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BULLHORN #84
20 June 2011
99
ANAers! Lots of news, starting with a look at our Navy
today, updates from CHINFO on forces deployments, the Naval
Air Systems Command on maintenance and sustainability of our
aviation forces, pieces to think about, news of leadership
changes, hardware and personnel developments, news of a new
carrier, of old warriors going to their final roosts and an
update on EMALS.
Want
something special for your child or grandchild that’s
starting 5th or 6th grade? Take a
look at the
National Flight Academy Summer Camp
– makes you want
to be young again!
Stay in
touch – let us know you are ‘out there’!
VRespy,
Dutch
“…to
educate and encourage an interest among the general public
as to the importance of Naval Aviation in the defense of the
United States and its allies….”
|
 |
Laser Imaging &
Design with permission |
Designed by LT Ian Espich, USN |
INDEX
Status of The Navy
NAVAL AVIATION FORCE UPDATE
NAE Partnering
AIRPLAN MAY 2011
A Day Without U.S. Seapower
Naval Aviation Leadership Moves
National Flight Academy Summer Camp
Naval Air Station Brunswick Closes
A-3 SKYWARRIOR Finally “Home”
Drones on Carriers?
The Next USS KENNEDY
The Last S-3 VIKING
Aviation Bonus System Changes
The Last Marine EA-6B PROWLER
EMALS in the NEWS
STATUS OF THE
NAVY
June 20,
2011
Status of the Navy
Navy Personnel
Active Duty:
327,538
Officers: 53,673
Enlisted: 270,460
Midshipmen: 3,405
Ready Reserve:
101,532 [As of 11 Apr 2011 ]
Selected Reserves: 65,117
Individual Ready Reserve: 36,415
Reserves currently mobilized:
5,257 [As of 14 June 2011]
Personnel on deployment:
53,356
Navy Department Civilian Employees:
204,044
Ships and Submarines
Deployable Battle Force Ships:
285
Ships Underway (away from homeport):
138 ships (48% of total)
On deployment: 120 ships (42% of total)
Attack submarines underway (away from homeport):
27 subs (50%)
On deployment:
22 subs (40%)
Ships Underway
Carriers:
USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - 5th Fleet
USS George Washington (CVN 73) - Pacific Ocean
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) - 5th Fleet
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) - 5th Fleet
Amphibious Warfare Ships:
USS Boxer (LHD 4) - 5th Fleet
USS Bataan (LHD 5) - Mediterranean Sea
Aircraft
(operational):
3700+
RETURN TO INDEX
NAVAL AVIATION FORCE
UPDATE RHUMBLINES
RETURN TO INDEX
NAE Partnering for Smarter, Faster,
Combat-Ready Naval Aviation
RETURN TO INDEX
AIRPLAN MAY 2011
RETURN TO INDEX
A Day Without U.S. Seapower
Weekly Standard June 6, 2011
Defense Policy in 2011
It's June 2025. Do you know where your fleet is?
By Bryan McGrath and Mackenzie Eaglen
The idea of a world without the benefit
of preponderant American seapower may sound alarmist and
farfetched. Unfortunately, those who follow military
cutbacks and world affairs know that it isn’t. Indeed, the
following scenario is all too plausible.. .
In 2020, several major European nations
default on their debt. Contagion in the financial markets
plunges the world economy into global depression. From 2020
to 2025, the U.S. economy contracts from $20 trillion to $12
trillion. During this time, two successive U.S. presidents
seek and obtain deep cuts in the size of the U.S. armed
forces. Homeland security becomes the main focus of the
Department of Defense, with policy-makers concentrating on
port and border security, land-based strategic nuclear
forces, antiterrorism, and managing civil unrest.
The global implications of this
retrenchment are stark. China’s claims on the South China
Sea -- previously disputed by virtually all nations in the
region and routinely contested by U.S. and partner naval
forces -- are accepted as a fait accompli,
effectively putting the entire expanse under Chinese
hegemony. Korea, unified in 2017 after the implosion of the
North, signs a mutual defense treaty with China. Japan is
increasingly isolated and executes long-rumored plans to
create a nuclear weapons capability.
India, recognizing that its previous
role as a balancer to China has lost relevance with the
pullback of the Americans, agrees to supplement Chinese
naval power in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to protect
the flow of oil to Southeast Asia. China agrees to exercise
increased influence over Pakistan.
Iran dominates the Persian Gulf and is
a nuclear power. Its navy aggressively patrols the Gulf
while the Revolutionary Guard Navy harasses shipping and oil
infrastructure to force the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries into Tehran’s orbit. Russia supplies Iran with a
steady flow of military technology and nuclear industry
expertise.
In Egypt, a decade-long experiment in
participatory democracy ends with a violent seizure of power
by Islamists. The United States is identified closely with
the previous coalition government, and riots break out
outside the U.S. embassy. Americans in Egypt hunker down and
hope for the best, as there are no U.S. forces in the
Mediterranean to evacuate them.
The NATO alliance falls apart. For its
energy security, Europe depends on Russia and Iran, which
control the main supply lines and sources of oil and gas to
Western Europe. Major European nations stand down their
militaries and make only limited contributions to a new EU
constabulary force. No European nation maintains the ability
to conduct significant out-of-area operations, and Europe as
a whole maintains little airlift capacity.
The impact of the world fiscal and
political crisis is devastating to the U.S. Navy, which has
been in decline since the latter part of the Obama
administration, when Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta chose
to maintain proportional resourcing of the Navy, Air Force,
and Army rather than make difficult choices among competing
priorities.
