CHAPTER TEN
When the first day of 1980 dawned, the US Navy had retired its last few Essex carriers and was using its super carriers for force projection on behalf of American interests around the globe. The nuclear-powered carrier was also becoming more prevalent: the Enterprise had already been in service for nearly twenty years, and it was joined by the four vessels of the Nimitz class, these being followed by a further six of the class, although these had been improved over the original design. The name ship undertook its first deployment to the Indian Ocean in January 1980, bringing the total number of carriers in this area to three, as the Kitty Hawk and Midway were already on station. All three ships transited into the Arabian Sea later that month. The Nimitz remained in the Arabian Sea to take its part in Operation Eagle Claw, the rescue of the American hostages from the Embassy in Iran, who were ultimately held captive for 444 days. The Nimitz provided the launching pad for the eight Sikorsky RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters provided by the Navy. The helicopters were reduced by two when they were forced to land due to a sandstorm. Of the remaining six, one had flown in using its back-up hydraulic system, while another and a C-130 were destroyed when they collided during refuelling, killing three marines and five USAF personnel. As the mission had descended into a shambles, the remaining personnel were ordered to destroy any equipment that could not be removed and return to safer soil.
While the Nimitz was undertaking its Arabian Sea operation, the Indian Ocean was still seeing US carrier groups arriving and departing, and in April the Coral Sea battle group was replaced by that of the Constellation. The ‘Connie’ was joined by the Dwight D. Eisenhower group that was nominally replacing the Nimitz group. June saw the start of a recurring problem for the Navy when it was reported that the USS John F. Kennedy was unable to put to sea due to the shortage of skilled manpower, which meant that the carrier was declared not fit for combat. The John F. Kennedy finally departed from Norfolk, Virginia, after borrowing fifty petty officers seconded from other ships. As the end of September approached, the Saratoga put into the Philidelphia Naval Yard to begin its service life extension program (SLEP), which cost $526 million and took twenty-eight months to complete. The program saw the hull reworked, while the main propulsion, auxiliary machinery, electrics and pipework were replaced where needed. The radar and communications systems were upgraded, a similar process being applied to the aircraft recovery and launching systems. The SLEP was intended to add a further fifteen years’ life to each carrier it was applied to.
With its deck clear of the assigned air wing, the USS John F. Kennedy is under assault by numerous helicopters undertaking vertical replenishment of spares and supplies.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The year 1981 saw the Reagan administration increasing the overall defence budget, which from the point of view of the Navy would see an increase in the new-build programme, while it was proposed to reactivate the carrier USS Oriskany and the battleships Iowa and New Jersey were also brought back on strength. It was the Nimitz that gained the headlines again in August 1981. On the morning of 19 August a pair of VF-41 ‘Black Aces’ F-14A Tomcats were flying combat air patrol to cover aircraft engaged in a missile exercise. An E-2B Hawkeye from VAW-124 made radar contact with two Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters which had departed Okba Ben Nafi airbase near Tripoli and were heading towards the US Navy fighters. The two F-14s were ordered to intercept the Libyan fighters. Only a few seconds before crossing, one of the Libyan aircraft fired an AA-2 Atoll missile in the direction of the F-14s, although this missed. The two Su-22s then flew past the Americans and tried to escape. The Tomcats evaded the Libyan aircraft and were cleared to return fire, as this was self-defence after the initiation of hostile action. The F-14s turned hard to port and placed themselves behind the Libyan aircraft. The American fighters fired AIM-9L Sidewinders, each Tomcat claiming a kill. Both Libyan pilots were seen to eject, although one parachute failed to open.
Grumman Intruders and Prowlers dominate this scene aboard the USS Ranger. Seen here are EA-6B Prowlers, A-6E Intruders and KA-6D tankers.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Less than an hour later, while the Libyans were conducting a search-andrescue operation for their downed pilots, two fully armed MiG 25s entered the airspace over the Gulf and headed towards the Nimitz at Mach 1.5, conducting a mock attack in the direction of the carrier.
Two VF-41 Tomcats and one VF-84 Tomcat headed towards the Libyans, who then retraced their track back to base. Even as the Tomcats turned home they were required to retrace their steps, as the Libyan MiG 25s headed towards the US carriers once more. After being tracked by the fighters’ radars the MiGs finally departed for home. One more Libyan fighter formation ventured into the Gulf later that day, heading towards the carrier, although they turned for home without attempting to engage with the Americans.
The Nimitz-class carrier USS Carl Vinson was commissioned on 13 March 1982, the carrier’s first commander being Captain Martin USN. On 30 June the US Navy finally said goodbye to the final version of the Crusader still in operational use–the RF-8G. The disestablishment of the final unit, VFP-63, left the Navy without a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, although detachments of RF-4B Phantoms would be provided by the USMC. During 1983 the carriers found themselves operating in various parts of the world, the Ranger, for example, being stationed off Nicaragua in response to the flow of Soviet weaponry into that country. In August the situation in the Lebanon began to deteriorate when, on 29 August, Lebanese terrorists began attacks on various USMC positions around Beirut. In response the US government sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which launched F-14 Tomcats carrying tactical airborne reconnaissance pod system (TARPS) pods to scan the area. During these overflights the F-14s were fired on by Triple A and surface-to-air missiles, although no aircraft were damaged. On 4 December the carriers Independence and John F. Kennedy launched an air strike consisting of twelve A-7E Corsair IIs and sixteen A-6E Intruders against gun and missile positions located in the hills near Beirut, their mission being to suppress the actions of these locations. During the attack one Intruder was shot down, with the pilot being killed and the navigator being taken prisoner, although he was released later. An A-7E was also shot down, although the pilot was rescued safely, while another from the ‘Indie’ was damaged but did manage to return to base.
