―AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AT WAR by our
Chairman Emeritus, ADM James L. Holloway, III,
USN (Ret), has been put on the Navy professional reading
list. BZ to ADM Holloway!
UUUUU R 042327Z FEB 09 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN BT NAVADMIN 041/09 UNCLAS//N01500//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/FEB// SUBJ/NAVY
PROFESSIONAL
READING
PROGRAM REVISION// GENTEXT/REMARKS/
1. OVER 180 YEARS AGO NAVY SECRETARY SAMUEL SOUTHARD
ORDERED EACH NEW SHIP OUTFITTED FOR SERVICE WITH A
COMPLIMENT OF 37 BOOKS ON TOPICS INCLUDING MATHEMATICS,
HISTORY, AND PHILOSOPHY. HE RECOGNIZED THAT A ROBUST
READING PROGRAM COULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE
FORCE. THIS FACT HOLDS TRUE TODAY. WE WILL SOON
CELEBRATE THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF OUR HIGHLY REGARDED
NAVY PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM (NPRP) BY INTRODUCING
"NAVY READING 2.0," THE FIRST REVISION OF THE NPRP WHICH
ADDS FIVE NEW
TITLES, "LONE SURVIVOR," "AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AT WAR," "THE
ELEPHANT AND THE DRAGON," "FORGOTTEN CONTINENT," AND "SIX
FRIGATES." WHILE THESE UPDATES REFLECT THE CHANGING
WORLD AND GROWING CHALLENGES WE FACE, THE NPRP PURPOSE
REMAINS UNCHANGED: TO FACILITATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OF ALL SAILORS THROUGHOUT THE FLEET.
2. THE KEY TO MAINTAINING THE STRENGTH OF OUR NAVY IS
CONTINUALLY INCREASING OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE. BOOKS ARE TOOLS
THAT EXTEND PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH BEYOND THE
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES OF OUR PERSONNEL. NPRP IS MUCH MORE THAN
A SUGGESTED READING LIST. THESE BOOKS DEVELOP A
GREATER APPRECIATION OF THE VIEWS OF OTHERS; HELP US BETTER
UNDERSTAND OUR CHANGING WORLD; ENHANCE PROFESSIONALISM AND
IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING; FOSTER A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR
NAVAL AND MILITARY HERITAGE; INCREASE OUR
KNOWLEDGE OF JOINT WARFARE; STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO MAKE
SOUND
JUDGMENTS; AND STIMULATE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MARITIME
PROFESSION
AND THE EVER-EVOLVING ROLE OF SEAPOWER.
3. THE 5 NEW TITLES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE NPRP LIBRARY OF
60 BOOKS THAT ALIGN WITH 6 AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE
NAVAL PROFESSIONAL: LEADERSHIP, NAVAL AND MILITARY
HERITAGE, JOINT AND COMBINED WARFARE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL
AWARENESS, CRITICAL THINKING, AND MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC
PLANNING. AS AN AID TO GUIDE READERS TO BOOKS OF PARTICULAR
RELEVANCE, THE NPRP LIBRARY IS SEGMENTED INTO 5, 12-BOOK
COLLECTIONS, WITH EACH COLLECTION SUGGESTED FOR SAILORS AT
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE LEVELS. THESE GROUPINGS ARE SUGGESTIONS
ONLY, AND EVERY SAILOR IS ENCOURAGED TO READ ANY BOOK THAT
INTERESTS
THEM.
4. NAVY READING 2.0 ALSO ENHANCES THE NPRP BY MAKING IT
MORE INTERACTIVE, AFFORDABLE, AND ELECTRONICALLY
ACCESSIBLE. THE NAVY EXCHANGE (NEX) HAS INCREASED ITS
ABILITY TO SELL BOOKS IN PRINT AND AUDIO-CD, AND OFFERS AN
AUDIO BOOK SERVICE AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES. MANY NPRP
TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN DIGITAL AUDIO FORMAT
AT THE REFERENCE SECTION ON NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE (NKO),
UNDER NAVY LIBRARY E-CONTENT. IN THE COMING MONTHS WE ARE
WORKING TO PROVIDE ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUMS FOR SAILORS AND
INCREASE ACCESS TO AUTHORS OF NPRP BOOKS.
5. I EXPECT EVERY SAILOR TO READ AT LEAST TWO TITLES PER
YEAR. THIS LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO LIMIT PROFESSIONAL
READING IN ANY WAY, MERELY TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO SOME
OF THE MANY TITLES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OUR SERVICE. THE
ENTIRE LIST, WITH BOOK SUMMARIES AND ADDITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES IS AVAILABLE AT
WWW.NAVYREADING.NAVY.MIL.
6. COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS, AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE
WILL: A. ACTIVELY PROMOTE THE NPRP, INCORPORATING IT
INTO COMMAND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND GENERAL
MILITARY TRAINING BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO READ AND
DISCUSS THE BOOKS.
B. USE UNIT OPTAR AS NECESSARY TO REPLACE WORN, DAMAGED,
AND MISSING BOOKS AND TO PURCHASE SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES FOR
COMMAND LIBRARIES.
C. DEVELOP INNOVATIVE METHODS TO PROMOTE ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION IN THE NPRP.
D. FACILITATE INCREASED ACCESS TO NPRP TITLES VIA PRINT AND
ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
E. ENSURE THE FIVE NEW BOOKS ARE INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING
COLLECTIONS AND MADE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SAILORS.
7. READING, DISCUSSING, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IDEAS AND
CONCEPTS FOUND IN THE NPRP WILL NOT ONLY IMPROVE OUR
CRITICAL THINKING, IT WILL ALSO HELP US BECOME BETTER
SAILORS, BETTER LEADERS, AND BETTER CITIZENS. AS PRESIDENT
JOHN ADAMS ONCE WARNED, "A FIGHTING SPIRIT WITHOUT
KNOWLEDGE WOULD BE LITTLE BETTER THAN A BRUTAL RAGE." I
ENCOURAGE ALL PERSONNEL TO RENEW THEIR FIGHTING SPIRIT
THROUGH THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL READING.
8. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL
OPERATIONS.// BT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 6, 2009
MISC NOTICES
Anyone with knowledge of a Mr. Chuck Warren on a VP-22
―Wild Geese deployment to Utapao, Thailand in 1974, please
contact me at svwindmills@erols.com or 1446 Waggaman
Circle, McLean, VA 22101.
Randall J. Ramian Appointed new CEO of Hornet Museum The
Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation (ACHF) is pleased to
announce the appointment of Randall J. Ramian as chief
executive officer (CEO) of the USS Hornet Museum in
Alameda, California.
Ramian comes to the USS Hornet with an extensive management
background in the banking industry including Wells Fargo
Bank and Citibank (regional area and branch management) and
Xerox Corporation (regional marketing and finance
management). He has significant experience with a number of
successful start-up ventures.
Ramian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration from San Jose State University, Master‘s of
Public Administration from the University of Southern
California and Master‘s Degree in Strategic Studies from
the U.S. Army War College.
A commander, Supply Corps, in the Naval Reserve, Ramian has
held numerous leadership positions in the U.S. Navy
including commanding and executive officer. He was recalled
to active duty in 2004 – 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and served as
deputy commander/chief of staff of a transportation group
at a major Kuwaiti port with distribution responsibilities
in Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE and Djibouti.
Once active in the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Randall is
currently involved with the U. S. Naval Sea Cadets, a US
Navy League sponsored program for youth. He has served on
the board of directors for several private and public
organizations, including the Treasure Island Museum
Association. Ramian is also a PLANKOWNER of the Aircraft
Carrier Hornet Foundation, supporting the museum since its
inception in 1998.
To assist in finding Ramian the Hornet Foundation Board of
Trustees engaged an executive recruiter, Mr. Ray Fortney of
the Cleantech Group. He conducted an efficient and thorough
nationwide search for suitable candidates for the CEO
position.
Randall resides in Belmont, California, with his wife and
son, and is extremely enthusiastic about his new position
of leadership with the Hornet ―crew.
―Indeed, he says, ―I am excited to be associated with the
icon of Bay Area educational institutions which Hornet is,
and look forward to helping the Hornet museum remain a
premiere sea, air, and space museum, and valuable learning
center, especially for the youth of the area, Hornet Museum
is located in Alameda at carrier pier #3, Alameda Point at
the site of the former Naval Air Station, is open for
visitors most days of the week, and is the site of many
public and private events. Visit www.USS-Hornet.org for
current information.