World trade goes into steep decline. In
addition, shippers avoid U.S. ports as a result of the
onerous container inspection regime. As a result, American
consumers face a diminished selection of goods and a lower
standard of living.
By 2025, the Navy is down to 70
deployable ships (from 286 in 2011). All aircraft carriers
and all but six attack submarines are sidelined, as the Navy
dramatically cuts back on expensive nuclear engineers and
pilots. Additionally, the Navy de-emphasizes projecting
power and sea control beyond U.S. territorial waters. A
fleet of four ballistic missile submarines is retained for
nuclear deterrence.
With the Navy no longer seeking to
project power, the carrier force is decimated; the
amphibious force is cut less severely because of the
flexibility of these platforms and because they are highly
valued for their usefulness in defense support to civil
authority missions, such as disaster relief.
All forward-deployed naval forces pull
back to the bases in Norfolk and San Diego. A greatly
diminished Coast Guard maintains a presence in Hawaii. All
other naval bases are closed. The fleet of 70 ships consists
of 6 attack submarines, 4 ballistic missile submarines, 8
aviation-capable amphibious ships, 8 other amphibious ships,
15 destroyers, and 29 small combatants. The Navy also
operates 2 hospital ships, which are in heavy domestic
demand. It does not operate a logistics force because all
fueling, provisioning, and arming is done in port.
The Navy’s operational mandate is
homeland defense, and its activities have become largely
indistinguishable from those of the Coast Guard. Some
members of Congress call for combining the two services.
There is one remaining private shipyard
suitable for building both conventional and nuclear
combatants. Specialized shipbuilding trades are in fatal
decline. The ship repair business has disappeared, and all
depot-level maintenance is conducted in two heavily
subsidized public shipyards . . .
Back to 2011: How might we arrive at
this same abysmal state of naval readiness absent a
crippling world financial crisis? By continuing down the
path that we are on now. Changes in world naval power tend
to play out over decades, and by the time action is taken to
arrest decline, it could easily be too late. Some steps that
might be taken to preclude this fate include:
*Recapturing innovation and a sound
industrial base.Congress can still prevent the loss of
innovation in defense-related research and development.
Members should already be alarmed that the U.S. military has
no manned aircraft under development, a first in the history
of aviation. Similarly, no surface ships or attack
submarines are in the design phase. With development cycles
lasting 20 years or longer, elected leaders need to ensure
the Defense Department is not losing access to critical
skills that will be needed to imagine and build the next
generation of ships, aircraft, sensors, and weapons for the
U.S. Navy.
*Developing a long-term research and
development plan.After numerous studies and a half-dozen
shipbuilding plans, Navy leaders have correctly concluded
that the United States needs a larger fleet -- not simply in
numbers of ships and aircraft, but also in terms of
increased network capability, longer range, and increased
persistence. Navy leaders recognize that the United States
is quickly losing its monopolies on guided weapons and the
ability to project power. Precision munitions (guided
rockets, artillery, mortars, and missiles) and battle
networks are proliferating, while advances in radar and
electro-optical technology are increasingly rendering
stealth capabilities less effective. Congress should demand
long-range technology road maps, including a science and
technology plan and a research and development plan for the
U.S. Navy. These plans should broadly outline future
investments, capabilities, and requirements.
*Getting the fleet size right.
Congress should direct the Navy to provide a “resource
unconstrained” fleet composition appropriate to meeting the
requirements of A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century
Seapower, the Navy’s 2007 maritime strategy. The study
should include an analysis of the capabilities and missions
called for in the strategy and identify which are at risk,
given current and planned fleet size and resources. This
study should include options for additional forward
stationing of U.S. Navy vessels and proposals for new
classes of ships designed specifically for low-end naval
presence missions.
Without this type of strategy-driven
analysis by Navy leaders, Congress will continue to struggle
to determine where to apply diminishing resources within the
defense budget and how to justify the additional investments
needed in higher-priority areas.
America is a maritime nation, and our
Navy is the most visible and effective symbol of our
national power and strength overseas. Washington
decision-makers should recognize the impact and influence of
forces that are as useful in peacetime in deterring conflict
as they are in wartime while pursuing it. And they need to
recognize it before it’s too late.
Mackenzie Eaglen is a research
fellow for national security at the Heritage Foundation.
Bryan McGrath is a retired naval officer and the director of
Delex Consulting, Studies and Analysis in Herndon, Virginia.
This article is adapted from a longer study released
recently by the Heritage Foundation.
Return to Index
Naval Aviation Leadership
Moves
Secretary of Defense Robert
M. Gates announced today that the President has nominated
Navy Rear Adm. David H. Buss for appointment to the rank of
vice admiral and assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet
Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. Buss is currently serving as
director, Naval Warfare Integration Group, N00X, Office of
the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Rear Admiral Buss, a native of
Lancaster, Pa., graduated with distinction from the United
States Naval Academy in 1978. He was designated a naval
flight officer in 1979 and completed initial training in the
venerable A-6 Intruder later that year.
Buss’ flying assignments at sea include Attack Squadron 65
embarked in USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in
the early 1980s and Attack Squadron 36 embarked in USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during Operation Desert
Storm. He commanded Attack Squadron 34, The Blue
Blasters, embarked in USS George Washington (CVN
73) while conducting operations in Bosnia and Iraq. The
Blasters were one of the Navy’s last A-6 squadrons. Buss
also served at sea as flag lieutenant for commander, Carrier
Group 8 embarked in USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Following Nuclear Power training, Buss served at sea as
executive officer in Nimitz. He commanded USS
Sacramento (AOE 1) during the opening stages of
Operation Enduring Freedom following the terrorist
attacks on 9/11. Buss commanded USS John C. Stennis
(CVN 74) from 2003 through 2006, deploying to the Western
Pacific in support of 7th Fleet operations.