As well as operations off Nicaragua and Lebanon, the US Navy found itself engaged in Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada. The situation had deteriorated under the Communist government, and the welfare of many foreign nationals was threatened. The naval support force for this operation included the USS Independence and America. This overwhelming force landed on 25 October, completing the suppression of enemy forces within thirty-six hours. In contrast to 1983, the following year was fairly quiet for the carrier fleet, although the USS Kitty Hawk did manage to collide with a nuclear-powered Victor SSN submarine that had surfaced directly in front of the carrier. Although both vessels were damaged, the Kitty Hawk reached port from the Sea of Japan unaided, while the submarine had to remain on the surface, being escorted home to Vladivostok by a Russian cruiser.
On 7 October 1985 four Palestinian terrorists seized the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the eastern Mediterranean. They demanded the release of fifty of their comrades held in Israel. During the period that the ship was held, the terrorists shot a disabled American Jew, throwing the body overboard. On 9 October, after intensive negotiations, the terrorists left the ship, entering temporary sanctuary at the Al Maza airbase while the cruise ship entered Port Said. The following day the terrorists left Egypt in an Egyptair Boeing 737, which was intercepted by four F-14 Tomcats from the USS Saratoga that was cruising in the Mediterranean. The fighter forced the airliner to land at the joint Italian–US base at Sigonella, where the terrorists were arrested by the Italian police. The Saratoga then proceeded to the Gulf of Sidra, where it linked up with the Coral Sea on 24 January 1986, both vessels undertaking Operation Attain Document, which was intended to demonstrate the freedom of the seas near Libya. This first exercise ended seven days later, while a second phase, Attain Document II, ran from 10 to 15 February. In response to the American show of force, the Libyans launched SA-5 surface-to-air missiles at aircraft flying from the Coral Sea on 24 March. These first two missiles missed, as did the later four launched for the same purpose. The Libyans also sent a Combattante II missile craft towards the task force. This was countered by a pair of A-6E Intruders from the USS America that launched Harpoon missiles at the craft, badly damaging it. That evening a flight of A-7Es from the Saratoga attacked high speed onto radiation missiles, HARMs, against radars supporting the SA-5 missiles. This was followed by an A-6E attack on a Nanuchka-class missile ship, damaging the vessel with its Rockeye cluster bombs. A further attack was thwarted when the missile ship took cover alongside a neutral merchant ship, and the Nanuchka eventually sneaked away under the cover of darkness to Benghazi. A further attack was undertaken against radar sites based at Surt, using HARM missiles. The American attacks were later known as Operation Prairie Fire. The following day, A-6E Intruders from both carriers attacked another Nanuchka missile vessel, leaving it dead in the water. The vessel was subsequently abandoned by its crew.
The USS America plus destroyer escort transits the Suez Canal en route to the Arabian Sea to take part in Operation Desert Storm.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
A MiG 23 of the Libyan Air Force heads towards the American carriers cruising in the Indian Ocean.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
In order to emphasise American displeasure with the behaviour of the Libyan government, the Americans decided to launch Operation El Dorado Canyon. Launched on 15 April, the attack force was centred around eighteen F-111Es launched from Britain, while the carriers’ aircraft were used to provide electronic jamming, defence suppression and their own attacks on bases near Tripoli. The mission was deemed a success with only one aircraft being lost, an F-111E that crashed en route, both crewmen being killed. While the conventional carriers were attacking the Libyans, another Nimitz-class carrier was commissioning. This was the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which joined the US Navy on 25 October 1986, the first commander being Captain Parcells USN.
During 1987 American forces became heavily involved in the Gulf as the Iraqi and Iranian forces continued their war. The continued fighting between these two nations had an impact on shipping in the area, with both protagonists firing at neutral shipping. On 14 April the US Navy frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine in the Persian Gulf, which left the ship badly damaged. Four days later aircraft from the carrier Enterprise cruising in the Gulf of Oman attacked Iranian vessels and installations. During these attacks three vessels were sunk and another was badly damaged.
In 1989 the USS John F. Kennedy found itself engaging Libyan aircraft again when on 4 January a pair of missile-armed MiG 23s approached the carrier. The intercepting F-14s fired at the incoming MiGs, both of which were downed. Also in 1989, the commissioning of a further member of the Nimitz-class vessel, the USS Abraham Lincoln, took place. She joined the fleet on 11 November, the carrier’s first commander being Captain Hayden USN. Three days later a momentous event took place when the Berlin Wall was dismantled, being completed by 21 November. This signalled the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the determination of Western politicians to cash in on the ‘Peace Dividend’. This would later be seen as misguided, as the disappearance of Russia as a world power saw much smaller countries engaging in military adventures against their neighbours, a situation that would normally have been held in check by the Cold War antagonists. Even as the politicians were trying to shrink their armed forces, these conflicts were requiring the West to spread its forces in order to protect its interests.
Although the inconclusive Iran–Iraq War finally ended in August 1988, the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was still intent on throwing his weight around. On 2 April 1990 Iraq Radio issued a statement that declared that, ‘Those who are threatening us with nuclear bombs, we warn them that we will hit them with the binary weapons in our possession. I also say that if Israel dares to hit even one piece of steel on any industrial site we will make the fire consume half of Israel.’ Having threatened the one country that had already attacked Iraq successfully when the Israeli Air Force bombed the nascent nuclear reactor in 1981, the Iraqi Dictator decided to move over 100,000 troops and their equipment to the Kuwaiti border on 24 July. The Iraqis had taken this move as they were convinced that the Kuwaitis had been stealing Iraqi oil, using illegal drilling practices. In response to this move, all US forces in the Persian Gulf area were placed on high alert.
In the early hours of 2 August 1990 the Iraqi forces massed on the Kuwaiti border swept across, meeting little resistance from the far smaller Kuwaiti armed forces. Unable to resist the invasion, the Emir of Kuwait and his family fled to the safety of Saudi Arabia. Four days after the invasion, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 661, which ordered a global embargo on trade with Iraq and the seizure of the country’s assets overseas. On 7 August President George Bush ordered the movement of aircraft, troops and naval vessels into the Gulf and onto the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Such a move was deemed neccesary as Saddam Hussein had a serious grievance against the Saudi Royal Family. During the conflict with Iran, the Iraqi government had borrowed millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, which quite rightly requested that the loans be repaid. However, Saddam Hussein had other ideas, and he stated that as his country had lost many soldiers fighting the Iranian Shia regime, Iraq should not repay these loans because these sacrifices had protected Saudi Arabia from invasion. After the invasion of Kuwait and the financial spat with Saudi Arabia, the latter country was seriously worried about Iraq attacking Saudi Arabia, as its oil fields were in an area with a mainly Shia population.
