiG-15 while attacking the Sinuiju bridges near the mouth of the Yalu River. This was the first time that fighter planes engaged in air-to-air combat. The Shooting Star’s 1st Lt. Russel Brown won the subsequent duel, making history as the first jet-to-jet fighter to accomplish it. Despite this, it was later found that his Russian opponent had safely returned to base, according to Barrett Tilman and Henk van der Lugt’s story in VF-11/111 Sundowners.

The first jet-vs-jet victory in history, however, wasn’t far off because it was achieved the next day by Lt. Cdr. William T. Amen, the commander of VF-111 Sundowners while a second assault on the Sinuiju bridges was undertaken on November 9, 1950, this time by U.S. Navy aircraft launched from the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CV-47).

Capt. Mikhail Grachev led the 1st Squadron into combat as the MiG-15s from the 139th GvIAP (Guards Fighter Air Regiment), which were in charge of defending the Sinuiju bridges, were scrambled to intercept the American attack aircraft. The action turned into a dogfight in and out of the clouds as the MiGs approached the American aircraft, attacking before Corsair and Skyraider fighter bombers.

mig-15

Amen, who was flying the Leading Flying Target CAP (Combat Air Patrol) mission in a VF-112 Grumman F9F-2B Panther (the VF-112 was the VF-111 sister squadron aboard the Philippine Sea, and it was not uncommon for maintenance reasons that the two Panther squadrons on the same ship fly each other’s aircraft interchangeably.), noticed a closing unknown aircraft while checking his tail in the middle of the furball. He turned his VF-111 section immediately in the direction of the bogey. After performing a climb from 4,000 to 15,000 feet, the MiG, which was being piloted by Grachev, yawed in an attempt to locate the F9Fs. By doing this, Grachev gave Amen and his wingman George Holloman the opportunity to close the gap between them and start firing at his MiG, which both US pilots struck.

Amen struggled to keep up with Grachev’s vertical descent. Nevertheless, Amen was able to fire as the MiG entered his line of sight, putting more 20mm bullets into the target, despite his Panther entering buffet as it approached the terminal velocity and requiring him to counter the rudder reversal.

Both Grachev and Amen began to endure at around 3,000 feet, with the latter being able to reclaim his Panther at just 200 feet. Amen lost sight of the MiG during this heavy G maneuver, but Holloman saw it collide with a hillside and explode in a massive flame, leaving Mikhail Grachev with no hope of surviving.

After the battle, the Russians thought they had shot down at least five or six American planes, however, none of them were lost, due to the 139th GvIAP’s unreliable flying.

Instead, Amen became the first air-to-air winner in an all-jets dogfight when he downed Grachev’s MiG-15, making aviation history.

Remarkably, the Sundowners were renamed VFC-111 in 2007, with VFC standing for Fighter Composite Squadron. Since that time, they flew the Northrop F-5N Tiger II and provided Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) for all U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fleet replacement units. Ironically, the Sundowners fly replicating the flight characteristics of the adversary they helped defeat after downing the first MiG in the first jet vs jet battle.

f9f

Photo by U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force

February 13, 2023 0 comment

Giora Epstein Blue Angels 1170x585 1

Jet ace Giora Even-Epstein talks about his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham

by Till Daisd February 12, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Duke took me on a visit to TOPGUN and I got to meet with the pilots there. The meeting was planned to last just 30 minutes, but I ended up sitting with them for three hours. They peppered me with questions about my dogfights…

Giora Even-Epstein, an Israeli kibbutz native who was born in 1938, had a fascination for military aircraft and the aces that flew them. He yearned to pilot the French Mirage III but was denied access to flying training due to a cardiac condition. He reapplied, was rejected once more, but was amazingly approved as a paratrooper. Following 500 jumps, he reapplied for admission to the Israel Air Force (IAF) pilot training program and was accepted. He eventually received his wings and was able to fly and battle throughout the pivotal times in the Israel Air Force’s combat history.

Epstein earned the title of highest-scoring jet-mounted ace with the most confirmed victories after more than thirty years of service to the IAF.

In his autobiography “Hawkeye,” Epstein discusses not only his involvement in the intense conflicts of 1967’s Six Day War and 1973’s Yom Kippur War, but also the legendary fighter pilots he encountered along the road, including Randy Cunningham, Pierre Clostermann, Al Deere, and Douglas Bader.

As Epstein recalls in Hawkeye, the IAF garnered a lot of interest following the latter conflict. ‘After the war, we received requests to host delegations from other air forces that wished to learn from us and our experience in the war. Each of these delegations, especially the ones from the United States, the country that had aided us so much in the war, were gladly welcomed and assigned a squadron commander or other senior officer as a guide.