Buss’ shore assignments include tours as a Fleet Replacement
Squadron instructor with Attack Squadron 42 and as the
readiness officer with Medium Attack Wing One. He completed
his initial joint duty assignment at the Joint Warfighting
Center, Hurlburt Field, Fla. Buss also served as assistant
chief of staff, Readiness/Requirements (N8) for commander,
Naval Air Forces, in San Diego, Calif.
As a flag officer, Buss served as chief of staff, Navy
Enterprise (OPNAV N09X) working on Navy-wide business
transformation initiatives for CNO. He also served for 14
months as director, Strategy/Plans/Assessments (J-5) for
Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno at MNF-I
headquarters in Baghdad during 2008-09.
Buss recently completed his fourth operational command tour
while serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12/Enterprise
Carrier Strike Group, returning Enterprise (CVN 65)
and group to the fleet following more than two years in
maintenance.
Buss’ personal awards include the Legion of Merit (5
awards), Distinguished Flying Cross (Combat V), Bronze Star
Medal, and Air Medal (5 individual, 4 strike/flight
awards). He was the recipient of the 1991 East Coast Naval
Flight Officer of the Year and 1991 Intruder of Year awards.
Rear Adm. (lower half) Timothy S. Matthews will be assigned
as director, Fleet Readiness Division, N43, Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Matthews is
currently serving as commander, Fleet Readiness Centers,
Patuxent River, Md.
He is responsible for seven fleet
readiness centers engaged in aviation maintenance, repair,
and overhaul services for the Naval Aviation Enterprise; and
for overseeing logistics support efforts for both fielded
and developmental aviation systems.
Matthews graduated from the University of Colorado in 1980
with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering.
He was commissioned in August 1982 through the Aviation
Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Fla., and was
designated an aeronautical maintenance duty officer in 1983.
He attended the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.,
where he received his Master’s degree in Aeronautical
Engineering in1995. He was designated an Acquisition
Professional Community member in 1998.
Matthews’ fleet operational tours include duty aboard USS
John F. Kennedy (CV 67); Fleet Air
Reconnaissance Squadron 2 in Rota, Spain; Tactical
Electronic Warfare Squadron 132 in Whidbey Island, Wash.;
Carrier Air Wing 14; and Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance
Department, Whidbey Island, Wash. During these assignments,
he made multiple deployments to the Mediterranean Sea,
Western Pacific, and Persian Gulf aboard John F. Kennedy,
USS Saratoga (CV 60), and USS Carl
Vinson (CVN 70).
Matthews' acquisition tours include Consolidated Automated
Support Systems (CASS) Fleet Introduction Leader at the
Naval Air Systems Command, PMA-260. Beginning in September
2004, he served as director, Joint Depot Maintenance
Activities Group, Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Selected
for command of the Naval Air Depot Jacksonville in 2004, he
reported as executive officer in 2005 and assumed command of
the newly re-named Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in 2007.
In August 2009, he reported as commander, Fleet Readiness
Centers and NAVAIR assistant commander for Logistics and
Industrial Operations.
Matthews’ awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious
Service Medal (4), Navy Commendation Medal (4), the Virgil
Lemmon Award for Maintenance Excellence, and the Association
of Old Crows’ Maintenance Award.
Rear Adm. Townsend G. Alexander will be
assigned as commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, Norfolk.
Alexander is currently serving as commander, Navy Region
Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla.
Rear Admiral Alexander graduated from the University of
Colorado in 1978, and upon completion of Aviation Officer
Candidate School in March, 1981 was commissioned an ensign.
In November of that year he was designated a naval aviator.
Operational tours include assignments with the Sea Snakes of
HSL-33, the HSL-46 Grandmasters (three tours) and USS
Nassau (LHA 4). Alexander served in a variety of billets
including detachment maintenance officer and officer in
charge, squadron NATOPS officer, quality assurance officer,
operations officer, maintenance officer, executive officer
and commanding officer. He served as air boss aboard Nassau
during Operations Noble Anvil and Allied Force
in 1999.
Tours ashore have included the Air Wolves of HSL-40, The
Naval War College, Chief of Naval Operations Staff, the
Joint Staff, and Naval Base Coronado, Calif. During these
tours he served as quality assurance officer and instructor
pilot, flag aide, aviation programs analyst, division chief
and commanding officer.
Alexander was awarded a Master of Arts degree from the Naval
War College in 1992 and attended the Armed Forces Staff
College in 1998. He was recognized by the Naval Helicopter
Association as a member of the 1993 Aircrew of the Year
(Embarked) and in 1989 he received the Rear Admiral Allan G.
Paulson award for inspirational leadership from Commander,
Helicopter Sea Control Wing 3.
From August 2006 to October 2008 Alexander served as
commander, Navy Region Hawaii and commander, Naval Surface
Group Middle Pacific. His personal awards include the
Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two
awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Navy
and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), the Joint
Service Achievement Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps
Achievement Medal.