U.S. Navy Retires Last Lockheed Martin
S-3b Viking From Fleet Service Carrier-Based Multi-Mission
Aircraft Completes 35-Year Career
(DEFENCE PROFESSIONALS 01 FEB 09)
NAS JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The U.S. Navy retired the last
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
S-3 Viking from fleet service in ceremonies here this
morning, closing out the aircraft's
distinguished 35-year Naval career.
Development of the S-3 began in August 1969, and first
flight occurred on January 21, 1972. Sea
Control Squadron 41 (VS-41), the S-3 training unit known as
the Shamrocks and the first operational S-3 unit, received
its first aircraft in February 1974. A total of 187 S-3s
were built (eight test and 179 operational aircraft)
between 1971 and 1978. Over its career, the Viking served
with 18 Navy squadrons and accumulated approximately 1.7
million flight hours. "The S-3 Viking was known as
the 'Swiss Army Knife of Naval Aviation' and served the
U.S.
Navy well in a wide variety of roles over the course of its
operational service life," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin
vice president of P-3/S-3 programs. "The Viking has played
a critical role in carrier-based anti-submarine and
anti-surface warfare, as well as overland operations,
refueling, targeting, and electronic surveillance. And of
course Lockheed Martin is proud of the role it will
continue to play in support of these critical Navy
carrier-based missions, as many of these missions will
eventually be carried out by the F-35C Lightning II."
The first S-3 was built at the then-Lockheed Aircraft Co.
plant in Burbank, Calif., and was trucked to the company's
facility in Palmdale, Calif., for first flight. Company
pilots John Christiansen and Lyle Schaefer were at the
controls, kicking off a 26-month test program. Among
its notable firsts, the S-3 was the first antisubmarine
warfare (ASW) platform to have a computerized acoustic
system. Sea Control Squadron 29 (VS-29), known as the
Dragonfires, made the first S-3 deployment aboard the USS
John F. Kennedy (CVN-67) in July 1975(see Note below). The
S-3 fleet surpassed 100,000 flight hours less than two
years after that first deployment.
Several variants of the S-3 carried out a range of missions
for the U.S. Navy. Seven aircraft were
modified to US-3A Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft,
capable of carrying 4,250 lbs. of cargo.
The ES-3A Shadow was designed for fleet electronic
surveillance, replacing the EA-3B. Sixteen
aircraft were modified to ES-3A configuration, and the
first mission capable Shadow flew in May 1991. Development
of a KS-3A tanker variant began in 1979; although the KS-3A
was never produced, it did prove the concept of "buddy
tanking" (aerial refueling using a wingmounted
pod), which most S-3s later performed. At the height of
combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, S-3 crews
transferred nearly eight million pounds of fuel to
Coalition aircraft.
The significantly improved S-3B was developed in the early
1980s to better detect quiet Soviet
submarines, identify targets and carry standoff weapons.
The S-3B flew for the first time in prototype form in
September 1984. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, an S-3B
from VS-38, the World Famous Red Griffins, carried out the
first S-3 attack mission, disabling Saddam Hussein's
ocean-going yacht with a laser-guided Maverick
air-to-surface missile. In 2003, an S-3B from VS-35 became
the first aircraft ever to have the Navy One call sign when
it carried former President George W. Bush to the USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Under the S-3 Integrated
Maintenance Program (IMP), Lockheed Martin and Navy
personnel worked side-by-side to perform scheduled depot
maintenance and repairs on the S-3s to return the Vikings
rapidly to the operational fleet. The program began in
2001, primarily as a means of reducing the backlog at Naval
Aviation depots. IMP increased S-3 aircraft operational
availability by 53 percent and reduced maintenance tasking
by 47 percent over the depot-level maintenance plan. IMP
also resulted in significantly reduced costs to the Navy. A
total of 149
aircraft were processed through the IMP inspections, and
nearly all of the aircraft were redelivered to the Navy on
or ahead of schedule. The program concluded in 2007, as the
Viking fleet was being drawn down. "The S-3 Viking
will long be remembered for its mission capability, its
flexibility and its
reliability," said Burick. "The aircraft has served the
U.S. Navy admirably for more than three
decades. We salute all who have flown and supported the
Viking."
The NASA Glenn Research Center near Cleveland, Ohio,
currently has four S-3B Vikings,
performing aircraft icing research missions. It is likely
that four S-3Bs will remain in Navy
service, although in a support role providing range
surveillance at the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division at Point Mugu, Calif.
(Defence Professionals (defpro.com) is an internet-based
defence & security business network
run by Germany-based defence.professionals.)
Note: VS-29 first deployed in the S-3 in CVW-14 in USS
ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) - Dutch
Sea Dragon‘s Fate Still In Doubt
No Exact Replacement For Heavy-Lift Helo
(NAVY TIMES 01 FEB 09) ... Andrew
Tilghman
Whether to keep or retire the MH-53E Sea Dragon heavy lift
helicopter is among the last
unresolved questions in the Navy‘s vision for its future
rotary-wing fleet.
The MH-53E — which helps hunt for mines and haul the
heaviest sling loads — is the subject of
a high-level review that has been underway for nearly two
years. The review will be completed
later this year, said Lt. Cmdr. Victor Chen, spokesman for
Navy research, development and
acquisition.
The review is occurring as the Navy ―necks down‖ most of
its helicopter fleet to two models, the
MH-60S and MH-60R Seahawks.
But neither of those helicopters is as big and powerful as
the MH-53, which can lift up to three
times more than Seahawks.
―The big question mark is the heavy lift and whether or not
the [MH-60] Sierra is going to be
able to do what the 53 did,‖ said Bob Work, a retired
Marine colonel and naval expert with the
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in
Washington.
The Navy has two squadrons totaling 31 Sea Dragons and
expects to keep some in service until
2017. On average, they have flown about 5,000 hours with an
expected life span of 9,600 hours,
said Stephanie Vendrasco, a spokeswoman for helicopter
programs at Naval Air Systems
Command in Patuxent River, Md.
The MH-53 may lose its mine-hunting mission when the Navy
transfers that task to the MH-60S
by 2011, said Capt. Thomas Criger, a staff officer with
Naval Air Forces who has helped oversee
the helicopter transition.
But those new systems for tracking and destroying mines
remain untested, Work said.
And even if they are successful, the Navy may want or need
to retain heavy lift capability, which
is vital for large-scale logistical missions such as
humanitarian relief.
For example, after Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast in
2005 and the massive tsunami in
southeast Asia in 2004, the Sea Dragon played a critical
role in delivering supply loads too big
for other helicopters to carry to places too remote for
fixed-wing aircraft to land.
Several officers said privately that options for keeping a
heavy lift capability past 2017 include
extending the life of the existing MH-53, which would be
very costly.
They also said the Navy could also purchase a newer
version, the MH-53K, which the Marine
Corps has agreed to buy and expects to make operational by
2015. The Corps‘ move to develop a
new Sea Dragon gives the Navy added flexibility.
―If they find out they do need a heavy lift capacity, with
the 53K in development, [the Navy has]
a fallback plan, Work said.
Some aviation officers oppose the idea of retiring the
MH-53 without a replacement. Last year,
Lt. Cmdr. Scott Samo at the Air Command and Staff College
wrote a paper outlining concerns
about the move.
―There is a very real concern in the Navy test and
operational communities that the MH-60S will
not provide the necessary capabilities to replace the
MH-53E. The elimination of the MH-53E in
favor of the MH-60S will result in the loss of specific
capabilities, Samo wrote in April 2008.
―At a minimum, the Navy needs to re-evaluate its current
[concept of operations] and explore the
need for a more capable helicopter force, one that includes
a true [anti-mine countermeasure]/heavy lift helicopter.
2,000 Say Goodbye To USS Kitty Hawk
More Than 2,000 People Gathered To Say Goodbye To The USS
Kitty Hawk, A 48-Year-Old
Aircraft Carrier, Today In Bremerton.
(SEATTLE TIMES 31 JAN 09) ... Christine Clarridge
ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK — If this country ever needed a
crew of loyal sailors,
ready and more than willing — if not all quite as able — to
take up their posts again, the former
crew members of the USS Kitty Hawk would answer the call.