A pair of A-7 Corsairs from VA-82 aboard the USS Nimitz fly past the carrier while on a training mission. The last battle for the A-7 would be Desert Storm.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Later known as Operation Desert Shield, the response by the US Navy was to dispatch two carrier battle groups to the area on 7 August. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had requested the presence of the troops and aircraft, as both the King and President Bush were extremely worried about Iraq gaining control of the majority of the world’s oil supply. The first carrier into the region was the USS Independence, which arrived in the Gulf of Oman on 8 August, the purpose of this deployment being to blockade the Indian Ocean. Aboard the Independence was Carrier Wing 14, consisting of two F-14 Tomcat squadrons, VF21 and VF-154, a single squadron of Grumman A-6Es and KA-6Ds, VA-196, a detachment of Grumman EA-6B Prowlers with VAQ-139, VAW-113 with Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes, VS-37 with Lockheed S-3A Vikings, HS-8 with Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings, and a detachment of Grumman C-2As from VRC-50 for carrier onboard delivery (COD). As the ‘Indie’ was taking up its blockade position, the USS Eisenhower was transiting the Suez Canal en route to the Red Sea, where it could intercept any traffic heading for the Jordanian port of Aqaba. Aboard the Eisenhower was Carrier Wing 7, which comprised two squadrons of F-14 Tomcats, VF-142 and VF-143, two squadrons of MDD, later Boeing, F/A-18 Hornets with VFA-131 and VF-136, VF-34 flying Grumman A-6Es/KA-6D Intruders, VAW-121 with Grumman E-2Cs, VAQ-140 flying Grumman EA-6Bs, VS-31 operating the Lockheed S-3A Vikings, and HS-5 with the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings.
Pictured from overhead is Task Force 155, the main carrier force in the Arabian Sea.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Also en route to the area was the USS Saratoga, which had sailed from Maryport with Carrier Wing 17 aboard on 7 August, arriving in the Red Sea on 22 August. The wing comprised VF-74 and VF-103 flying F-14 Tomcats, VFA-81 and VFA-83 with F/A-18 Hornets, VA-35 operating A-6Es and KA-6Ds, VAQ-132 flying EA-6Bs, VAW-125 flying E-2C Hawkeyes, VS-30 with S-3A Vikings, and HS-3 flying Sea Kings. The next carrier to be dispatched was the John F. Kennedy, which departed its home port on 15 August with Carrier Wing 3 aboard, consisting of VF-14 and VF-32 flying Tomcats, VA-75 operating Grumman A-6Es and KA-6Ds, while VA-46 and VA-72 were taking the LTV A-7E Corsair II on their last war cruise. Also aboard the ‘JFK’ was VAQ-130 with the EA-6B Prowler, VAW-126 flying E-2C Hawkeyes, and VS-22 operating S-3A Vikings in the anti-submarine role, while HS-7 was flying the SH-3 Sea King. When all four carriers were in position they brought to bear the striking power of over 300 aircraft, a formidable force that become larger as time passed and the crisis deepened.
As the Allied forces were gathering, Saddam Hussein broadcast over Baghdad radio that the annexation of Kuwait was needed to redress the flawed regional borders that had been drawn up by colonial powers and had left a corrupt minority in charge of some of the Arab world’s richest territory. In response, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 662 on 9 August, which declared the annexation of Kuwait null and void. The following day, in Cairo, twelve of the twenty-one members of the Arab League voted to honour the United Nations’ embargo of Iraq while also pledging to supply forces to the Saudi defence force. They also agreed that the Saudi invitation to the Americans was valid. In a desperate measure to stave off the forthcoming storm, Saddam Hussein brokered a peace plan that would see Iraq pull out of Kuwait in exchange for Israel withdrawing from the occupied territories on the West Bank and Gaza, coupled with Syria’s withdrawal from the Lebanon. On 17 August the Iraqi regime angered the world by declaring that all Westeners still in Iraq and Kuwait would be used as human shields at civil and military installations in an effort to stop attacks against these locations. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 664, which demanded that all Western hostages held by the regime should be released immediately. It took until 6 December for this to be complied with.
The pressure being exerted by the rest of the world was increased further on 9 September when President Bush and President Gorbachev met in Helsinki, Finland, both declaring unconditional support for the United Nations’ sanctions against Iraq. On 12 January 1991 the US Congress voted to allow the President to use military force if needed to end the Gulf crisis. In support of this decision, the carriers Ranger and Midway arrived in the Persian Gulf. Aboard the Ranger was Carrier Air Wing 2, which comprised VF-1 and VF-2 flying Grumman F-14 Tomcats, VA-143 and VA-155 operating A-6Es and KA-6Ds, VAQ-131 flying EA-6Bs, VAW-116 with E-2Cs, VS-38 with S-3A Vikings, and HS-14 with Sea Kings. The Midway deployed with an entirely F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bomber force that included VFA-151, VFA-192 and VFA-195. Also aboard were VA-115 and VA-185 flying Grumman A-6Es and KA-6Ds, the latter in the tanker role, while VAQ-136 operated EA-6Bs. The other units were VAW-115 flying E-2Cs and HS-12 operating SH-3 Sea Kings. Following on from the Ranger and Midway came the Theodore Roosevelt, which arrived in the Red Sea on 14 January, being followed the next day by the USS America. Aboard the Theodore Roosevelt was Carrier Air Wing 8, which consisted of VF-41 and VF-84 with Grumman Tomcats, VFA-15 and VFA-87 flying F/A-18 Hornets, VA-36 and VA-65 operating A-6Es and KA-6Ds, VAW-124 with E-2C Hawkeyes, and VAQ-141 flying Grumman EA-6B Prowlers, while VS-24 flew S-3A Vikings and HS-9 provided the Sea Kings. The USS America deployed with Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard this comprising of VF-33 and VF-102 with F-14s, VFA-82 and VFA-86 with F/A-18 Hornets, VA-85 flying A-6E and KA-6D tankers, VAQ-137 with Prowlers, VAW-123 with Hawkeyes, VS-32 with Vikings and HS-11 providing Sea Kings.