RETURN TO INDEX
National Flight Academy
Summer Camp
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/Education/Summer-Camp.aspx
Launch your own rocket, build gliders, watch a Blue Angels
practice (if available) and experience an IMAX® movie or
exciting flight simulator - all in one week! Sign up for the
National Flight
Academy Summer Camp at the National Naval
Aviation Museum located on NAS Pensacola. Taught by
certified teachers, students will learn the science and math
of flight and expand their knowledge of Naval Aviation
history with tours of Museum exhibits and aircraft.
Open to children entering
5th and 6th grade.
Weekly sessions run
Monday-Friday for Summer 2011 on the following dates:
Session 2: June 27 - July 1
Session 3: July 11 - July 15
Session 4: July 18 - July 22
Session 5: July 25 - July 29
Session 6: August 1 - August 5
Download the NFAC 2011 Application | PDF 987 KB
If you experience problems opening the PDF NFAC Application
Document, then please try downloading the document to your
desktop. Do this by right-clicking the link, then selecting
"Save Target As." After selecting the destination for the
saved document (Desktop, My Documents...), click "Save".
Camp runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Fees are $165 per
student, per session. Campers will need to arrange their own
transportation and must bring their own lunch. Students will
receive a complimentary “National Flight Academy Camp”
t-shirt at the conclusion of their camp session. Limit of 24
students per session.
Open only to those children
entering the 5th or 6th grade.
For more information, contact
Mr. Sam Shilling at (850) 453-2389, extension 3234 or
Mr. Matt Vickers at extension 3252.
Application for Summer Camp at
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/getdoc/769225cd-e6bb-4929-9b02-4db6b0c22367/2011-NFAC-Rev-3-11-10.aspx
application for scholarship support for
Summer Camp at:
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/getdoc/2ddbd426-a3bb-415a-8498-7a7422676fad/2011-NFA-Summer-Camp-Scholarship-Application.aspx
RETURN TO INDEX
NAS BRUNSWICK
Naval
Air Station Brunswick Marks End to Service
Story Number: NNS110601-03
6/1/2011
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman
Ty Connors, Naval Air Station Brunswick Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION BRUNSWICK, Maine (NNS)
-- Naval Air Station Brunswick (NASB) held its
disestablishment ceremony May 31, ending 68 years of service
to the Navy.
NASB, situated on 3,200 acres in along Maine's mid-coast,
originally opened in 1943, and was primarily used as a
training base for the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.
With the end of World War II, the base was put into
caretaker status until it re-opened in 1951.
In 2005, the base was tapped for final closure by the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission.
"The Sailors, civilians, and contractors of Naval Air
Station Brunswick have done a remarkable job," said
Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, the Assistant Secretary for Energy,
Installations & Environment. "This is a major milestone, and
I'm extremely impressed with everyone's efforts to prepare
the base for redevelopment. This station has consistently
met the deadlines and surpassed standards for redevelopment.
It is my hope that the Navy's departure will pave the way
for future development and job growth in this area. If this
can't be a Naval Air Station, then it can be a business
opportunity for the community."
During the closing ceremony, other speakers also saluted the
long years of service by Sailors and civilians, and
highlighted the tight bonds that grew between base personnel
and the local community over the decades.
"We have been part of the community here," said Capt.
William A. Fitzgerald, the base's 36th and final commanding
officer. "But that is only because the community embraced
us. You welcomed us into your neighborhoods and schools. You
allowed us to become part of the woven fiber of this area."
In a nod to the base's history, Capt. Fitzgerald honored
several former commanding officers in attendance, presenting
them with Naval Air Station Brunswick ballcaps and nametags.
Fitzgerald also presented plaques to representatives of the
local communities and the state of Maine for their support
over the years.
At its height, NAS Brunswick employed some 4,000 Sailors and
civilians to support the mission of patrol reconnaissance.
Many alumni returned to goodbye to the base where they flew
and serviced the P-2 "Neptunes" and P-3 "Orions" that made
up the bulk of patrol reconnaissance history.
VP-26, now stationed in Pensacola, Fla., sent a lone P-3
"Orion" as a silent witness to the historic ceremony.
In addition to speeches – including the keynote by retired
Rear Adm. Harry Rich - the ceremony included history
displays of the squadrons that had called NAS Brunswick
home, a slide-show of photographs, and other walks down
memory lane.
Rich, a Maine native, reminisced about the powerful
influence a childhood experience at NASB had on his decision
to seek a commission as a naval aviator. He further shared
recollections of his tour at Brunswick later in his career
and the way the people of Brunswick welcomed and supported
his family and command.
Music for the ceremony was provided by the Brunswick and Mt.
Ararat High Schools bands, while PS1 Leonard Bell of the
BNAS Personnel Support Detachment sang the National Anthem.
The final touch was the lowering of the American flag for
the final time at the installation.
The ceremony was immediately followed by a reception held by
the Mid-Coast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is
charged with writing NAS Brunswick's next chapter.
"The Mid-Coast Regional Redevelopment Authority has done a
wonderful job lining up businesses for the Brunswick
Landing, which is the new facilities name," said Rear Adm.
Robin Braun, of Brunswick and currently mobilized as the
Deputy Director of Operations at U.S. European Command. "We
can move from one era into another, and bring more jobs to
the area to replace those Navy jobs lost."
"The (informal) state motto is 'the way life should be,' and
Brunswick epitomizes that," continued Braun. "It is a great
town to raise a family, it has been a great Navy town, and a
wonderful place to come home. This place has had a huge
impact on thousands of sailors over the years and will
definitely be missed."