"If they needed me, I'd be there in a second," said Dan
Hemrich, of Everett, who attended a
ceremony today at Bremerton Naval Station to honor the
Navy's oldest active warship and its
nearly five decades of service.
More than 2,000 former and current crew members, their
families and dignitaries gathered to bid
the aircraft carrier goodbye.
"Hell, yeah, be there," said his crewmate, Danny King, of
Austin, Texas.
William Dobbins, of Grass Valley, Calif., was among the
original crew that first sailed the ship out of
Philadelphia, around the tip of South America and into her
first homeport at San Diego. He, uses a wheelchair
now. But he, too, would serve if called.
"To me, she still looks like she's ready to go to sea," he
said with a catch in his voice.
Miss Kitty, as she was sometimes called, took part in more
combat missions in Vietnam than any
other carrier, and in recent years participated in missions
off Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Navy's last fossil-fueled aircraft carrier, the Kitty
Hawk is being retired, moved from Pier 6
at the Bremerton Naval Station to the shipyard next door,
where it will ultimately be
decommissioned.
"You should be immensely proud," Adm. Timothy Keating,
commander of the U.S. Pacific
Command, said at Saturday's ceremony.
"You understand how powerful a symbol of national
sovereignty this is: 75,000 tons of sacred American
influence going where we need," Keating told the current
and former crew members.
"Your names will be written in gold in the pages of history
for your sacrifice and your service."
After the ceremony, visitors gathered, looked at old
yearbooks, photos and other memorabilia,
and recalled their adventures.
"I was just a farm kid from Kansas and this is where I saw
the world and learned to be a man,"
said Dobbins, who was in the Navy from 1940 through 1970.
He talked about how the whole ship would grieve when a
pilot and a plane were lost; how they
rejoiced together and endured fear. "When I saw her again,
it was like coming home," he said.
Other former crew members recalled their forays to the
Philippines and Vietnam. They talked
about watching the sky light up from the flight deck during
a nuclear test off the coast of San
Francisco, about going to Cuba during the missile crisis,
about the time a near-riot broke out
onboard while the ship was docked in Brazil.
That time, a Brazilian ship had broken loose from its
moorings while the Kitty Hawk had 10,000
visitors aboard. As the vessel drifted toward the carrier,
the crew was told to pull up the anchor
and get underway.
The visitors onboard thought they were being kidnapped,
said former machinist mate Jim Strahl,
and it took members of the Brazilian army, who were also
onboard, to restore order.
Aviation boatswain's mate Brandon Reyes said it has been an
honor and an education to be on
the ship's final crew.
"It's been awe-inspiring to see how many people showed up"
at the ceremony, Reyes said. "But
she's an old ship. When the seas are rough, she takes a
beating. She's paid her dues and it's time
to let her rest."
Boeing Confident Navy Will Buy More Super Hornet Fighting
Jets
(THE HILL 02 FEB 09) ... Roxana Tiron
After a two-year lobbying push, Boeing is increasingly
confident that the Navy will buy more F-
18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jets — keeping the company‘s
production line humming for at least
another eight years.
Boeing and its large supplier base are shifting their
strategy. They‘ve fanned out their lobbying
for a new multiyear contract for the Super Hornets to
members of Congress outside the
traditional defense committees, where the defense giant
spent most of its capital in the past. The
company is also some of shifting some of its argument to
match the economic winds. Like a
growing chorus of defense companies, Boeing argues that
Pentagon programs keep thousands of
people employed across the country amid a recession. The
production of the Super Hornet
employs 110,000 people in 44 states, said Bob Gower, vice
president for Boeing‘s F/A-18
programs.
Gower emphasized that the need for more Super Hornets arose
well before the economic crisis
and the attendant necessity to stimulate the economy. But
the economic benefit is an added
muscle in the lobbying battle, said Gower, who believes the
result is growing momentum in
Congress and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for
the program.
Dozens of senators and House lawmakers — from Washington
state and Massachusetts to New
York, North Carolina and Missouri — wrote to Defense
Secretary Robert Gates late last year
urging him to fund more Super Hornets in the 2010 budget.
Boeing manages the F-18 Hornet program out of St. Louis,
and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Rep.
Todd Akin (R-Mo.) have led the charge for several years to
keep the production line open and
build more Super Hornets.
―We feel very confident that the time is right for the
multiyear [contract] because it is based on a
need that was articulated before the economic meltdown,
Gower said in an interview. ―The
Navy is headed toward adding quantities of Super Hornet. I
am feeling more confident now than
I have to date.
Gower stressed, however, that he does not think it‘s a done
deal and that the situation could
change.
―All the indications we see are looking toward a multiyear
[contract] of 149 aircraft, Gower
said.
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week,
Gates signaled that the Navy is
interested in looking into another multiyear contract.
Gates also told lawmakers that the Pentagon intends to
pursue weapons systems and hardware
that represent the ―75 percent solution rather than a small
quantity of ―99 percent exquisite
systems. This means using more of the existing
technologies that can be continued at a lesser
cost instead of more cutting-edge — and more expensive —
technologies.
―We‘ve begun to purchase systems that have more efficient
rates for the production lines, and I
believe we can combine budget stability and order rates
that take advantage of economies of
scale to lower costs, Gates said.
To Boeing, that is an encouraging stance, Gower said.
Boeing will reach the end of a five-year contract with the
Navy for Super Hornets this year. The
company is also slated to deliver another 89 aircraft to
the Navy beyond the multiyear
agreement. Those remaining airplanes will be delivered by
2012, when the domestic requirement
for the Super Hornets would end.
To reach another multiyear contract for 149 aircraft, the
Navy would budget for an additional 60
fighter jets above the 89 that Boeing already is under
contract to build. Combining those
numbers would create a quantity large enough to require a
multiyear contract.
Boeing argues the Navy would save 10 percent by buying the
aircraft under a multiyear contract
versus buying the planes on an annual basis. Under the
current five-year contract, Boeing is
projecting to save the Navy about $1 billion.
The Navy must submit a congressionally mandated report by
March 1 detailing how it will
address the strike fighter shortfall, how many Super
Hornets it needs and what the projected
savings would be from another multiyear contract.
The Navy has been looking at a series of options ranging
from adding the minimum of 60
aircraft for the 149-plane contract to as many as 121 more
planes for a 210-plane contract over a
five-year period, according to industry sources familiar
with the issue.
The procurement of additional Super Hornets is under
consideration, but the Navy has not made
a final decision, said Lt. Clay Doss, a Navy spokesman. He
added that specific quantities cannot
be discussed until the fiscal 2010 budget is submitted to
Congress.
Navy officials, including the chief of naval operations,
have said that the service will face a
shortfall of at least 69 fighter jets by 2017. Some predict
that number could go as high as 200.
The shortfall will continue until the service completes the
procurement of Lockheed Martin‘s F-
35C Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) by 2025.
The Navy bases its fighter needs on three assumptions: that
older versions of the F-18 (the A
through D models) will fly for another 10,000 hours and
won‘t need to be replaced with the
Super Hornet; that the Navy‘s variant of the new Lockheed
Martin-built Joint Strike Fighter will
be ready over the next decade; and that the Navy will be
able to buy 50 JSFs a year.
However, the Navy has uncovered problems with plans to
extend the life of its F/A-18 Hornets
that could burden efforts to mitigate a shortage of strike
fighter aircraft. The Navy last summer
found that keeping the A- through D-model Hornets flying
longer will require additional
inspections and modifications, as well as a longer time out
of service.
Meanwhile, the Super Hornet is expected to share carrier
decks with the JSF until 2030.
The stakes are high for Boeing. The company fears that it
could be inched out of the domestic
fighter jet business if the Navy does not buy more Hornets
after 2012. Boeing and Lockheed are
the only two U.S. fighter assembly companies.
Boeing officials fear that by the time the Navy or Air
Force wants a new strike fighter or
bomber, Lockheed will be the only company with the design,
engineering and production
capability left to step up to the plate if the Super Hornet
is phased out.