One of the most intriguing delegations that I got to host after the war was made up of American media people who were visiting a number of Middle East countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. I became friendly with two of them: Dan McKinnon, owner of a small television station in San Diego, and Randy Cunningham, a big hulking guy known as ‘Duke’ who’d been a TOPGUN instructor and commander of VF-126, the Aggressor Squadron at NAS Miramar, near San Diego. Duke was the US Navy’s only pilot ace in the Vietnam War — as a Phantom pilot based on the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64), he shot down five enemy planes.

Leading jet ace Giora Even-Epstein on his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham and on a tempting offer he received from Blue Angels CO — John W. Warner, Secretary of the Navy, Lieutenant Randall H. Cunningham, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) William P. Driscoll, and Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt. Jr., Chief of Naval Operations
(listed from left to right) meet in Mr. Warner’s Pentagon Office, June 1972, in a ceremony honoring the two aviators, the Navy’s only Vietnam War air “Aces”. Lt. Cunningham piloted F-4J “Phantom” jet fighters, with LtJG Driscoll as Radar Intercept Officer, when they shot down five enemy MiGs (four MiG-17s and one MiG-21) in January and May 1972. They were members of Fighter Squadron 96 (VF-96), based aboard USS Constellation (CVA-64). In this photo, Cunningham and Driscoll are holding models of F-4 fighters.

‘He told me all about his experiences as a pilot in the US Navy. In one of our conversations, he asked me how many planes I’d shot down. “I have a few kills,” I replied.

‘As part of their visit, I took them on a tour of the Golan Heights. Lying near the road where we stopped was some debris from a Syrian MiG-17. The two ignored the signs warning of minefields and ran to grab some pieces to take home as souvenirs.

‘At the end of the visit, I took them to the airport. Duke asked me again, “Tell me the truth, how many kills do you have?”

‘”Seventeen,” I said. They were both stunned. It looked like all the air went out of them at once.

‘A year later, they both came back to Israel for another visit, this time as private citizens. By then I was commander of No. 117 Squadron at Ramat David and I took Duke up with me in a two-seater Mirage for a drill of a dogfight against a Phantom. Years later, on one of my visits to the United States, Duke, who was still an active pilot and instructor in the famous TOPGUN Fighter Weapons School, which specialized in training US Navy pilots, introduced me to the other pilots as Israel’s biggest ace and boasted to them that on his visit to Israel he had flown in a Mirage and ‘ripped’ the Israeli pilots in a dogfight…’

Epstein continues;

‘My friendship with Duke grew stronger over the years. At one point, he decided to run for Congress as a Republican from San Diego. Since running an election campaign requires a lot of money – the estimate at the time was two million dollars – Duke organized fundraising events and asked me to come to one. As I was still an active pilot then, I consulted with the air force commander, Avihu Ben-Nun, about the invitation. Ben-Nun advised me that it was better that I pass as long as I was still flying with the air force.

‘Two years later, when Duke ran for Congress a second time, I was no longer an active pilot, and I agreed to make an appearance. I gave a speech before several hundred invited guests, many of them wealthy Jews who’d paid $5,000 each to attend the event, and I explained how important it was for there to be pro-Israel representatives, like Duke, in Congress. The evening was successful, and Duke went on to be re-elected. After the event, Duke also took me on a visit to TOPGUN and I got to meet with the pilots there. The meeting was planned to last just 30 minutes, but I ended up sitting with them for three hours. They peppered me with questions about my dogfights, and I gave detailed answers to each one.

‘My other friend from that delegation, Dan McKinnon, was a former helicopter pilot who specialized in rescue missions. In one remarkably complex operation, he had rescued 40 civilians from a ship that was about to sink. He came from an affluent family, his father was a personal friend of President Ronald Reagan, and Reagan appointed him head of the Federal Aviation Administration. He went on to enter the history books of American civil aviation when he brought in military air traffic controllers to break the big strike by civilian air traffic controllers in 1981. He later founded a small airline called North American.

‘On one of my trips to the United States, together with Sara and my son Guy, Dan invited us to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, which had parts of aircraft carriers and real planes used by the US Navy. Later on, he arranged a special surprise for me: an air show by the Blue Angels acrobatic team. After they landed, the team commander told me that had he known before about my record as a pilot, he would have invited me to join them in the show.’

Epstein concludes;

‘To make up for it, he made me a very tempting offer: He’d add me to the aerobatic team and in return, I’d agree for one of my kills to be credited in his name. Of course, he was joking.’

Hawkeye is published by Grub Street Publishing and is available to order here.

