Tag Archives: U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy deploys newest patrol aircraft to Japan amid China Air ID Zone crisis

P-8 Poseidon
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U.S. Navy VP-16 has just begun the first deployment with the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft.

The first aircraft departed from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 29. Destination, Kadena, Okinawa, one the largest U.S. airbases in the Asia-Pacific region, located about 400 chilometers East of the disputed Senkaku islands (Diaoyu for China).

The deployment was planned months ago and officially announced on Oct. 3, when US Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida and Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera, agreed to base two US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey squadrons in Okinawa, as well as detach US Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft beginning in December.

However, the situation in the region, with the growing tensions following the establishment of a Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and an incresing amount of aircraft and warships operating around the disputed islands, give a different meaning to the first deployment of the Poseidon, a derivative of the Boeing 737, capable to carry the Mk-54 airborne torpedo and the Harpoon anti-ship missile, and to perform ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) missions as well as ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) tasks.

Poseidons belonging to the VP-16 War Eagles squadron will not only keep an eye on Chinese submarines or perform intelligence missions, but will probably assist rescue efforts in the Philippines, supporting Operation Damayan.

P-8 Poseidon 2

Image credit: U.S. Navy

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[Updated] If you thought aircraft carriers are immune to rough seas, then watch this

E-2 sea
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Aircraft carriers are among the world’s most powerful and deadly weapons systems.

Even if they can almost freely move across the planet’s ocean to bring their embarked Carrier Air Wing where needed, the flying activity launched by the deck of a flattop can be affected by bad weather and….rough seas.

Rough seas not only cause “pitching decks” but can also be quite dangerous when high swells hit the bow of the aircraft carrier running over planes being launched by catapults, as happened to the E-2 Hawkeye in the above picture.

Update Nov. 28 00.00 GMT

After publishing the article, we’ve received the following email by Derek Gordon who explains:

“The photo is…well…parts of two photos.  As bizarre of a coincidence as this is, I actually put it together in Photoshop when I was a JO in 123 while on cruise in 2006.  It was originally for a prank on one of our Dept Heads at the time and we later used it during foscle follies.  The cat shot of the E-2 was a photo I took during work ups and I took the one of the waves crashing over the bow during our transit through the Indian Ocean.  If you look closely you’ll see in the merged photo that the E-2 and steam trail from the catapult track actually don’t line up with the catapult track beneath it.”

Therefore, the image is Photoshopped. Still, these things happen as others have written and as proved by this video:

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[Photo] F-14 Tomcat could land on carrier with missing radome, damaged wing

without a wing
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The Grumman Aerospace Corporation, acquired in 1994 by Northrop Corporation to form the Northrop Grumman,  was one of the most respected aircraft manufacturer in the world and leading airplanes builder for the U.S. Navy in the 20th century.

But among the fighter pilots community it was known as “Grumman Ironworks”, due to its aircraft ability to come back to the carriers or bases after having been heavily damaged, thanks to their strength and durability.

These incredible achievements were the result of the main Ironworks rule: pilots are far more valuable than planes.

The last product of the Grumman was the F-14 Tomcat which was not only one of the deadliest fighter in the aviation history, but also one of the sturdiest airframe ever built: in fact, like the Wildcat, Hellcat and Avenger in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War, the Tomcat was able to bring back home its aircrews even if badly damaged.

Look at the impressive pictures in this post.

The first photo depicts the F-14A BuNo 159832 side number 205 which on Jun. 29, 1991 experienced a mid-air collision over South Chinese Sea with another Tomcat, the BuNo 161597 side number 201. Both aircraft were from Black Lions of the VF-213, at the time embarked on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and while the “201” crashed into the sea where the crew was rescued, the “205” was able to land to Singapore after loosing part of its right wing.

Another proof of the F-14 strength is given by the BuNo 161433, at the time assigned to the VF-142 Ghostriders, that is here photographed while landing aboard the USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Persian Gulf. This picture was taken on Nov. 13, 1991 when the Tomcat lost its radome which hit the canopy, broke the windscreen and injured the pilot, LCdr. Edwards: however Edwards and its Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) LCdr. Grundmeier were able to make a successful landing back aboard the “IKE”. For their skills both aircrew members received the Distinguished Flying Cross decoration and  the Tomcat, which was the seventh A model to be modified to F-14B standards that mounted the new General Electric F-110 engines, was repaired and continued to fly until its retirement in 2004.

without radome

The Grumman Ironworks heritage is well shown in the following video: at first sight it appears to be a standard carrier landing, but if you stop the video at 0:21 you can see this F-14A from Checkmates of the VF-211 landing aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) without its right vertical stabilizer (and not without a wing like the title of the video says)!

Most probably, the best recognition to the Grumman Ironworks and to the F-14 came from Cmdr. James E. Howe, the commanding officer of the VF-31 Tomcatters, the last Tomcat Squadron, who brought the last flying F-14D (BuNo 164603) to Farmingdale Republic Airport on Oct. 4, 2006: “It is truly a comfortable feeling when I man the aircraft and look down at the rudder pedals and it says Grumman. I know that I am going to make it back.”

Dario Leone for TheAviationist.com

Image credit: U.S. Navy via M.A.T.S.

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Hornet Ball 2013 video: the best footage from all the West coast naval Hornet squadrons

Hornet Ball 3
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“Wingnut” is a Hornet pilot who produced the following video for the 2013 Hornet Ball.

The Hornet Ball (Strike Fighter Ball Pacific) is an annual event consisting of all the West coast Naval F-18 Hornet and Super Hornet squadrons, their pilots and guests.

The event each year features a video compiled from all the squadrons’ last year of flying in both combat and training missions: in the 2013 footage you can see everything, from low level flying, to Hornets flying with RMAF Su-30 Flankers, to a High Value Air Asset Escort of a B-52 Stratofortress over a U.S. aircraft carrier, to catapult launches, trap landings, aerobatics, dogfighting and missile firing.

Enjoy.

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Interesting image shows F/A-18E Super Hornet about to land on carrier with afterburner lit

Carrier Landing
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The image in this post is interesting for at least two reasons.

First it shows an F/A-18E preparing to land on USS Nimitz (CVN 68) sailing in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibilty from an unsual point of view: the one of an accompanying warship of the Nimitz Carrier Battle Group.

Second, the Super Hornet is depicted with the afterburner lit, most probably because the pilot is either in the process of adding more power to keep the proper glide path or about to execute a missed approach (“wave off”).

Image credit: U.S. Navy

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