BLUE ANGELS 2009 Schedule
MARCH
14
21 - 22
28 - 29
NAF El Centro, California
Punta Gorda, Florida
Tyndall AFB, Florida
APRIL
04 - 05
18 - 19
25 - 26
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
MAY
02 - 03
09 - 10
16 - 17
20 & 22
23 - 24
30 - 31
NAS New Orleans, Louisiana
Barksdale, Louisiana (PENDING)
MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina
USNA, Annapolis, Maryland
Pax River, Maryland
Janesville, Wisconsin
JUNE
06 - 07
13 - 14
20 - 21
27 - 28
Indianapolis, Indiana
Denver, Colorado
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
North Kingston, Rhode Island
JULY
04 - 05
11
18 - 19
25 - 26
Binghamton, New York
Pensacola Beach, Florida (PENDING)
Ypsilanti, Michigan (PENDING)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
AUGUST
01 - 02
08 - 09
22 - 23
29 - 30
Seattle, Washington
Salinas, California
Fargo, North Dakota
Offutt AFB, Nebraska
SEPTEMBER
05 - 07
11
19 - 20
26 - 27
Toronto, Canada
NAS Fallon, Nevada
Reno Air Races, Nevada
Redding, California
OCTOBER
02 - 04
10 - 11
17 - 18
24 - 25
31
MCAS Miramar, California
San Francisco, California
NAS Oceana, Virginia
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston, Texas
NOVEMBER
01
07 - 08
13 - 14
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
NAS Pensacola, Florida
Schedule is subject to change without notice and is
weather permitting, for everyone's safety.
BAMS Proceeds, Navy UAS Arrives In Centcom
(AVIATION WEEK 04 FEB 09) ... Amy Butler
The U.S. Navy has altered - only slightly - its schedule
for developing and testing the new Broad
Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aerial system (UAS)
after an industry protest
put the effort on hold temporarily last year.
The first aircraft will begin testing in fiscal 2012, says
Capt. Bob Dishman, the Navy‘s program
manager for maritime UAS. Earlier plans called for flight
testing as early as 2011. Low-rate
production is now expected to begin in FY ‗13, and initial
operational capability is slated to take
place by early FY ‗16, he says, a slight slip from earlier
hopes in 2015.
Northrop Grumman won the $1.6 billion development contract
in April after proposing a Global
Hawk-based system carrying a 360-degree mechanically
steered active electronically scanned
array radar. The company beat an offering from a Lockheed
Martin and General Atomics, which
pitched a maritime-oriented version of the Predator UAS.
Lockheed‘s team protested the decision, but a government
audit supported the Navy‘s choice and
the Navy restarted work on the development in August 2008.
Dishman, speaking at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International‘s annual
program review conference in Washington on Feb. 3, says he
now expects the full fleet of
BAMS systems to be fielded by FY ‗19. The Navy is buying 68
of the unmanned aircraft. Rear
Adm. William Shannon, Navy program executive officer for
Navy unmanned systems, says a
system requirements review for BAMS that was conducted last
week went well, clearing the way
for development.
Meantime, the first Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD)
UAS deployed to the U.S.
Central Command has arrived in its Middle East-Central
Asian theater of operations. The system
is expected to conduct its first flight shortly, Shannon
says.
The aircraft, a precursor to the full BAMS design, will
support maritime surveillance
requirements there. Navy officials demurred on deployment
details, but it is likely the UAS
would be collocated with Air Force Global Hawks that
operate out of Al Dhafra Air Base in the
United Arab Emirates.
Today‘s Rhumb Lines is the ―First of the Month look at
CNO‘s areas of focus; how the Navy is
executing the Maritime Strategy and the three main areas of
CNO‘s Guidance –maintaining
warfighting readiness, building the future force and the
readiness of our people.
A product of... Navy Office of Information www.navy.mil
February 2, 2009
Chief of Naval Operations‘ Monthly Update
“The right technologies must be harnessed to give us the
mix of capabilities our warfighters need.
Investments that further ballistic missile defense,
integrated air defense, area anti-submarine warfare,
mine warfare, irregular warfare, and cyber operations are
what we should be focused on. Likewise,
technologies that reduce overall expenses are worth the
up-front investment – things like open
architecture, modularity, and minimal manning technologies.
Total ownership costs and life cycle costs must figure into
our decisions because we cannot afford excess at any
stage.”
– Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations
In January CNO travelled to Norfolk, Va., for the
commissioning ceremony of USS George H.W. Bush
(CVN 77). He also spoke at the 21st
Annual Surface Navy Association Symposium about the status
of today’s Navy and what we are doing to build the Navy of
tomorrow. President Barack Obama took office on January
20th and CNO attended several events in support of our new
Commander in Chief.
Current Readiness – Fleet Response Plan
The Fleet Response Plan has provided unprecedented
readiness value to our nation. Aircraft carriers and
carrier air wings allow for flexible, mission-tailored
forces while ensuring the nation is prepared for the
inevitable crises that require the supremacy of an aircraft
carrier. But individual ships in the Fleet have the
flexibility to deploy and carry out missions across the
spectrum of capabilities as well. Our surface combatants
are general purpose - they can go from delivering Tomahawks
to delivering humanitarian aid in the midst of conflict and
disaster, and their flexibility and utility stretch out
over decades. We must retain that flexibility and
responsiveness by adequately resourcing readiness and
adequately developing the skills and the competence of our
Sailors. The commissioning of CVN 77 is an example of the
flexibility that our Navy will offer not just today’s
commander in chief, but for the presidents of the future.
“Under the Fleet Response Plan, Sailors have taken our
Navy from a force that on September 10th, 2001, could only
deliver two carrier strike groups, to the force that today
can deploy three carrier strike groups, surge three in 30
days, and have one more CSG on its way in 90 days. The
incredible flexibility this gives to the combatant
commanders and the agility it gives to the commander in
chief are national assets that must be resourced as such.”
Future Readiness – 313 is the Navy’s Shipbuilding Floor
At the Surface Navy Association Symposium, CNO stressed
that the minimum number of ships the
Navy needs to continue to be a strong maritime force today
and in the future is 313. The scope and
magnitude of the nation’s interests and the dispersion of
threats across the globe make it imperative for the Navy to
look at its force structure - the number and mix of ships
needed to protect and advance
American interests and security.
“313 is still the floor when it comes to the size of the
fleet we need to carry out our maritime strategy. The
capacity of our Fleet – the number of ships we have -
matters greatly today and I believe will matter even more
in the future.”
People – Sailors are the Foundation of our Fleet
Nothing is more important to today’s Fleet or the Fleet of
the future than the Sailors and Navy civilians
whose hard work and determination make it come to life.
Everyone should be working to set the
standards of excellence every day, whether they are
supporting the Navy ashore, at sea or boots on the ground.
“To see these young men and women move so competently
and confidently between the many missions that they must
perform is to really understand the power and flexibility
of our Navy. This year [2008] those Sailors shot down an
errant satellite, they provided air cover to their
shipmates, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines on the ground, they
delivered aid in the midst of conflict in Georgia, they
fought on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they
sailed the world in defense of freedom and prosperity. They
are unrivalled in their abilities and it is because of them
that we are all here today, planning to build the fleet
they will use to keep our nation safe for years to come.”
Navy Contractor Criticizes Congressional Cuts To E-2D
Program
(WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY 09 FEB 09)
Northrop Grumman Corp. is calling on Congress to restore
funding for the Navy‘s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft on
the grounds that proposed cuts would displace U.S. workers
and even threaten global security, reports Aviation Week.
Northrop Grumman officials described the apparent
$200-million plus cut as a ―high-risk move.
Congress has proposed budget cuts for the program in fiscal
years 2009 and 2010.
―There is a great sense of urgency today to restore
production procurement dollars into the E-2D
Advanced Hawkeye budget—otherwise hundreds of U.S. jobs
will be lost and taxpayers will not
derive the benefit of economies of scale, Tom Vice,
Northrop Grumman‘s vice president for its
Aerospace Systems sector said in a statement.
The company has just completed the operational assessment
phase with two demonstration
aircraft and is on schedule with its three pilot production
aircraft, he said. Northrop Grumman's
team comprises 280 suppliers.
The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the Navy‘s carrier-based
Airborne Early Warning and Battle
Management Command and Control aircraft.
(Washington Technology is a United States magazine for
government contractors providing an
in-depth look at government programs, technologies and
spending priorities, as well as
management issues, case studies M&A, and trends that impact
the contractor community.
Washington Technology is published semimonthly.)