Leading jet ace Giora Even-Epstein on his friendship with US Navy’s ace Randy Cunningham and on a tempting offer he received from Blue Angels CO — During his eventful visit to the US in 1998, Giora enjoys meeting the Blue Angels beside one of the team’s F/A-18 Hornets after watching their home-base air show demonstration.

Photo by U.S. Navy, Israel Defense Forces and Grub Street Publishing

February 12, 2023 0 comment

Estocin 1170x585 1

Mike Estocin, the first US Navy jet pilot to ever get the Medal of Honor for a combat mission

by Till Daisd January 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Despite the fact that Estocin’s A-4E caught fire on its final approach, he managed to land safely into the barrier, and the fire crew extinguished the flames as he descended from the cockpit unharmed

The A-4 Skyhawk was created by Douglas Aircraft Company designer Ed Heinemann in response to his worries about the weight and cost of combat aircraft rising in the 1950s. The A-4 broke with this trend by omitting a large wing-folding mechanism in favor of a compact delta wing for better storage on aircraft carriers. To further cut weight, engineers changed the pilot ejection mechanism and minimized the number of cockpit components.

Other measures included replacing a heavy-duty battery with a wind-powered generator that was stored in the fuselage, using gravity-dropped landing gear instead of a backup hydraulic system, and installing an air conditioning system that was one-third lighter than those that were previously available. The A-4, or “Tinker Toy,” as pilots called it, exceeded the Navy’s maximum weight limit by more than half in its final configuration.

The National Naval Aviation Museum claims that Skyhawks flew more combat missions over Vietnam than any other naval aircraft, including notable missions for the Iron Hand, strikes against bridges and power plants in North Vietnam, and close air support of troops engaged in ground combat in South Vietnam.

Iron Hand was a strictly SA-2 “Guideline” kill-and-suppression operation, typically carried out in support of an Alpha strike against a significant target by a single A-4 equipped with two or more AGM-45 Shrikes.

As told by Peter E. Davies in his book A-4 Skyhawk Vs North Vietnamese AAA North Vietnam 1964-1972, an outstanding example of Iron Hand skill was displayed on Apr. 20, 1967, by VA-192’s Operations Officer, Lt Cdr Mike Estocin, flying from Ticonderoga as part of CVW-19. He conducted a three-aircraft Iron Hand flight against three 285th Missile Regiment SA-2 sites near Haiphong with the goal of taking out as many SAM batteries as he could. His strategy was flying as close as he could to a target before launching his missiles. Although Estocin’s A-4E sustained significant AAA damage to its wings, all three sites were destroyed.

He went back to the target to use the last remaining Shrike despite the fuel depletion accelerating quickly. After getting his “feet wet,” Estocin connected with an A-3 “Whale” tanker that towed him back to Ticonderoga while pumping fuel into his aircraft a little bit more quickly than it was leaking out. Knowing that he only had enough fuel for one attempt at a landing, he detached from the tanker two miles from CVA-14 and headed for the deck. Despite the fact that Estocin’s A-4E caught fire on his final approach, he managed to land the aircraft safely into the barrier, and the fire crew put out the flames as he descended from the cockpit unharmed.

When his squadronmate Lt(jg) J. W. Cain was shot down by AAA in an A-4E BuNo 152076 during VA-192’s Alpha strike attack on a fuel dump in Haiphong on April 26, 1967, Lt Cdr Estocin was once more SAM hunting. As he was returning to 12,000 feet, shortly after Estocin’s Iron Hand section had lofted a Shrike in front of the strike force, he noticed an SA-2 approaching him. Just as the missile burst close to his aircraft, he started an evasive diving turn after likely positioning himself to target the missile’s launch location. He rolled and dove toward the earth while his A-4 (BuNo 151073) was on fire before pulling out at 2,000 feet.

By this time, Estocin’s aircraft was burning intensely as the pilot raced for the coast. As the Skyhawk slowly lost speed, another SAM that was passing nearby came dangerously close to striking it. Lt Cdr John Nichols of VF-191 followed the downed A-4E in his F-8E, observing substantial damage to its forward fuselage and observing Estocin seemingly slumped forward in his cockpit, apparently oblivious to radio messages. Estocin was later identified as the future MiG killer. The plane lost all of its stores when their wiring burned out as it went inverted at 1,000 feet just short of the coast before crashing. Shortly after, Estocin received the Medal of Honor posthumously, becoming him the first and only US Navy jet pilot to receive it for a combat mission.