RETURN TO INDEX
SKYWARRIOR FINALLY HOME
OAK HARBOR,
Wash. (April 29, 2011) Yes, the date in the
byline is correct
A Douglas
A-3 Skywarrior deploys its parachute during a landing at
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The non-profit A-3
Skywarrior Memorial Foundation has been instrumental in
locating a jet for static display. The foundation was formed
to obtain, refurbish and display a static A-3 Skywarrior
aircraft as a memorial to the men and women who served in
support of Navy Skywarrior missions worldwide. (U.S. Navy
photo by MC2 Class Nardel Gervacio)
Mr. Ron Woltman is the Raytheon, Flight Test Operations
Chief Test Pilot and flew this A-3 to
Whidbey Island
last week (29 April, 2011) where she will be placed on a
pedestal. An excellent
video and sounds of how the old girl felt:
http://youtu.be/gdTsu6Bewis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW3KOqbDP-M&NR=1
A quick vintage film to see what an A-3 looked like coming
aboard the Carrier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHGp5wEuRAE&NR=1
RETURN TO INDEX
DRONES FOR CARRIER AVIATION?
The
Associated Press
(Monday, May 16, 2011)
US Navy drones: Coming to a carrier
near China?
 AP – FILE - Feb. 4, 2011 navy
X-47B file photo released by the U.S. Navy and Northrop
Grumman
By ERIC TALMADGE,
YOKOSUKA, Japan – The U.S. is
developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide
a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise.
American officials have been
tightlipped about where the unmanned armed planes might be
used, but a top Navy officer has told The Associated Press
that some would likely be deployed in Asia.
"They will play an integral role in our
future operations in this region," predicted Vice Adm. Scott
Van Buskirk, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which covers
most of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Land-based drones are in wide use in
the war in Afghanistan, but sea-based versions will take
several more years to develop. Northrop Grumman conducted a
first-ever test flight — still on land — earlier this year.
Van Buskirk didn't mention China
specifically, but military analysts agree the drones could
offset some of China's recent advances, notably its work on
a "carrier-killer" missile.
"Chinese military modernization is the
major long-term threat that the U.S. must prepare for in the
Asia-Pacific region, and robotic vehicles — aerial and
subsurface — are increasingly critical to countering that
potential threat," said Patrick Cronin, a senior analyst
with the Washington-based Center for New American Security.
China is decades away from building a
military as strong as America's, but it is developing air,
naval and missile capabilities that could challenge U.S.
supremacy in the Pacific — and with it, America's ability to
protect important shipping lanes and allies such as Japan
and South Korea.
China maintains it does not have
offensive intentions and is only protecting its own
interests: The shipping lanes are also vital to China's
export-dependent economy. There are potential flash points,
though, notably Taiwan and clusters of tiny islands that
both China and other Asian nations claim as their territory.
The U.S. Navy's pursuit of drones is a
recognition of the need for new weapons and strategies to
deal not only with China but a changing military landscape
generally.
"Carrier-based unmanned aircraft
systems have tremendous potential, especially in increasing
the range and persistence of our intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance operations, as well as our ability to
strike targets quickly," Van Buskirk said at the 7th Fleet's
headquarters in Yokosuka, Japan.
His fleet boasts one carrier — the USS
George Washington — along with about 60 other ships and
40,000 sailors and Marines.
Experts say the drones could be used on
any of the 11 U.S. carriers worldwide and are not being
developed exclusively as a counterbalance to China.
But China's reported progress in
missile development appears to make the need for them more
urgent.
The DF 21D "carrier killer" missile is
designed for launch from land with enough accuracy to hit a
moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 900 miles
(1,500 kilometers). Though still unproven — and some
analysts say overrated — no other country has such a weapon.
Current Navy fighter jets can only
operate about 500 nautical miles (900 kilometers) from a
target, leaving a carrier within range of the Chinese
missile.
Drones would have an unrefueled combat
radius of 1,500 nautical miles (2,780 kilometers) and could
remain airborne for 50 to 100 hours — versus the 10 hour
maximum for a pilot, according to a 2008 paper by analysts
Tom Ehrhard and Robert Work at the Center for Strategic and
Budgetary Assessments. Work is now an undersecretary of the
Navy.
"Introducing a new aircraft that
promises to let the strike group do its work from beyond the
maximum effective firing range of the anti-ship ballistic
missile — or beyond its range entirely — represents a
considerable boost in defensive potential for the carrier
strike group," said James Holmes of the U.S. Naval War
College.
Northrop Grumman has a six-year, $635.8
million contract to develop two of the planes, with more
acquisitions expected if they work. A prototype of its X-47B
took a maiden 29-minute flight in February at Edwards Air
Force Base in California. Initial testing on carriers is
planned for 2013.
Other makers including Boeing and
Lockheed are also in the game. General Atomics Aeronautical
Systems, Inc. — the maker of the Predator drones used in the
Afghan war — carried out wind tunnel tests in February.
Spokeswoman Kimberly Kasitz said it was too early to divulge
further details.
Some experts warn carrier-based drones
are still untested and stress that Chinese advances have not
rendered carriers obsolete.
"Drones, if they work, are just the
next tech leap. As long as there is a need for tactical
aviation launched from the sea, carriers will be useful
weapons of war," said Michael McDevitt, a former commandant
of the National War College in Washington, D.C., and a
retired rear admiral whose commands included an aircraft
carrier battle group.
Some analysts also note that China may
be reluctant to instigate any fighting that could interfere
with its trade.
Nan Li, an expert at the U.S. Naval War
College's China Maritime Studies Institute, doubts China
would try to attack a U.S. carrier.