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
BT
UNCLAS//N01020//
NAVADMIN 051/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/FEB//
SUBJ/REPORT OF THE NAVY UNIFORM BOARD AND UNIFORM UPDATES//
3. THE PROFESSIONAL AVIATION MAINTENANCE OFFICER (PAMO)
DESIGNATION
INSIGNIA DESIGN HAS BEEN APPROVED AND IS AUTHORIZED FOR
WEAR BY
AVIATION MAINTENANCE OFFICERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED
THE PAMO QUALIFICATION AND DESIGNATION PROGRAM AS OUTLINED
IN REF
B. THE PAMO INSIGNIA IS TWO AND THREE-QUARTER INCHES BY ONE
AND ONE EIGHTH
INCHES, GOLD AND SILVER METAL PIN SHOWING THE SILVER EAGLE
AND SHIELD SUPERIMPOSED OVER GOLD AVIATION WINGS WITH A
GOLD
BANNER DEPICTING AERO MAINTENANCE, AND WILL HAVE EITHER AN
ANODIZED OR OXIDIZED FINISH OF REGULAR OR MINIATURE SIZING.
THE NEW
INSIGNIA WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT NAVY EXCHANGE
UNIFORM
CENTERS OR VIA THE NAVY EXCHANGE UNIFORM SUPPORT CENTER BY
FEBRUARY 2010. A GRAPHIC IMAGE OF BOTH INSIGNIAS IS
AVAILABLE ON THE
NAVY UNIFORM MATTERS WEBSITE AT
HTTP://WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/USNAVYUNIFORMS/.
Here are some shots of San Diego-based aircraft aboard the
USS Stennis –
thanks to John Fry, CO ANA SAN DIEGO
PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 15, 2009) Aviation Boatswain's Mate
(Handling) 1st Class Beau Pepin,
from Center City, Minn., gives hand signals to CAPT C J
“Ollie” Murray from the "Death
Rattlers" of VMFA-323 during flight operations aboard the
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS
John C. Stennis (CVN 74). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass
Communication Specialist 1st Class
Denny Cantrell/Released)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 15, 2009) An F/A-18C Hornet from the
"Death Rattlers" of VMFA-323
prepares for an arrested landing on the flight deck aboard
the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis and Carrier
Air Wing (CVW) 9 are on a
scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific
Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass
Communication Specialist 1st Class Denny Cantrell/Released)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 15, 2009) An MH-60S Sea Hawk from the "Eightballers"
of Helicopter
Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, embarked aboard the Nimitz-class
aircraft carrier USS John
C. Stennis (CVN 74), flies plane guard during sunset flight
operations. (U.S. Navy photo by
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Denny
Cantrell/Released)
It's A 'Clean Sweep'
"No Major Problems" Were Discovered After The Crew Put The
USS George H.W. Bush
Through Its Paces.
(NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS 17 FEB 09) ... Peter Frost
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK - Just after 1:30 p.m. Monday, the
USS George H.W. Bush
aircraft carrier returned to Hampton Roads harbor with
three brooms hoisted on its giant mast,
signaling a "clean sweep" for the ship's first round of sea
trials.
After a three-day testing period conducted off the Virginia
and North Carolina coast, a Northrop
Grumman Shipbuilding official said the $6.26 billion
Newport News-built warship performed
"exceptionally well, with no major problems."
With builder's trials complete, the Bush is now on track to
undergo its final round of trials, called
acceptance trials, within a few weeks, and the ship will be
ready for delivery to the Navy in
April, said Ken Mahler, Northrop's vice president of Navy
programs, from aboard the ship.
"Delivery will probably be in the April time frame. It
looks like it will be agreed to, but the Navy
will be the one to ultimately decide," he said.
Sea trials Photo Breaking from Navy tradition, the Bush was
granted a special commission status
on Jan. 10 after being transferred from Newport News to
Norfolk by tugboat. Navy and shipyard
officials have said the ship was due to be delivered by
March 31.
At sea last weekend, the ship's crew put the Bush's twin
nuclear reactors through their paces,
conducting high-speed runs and turns in the Atlantic. Navy
aircraft participated in the trials,
performing simulated fly-bys and landings to ensure the
Bush's systems were able to accurately
track and communicate with the planes.
The Bush "supported all things planned for its upcoming
underway period," Mahler said. "There
were smiles all around, from admirals to the crew to the
shipbuilders. It was really a tribute to all
of the effort of thousands of shipbuilders and the Navy."
Shipyard workers and sailors will spend the next few weeks
making small adjustments to the
carrier's systems to fix limited discrepancies in the
ship's performance, Mahler said. For
example, a break system for the ship's anchors needs slight
adjustment, and communications
systems need to be tweaked before the Bush heads back to
sea.
The scheduled fixes "are small in nature and well within
the norm," Mahler said.
About 2,500 were on board the carrier for the weekend
testing excursion, including top Navy
admirals, the ship's crew and about 900 vendor
representatives, officials, engineers and workers
from the Newport News shipyard.
"It's always exciting, and a proud moment for our people
who have worked on this ship for seven
or eight years," Mahler said. "It's always special to
deliver a new carrier to the Navy. It's a lot of
pride and a lot of recognition for hard work that's been
put into this magnificent and complex
ship."
M-70 Leads New Era In Sea Control
Release Date: 2/17/2009 4:55:00 PM
By Clark Pierce, Jax Air News Editor
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The commander of the first East
Coast helicopter maritime
strike squadron to fly the new MH-60R Seahawk passed his
unit's commissioning pennant to
commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, U.S. Atlantic
Fleet at the HSM-70 establishment
ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville Feb. 12.
"Thank you all for joining us today to mark the beginning
of a new era in Navy aviation," said
HSM-70 Commanding Officer Cmdr. William Walsh. "This is the
culmination of extraordinary
efforts by literally thousands of people – from our
industry partners and fleet introduction team
to wing leaders and my highly qualified squadron
personnel."
Walsh then read OPNAV Notice 3111.
"Effective 12 February 2009, establish HSM-70 with the
directed mission to conduct all-weather
sea control operations in open ocean and littoral
environments as an integral part of carrier air
wing in support of a distributed force with a core on board
the CVN and MH-60R detachments
on board surface combatants."
"This is a historic day for our Navy helicopter force and
NAS Jacksonville. What you see here is
our newest Seahawk, flown and maintained by the
best-trained personnel in aviation," Capt.
Glenn Doyle, commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing,
U.S. Atlantic Fleet said, after
accepting the commissioning pennant from Walsh. "The
MH-60R, or 'Romeo' as we call it,
combines the capabilities of the SH-60B and SH-60F with a
sophisticated new cockpit, avionics
and mission systems. I want to personally thank our friends
at Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed
Martin and their partners for producing the best
helicopters in the world."
Doyle also recognized the contributions of the fleet
introduction team led by Capt. Thomas
Criger, PMA-299 (NAVAIR H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter
Program) led by Capt. Dean Peters,
fleet replacement squadron HSM-41 led by Cmdr. Tom Braden,
the wing staff and the men and
women of HSM-70.
"It is appropriate that our guest speaker [Rear Adm.
Townsend Alexander] is not only
commander, Navy Region Southeast – but also a Navy
helicopter pilot with deep roots in the
Jacksonville tri-base area," he said.
"He started flying with HSL-33 in San Diego. Then he did
four flying tours with HSL-46 and
HSL-40 homeported at Naval Station Mayport. His assignments
also included instructor pilot at
HSL-40 and commanding officer of HSL-46. In his current
position here at NAS Jacksonville, I
have no doubt he will take note as more Romeos are
delivered to the Spartans."
Alexander delivered his congratulations to Walsh and his
Sailors.
"I know you're excited about the opportunities ahead. Today
marks a change in the way we fight.
The Romeo brings new systems and capabilities to the fleet.
Your Seahawks are the most
survivable, lethal and reliable ever – projecting enhanced
combat power to perform missions of
anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, area
surveillance and combat identification.
"We've recently witnessed some sundown ceremonies at NAS
Jax. Today's ceremony brings
some balance and reminds us that life is the inevitable
process of change. But, one thing that
remains constant is the importance of a well-trained crew.
As we cast our eyes to the future,
remember the axiom that we recruit Sailors – but we retain
families. From what I see, the plank
owners of this Spartan family are ready and able to meet
the future of Navy aviation," said
Alexander.
Walsh said the Spartans are slated to deploy with Carrier
Air Wing (CVW) 8 on board the newly
commissioned USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).