The story of Lt Cdr Mike Estocin the only US Navy jet pilot to ever receive the Medal of Honor for a combat mission — Lt Cdr Mike Estocin

A-4 Skyhawk Vs North Vietnamese AAA North Vietnam 1964-1972 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Navy; Artwork: Osprey

January 6, 2023 0 comment

A monument for the F-14 fighter used by the US Navy and the 68 Naval Aviators who perished

by Till Daisd December 7, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The memorial will honor the renowned Grumman fighter plane in addition to the people who manufactured and maintained the aircraft flew it and gave their lives doing so

A monument honoring the F-14 Tomcat fighter plane will be erected on Virginia Beach’s oceanfront, according to The Virginian-Pilot on May 25, 2020. The memorial will honor the renowned Grumman fighter plane in addition to the people who manufactured and maintained the aircraft, flew it and gave their lives doing so.

A granite obelisk with four sides will serve as the memorial. A variety of pictures of the aircraft in use will be shown on panels along with information on how it was used and who maintained it. In actuality, a panel will remember the 68 pilots who lost their lives.

The F-14 Tomcat operated as an advanced interceptor and air superiority fighter, capable of striking six enemy aircraft simultaneously at a range of over 100 miles with the AIM-54 Phoenix missile. It is arguably the most well-known US Navy fighter because of its starring role in Top Gun.

A fleet defense fighter that could engage high-altitude bombers from well beyond visual range was necessary because Soviet long-range patrol and bomber aircraft during the Cold War had advanced. The famous F-14 Tomcat, according to the National Naval Aviation Museum, was Grumman’s response. With this hefty load, an interceptor’s fast speed was required, therefore Grumman created the F-14’s very effective variable-sweep wing, which allows it to fly at a variety of airspeeds.

The Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter led to the evaluation of General Dynamics’ F-111B, an aircraft that would promote the Department of Defense’s aim of commonality with the Air Force and its F-111A. When the F-111B was found to be too heavy for carrier operations after being upgraded to fulfill Navy mission requirements, the contract was terminated in April 1968. The Navy then launched a new design competition for what was known as the VFX program, with McDonnell Douglas and Grumman serving as its two main rivals.

Grumman’s Model 303 suggested a variable-geometry, two-seat, twin-engined design centered on the Hughes AWG-9 weapons system while McDonnell Douglas studied a navalized version of the F-15. Grumman’s earlier XF10F Jaguar, which had only been constructed as a prototype, had given it significant experience with “swing-wing” technology. The selection of Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans, which are comparable to those used in the F-111, was required by the necessity for quick development and fielding of the aircraft.

The new “Tomcat,” which continued Grumman’s practice of naming its aircraft after felines, took to the skies for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after going through a number of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 being assigned the responsibility of crew training. VF-1 and VF-2 were the first operational squadrons to receive the new aircraft on the West Coast, while VF-14 and VF-32 were the first squadrons assigned to the Atlantic fleet on the East Coast. The Marine Corps was getting ready to launch VMFA-122 at NAS Miramar in 1974 when it was decided to stick with modified variants of the trusty F-4J Phantom II.

In August 1981, two Libyan Su-22 planes were shot down by an F-14 over the Gulf of Sidra. It saw considerable duty in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2006, the final F-14s were taken out of service.

Photo by U.S. Navy

December 7, 2022 0 comment

When a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet did a high-speed flyby that dispersed a riot

by Till Daisd October 7, 2022

written by Till Daisd

“I smiled to myself and breathed a prayer: ‘Lord, please let that little guy grow up to be a pilot – he’ll never forget his first up-close glimpse of an aeroplane!”, Capt Mark Fox, VFA-137 F/A-18 Hornet pilot

Around 250 F/A-18 Hornets participated in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) from land bases and the six U.S. Navy supercarriers stationed in the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG) and the eastern Mediterranean. The F/A-18 Hornet served as the “universal soldier” of the war effort.

The Iraqi Republican Guard’s T-62 tanks and the government buildings in Basra, Baghdad, and An Najaf were just a few of the targets that the F/A-18 dropped hundreds of thousands of pounds of ordnance on during the battle. The Hornet was capable of firing anti-radar missiles, operating as an aerial tanker, intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance platform for other strike types, in addition to dropping precision explosives like JDAM and LGBs.

Capt. Mark Fox, Commander of CVW-2, launched from the deck of USS Constellation (CV-64) on his 12th OIF sortie on April 10, 2003, according to Tony Holmes and Chris Davey’s account in their book U.S. Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Part One). In a F/A-18C BuNo 164698, he was flown by his wingman, Lt Cdr Steve Cargill of VFA-137, and they held south of Baghdad.

Fox recalls: “Flying as ‘Minx 11’, and tasked with providing Close Air Support (CAS), I checked in with the E-2 controller. Lt Cdr Cargill and I then started working down a list of frequencies in search of a Forward Air Controller (FAC) who might need our help. Finally, the E-2 controller told us to go and check in with ‘Diablo 69’, but I couldn’t raise him on the radio. I told the E-2 that we had no comms with ‘Diablo 69’, so he instructed us to head further south, giving us the FAC’s location – 85AS, Keypad 3. We then realized that he was down in An Najaf, about a hundred miles south of us.