A USMC RF-4B Phantom taxies along the deck of the USS Midway. The Marine Phantoms provided a reconnaissance capability to the fleet until the F-14 TARPS pod was available.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 16 January 1991 the first move of what would become Operation Desert Storm began when a wave of Boeing B-52s departed from Barksdale AFB to begin their more than eleven-hour journey to Iraq. That evening a White House spokesman declared that the liberation of Kuwait had begun. Desert Storm officially began in the early hours of 17 January with a strike against the main Iraqi defence radars, which were rendered useless. With this hole opened, the Coalition air forces began to stream through, being accompanied by waves of Tomahawk cruise missiles aimed at major Iraqi facilities that needed precision attacks to limit collateral damage.
The carriers available for this attack were the Independence, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Saratoga, John F. Kennedy, Midway, Ranger, America and Theodore Roosevelt. These carriers launched strike packages of Grumman A-6E Intruders, F/A-18 Hornets, F-14 Tomcats and EA-6B Prowlers, the latter having begun its role before the others entered the war zone, as its jamming capability was much needed. A new weapon also made its debut in this conflict, this being the AGM-84E SLAM, a pair of which were launched from an A-6E against a hydroelectric plant. The missiles were guided by an A-7E that put the first on target and the second straight through the hole created by the first. The first combat success was scored by F/A-18 Hornets from the USS Saratoga. En route to their target and still toting their bombs, the fighters were guided onto a pair of incoming MiG 21s that the Hornets shot down using AIM-9 Sidewinders and AIM-7 Sparrows before continuing onwards to bomb their targets. During these opening rounds the Iraqis fired al-Hussein, modified Scud-B missiles, towards Israel and Saudi Arabia. When Desert Storm started, Allied forces in the region numbered almost 700,000. Saddam Hussein proclaimed that this was the start of the ‘Mother of all Battles’, but after a month of aerial bombardment the situation changed to the ‘Mother of all Surrenders’. By 24 February over 10,000 Iraqi troops had surrendered.
F/A-18 Hornets move towards the catapults of the USS Midway during Operation Desert Storm.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
An A-6E Intruder from the USS Saratoga undertakes a training mission during Operation Desert Shield, the build-up phase of the Gulf War.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
In the first seven days of the air offensive, over 12,000 sorties were flown, with the Allied High Command stating that the sortie rate was on target even with the delays caused by bad weather. On Day 8 over 3,000 sorties were launched, many of which were aimed at power stations and oil-refining capability, as well as the chemical plants scattered throughout the country. At the end of the seventh day of attacks the Iraqi Air Force had been rendered useless, with many aircraft fleeing to the country’s erstwhile enemy, Iran. Phase 2 missions were concentrated upon targets within Kuwait, while Phase 3 concentrated upon destroying Iraqi ground units in Kuwait prior to the ground invasion. Phase 4 involved all the Allied air forces supporting the Allied ground forces as they rolled over the Kuwaiti border. During Phases 1 and 2 it became obvious to the carrier crews that the Iraqi Air Force had no stomach for a fight. Every time that incoming enemy fighters were detected, they turned away as the Navy fighters turned to intercept, and this pattern was repeated throughout this early period of the war until the Iraqi aircraft were grounded for good.
While the combat pilots were hitting targets and chasing the Iraqi Air Force, the Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes from the carriers were operating in conjunction with the other AWACS aircraft in theatre to provide airborne early warning and much-needed air traffic control facilities for inbound and outbound strike packages and the tankers assigned to each mission. The Lockheed S-3B Vikings were also busy undertaking patrol and reconnaissance missions around the Gulf, during which a high-speed attack vessel was detected by the cruiser USS Valley Forge. The Viking detected the enemy ship using its infra-red detection system, locked onto it with its radar, and then dropped bombs on it, the vessel sinking almost immediately. The Navy also used its Intruders and Hornets to strike against the ships of the Iraqi Navy using Harpoon missiles and Skipper and Rockeye bombs to sink missile gunboats, minesweepers, patrol craft and other smaller vessels. Also struck by the same aircraft were Silkworm anti-ship missile sites and hovercraft, all of which were successfully destroyed.
Desert Storm also marked the debut of the newest aircraft in the Navy’s inventory, these being Grumman F-14+, the F/A-18C and the F/A-18D night-attack aircraft. The F/A-18 Hornets flew over 4,400 sorties during the conflict, while the Navy’s A-6 Intruders undertook more than 4,000 missions. On the last full day of the conflict the carriers flew over 600 missions, which continued to reduce the capabilities of the Iraqi forces as they fled Kuwait. The main strike happened on the road from Kuwait city to Basra, where the fleeing convoy had its ends topped and tailed by A-10 Thunderbolts, the trapped vehicles in between being destroyed by wave after wave of attackers.
The land war commenced on 27 February under a protective umbrella of air power. This not only ensured that the Iraqis had no idea what the Allies were up to but allowed them to continue striking targets of opportunity that resulted in mass surrenders by Iraqi troops who had already been pounded for days by air and sea power. The Iraqis were unaware that the Allies had secretly moved two entire divisions of the US Army, supported by British and French divisions, far to the west in one of the largest and swiftest battlefield troop movements in history. This impressive end run by more than 250,000 soldiers spread over several hundred miles quickly moved deep into Iraqi territory from the Saudi border, slipping behind the Iraqi forces to deliver a fatal flanking manoeuvre that not only cut off all avenues of retreat north and west of Kuwait, but also fulfilled Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell’s prediction that the Coalition was going to destroy the Iraqi Army. During these attacks the A-6 Intruders from the carriers and the USMC continued to pound Iraqi positions, their attacks being augmented by Boeing B-52s that were bombing Saddam’s élite guard units into submission. At 08.00 hours on 28 February 1991, Allied operations were suspended as the Iraqi forces had sued for peace. The success of Desert Storm was based on tactics developed during the Second World War–first gain control of the air, then attack your enemy with massive air, ground and naval strikes in order to destroy facilities and troops; then continue to destabilise and demoralise the remaining forces. Once these objectives had been completed, the final ground push could then take place.