"I am a skeptic of such an
interpretation of Chinese strategy," he said. "But I do
think the X-47B may still be a useful preventive capability
for worst-case scenarios."
The Air Force and Navy both sponsored a
project to develop carrier-based drones in the early 2000s,
but the Air Force pulled out in 2005, leaving the Navy to
fund the research.
Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval
operations, said last summer that the current goal of
getting a handful of unmanned bombers in action by 2018 is
"too damn slow."
"Seriously, we've got to have a sense
of urgency about getting this stuff out there," he told a
conference. "It could fundamentally change how we think of
naval aviation."
RETURN TO INDEX
THE NEXT USS KENNEDY
Navy Names Next Aircraft Carrier USS
John F. Kennedy
BOSTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy
Ray Mabus announced today the next Gerald R. Ford-class
aircraft carrier will be named the USS John F. Kennedy.
The selection John F. Kennedy, designated CVN 79, honors the
35th President of the United States and pays tribute to his
service in the Navy, in the government, and to the nation.
"President John F. Kennedy exemplified the meaning of
service, not just to country, but service to all humanity,"
said Mabus. "I am honored to have the opportunity to name
the next aircraft carrier after this great Sailor and
inspirational leader, and to keep the rich tradition and
history of USS John F. Kennedy sailing in the U.S. Fleet."
Born in Brookline, Mass., May 29, 1917, Kennedy graduated
from Harvard in 1940, and entered the Navy in October 1941.
During World War II, Kennedy took command of PT 109 at
Tulagi Island in the Solomons, with a mission to intercept
Japanese ships attempting to resupply their barges in New
Georgia. In the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 1943,
Kennedy's ship was inadvertently struck by an enemy ship and
split in half. During the course of the next six days,
Kennedy led his crew members to safety and an eventual
rescue. Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for
the rescue of his crew and a Purple Heart for injuries he
sustained when his ship was struck.
After his military service, Kennedy became a congressman
representing the Boston area, he was elected to the Senate
in 1953, and in 1961 became the youngest person to be
elected president.
One previous ship, USS John F. Kennedy, CV 67, was named in
his honor and was decommissioned in 2007, after nearly 40
years of distinguished service, including Operation Desert
Storm.
The USS John F. Kennedy and other Ford-class carriers will
be the premier forward asset for crisis response and
humanitarian relief, and early decisive striking power in a
major combat operation. The aircraft carrier and the carrier
strike group will provide forward presence, rapid response,
endurance on station, and multi-mission capability
throughout its 50-year service life.
The USS John F. Kennedy will provide improved warfighting
capability, quality of life improvements for Sailors and
reduced acquisition and life cycle costs. The ship will be
constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding, Va., a division of
Huntington Ingalls Industries.
RETURN TO INDEX
THE LAST S-3 VIKING
06/03/2011
![Jacksonville-[Converted].jpg](Bullhorn84Jun202011_files/image019.jpg)
Last
S-3B Viking overhauled at FRCSE heads for California-based
test squadron
An aircrew from Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron (VX) 30 delivered the third and final Lockheed S-3B
Viking aircraft to undergo specialized depot-level
restoration at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) to
the California-based squadron May 26.
VX-30 Pilot Cmdr. David Simmons and Naval Flight Officer Lt.
Chris Pedersen flew the Viking to Naval Base Ventura County
at Point Mugu, Calif., where the “Bloodhounds” will use the
aircraft to clear the Sea Range, the Department of Defense’s
largest overwater missile test range.
Simmons said the Viking flew “flawlessly” for more than six
hours during the flight to Southern California. He said the
squadron “is very pleased” with its newest aircraft.
“When stopping for gas in El Paso, a member of the fueling
crew noticed the Viking and said, ‘I haven't seen one of
these in a while, and I have never seen one painted so
nicely.’ This praise from a casual observer is a testament
to the exhaustive work ethic and true professionalism of the
entire FRCSE team,” said Simmons.
FRCSE artisans performed a unique depot-level restoration
referred to as Planned Maintenance Interval (PMI) 1, 2 and
3. They disassembled, inspected and repaired the dependable,
all-weather surveillance jet.
This one-of-a-kind restoration will add five to six years of
service life to the aircraft before another PMI is due.
FRCSE inducted the first of three Viking aircraft to undergo
the one-of-a-kind restoration in March 2009. The facility
established maintenance and repair capability by locating
hangar space and tooling. In addition, the facility hired
artisans with S-3 experience for the project.
VX-30 Commanding Officer Cmdr. John Rousseau and Lt.
Pedersen accepted delivery of the first refurbished aircraft
and returned it to California in April 2010.
On Nov. 4, 2010, FRCSE delivered the second Viking aircraft
to VX-30, but the first to sport a 1942 heritage paint
scheme in preparation for this year’s Centennial of Naval
Aviation celebration.
Sea Control Squadron (VS) 22, the last remaining S-3
squadron in the Navy, most recently flew these aircraft in
Iraq just months before the squadron was decommissioned
Sept. 25, 2008 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
The Viking, developed by Lockheed Martin and delivered to
military service in 1974, has had an illustrious military
career. Often called the “War Hoover” for the engine’s
low-pitched sound, the Viking was originally designed to
track and destroy enemy submarines during the Cold War.
It made history on March 25, 2003 when it fired the first
combat-launched Maverick missile during Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX)
30 pilot, Cmdr. David Simmons and Naval Flight Officer Lt.