“We started driving south, and the controller informed us that our guy on the ground was using a weak hand-held radio, desperate for help. This did not sound good, as we had captured An Najaf weeks ago. We finally checked in with our contact and turned out that he was a GI trying to distribute humanitarian aid in the plaza outside the city’s Imam Ali Mosque. Dealing with desperate, starving people, he was facing a near riot. Assuring us there was no threat, he asked us to fly a series of high-speed, low-altitude passes to distract or disperse the crowd.

“Skeptical of the FAC’s ‘no threat assessment, I was greatly concerned about AAA or MANPADS. Carefully scoping out the scene, and maintaining good mutual support, Lt Cdr Cargill and I came up with a game plan – we’d swap roles, keeping one set of eyes looking for ground fire while the other made a high-speed flyby, always coming from a different direction.

That time a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet performed a high-speed flyby that dispersed a riot and... Wowed an Iraqi child — Arabian Gulf (Apr. 10, 2003) – An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron One Three Seven (VFA-137) launches in full afterburner from one of four steam-powered catapults aboard USS Constellation (CV 64).

“We flew several passes over An Najaf, which looked like something out of the Bible – surrounded by desert plains and set amongst palm trees on a tributary of the Euphrates River. Seemingly untouched by modern structures, there were lots of single-story, dull brown buildings, and in the middle of them was this huge, gold-domed mosque.

“I was looking at my gas gauge and my watch, thinking ‘how much time can I give this guy?’ On my first pass, I was 100 ft above ground level at 500 knots, just about co-altitude with the mosque’s dome. I then rolled into a left ‘knife-edge’, using the dome as a ‘pylon’, Reno air races style, pulling about 5Gs. I stroked the afterburner for noise as I passed the city center in the turn, popping chaff and flares and moving the jet around fairly aggressively.

“Glancing down on the plaza as I rocked up on my wing in the turn, a snapshot freeze-frame image of a startled Iraqi boy looking up with his mouth in perfect “O” and his eyes literally on stalks registered in my mind. He was standing with his mother on the corner of the square, diagonally across from the Imam Ali Mosque.”

Fox concludes: “I smiled to myself and breathed a prayer: ‘Lord, please let that little guy grow up to be a pilot – he’ll never forget his first up-close glimpse of an airplane!

“Diablo 69 seemed happy with our help, and he thanked us as we climbed away.”

That time a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet performed a high-speed flyby that dispersed a riot and... Wowed an Iraqi child

Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Felix Garza Jr. and Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain / U.S. Navy

October 7, 2022 0 comment

A picture of a Russian battlecruiser to wish the US Navy a happy birthday

by Till Daisd August 23, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Little did Mast (a US Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient) know that the ship was not part of the U.S. Navy’s fleet, but the Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy.

Republican Brian Mast of Florida wished the US Navy a “happy birthday” with a picture of a Russian military ship in a social media post.

As told by Newsweek, Mast uploaded on Twitter a battlecruiser stock image with the message “Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy” and signed the picture with his name on Oct. 13, 2019, as the force celebrated its 244th birthday.

Little did Mast (a US Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient) know that the ship was not part of the US Navy’s fleet, but the Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy, as Politico journalist Dave Brown first pointed out.

“That’s the Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy,” Brown tweeted.

Mast quickly removed the picture from his Twitter account after journalists and social media users identified the ship.

Chris Cavas, a naval warfare journalist, further confirmed the ship’s identity. He said, “Great to see so many US #Navy #birthday wishes on Twitter today. I’ve seen pics of Dutch, Australian, and French ships, and more, but this one is the best.”

That’s the Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy pic.twitter.com/FJKsRYU1g0
— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) October 13, 2019

Other Twitter users were quick to jump on the mistake and mock the Republican veteran.

“This is even better than the *other* Florida Man Legislator, @mattgaetz, putting Navy fighters in his “Happy Birthday, Air Force” video a few weeks back,” said U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings Podcast co-host Ward Carroll. “These guys love the troops SO much.”

Florida Rep. Mast replaced his earlier post with another birthday message. Sharing an official US Navy post, the congressman said, “Happy birthday to the US Navy! To the men and women who serve to keep our waters safe, we thank you.”

Mast served with the US Army in Afghanistan, where he lost both his legs and one finger in a 2010 IED explosion while working as a bomb disposal expert.