"We face many challenges as the first of four CVW-based
SH-60R helicopter squadrons
homeported at NAS Jacksonville. I know that the men and
women of this squadron are ready to
meet those challenges head on – and set the pace for those
who follow," said Walsh.
HSM-70 consists of 22 officers, 22 chief petty officers and
159 Sailors. When fully operational,
the Spartans will be assigned 11 helicopters.
USS Eisenhower Carrier Group To Deploy
(ASSOCIATED PRESS 18 FEB 09)
NORFOLK -- The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike
Group will deploy this week with
about 6,000 sailors.
The Navy said today that the group will support maritime
security operations and operate around
the world.
The guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge is scheduled to
leave Norfolk Friday. The
Eisenhower and most of the strike group's other
Norfolk-based ships are scheduled to leave
Saturday.
Deployment of the guided missile destroyer USS Stout will
occur later. -- The Associated Press
Conn. Lawmakers Seek To Reinsert Sikorsky Into Pres Helo
Effort
(DEFENSE DAILY 18 FEB 09) ... Emelie Rutherford
Connecticut lawmakers, still smarting from Sikorksy's [UTX]
2005 loss in the next-generation
presidential helicopter competition, want the Obama
Pentagon to rework the current and overbudget
VH-71 chopper contract to include the Connecticut company.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has spearheaded a request to
the Navy for detailed information on
the current program--steered by a Lockheed Martin [LMT]-Bell
Helicopter Textron [TXT]-
AgustaWestland team-- including an analysis of a contract
recompetition or split-production
deal. Her district is home to Sikorsky, which had made the
Marine One helicopters since
President Eisenhower starting using them.
"We want to look at what the developmental plans are for
the program; we need to understand
the analysis of the program and to raise the questions that
we have," DeLauro, a defense
appropriator, said in an interview yesterday. "It's
excessive cost overruns, delays, additional
requirements, and so my own view is that what we need to do
is recompete the program."
Navy Secretary Donald Winter notified Congress last month
the VH-
71 program suffered a critical cost breach requiring the
Pentagon to recertify it to Congress.
Under the Nunn-McCurdy law, to continue the program must be
shown to be essential to
national security, have no comparable but less costly
alternatives, and have reasonable and
under- control cost estimates.
In addition, Congress included language in the fiscal year
2009 defense authorization act last fall
requiring the defense secretary submit to Congress an
analysis of a potential VH-71 contract
recompetition with the Nunn-McCurdy certification, which
lawmakers knew was imminent. The
statute says the existing VH-71 contract should not be
restructured before the completion of the
Nunn-McCurdy certification process. It also requires the
Navy secretary to craft a report spelling
out the details of the VH-71 cost growth and financials.
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), a member of the House Armed
Services Committee (HASC),
joined DeLauro in the recent request to the Navy. He said
his concerns about the VH-71 program
go beyond his advocacy for homestate jobs.
"There's no question that the warning flags are very high
in terms of the way this thing is played
out," he said yesterday in an interview.
Courtney noted how Defense Secretary Robert Gates testified
last month before the HASC about
making hard choices on weapons programs via targeted cuts
to troubled efforts.
"If the secretary is serious about really approaching
spending in a very sort of rigorous costbenefit
way, then this is a program that really should be right at
the top of the list in terms of
being examined," Courtney said about the current VH-71
effort. DeLauro, Courtney and four other Connecticut
Democrats--Sen. Christopher Dodd and Reps. John Larson,
Christopher Murphy, and James Himes--last week requested a
thorough report and briefing on the presidential-helicopter
program. They asked for "an analysis of the potential
advantages of either re-opening the contract for bidding or
requiring split-production between Lockheed Martin and the
incumbent contractor" in a Feb. 11 letter to Winter.
Navy spokesman Lt. Clayton Doss said the service will
provide "an appropriate response" to the
lawmakers' request, but said he could not comment on
specifics of congressional
correspondence.
Connecticut lawmakers were upset that the current VH-71
team received the contract, in part
because Lockheed Martin wasn't in the helicopter-building
business and AgustaWestland is
based in Europe.
Costs rose on the developmental aircraft with the addition
of added requirements, which
detractors said made it nearly as advanced as the Air Force
One presidential plane.
Courtney said he hopes Obama opts against the current VH-71
contract to support American jobs
and also to send a message.
"I think that saying we have tough times and I don't need
the equivalent of an Air Force One
(plane) for a helicopter would show some message of modesty
that I think would resonate with
people right now," he said.
House Appropriations Defense subcommittee Chairman John
Murtha has continually cited
concerns about rising VH-71 costs resulting from added
requirements. Murtha said at a Feb. 11
hearing that he told defense officials "we're not going to
pay $500 million for one helicopter,
period." Murtha told reporters current VH-71 plans are
"unacceptable."
According to the Navy, the VH-71 program office estimates
there was a cost breach to the
Program Acquisition Unit Cost of more than 50 percent
compared to the original baseline
estimate in February 2006 (Defense Daily, Jan. 30). The
28-aircraft program's rising price was
revealed last March, when Pentagon acquisition chief John
Young said he expected the overall
cost to rise from $6.8 billion to $11.2 billion; yet the
official Nunn-McCurdy notification was put
off while program officials explored cost-saving measures.
Developmental work on second the increment of the two-part
helicopter effort has been under a
stop-work order since December 2007.
Those more-advanced Increment II helicopters have been
slated to reach initial operational
capability (IOC) in 2017. For the more-basic Increment I
helicopters, slated for IOC in late 2010,
the Lockheed Martin team has begun building some of the
test and pilot-production aircraft.
From A Carrier, Another View Of America’s Air War In
Afghanistan
(NEW YORK TIMES 24 FEB 09) ... Elisabeth Bumiller
ABOARD U.S.S. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, on the Arabian Sea —
Every day from the deck
of this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off the coast of
Pakistan, two dozen combat planes are
catapulted into the sky for the 500-mile trip to southern
Afghanistan. There the pilots circle
Taliban strongholds like an airborne 911 service and zoom
in when American and British troops,
spread thin and often panicked, call in airstrikes.
The Navy has been back in these waters providing more air
power since August, in large part
because the ground reinforcements that commanders have been
pleading for have not yet come.
From 15,000 feet up, the pilots protect supply lines under
increasing attack, fly reconnaissance
missions to find what they call ―bad guys‖ over the next
hill, and go ―kinetic‖ with bombs that
kill three, four or five Taliban fighters at a time. They
can always tell when troops who call in
airstrikes are under direct fire.
―They‘re trying to talk to you at the same time that
they‘re running and being shot at, so
obviously there‘s a lot of urgency in their voices,‖ said
Capt. Kevin J. Kovacich, the Roosevelt‘s
air wing commander.
Captain Kovacich and many of his pilots last dropped bombs
in Afghanistan in March 2002,
when the American military seemed to have dealt a near
fatal blow to the Taliban. Now the
United States military is experiencing the limitations of
air power in a seven-year war, in which
an increasing American reliance on airstrikes against
insurgents has kindled growing fury over
the civilian casualties that have come with them.
―Those insurgents are wily,said Cmdr. Fredrick R. Luchtman,
the commanding officer of a
Roosevelt squadron of F/A-18C Hornets, who also flew
missions over Afghanistan in early
2002. ―They will meld themselves within the population.
They will fire from areas that they
know that if we put a bomb there, it‘s going to look bad.
The pilots do not need to be told that civilian deaths
soared last year in Afghanistan, the majority
from Taliban attacks, but others from airstrikes called in
by American and British troops under
fire. President Hamid Karzai has so angrily condemned the
strikes that in December he was
invited to visit the Roosevelt, so that officers could try
to persuade him that they took care where
they aimed their bombs.
As Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, the commander of United
States naval forces in the region,
put it: ―We don‘t drop when we‘re unsure.
The visit, by the Navy‘s account at least, went well. Mr.
Karzai watched jets take off from the
flight deck and was briefed on how the pilots try to
minimize ―collateral damage. Afterward, he
sent the ship one of his trademark karakul hats and a
Christmas card. But for the pilots, tensions
remain.
―If it was positively identified as hostile in Iraq, you
took it out, said Commander Luchtman,
who also flew missions over Baghdad in 2003. ―Here, just
because it‘s positively identified as
hostile, you‘ve still got to mitigate the other things
around.