The USS Enterprise will be the first nuclear carrier to be replaced when the first Gerald R. Ford class becomes available.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The Iraqi government continued to cause problems for the Allies, especially in the north and south sectors of the country, these being codenamed Provide Comfort and Southern Watch respectively. Although Iraq was banned from placing troops and equipment and flying into these two protected zones, they continued to push the Allies to the limit. Operations Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were undertaken to protect both these zones. The Allied Coalition finally lost patience with Iraq in the closing days of 1992 as Saddam placed SAM sites along the 32nd and 36th Parallels and the remaining Iraqi Air Force fighters penetrated into the no-fly zones. The fighter incursion saw MiGs entering the zone and engaging patrolling USAF fighters,. However, the obvious lack of combat skills that the Iraqi pilots had soon saw one of them shot down, with no loss to the Americans. Even after this loss the Iraqis continued to push the Coalition. In response the Kitty Hawk was diverted from Operation Restore Hope, arriving in the Persian Gulf on 12 January 1992. With the carrier in place, over a hundred aircraft were launched to attack various targets thought to be part of the defence network. The bombing continued, with short stops due to inclement weather, until 29 January, when Iraq called a ceasefire as a goodwill gesture for the inauguration of President Clinton.
Eventually the Allies had finally had enough of Saddam’s antics, deciding to invade the country and topple the leader from power. Not only were the provocations of a military nature, but the continued blocking of the UN Weapons Inspectors in checking for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and facilities, known as weapons of mass destruction, was very trying. The UN inspectors had finally had enough and decided to withdraw. Unfortunately the premise behind this invasion was shaky, to say the least, and has led to numerous enquiries within the Allied nations.
Cruising in calm waters, the USS Constellation would end its career after taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the carrier retiring in 2003.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 11 September 2001 al Qaeda flew hijacked airliners into the twin towers in New York and the Pentagon, not only shocking the world but shaking America to its roots. In response President George W. Bush declared a ‘War on Terror’ focusing on Afghanistan as the primary home of al Qaeda. This saw a temporary halt in the bombing raids on Iraq, which had been increasing in intensity during the previous two years, as the battle groups under the control of the Fifth Fleet turned their attentions to attacking Afghanistan. To that end the carriers redeployed to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, the ships involved being the Enterprise, Carl Vinson, Theodore Roosevelt and George Washington. The missions launched by the carriers, using F/A-18 Hornets, lasted between eight and ten hours. In conjunction with forces provided by the Allies, the Americans pushed into the country, finally defeating the Taliban regime in early 2002.
While the Allies were concentrating upon Afghanistan, the Iraqi regime had been moving SAMs and Triple A into the restricted zones. Although Allied air power, mainly British, continued strikes against these sites, not enough air power was available to keep them suppressed for long. The US Navy returned to the Gulf in September 2002, and when the USS George Washington arrived she restarted missions almost immediately against air defence sites in the south of Iraq. The George Washington was replaced by the Abraham Lincoln in October, the latter continuing her predecessor’s tasks. The Abraham Lincoln was replaced by the Constellation in December, this being the twenty-first and last operational deployment by the the ‘Connie’ in her forty-one years of service. On 19 March 2003 the Allies launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, destined to destroy and discover any weapons of mass destruction and to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. The initial attacks were conducted using cruise missiles, a pair of F-117 stealth fighters and ECM jamming from US Navy EA-6B Prowlers. On Day 2 the air campaign stepped up in intensity as hundreds of aircraft attacked sites throughout the country. The strength of the Allied forces saw the country virtually under Allied control by Day 26. The carriers involved in this operation included the Kitty Hawk, Abraham Lincoln, Nimitz and Theodore Roosevelt, whose primary attack aircraft was the F/A-18 Hornet, while F-14 Tomcats provided combat air patrols, although some were later upgraded to ‘Bombcat’ standard, having had a bomb-carrying capability added. It was Day 14, 2 April 2003, before a Navy attack aircraft was lost, this being an F/A-18 Hornet from the Kitty Hawk. Mopping-up continued for a few more weeks, although the lack of post-conflict planning saw insurgents and locally grown terrorists starting a campaign against the occupying Allied forces that continues at some level to this day.
The F-14 would have another role from Desert Storm onwards, that of Bombcat. On the centre-line pylons are a pair of LGBs being carried by an aircraft from VF-32.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
After Desert Storm there was a fundamental change in world politics when a coup in Russia saw a change of leadership and direction in that country. On 24 August 1991, President Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR, and that effectively ended the seventy-fouryear reign of the Communist Party. Eight days later the Soviet Congress of People’s Deputies dissolved the Soviet Union, as the various satellite states were clamouring for their independence, and the possibility of fighting and the resultant civil war quite rightly worried the authorities.
En route to a target in Iraq is an A-6E Intruder of VA-65 from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, carrying a decent load of iron bombs.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Changes within the carrier fleet were also under way, with the last of the Essex-class carriers leaving service. This was the USS Lexington, which had served as a fleet air training carrier until decommissioning on 26 November 1991, and later became a floating museum at Corpus Christi, Texas. Another change saw the USS Midway replaced by the USS Independence as the forward ported carrier outside the United States. The ‘Indie’ took over this task in August 1991, picking up Carrier Air Wing 5 from the Midway at Pearl Harbor en route. The Midway arrived in San Diego, where it currently resides as a museum, while the Independence continued to Yokosuka. New carriers were also coming into service, all being nuclear powered. By 1990 the Nimitz-class carriers Carl Vinson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, John C. Stennis and Harry S. Truman, while the Ronald Reagan and the George H.W. Bush would be commissioned in the early years of the twenty-first century.