He served his second term in the House of Representatives and was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

August 23, 2022 0 comment

USS Langley CV 1

Carriers History

These massive ships were able to carry large numbers of aircraft and launch them into battle.

by Till Daisd May 16, 2022

written by Till Daisd

During World War II, the United States had an advantage over its opponents because it built aircraft carriers so large that they were able to hold and fly many different types of aircraft into battle. The ability to launch various types of aircraft from a single location made it easier for the military to use them in war.

The ability to launch various types of aircraft from a single location made it easier for the military to use them in war.
The aircraft carrier was a tremendous leap forward in the world of naval warfare. Because it is mobile, an aircraft carrier can deploy its airplanes to wherever they are needed most—an important advantage in combat. Aircraft carriers also allow for the use of multiple types of aircraft, and being able to store and maintain all those aircraft on a single platform is another advantage for a military force.

USS_Langley_CV-1 — The USS Langley (CV-1)

The first US Navy aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1922. The USS Langley (CV-1) was built from the hull of a collier, or coal transport ship, and launched in 1912. It had been decommissioned for years before conversion to a carrier began. Weighing in at 16,000 tons and measuring 642 feet long, it could carry 36 combat planes as well as 21 reconnaissance planes, 8 torpedo bombers, 3 gunnery trainers, and 4 utility aircraft.

This ship was capable of carrying thirty-six combat planes, twenty-one reconnaissance planes, eight torpedo bombers, three gunnery trainers, and four utility aircraft for maintenance purposes.

The USS Langley (CV-1) was named after Samuel Pierpont Langley, an American astronomer, physicist, and aeronautics pioneer who had studied under Benjamin Peirce at Harvard.*
From 1922 to 1941, the navy built eleven more carriers similar in size and shape to Langley’s design.

The U.S. Navy was clearly onto something with USS Langley, so they decided to build others like it. They would be powered by new steam turbine engines, rather than the coal-fired power plants of the previous generation. Starting in 1922 and continuing through 1941, the Navy built eleven more carriers: Lexington (CV-2), Saratoga (CV-3), Ranger (CV-4), Yorktown (CV-5), and Enterprise (CV-6) were all in service before World War II began in 1939; Wasp (CV-7) also participated in the war, operating as a support ship for Atlantic convoys until she was sunk by a Japanese submarine on September 15th, 1942.

USS_Lexington_CV-2_1932 — Lexington (CV-2)

USS_Saratoga_CV-3_off_New_York_1934 — Lexington (CV-2)

Even though these ships were larger, faster, and more powerful than their predecessors, some aspects of their design were still much less advanced than modern carriers: since there was no way to launch planes from below deck to save space, the flight decks had to be stacked on top of one another instead of being arranged side by side like they are today. This meant that aircraft could not take off or land at the same time; instead, one deck would have to move over another while operations were underway — a very dangerous maneuver! Ships like Langley couldn’t carry as many planes either because they lacked enough hangar space under their decks for storage purposes only which prevented them from using this type of arrangement due to structural integrity concerns resulting from having multiple decks stacked above each other rather than next door as is seen today.

Most of them served through WWII with distinction and some are still in service today as training ships or museums.
The USS Langley was decommissioned in 1936, the USS Saratoga in 1946, and the USS Lexington in 1991. The latter is currently preserved as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas. Of these three ships, the USS Yorktown was the most famous. She took part in combat operations in every major naval campaign of WWII. At the Battle of Midway, she sank despite heroic efforts to save her by her crew and sister ships.

Of the four new Essex-class aircraft carriers commissioned during WWII (the other two were never completed), only two are still in service today: The USS Enterprise and the USS Independence. It is worth noting that when they were first launched, their names were spelled “Enterprize” and “Independance” respectively; both had their names changed shortly thereafter for consistency with USN naming conventions for carriers that didn’t have any historical significance (for example, CV-6 was named Enterprise because it was a continuation of a long line of ships bearing this name).

The USS Independence (CVL-22) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier in the US Navy. Commissioned on August 31st, 1942, the ship served through World War II and was decommissioned on March 10th, 1947. The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier commissioned by the US Navy on November 25th, 1961, serving until she was decommissioned on December 1st, 2012. The USS George H W Bush (CVN 77), commissioned on January 10th, 2009, is a Nimitz-class supercarrier serving in the US Navy today.

By 1944, the US had built 11 of the largest warships ever constructed, known as supercarriers. As one of its primary naval vessels, the US was able to launch a massive aerial assault on Japanese bases in the Pacific. By 1945, these carriers were instrumental in bringing an end to World War II by enabling a long-range bombing campaign that destroyed Japan’s military infrastructure.