Chris Pedersen take off from Naval Air Station Jacksonville
May 26 in an S-3B Viking heading home to Naval Base Ventura
County, Calif., where the “Bloodhounds” will use the
aircraft to clear the Sea Range. Fleet Readiness Center
Southeast (FRCSE) artisans performed a one-of-a-kind
restoration to add five to six years of service life to the
aircraft. FRCSE aircraft painters applied the unique paint
scheme. (U.S. Navy photo by Vic Pitts/Released)
Click here for High Resolution Photo
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE)
artisans performed a unique, depot-level restoration and
painted the Lockheed S-3B Viking in a WWII heritage paint
scheme on the second of three aircraft delivered in November
2010 to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 at Point
Mugu, Calif. The “Bloodhounds” are using the aircraft to
clear the Sea Range, the Department of Defense’s largest
overwater missile test range. (U.S. Navy photo by Vic
Pitts/Released)
RETURN TO INDEX
AVIATION BONUS SYSTEM
CHANGES
Aviation Bonus System
Is Overhauled
UNCLASSIFIED//
ROUTINE
R 181959Z MAY 11 PSN 390051K18
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS//N07220//
NAVADMIN 168/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON
DC/N1/MAY//
SUBJ/FY-11 AVIATION CAREER CONTINUATION
PAY//
RMKS/1. A VITAL PART OF DEVELOPING A
TOTAL FORCE STRATEGY AND MAINTAINING
COMBAT READINESS IS TO PROVIDE
APPROPRIATE INCENTIVES TO RETAIN SKILLED
AVIATION PERSONNEL FOR CRITICAL NAVAL
AVIATION ENTERPRISE BILLETS. THE
AVIATION CAREER CONTINUATION PAY (ACCP)
PROGRAM PROVIDES SELECTED BONUSES AS
AN INCENTIVE TO RETAIN SUFFICIENT
ELIGIBLE PILOTS AND NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICERS
THROUGH DEPARTMENT HEAD AND COMMAND
MILESTONES. DUE TO INCREASED RETENTION
AMONG CONTROL GRADE AVIATION OFFICERS
AND SUFFICIENT TAKE RATES IN MANY
COMMUNITIES BY DEPARTMENT HEAD ELIGIBLE
OFFICERS, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM THE
FY-10 PROGRAM HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE
FY-11 ACCP PROGRAM.
2. A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF THE CHANGES TO
THE FY-11 ACCP PROGRAM ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. DEPARTMENT HEAD (DH): THE DH
BONUS IS A 5-YEAR CONTRACT BASED ON
DESIGNATOR AND AVIATION COMMUNITY AND
WILL NO LONGER OFFER A LUMP-SUM OPTION.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE HAS
BEEN ADJUSTED AND OFFICERS WILL RECEIVE
A REDUCED AMOUNT UNTIL DH SCREENED.
THE FY-11 PROGRAM CONTINUES TO AUTHORIZE
THE PAYMENT OF FIVE-YEAR CONTRACTS ONE
YEAR PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF THE
ACTIVE DUTY MINIMUM SERVICE REQUIREMENT
(MSR). LONG-TERM APPLICANTS ARE
ELIGIBLE IF THEIR MSR EXPIRES IN FY-11
OR FY-12. PAYMENT WILL BEGIN WHEN THE
OFFICER IS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF
COMPLETION OF THE MSR. BONUS AMOUNTS ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
HM - PILOT ($10,000/YR)
HSC - PILOT ($10,000/YR)
HSL/HSM - PILOT ($10,000/YR)
VAQ - PILOT ($15,000/YR); NFO
($20,000/YR) VAW/VRC - PILOT ($5,000/YR); NFO
($5,000/YR) VFA - PILOT ($25,000/YR);
NFO ($10,000/YR) VP - PILOT
($10,000/YR); NFO ($10,000/YR)
VQ(P) - PILOT ($10,000/YR); NFO
($10,000/YR)
VQ(T) - PILOT ($5,000/YR); NFO
($5,000/YR)
B. AT-SEA BONUS: THE AT-SEA BONUS
IS A 2-YEAR CONTRACT UPON ARRIVAL TO A
DESIGNATED CRITICAL AT SEA BILLET FOR
AVIATORS NOT ALREADY UNDER AN ACCP
CONTRACT. THE BONUS IS PAID IN EQUAL
ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS OF $5,000 PER YEAR.
C. COMMAND BONUS: THE COMMAND
BONUS IS A 3-YEAR CONTRACT UPON ARRIVAL AS
XO/CO FOR AT-SEA OPERATIONAL OR
OPERATIONAL TRAINING SQUADRONS ONLY. LEVELS
REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR FY-11 AND IT IS
PAID IN EQUAL ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS OF
$12,000 PER YEAR.
D. ASTRONAUT BONUS: THE ASTRONAUT
BONUS IS A 3-YEAR CONTRACT UPON
RECEIVING DESIGNATION AS ASTRONAUT OR
ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE AND TRAINING WITH
NASA AS A PRIMARY OR BACKUP FLIGHT CREW
MEMBER. IT IS PAID IN EQUAL ANNUAL
INSTALLMENTS OF $12,000 PER YEAR.
3. FY-11 ACCP APPLICATIONS MUST BE
RECEIVED PRIOR TO 23 SEP 11.