The primary AEW aircraft currently in service with the US Navy is the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. This example belongs to VAW-112 aboard the USS John C. Stennis
. (US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Sporting a mix of bombs and fuel tanks is this F/A-18 Hornet from VFA-113 aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. The F/A-18 series is now the primary combat aircraft for the USN and USMC.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 4 May 1980 Marshal Tito, President of Yugoslavia and the man regarded as the bonding force for that disparate country, passed away. His death saw old racial tensions reappear as the country was rent by civil war, the highlight of which was the distasteful practice of ‘racial cleansing’. By 1991 the country had completely broken apart, with fighting taking place between various factions. Two years later the United Nations and NATO finally decided to intervene by starting Operation Deny Flight, which not only gave the Allies control of the skies, but enabled them to provide close air support to UN troops should it be needed. The primary carrier deployed in support of Operation Deny Flight was the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which started its deployment in March 1993, remaining on station until September, and being joined by the USS America, which remained in theatre until February 1994. Both carriers’ air wings undertook missions in co-ordination with 5 ATAF and NATO. The average sortie rate during this period was between thirty and forty per day. While Deny Flight was supposed to stop military flying by the countries that made up Yugoslavia, it was not unusual for reconnaissance flights to be shadowed by Serbian MiGs. The fighters flew both combat air patrols and close air support missions as required, while the A-6E Intruders were used for strike attacks. The EA-6B Prowlers of VAQ-137 frequently reported that the radars for the SA-6 Gainful surface-to-air missiles were noted tracking NATO aircraft as they undertook their sorties.
The next carrier on station in the Mediterranean was the USS Saratoga, which took up her mission in the Adriatic at the beginning of January 1994, the vessel remaining on station until June 1994. Entering the Adriatic on 1 February, the Saratoga, with Carrier Air Wing 17 aboard, launched the first of thousands of sorties in support of UN and NATO operations over Bosnia-Herzegovina. After forty-four consecutive sea duty days, the Saratoga visited the northern Italian city of Trieste for rest and recuperation. The ship departed Trieste on 28 February 1994, returning to her station in the southern Adriatic again. The carrier remained on station until 10 March before departing for the eastern Mediterranean to take part of the world that was completed eight days later. After a period in Trieste, the Saratoga returned to the Adriatic for five more days of flying in support of Deny Flight and Provide Promise. Departing Groundhog Station on 7 April, the carrier transited the Straits of Messina between Sicily and the toe of southern Italy, for a port call at Naples, Italy, before returning to the Adriatic for the fourth time on 17 April. The Saratoga handed over to the USS George Washington, at the time the newest fleet carrier, in the first week of June. The George Washington continued the good work started by the Saratoga with Carrier Air Wing 7 being utilised in a similar manner to other deployments. The George Washington remained on station except for rest and recuperation periods until November 1994. By 1995 the carriers on station were the USS Theordore Roosevelt and the America, these taking part in Operation Deliberate Force in order to enforce the no-fly zone over Bosnia, this having been established as a result of the passing of United Nations Resolution 816, which stated that the UN safe areas had to remain safe from Bosnian Serb aggression. This was followed by Resolution 836, which was passed in September 1995, allowing the air forces in the area to use maximum force to stop the aggression.
Now retired, the Grumman EA-6B Prowler was the primary electronic warfare aircraft for the Navy and the USMC before it was replaced by a version of the Hornet.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Operation Allied Force, NATO, or Noble Anvil, USA, was the NATO military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. These strikes lasted from 24 March to 11 June 1999. The purpose behind these missions was to totally destroy the forces and facilities available to President Milosevic. During these attacks, some of which were launched from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, with Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard, concentrated upon the airfields and the air defence network in Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro, as well as power stations, the power grid, arms factories, and military and police barracks. Supporting many of the strikes were Grumman EA-6B Prowlers, originally those from the Roosevelt being utilised. However, such was their workload that other aircraft were diverted from other carriers and shore bases to take up the load. As the campaign continued, the number of aircraft and missions increased the weight of bombs dropped on various targets,and this quickly diminished the Serbs’ ability to fight. While the Milosevic regime continued to shout defiance, it was obvious that its combat capability had been seriously reduced.
Like the remainder of the current fleet, the USS Theodore Roosevelt is nuclear powered. The carrier undertook missions during Desert Storm, followed by stints with the task force dealing with Afghanistan and Iraq.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Operation Enduring Freedom has been the mainstay of US Navy carrier operations throughout the first decade of this century. During this period all of the current fleet of carriers have been involved save the newly commissioned USS George H.W. Bush. The Nimitz, with Carrier Air Wing 11 aboard, undertook deployments during the period September to November 2001 before returning to the United States for updating, followed by training exercises. The carrier returned to Enduring Freedom in March to November 2003, May to November 2005, April to September 2007 and January to June 2008, while its last tour was undertaken from July 2009 to March 2010. In common with all of the services carriers, short periods were spent supporting Allied troops operating against insurgents in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as upgrade periods, exercises and goodwill visits to numerous ports, including some to the Nimitz’s home port of San Diego, California.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was out of operation between 2001 and 2004 as it underwent the only refuelling it would ever need in its projected fifty-year life span. This involved replacing the nuclear rods in the reactor, during which period the staff at the Newport News Dockyard also overhauled the complete cooling system among other items. Having completed sea trials, the carrier resumed operations in October 2006 with Carrier Air Wing 7 aboard. Assigned to Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan, the carrier completed her deployment in May 2007. It was nearly two years before the vessel redeployed again for this duty, taking up her task in February 2009 and remaining on station until July. The USS Carl Vinson was involved in both Operation Southern Watch over Iraq and Enduring Freedom during its cruise, which started in July 2001 and ended in January 2002, the aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 11 providing the strike power. After a further cruise during much of 2003, the carrier returned to combat action in January 2005, taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom during that period. By this time the vessel’s aircraft came under the control of Carrier Air Wing 9, this air group having replaced the previous incumbents in 2003. The Carl Vinson returned to her home port of San Diego in July at the completion of this cruise. In November of that year the carrier was towed from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Northrop Grumman yard at Newport News, where it is currently undergoing a nuclear refuel and in-depth overhaul.