To support ground troops in Afghanistan, the United States
flew more than 19,000 combat
missions in the country in 2008 — more than ever before,
surpassing even the number in Iraq
over the same period. But over all, American pilots dropped
slightly fewer bombs and other
munitions, perhaps as a result of more restrictive rules
imposed in September after an uproar
about civilian casualties.
―To win the insurgency, we‘re not going to bomb our way out
of this, said Col. Harry A. Foster,
the chief of the strategy division of the Combined Air and
Space Operations Center in Southwest
Asia, the command headquarters for the air wars over Iraq
and Afghanistan. To that end, pilots
on the Roosevelt often engage in a ―show of force — flying
as low as 1,000 feet and making a
lot of noise to scare the Taliban — and say they drop bombs
as a last resort.
The Navy says the pilots on the Roosevelt fly about 30
percent of combat missions over
Afghanistan; the majority of the flights are handled by the
Air Force from bases in Afghanistan
and elsewhere in the region. The Navy was called in last
summer when attacks on American and
NATO supply lines were on the rise and military commanders
decided they needed to get the
trucks off the roads and use more air transport.
The pilots fly many other missions for reconnaissance,
using sensors to take pictures from the air
of, for example, how many Taliban fighters are on the other
side of a wall, or how many might
be ahead of a NATO convoy. The pictures go directly to the
laptops of troops on the ground. ―So
if there are three warm bodies in that compound, we will
know that there are three warm bodies
in that compound,‖ Commander Luchtman said.
The Roosevelt arrived to relieve another carrier in
mid-October and will remain in the region
until late March. The carrier was last here in October
2001. Although Captain Kovacich and
Commander Luchtman were here around the same time, they
flew from different ships.
The Roosevelt pilots say they did not expect to be back,
but they make no judgments, at least
none they are willing to share, on the need for their
return, or on whether what they do is making
a difference in the overall conflict.
On Wednesday in Washington, Gen. David D. McKiernan, the
top American commander in
Afghanistan, said the war was ―at best stalemated in the
very region in which the pilots operate.
Most of the 17,000 additional American troops that
President Obama ordered to Afghanistan last
week will be used in the area.
What the pilots do say is that flying six-hour round-trip
missions six days a week, they are doing
what they have been asked: providing air support to troops
in remote areas. ―All I know, said
Cmdr. Richard McGrath, a pilot and executive officer of one
of the Roosevelt squadrons, ―is that
we dropped the bomb where it was supposed to go, when it
was supposed to go.
Elisabeth Bumiller reported from the aircraft carrier
Theodore Roosevelt this month and updated
this article with information from Washington.
US Navy Deploys Aircraft Carrier To Africa For Pirate
Patrols
The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.
(UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL 23 FEB 09) ... Martin Sieff
The pirate threat off the Horn of Africa is now so bad that
the heavy hitters have to move in: The
Pentagon has deployed a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to
the area.
Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander of the Eisenhower Carrier
Strike Group, has announced
that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Dwight D.
Eisenhower has been dispatched to patrol
nearly 7.5 million square miles in the Middle East region,
The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported
Sunday.
The move makes a great deal of sense both strategically and
operationally. Russia, India and
China all have made significant gains in influence and
prestige by deploying their own warships
to the Gulf of Aden region off the coast of Somalia to
combat pirates who have been operating
from there with increasing impunity and daring. Over the
past year more than 90 ships were
hijacked, including a Saudi-owned supertanker with more
than 150,000 tons of oil on board.
However, the pirates are hard to combat. Armchair
strategists repeatedly have suggested reviving
the World War I British expedient of "Q-ships" --
apparently harmless merchantmen that can
open fire on pirate attackers with devastating force. But
this is a pipe dream. The pirates attack
their targets in extremely fast speedboats, and all they
would have to do is speed off like
lightning when the "Q-ships" revealed their true nature.
Sending regular naval frigates or destroyers to the region,
as Russia, India and China have done,
is good for showing the flag and protecting specific
vessels or very narrowly defined sea lanes.
But it can do nothing to eliminate the threat or to hunt
down and destroy the pirates when they
are at sea either. In modern warfare, the only vessels that
can do that job are aircraft carriers.
And nuclear-powered ones are actually much easier to deploy
and much more effective for the
job than smaller, conventionally powered ones.
The obvious reason for this is that American
nuclear-powered supercarriers, because they are
much larger than the far smaller conventional carriers that
the rest of the world operates, can
carry a far larger and more formidable complement of
aircraft. They therefore can patrol far
larger areas of sea at the same time and launch fast
response attacks with powerful squadrons far
more often and easily.
But nuclear-powered supercarriers have other advantages as
well. Because they are nuclear powered, they can stay at
sea for an infinite period of time without being refueled.
That vastly
reduces the logistical problems of keeping them
operationally active and deployed on station for
long periods of time, and, sure enough, the Eisenhower has
been sent to the Gulf for a five month
mission, its captain said.
Tidd said the Eisenhower, which left its home port in
Norfolk, Va., Saturday, will offer a strong
message to U.S. naval allies, "standing shoulder by
shoulder with them in some of the dangerous
parts of the world."
In a world where the dollar is weak and an inexperienced
young new president has just taken
office in Washington, that "shoulder to shoulder" message
could not be more timely for U.S.
friends and allies across the Middle East.
From CHINFO
A Day in the Navy
19 February 2009
(Links are to associated photographs)
• On February 19th, 331,676 Active Duty Officers, Sailors
and Midshipmen; 120,567 Reserve
Component Sailors, with 5,113 Reserves mobilized; and
185,478 civilians are serving in the
Department of the Navy.
• 283 active ships are in service. 113 (40%) including 3
carriers and 1 large-deck, amphibious
ship are underway.
• 5,755 Individual Augmentees, 1,998 of which are mobilized
Reserves, are deployed on the
ground around the world in support of the War on Terrorism.
• The 1000th Trident patrol ceremony is held in Kings Bay,
Ga., marking the milestone of the
ballistic missile submarine conducting 1,000 successful
patrol periods since the first patrol of the
USS Ohio (SSBN 726) in 1982. The Secretary of the Navy and
Chief of Naval Operations are in
attendance.
• USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) with embarked Carrier Air
Wing 8 flies missions in
support of coalition forces as part of Operation Enduring
Freedom. To date, CVN 71 and CVW-
8 have flown more than 2,500 sorties, dropped 37,500 lbs.
of munitions, and provided support
for more than 330 incidents of troops in contact with enemy
forces.
• USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1) holds 16 suspected pirates
aboard the ship. The suspected
pirates were apprehended Feb. 11 and 12 by USS Vella Gulf
(CG 72). They will remain aboard
Lewis and Clark until a decision is made regarding their
further transfer.
• Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 4, 7 and 27 are
constructing Southwest Asia Huts and
Hesco Barriers to improve security for coalition and
special operations forces in Afghanistan.
They are also performing camp maintenance, quality of life,
and camp expansion projects at
forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company 31, deployed to U.S.
Army Contingency Operating
Base Speicher in support Operation Iraqi Freedom, locates a
buried weapons cache consisting of
41 127mm rocket motors and 45 127mm Brazilian rocket
warheads. Prosecution of the cache is
conducted jointly with Iraqi Security Forces. The EOD teams
conduct a controlled detonation of
the items disposing of 3,000 pounds of explosives.
• U.S. Navy ships are part of Combined Task Force Iraqi
Maritime and are providing maritime
infrastructure protection, security and training on and
around the Al Basrah and Khawr Al
Amaya Oil Terminals while strengthening the Navy's
partnership with Iraq.
• USS Springfield (SSN 761) is in Souda Bay after
conducting maritime security operations in
the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
• USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) heads to Dar Es Salaam,
Tanzania, to conduct the first-ever
Africa Partnership Station visit to the country.
• Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 is in Douala,
Cameroon, working a pier capacity
improvement project and roadwork as part of Africa
Partnership Station.
• Naval Special Warfare Group Four teaches a Maritime
Operations Course in Manda Bay,
Kenya, to 20 Kenyan students from various organizations
including Kenyan wildlife service,
revenue service and military and administrative police
units.
• Expeditionary Training Command Sailors along with subject
matter experts from Naval
Expeditionary Combat Command embarked on High Speed Vessel
2 Swift, conduct five foreign
military training courses in Nicaragua as part of Southern
Partnership Station.