Throughout the course of naval history, there has been a variety of aircraft carriers. With changing technological needs and improving transportation methods, aircraft carriers have evolved over time to suit different eras. One thing is for certain: all aircraft carriers are massive ships that can hold large numbers of aircraft and launch them for battle.

May 16, 2022 0 comment

Female Naval Aviators 1

Female naval aviators paying tribute to the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy

by Till Daisd January 19, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Some of the women that participated in the flyover were individually coached by Rosemary Mariner

The U.S. Navy will say goodbye to its first female fighter pilot on February 2 with an all-female flyover.

Rosemary Mariner, a retired captain who served in the Navy from 1973 to 1997, made a number of significant advancements during her career, including becoming one of the first women to receive pilot wings in 1974, becoming the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet in 1975, and becoming the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron in 1990.

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot — Rosemary Mariner

To celebrate Mariner’s accomplishments as well as her efforts as an instructor and guide, particularly to female pilots, both during and after her military career, the U.S. Navy will conduct its first all-female flyover at her funeral on Saturday.

Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht told USNI News that the Navy had selected all-female pilots to participate in this flyover, which is a first for the service, as well as one of two ground crew being female. He noted that some of the ladies involved in the flyover had received special mentoring from Mariner.

The following is the U.S. Navy’s statement regarding the flyover for Capt. Rosemary Mariner, a retired officer:

Norfolk, Virginia The U.S. Navy will execute the first-ever all-female flyover this Saturday, February 2, in Maynardville, Tennessee, to celebrate the life and legacy of a female pioneer in naval aviation. The memorial, which is officially known as a “Missing Man Flyover,” will be included in the funeral service for former Navy Captain Rosemary Mariner, who passed away on January 24 after a valiant battle with cancer.

Mariner became the Navy’s first female jet pilot in 1974 after finishing her flight training. She flew the A-4E/L “Skyhawk” and the A-7E “Corsair II” while earning her Wings of Gold. She was also the first female military pilot to hold the position of commander of an active aviation squadron. Mariner oversaw Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron Thirty-Four (VAQ-34) during Operation Desert Storm. She made history in 1982 by being one of the first women to qualify as a Surface Warfare Officer and serve on the USS Lexington, a U.S. Navy vessel.

Captain Mariner left the U.S. Navy in 1997 after accruing over 3,500 flight hours in fifteen different aircraft, performing seventeen shipboard arrested landings, or “traps,” and reaching the rank of Captain.

The Missing Man Flyover is a unique remembrance of the aviators who gave their lives while defending their country. Four airplanes are flying over the funeral service information in the maneuver, and one of the aircraft breaks away from the group and soars vertically into the sky.

The F/A-18E/F “Super Hornets” that will be flown during the flyover are all from squadrons stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana.

Participants include:

LCDR Paige “PUFN” Blok Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

Oceanography major LCDR Paige “PUFN” Blok earned her diploma from the United States Naval Academy in 2007. In August 2009, she received her Wings of Gold and has experience flying the F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18F Super Hornet. She has an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as an M.S. in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering. As a Department Head, she began her service with the Fighting Swordsmen of VFA-32 in January 2019.

CDR Stacy “Stigs” Uttecht Commanding Officer, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

CDR Stacy “Stigs” Uttecht got her wings of gold in June 2002 after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2000. In addition to the F/A-18F Super Hornet, she has flown the F-14 Tomcat. Over 3,500 hours have been logged by her, 1,220 of which are in combat, and 400 of which include arrested landings. She also served a year-long IA deployment in Afghanistan.

The second woman to lead a F/A-18 squadron, CDR Uttecht assumed command of the Swordsmen in January 2018.

LCDR Jennifer “Cujo” Hesling

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

With a degree in Aerospace Engineering, LCDR Jennifer “Cujo” Hesling left the United States Naval Academy in 2008. In 2010, she received her Gold Wings. She flew the F/A-18F Super Hornet as a flight instructor and performed 40 combat missions. It is the mother of twin daughters, LCDR Hesling.

LT Christy “Buzz” Talisse Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot — LT Christy “Buzz” Talisse

LT Christy “Buzz” Talisse earned a degree in quantitative economics from the United States Naval Academy in 2013. She recently returned from a deployment with the Fighting Checkmates of VFA-211 aboard the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Dynamic Force Employment.

LCDR Danielle “Purple” Thiriot Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

LCDR Danielle “Purple” Thiriot earned her Wings of Gold in May 2010 after graduating from Harvard University in 2007. She piloted the F/A-18F and over 25 combat missions while leading the Super Hornet Tactical Demonstration Team, which performed at airshows around the United States and Canada. Thiriot recently finished his assignment as ADM John Richardson’s Flag Aide at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. She will join the Pukin’ Dogs of VFA-143 as a Department Head in March 2019.