With its deck festooned with F/A-18 Super Hornets, the USS Eisenhower launches a singleton off on another mission.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Operations Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom engaged the USS Theodore Roosevelt from September 2001 to March 2002, the vessel being deployed with Carrier Air Wing 1 embarked. At the completion of its cruise in the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea, the carrier returned to the United States, entering the Norfolk Naval Yard for a period of upgrading that was completed in October 2002. Cleared for sea duty once more, the carrier, with Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard, redeployed to both the Mediterrannean and the Arabian Sea in September 2005, taking part in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom before returning to her home port of Norfolk, Virginia in March 2006. This cruise also marked the last combat deployment of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the type being withdrawn from service soon afterwards. After a period undergoing updating and maintenance, the carrier continued her part in both Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, beginning in September 2008. The carrier ended this deployment in April 2009, returning to the United States soon afterwards.
The USS John C. Stennis was commissioned in 1995 and would be deployed on Southern Watch, followed by Enduring Freedom.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Named after one of the most famous Presidents in American history, the USS Abraham Lincoln was in Puget Sound Naval Yard for a six-month upgrade period in the first years of the new century. This was completed by July 2002, after which the vessel, with Carrier Air Wing 14 aboard, departed on her next cruise. This took in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea as the carrier took part in Operations Northern Edge, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The Abraham Lincoln was actually on her way home in January 2003 when the battle group was ordered to return to the Arabian Sea to take part in Iraqi Freedom. This delay meant that the carrier eventually returned to her home port of Everett, Washington, in May, having spent nine months at sea. A period in Puget Sound Naval Yard was completed in May 2004, the carrier collecting Carrier Air Wing 2 from San Diego en route to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where she undertook numerous exercises before returning home in March 2005. After another exercise-filled cruise that took place between February and August 2006, the carrier entered Puget Sound Naval Yard for a further period of maintenance and upgrading. With this completed, the vessel departed for her next cruise, which took in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, and took part in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This cruise drew to a close in October 2008, when the carrier returned to her home port. The Abraham Lincoln has since undergone a period of maintenance.
Named after the founding father of the United States, the USS George Washington is the fourth vessel to carry the name. Commissioned in 1992, this nuclear-powered carrier of the Nimitz class spent the year 2000 deployed to the Arabian Gulf before entering Portsmouth Naval Dockyard for a much-needed period of maintenance. After a working-up period the carrier found herself deployed off New York, where she was tasked to provide local air defence after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center twin towers. The carrier finally deployed to the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea to take part in Enduring Freedom operations before entering Norfolk Naval Yard for a six-month period of upgrading. A further Enduring Freedom cruise took place between January and July 2004, this being followed by a further period in the Norfolk Dockyard. At the completion of this work the carrier undertook a Caribbean cruise that lasted from April to May 2006, after which the vessel re-entered the Norfolk yard for the modifications required for service in Japan. These were completed in August 2007, the carrier departing for Yokosuka in April 2008, where it became the permanent replacement for the USS Midway.
The USS Harry S. Truman has taken part in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom since commissioning in 1998.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Named after a Secretary of the Navy, the USS John C. Stennis had commissioned in December 1995, and started the new century by relieving the USS John F. Kennedy for Southern Watch duties in January 2000, remaining on station until July that year. Departing from San Diego with Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard, ostensibly for Enduring Freedom operations, the carrier found her deployment delayed by two months as she was required to provide air defence for the west coast after the attacks on New York and Washington. The John C. Stennis finally took up her proper deployment position in November, remaining on station until May 2002. An upgrade programme kept her in dock from June 2002 to January 2003, the carrier returning to sea in February. After preparations for her next cruise, a support slot for Enduring Freedom, the carrier departed San Diego in May 2004, remaining on station until November. Upon returning to America, the John C. Stennis changed her home port from San Diego to Bremerton, Washington, from where she departed for further Enduring Freedom duties in January 2007, having undergone an extended maintenance and upgrade programme. The carrier returned to Bremerton in August 2007, entering the dockyard soon afterwards. The John C. Stennis returned to sea duty in January 2009 to undertake further Enduring Freedom operations before returning to Bremerton in July.
The USS Kitty Hawk was forward ported in Yokosuka, Japan, for much of its career before its retirement in May 2009.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Named after the thirty-third President of the United States, the USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned in July 1998. After an extended working-up period, the carrier was ready for her first deployment in November 2000, heading for the Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf. By May 2001 she had returned to her Norfolk, Virginia, base. By December 2002 the Harry S. Truman was en route to the Indian Ocean and later the Arabian Sea to take part in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The carrier had returned to Norfolk by May, entering the naval shipyard for a six-month maintenance period that was completed in February 2004. After the requisite work-up and training period, the carrier was ready for her next combat deployment, which began in October and lasted until April 2005. Most of 2006 was spent in the dockyard, the carrier undergoing a major update programme, and returning to the fleet in July 2007. After its shake-down cruise, the Harry S. Truman was ready for another deployment, which started in November 2007. During this period the aircraft carrier’s Air Wing 3 took part in the battle for Basra that had been caused by the withdrawal of British Forces. The resultant vacuum had been filled by various factions, all causing a total breakdown in law and order. The Allies had already planned to attack the bases of the various factions in the middle of the year, but this was brought forward after pressure by the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki. The strike against the insurgents was a success, with the various factions being driven out of Basra. At the completion of this cruise, the carrier returned to Norfolk for a period of rest and recuperation. The Harry S. Truman returned to the fray in May 2009, remaining on station until August.
The USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in July 2003, undertaking her first cruise in May 2004, when she sailed round Cape Horn en route to her new home port of San Diego in California. The carrier undertook her first Enduring Freedom cruise between January and July 2006, this being followed by a short cruise in the western Pacific to cover for the Kitty Hawk, which was undergoing a refit at the time. The next deployment for the Ronald Reagan began in May 2008, and lasted until November, the carrier taking part in operations on behalf of Enduring Freedom. With Carrier Air Wing 14 aboard, she departed from San Diego in May 2009, remaining on station until the beginning of 2010 before entering on a period of maintenance that is still ongoing.