4. FOR SPECIFIC PROGRAM DETAILS,
ELIGIBILITY, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND
APPLICATION LETTER FORMAT, VISIT THE
AVIATION OFFICER COMMUNITY MANAGER
WEBSITE AT WWW.PUBLIC.NAVY.MIL/BUPERS-
NPC/OFFICER/COMMUNITYMANAGERS/UNRESTRICTED/PAGES/AVIATIONOCM.ASPX.
5. POINTS OF CONTACT:
A. MR. PAUL BOUNDY AT (901)
874-3947/DSN 882 OR VIA E-MAIL AT
PAUL.BOUNDY(AT)NAVY.MIL
B. MS. MELINDA WEEDEN AT (901)
874-3964/DSN 882 OR VIA E-MAIL AT
MELINDA.WEEDEN(AT)NAVY.MIL
6. RELEASED BY VADM MARK FERGUSON,
N1//
RETURN TO INDEX
THE LAST MARINE PROWLER
First Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler makes final flight
6/10/2011 By Pfc. Cory D. Polom ,
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT,
N.C. — In early 1977 the Marine Corps received its first
EA-6B Prowler, tail number 160432, marked number 000 by the
aircraft's original home squadron, Marine Tactical
Electronic Warfare Squadron 2, of Marine Corps Air Station
Cherry Point, N.C.
After 34 years of service and more than
11,000 flight hours, aircraft 160432 made its final active
duty flight June 10.
“This aircraft is a legend among my
friends and me,” said ret. Lt. Col. Hal L. Baker, a former
operations officer with VMAQ-2. “It was the first of many of
these amazing machines, but there will never be another like
it.”
The first Prowler flew to Cherry Point
flanked by its predecessor, the EA-6A Intruder, which was
used to train the first class of pilots and crew members.
“This aircraft was originally used to
knock out the radar of the enemy and jam communications,”
said ret. Col. Richard W. Bates, who was the commanding
officer of VMAQ-2 in the early 1990s. “I flew about 3,000
flight hours in a Prowler and more than 300 hours in this
specific aircraft. It is a part of the history and heritage
of the Prowler community.”
Bates said the Prowler was a critical
asset and never let the Marine Corps down.
“The electronic system in the Prowler
helped the Marine Corps by allowing the aircraft to operate
with little thought to a generator failing,” said ret. 1st.
Sgt. James A. Zinni. “In the previous aircraft, if one
generator went out, then the aircraft had to turn around and
abort the mission. With the Prowler we were able to always
perform our mission.”
Having flown missions in many areas of
the world, the retired Prowler will now become a display at
its home base of Cherry Point.
“This aircraft has been used by all the
VMAQ squadrons aboard the base and finished up here with its
final flight under the Q-2 logo,” said Lt. Col. Todd M.
Caruso, the commanding officer of VMAQ-2 and one of the four
members of the final crew to fly 160432. “We here at VMAQ-2
did everything we could to keep the history of that aircraft
alive. We have used it for training and it has even been to
Afghanistan.”
Caruso said 160432 has been in every
conflict that has involved the Prowler, from the Cold
War crisis to the Gulf War and even Iraq.
“When I was an aircraft electrician for
the Prowler, I was certified to conduct low and high power
checks,” said Zinni. “It is an amazing feeling when you’re
sitting on more than 37,000 pounds of thrust. You feel
powerful.”
Baker said the power of the Prowler
will not be forgotten by those who have come in contact with
it, especially ‘432.
“14 years I spent with this bird, and I
would not trade a day of it,” said Zinni. “Prowler '432 is a
part of Marine Corps history and a part of every Marine who
has the opportunity to operate or work on it. This aircraft
will never die.”
RETURN TO INDEX
EMALS IN THE NEWS
Electrically Powered Catapult Launches First T-45C, C-2A
Aircraft
By
tamir_eshel June 16, 2011
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System successfully
completed the first launch of a C-2A Greyhound belonging to
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 from the NAVAIR
Lakehurst, N.J., test site June 8. The Greyhound was
launched 18 times over a wide range of aircraft weights June
8 and 9 as part of ongoing aircraft compatibility testing.
EMALS, a complete launch system designed for Gerald R. Ford
(CVN 78) and future Ford-class aircraft carriers will
replace the steam catapult system which has been in use for
more than 50 years. Photo: U.S. Navy
Engineers at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J.,
work on the EMALS trough at the System Functional Display
site. U.S. Navy Photo.
The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS)
successfully completed the first launch of a T-45C Goshawk
from the NAVAIR Lakehurst, N.J. test site on June 1, As part
of these ongoing compatibility testing, twelve successful
launches were made June 1 and 2. Few days later, on June 8,
the system performed the first launch of a C-2A Greyhound as
part of the system’s ground testing. The Greyhound was
launched 18 times over a wide range of aircraft weights June
8 and 9 as part of ongoing aircraft compatibility testing.
EMALS built by General Atomics is a complete launch system
designed for Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and all future
Ford-class aircraft carriers will replace the steam catapult
system which has been in use for more than 50 years. EMALS
is lighter, requires less maintenance, and provides
increased efficiency and more accurate end-speed control.
EMALS technology was fundamentally proven by the U.S. Navy
in 2004 using a full-scale, half-length prototype, where
more than 1,500 launches and armature maneuvers were
conducted. Since 2008, component testing on the shipboard
design has been underway, including full scale/full power
tests of all components. A full scale test site was
established at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst,
N.J., in 2010.
EMALS, a complete launch system designed for Gerald R. Ford
(CVN 78) and all future Ford-class aircraft carriers, will
replace the steam catapult system that has been in use for
more than 50 years. (U.S. Navy photo)
RETURN TO INDEX
END
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