LT Amanda “Stalin” Lee Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

Born and raised in Mounds View, Minnesota, LT Amanda “Stalin” Lee. She made the decision to serve in the Navy while working at UPS and attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth. She graduated from the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in 2007. Her selection into the Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) Commissioning Program was a result of her successful enlisted career as an aviation electronics technician. Old Dominion University awarded LT Lee a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry; she was commissioned in August 2013. She received the title of Naval Aviator in April 2016 and has just returned from a deployment on board the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), Dynamic Force Employment (DFE), and several exercises with NATO Allies.

LT Emily “Gong” Rixey Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

The United States Naval Academy awarded LT Emily “Gong” Rixey a degree in aerospace engineering in 2012. She is a graduate of the top Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) in the Navy and flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet. She reported to the Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic after graduating, and there she is now a Striker Fighter Tactics Instructor.

LT Kelly “Ston’er” Harris Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

Brevard College’s Kelly C. Harris, LT, graduated there in 2010. She graduated from Newport, Rhode Island’s Officer Candidate School in October 2013 and was commissioned as a navy aviation officer in March 2016. Harris deployed on the USS George H.W. Bush after being assigned to her first fleet squadron, VFA 213, in December 2017. In support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, she conducted 25 combat missions. LT Harris has completed 100 carriers arrested landings and more than 500 hours of flight time in the F/A-18F.

CDR Leslie “Meat” Mintz Executive Officer, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213

Here are the Female Naval Aviators who will honor U.S. Navy First Female Fighter Pilot

CDR Leslie “Meat” Mintz earned a B.S. in systems engineering from the University of Virginia in 2000. She is a gold-winged F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot and received her certification in 2002. She has deployed numerous times in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and has completed training at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). Having flown more than 2,800 hours, CDR Mintz.

Photo by U.S. Navy

January 19, 2022 0 comment

China deployed DF-26 ballistic missiles in response to the “freedom of navigation” operation by the US Navy

by Till Daisd January 5, 2022

written by Till Daisd

China claims that DF-26 missiles are “capable of targeting medium and large ships”

As reported by CNN Philippines, China claims to have deployed missiles “capable of targeting medium and large ships” days after the latest U.S. Navy “freedom of navigation” operation near contested islands in the South China Sea, state media announced.

Originally announced on Jan. 8, 2018, on China Central Television, the deployment of the DF-26 ballistic missiles in China’s remote northwest plateau follows a mission from the US guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85), which steamed close to the Paracel Islands the previous day.

Capable of hitting targets 3,400 miles (5,471 kilometers) away with nuclear or conventional warheads, the DF-26 was dubbed the “Guam killer” by analysts at the time because it would allow China to bring unprecedented firepower to the U.S. island territory—home to Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) and other key US military installations.

The 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea has seen increasing tension in recent years, with China aggressively asserting its stake amid conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations.

“McCampbell sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law,” U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson Lt. j.g. Rachel McMarr said in a statement.

China accused the U.S. of trespassing on its territorial waters.

“The U.S. action violated the Chinese laws and international laws, infringed China’s sovereignty, damaged regional peace, security, and order,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said on Monday. “China will take necessary actions to protect state sovereignty.”

China deploys DF-26 ballistic missiles after latest U.S. Navy — USS McCampbell (DDG 85)

However, the DF-26 missile mobilization “is a good reminder that China is capable of safeguarding its territory.”

Beijing built fortifications on contested islands, landed long-range bombers, and last year President Xi Jinping, who claims the area has been Chinese territory since “ancient times,” oversaw China’s largest-ever naval parade there.

Rear Admiral Lou Yuan, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences, told an audience in Shenzhen that the ongoing disputes over the ownership of the East and South China Seas could be resolved by sinking two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

The high-profile, hawkish military commentator reportedly declared the current trade spat was “definitely not simply friction over economics and trade,” but was instead a “prime strategic issue”.

His speech, delivered on Dec. 20 to the 2018 Military Industry List summit, declared that China’s new and highly capable anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles were more than capable of hitting U.S. Navy carriers, despite them being at the center of a ‘bubble’ of defensive escorts.

“What the United States fears the most is taking casualties,” Admiral Lou claimed.

Yuan said the loss of one super carrier would cost the U.S. the lives of 5,000 servicemen and women. Sinking two would double that toll.

However, on December 31, 2018, the Pentagon formally notified Congress that it wanted to pursue the first dual-carrier contract since the late 1980s.

China deploys DF-26 ballistic missiles after latest U.S. Navy

Photo by Ice Unshattered via Wikipedia Dod and U.S. Navy

January 5, 2022 0 comment

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