• Patrol Squadron Five (VP-5) is forward deployed to
Comalapa, El Salvador; Carrier Airborne
Early Warning Squadron Seventy Seven (VAW-77) is forward
deployed to Borinquen, Puerto
Rico; and Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2) is
forward deployed to Curacao,
Netherland Antilles. Their mission is to support surface
units deployed for Counter Illicit
Trafficking Operations within the U.S. Southern Command
area of focus, which encompasses
the Caribbean, Central and South America and surrounding
waters.
• The Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group is engaged in a
Composite Unit Training Exercise off
the coast of North Carolina from Feb. 3-27. This is the
third of three at-sea evolutions designed
to prepare the strike group for its upcoming deployment.
• USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60)
are in the Eastern Pacific and
USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) is in the Caribbean
conducting counter illicit trafficking
operations in support of Joint Interagency Task Force
South.
• USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducts Tailored Ships Training
Availability in the southern California
operating area in preparation for an upcoming deployment.
TSTA helps build a solid foundation
of unit-level operating proficiency for the crew and
develops and enhances a ship's ability to selftrain.
• USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conducts Fleet Replacement
Squadron Carrier Qualifications in
the southern California operating area. Carrier
qualifications train the ship for day and night
landing and launch operations at sea.
• USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Tortuga (LSD 46) and USS Harpers
Ferry (LSD 49) are backloading
the 31st MEU in Laem Chabang, Thailand, following the
multinational exercise Cobra Gold
2009.
• USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) arrives in Manila, Republic of
the Philippines. Members of the 7th
Fleet staff participate in staff talks with members of the
Philippine navy while the crew delivers
Project Handclasp pallets of hygienic supplies and books,
conducts community service projects,
participates in sporting events with the Philippine navy
and attends cultural and historical tours
hosted by Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
• USS New Orleans (LPD 18), USS Comstock (LSD 45) and
elements of the 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit, are in the Republic of Maldives as part
of Exercise Coconut Grove. The
five-day exercise is intended to build collaborative
relationships by providing engineering,
medical and dental assistance to the region as well as
military training to the Maldives National
Defense Force.
• Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka's Port Operations and
Safety Departments perform full
ammunition on-loading for USS Shiloh (CG 67) in Yokosuka,
Japan.
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five, Detachment
Japan, conducts an annual mine
warfare exercise off the coast of Shimonoseki, Japan.
• Fifteen Reserve Sailors from U.S. Forces Korea Detachment
102, along with 17 augmentees
from various Navy Reserve units, are preparing for
deployment to the Korean Theater of
Operations to support Exercise Key Resolve 2009.
• Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. hosts His Majesty Juan
Carlos, King of Spain, and Queen
Sofia in support of their visit to Pensacola for its 450th
anniversary celebration of the founding
of the first Spanish settlement.
• Vice Admiral Georgios Karamalikis, Chief of Hellenic Navy
General Staff, departs Newport,
R.I., following a visit to the Naval War College, Surface
Warfare Officer School, and the Naval
Undersea Warfare Command Division Newport.
• The Naval War College facilitates a Combined Force
Maritime Component Commander Flag
Course, a weeklong series of seminars and discussions
attended by international and U.S. flag
and general officers, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The course
develops a network of leaders in support
of maritime security in the theater.
• Naval Air Training Command trains 134 foreign aviators
from Brazil, France, Italy, Germany,
Singapore, India, Denmark, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
• The Navy‘s Child Development Center, Naval Air Station
Oceana, Virginia Beach, Va., is in
operation as the first U.S. Green Building Council‘s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, Silver level, child development center in the
Department of Defense.
• The Office of Naval Research is awarded the inaugural
Global Congress of Diversity
Executives Award at the 23rd Annual Black Engineer of the
Year Awards conference in
Baltimore, Md. The conference is held from Feb. 18-22 and
recognizes the outstanding
achievements of African Americans in companies across the
country.
Roughead Announces Flag Assignments
(NAVY TIMES 26 FEB 09)
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced the
following flag assignments
Thursday:
Rear Admiral Kendall
L. Card
Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3
United States Navy
• Rear Adm. Kendall Card, who has been selected for
promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned
as director, warfare integration, N6F/N83, Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations, Washington,
D.C. Card is assigned as commander, Expeditionary Strike
Group 3, San Diego.
Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card
Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3
United States Navy
Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card assumed his current assignment
as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, San Diego, on
May 22, 2008. The command element is currently deployed to
Naval Station Activity Bahrain.
Rear Adm. Card is native of Fort Stockton, Texas, and
graduated
mechanical engineering in December 1977. He was then
commissioned an ensign, reported for flight training, and
was
designated a Naval Aviator in July 1979.
From 1979 to 1996, Rear Adm. Card served in various
aviation squadrons at sea, flying from the decks of USS
Forrestal (CV 59), USS America (CV 66), USS Theodore
Roosevelt (CVN 71),
USS Saratoga (CV 60) and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). During
this period, he accumulated more than 3,900 flight hours in
the SH-3H Sea King, SH-60F Seahawk and the S-3A Viking
aircraft.
He made four deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and the
Persian Gulf; served in
Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Provide Comfort;
and commanded the HS-15 Red
Lions.
In between assignments at sea, Rear Adm. Card attended the
U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
degree in national security and strategic studies from U.S.
Naval War College and worked as an
aviation commander detailer. In 1997, Rear Adm. Card
attended Navy Nuclear Power School,
after which he served as executive officer aboard USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) until
December 1999. He then assumed command of USS Rainier (AOE
7), where he served until
August 2001. In 2002, Rear Adm. Card returned to USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) as the
Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch and Iraqi
Freedom as part of a record setting
Operation Unified Assistance in support of the Tsunami
relief efforts in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Rear Adm. Card served as director, Command Control Systems,
North American Aerospace
Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command (NORAD/USNORTHCOM)
J6, from 28 July
2006 until May 1, 2008.
Rear Adm. Card has accumulated over 3,900 flight hours. His
personal decorations include the
Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two
awards), the Bronze Star, the Defense
Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal
(three awards), the Navy and Marine
Corps Commendation Medal, (two awards), the Navy and Marine
Corps Achievement Medal,
and various service and campaign awards.
• Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll will be assigned as commander,
Carrier Strike Group 10, Norfolk,
Va. Driscoll is serving as deputy director, Navy
Quadrennial Defense Review, Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.
Rear Admiral Patrick
Driscoll
Rear Admiral Patrick
Driscoll is a native of Homewood, Ill., and
graduated from the University of Illinois in 1978 with a
Bachelor
of Science degree in Accounting. He entered the Aviation
Officer
Candidate Program and was commissioned an ensign in January
of 1979.
Driscoll's initial fleet assignment was with the 1983
Battle "E"
winning VSdeployments and was selected as the Atlantic
Fleet Sea Strike Pilot of the Year. Following transition
training in the A-7E
CORSAIR II, Driscoll deployed with the VA-105 "Gunslingers"
to
the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean, which included
participation in tanker escort operations during Operation
Earnest
Will.
His next sea assignment was with the "Clansmen" of VA-46,
where he deployed aboard the
USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) to the Red Sea in support of
Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm. Driscoll then attended the Naval War College,
with a follow-on joint assignment
with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in July
of 1993.
In 1996, Driscoll reported once again to the "Gunslingers"
of VFA-105 for a command tour. The
squadron deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)
and participated in Operation
Deliberate Guard over Bosnia and Operation Southern Watch
in Iraq. Driscoll's next assignment
was the commanding officer and flight leader of the Navy
Flight Demonstration Squadron (The
Blue Angels) for the 1999 and 2000 show seasons.
In April of 2001, Driscoll reported to Carrier Air Wing 5
based in Atsugi, Japan. During Operation
Enduring Freedom, he led the TACAIR strike element aboard
the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63),
which served as an Afloat Forward Staging Base during
combat operations in Afghanistan. He
deployed again in 2003 and led his air wing in combat
during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Naval Operations for Information, Plans and Strategy; EA to
the Vice Chief of Naval Operations
and the Joint Chiefs Strategic Working Group. Personal
awards include the Legion of Merit with
two gold stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Combat
V, two Bronze Stars, and the
Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He is a distinguished
graduate of the Naval War College
and holds a Masters degree in National Security and
Strategic Studies.