The final carrier of the Nimitz class to be commissioned was the USS George H.W. Bush, which joined the fleet in January 2010. By the time this vessel was launched, she had changed significantly from the original Nimitz design, as lessons learned from operating others in the class were applied to the last of the class.
With the arrival of the George H.W. Bush, the US Navy was operating a completely nuclear-powered carrier fleet. Based in the Pacific are the carriers Nimitz, Carl Vinson, Abraham Lincoln, John C. Stennis and the Ronald Reagan, while the Atlantic Fleet can call on the Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Enterprise, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the newly available George H.W. Bush. While this gives the US Navy a two-ocean-carrier force, each carrier takes it in turn to undertake operations in support of Enduring Freedom, as well as operations in the Gulf when needed.
In 1997 the US Navy started the programme for the future-generation aircraft carrier programme that was known as the CVN (X) programme, although once the design had been firmed up the designation changed to CVN 21, an aircraft carrier for the twenty-first century. In January 2007 the US Navy announced that the new class would be called the Gerald R. Ford, or Ford, class. The first two ships, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the so far unnamed CVN 79 will be commissioned in 2015 and 2019 respectively, with further ships of the class entering service at intervals of five years. A total of ten Ford-class carriers are planned, with construction continuing to 2058. The Gerald R. Ford will replace the USS Enterprise, which entered service in 1961 and will be approaching the end of its operational life by 2015. The total acquisition cost of the CVN 21 is expected to be $11.7 billion, although much of this covers design and development cost. The US Department of Defense awarded the Northrop Grumman Newport News Naval Yard in Virginia a $107.6 million contract in July 2003, this being followed by a $1.39 billion contract in May 2004 and $559 million to prepare for the carrier construction and to continue the design programme on the ship’s propulsion system.
Seen heading into port under the guidance of a tug is the nuclear-powered carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
This is an artist’s concept of the Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carrier, the first of which is due to enter service in 2015.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
A $5.1 billion contract for the detailed design and construction was awarded to Newport News in September 2008, while the keel was scheduled to be laid in late 2009. Northrop Grumman was then awarded a contract for the planning and design of the second carrier, CVN 79, in November 2006. Construction of CVN 79 is expected to begin in 2012. The Gerald R. Ford-class carriers will be of a similar displacement to their predecessor, the last of the Nimitz class, the USS George H. W. Bush, although it will require 500–900 fewer crew members. The manpower reduction was an additional key performance parameter added to the original operational requirements document for the CVN 21 programme. It is estimated that the new technologies will lead to a thirty per cent reduction in maintenance requirements, and further crew workload reduction will be achieved through higher levels of system automation. The other improvements in operational performance in comparison to the Nimitz class are increased sortie rates, at 160 a day, compared to 140, plus a weight and stability allowance over the fifty-year operational service life of the ship to cater for modifications and improvements, together with increased electrical power generation capability and distribution to sustain the ship’s advanced technology systems.
The majority of American aircraft carriers since the 1960s have been constructed at Northrop Grumman Newport News. To cater for the new carrier contracts, Northrop Grumman has extended its design and shipbuilding capabilities by installing a new heavy plate workshop, a new 5,000-ton thick plate press, covered assembly facilities and a new 1,050-ton capacity crane. Northrop is also using an advanced suite of computer-aided design (CAD) tools for the CVN 21 programme, which includes the CATIA software suite for the simulation of the production process and a CAVE virtual environment package. The hull design is very similar to that of the current Nimitz-class carriers, and has the same number of decks. The island, however, is smaller, and has been moved further aft. The island has a composite-material mast mounted above it, with planar array radars, a volume search radar operating in the S band and a multi-function radar that operates in the X band. The mast also carries the stern-facing joint precision approach and landing system (JPALS) that utilises the local area differential global positioning system (GPS) for guidance rather than radar and the traditional mirror system. In a change from previous practice, the flag bridge for the task force commander and his staff has been relocated to a lower deck in order to reduce the size of the island.
The ship’s internal configuration and flight-deck designs have been altered, as the lower decks incorporate a flexible, rapidly reconfigurable layout covering different operational requirements, together with the installation of new equipment in the command, planning and administration areas. The design requirement to build in weight and stability allowances will accommodate the added weight of any new systems that might be installed over the fifty-year operational life of the ship. The removal of one aircraft elevator and the reduction in the number of hangar bays from three to two has contributed to a reduction in the weight of the new carrier.
Coming soon to a carrier near you, the Lockheed Martin F-35C that is destined to operate from the Nimitz- and Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
For defensive purposes the carrier will be armed with the Raytheon-designed Evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM), which is designed to defend against high-speed, highly manoeuvrable anti-ship missiles, while the close-in defensive weapons system is the rolling airframe missile (RAM) developed jointly by Raytheon and Ramsys GmbH.
Initially the new carrier will be capable of carrying an air wing of approximately ninety aircraft, including the F-35 joint strike fighter, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, EA-18G Super Hornet for electronic support, MH-60R/S helicopters and unmanned air vehicles and unmanned combat air vehicles. The design requirement for a higher basic sortie rate of 160 a day, with surges to a maximum of 220 sorties a day in times of crisis and intense air warfare activity, has led to some design changes to the flight deck. To increase the working area of the flight deck there are three rather than four deck-edge elevators, while deck extensions also increase the aircraft parking and preparation areas, as the aircraft maintenance points are located near the eighteen refuelling and rearming areas.
General Atomics Inc. has been awarded the contract to develop the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), which uses a linear electromagnetic accelerator motor to launch aircraft. EMALS demonstrators have been tested at the Naval Air Systems Command (NASC) Lakehurst test centre in New Jersey. It is planned that EMALS, once cleared for service, will replace the current C-13 steam catapults used aboard the remaining Nimitz-class carriers. Should it prove successful, EMALS technology offers the potential benefits of finer aircraft acceleration control, which in turn leads to lower stresses to the aircraft and pilots and provides a slower launch speed for unmanned air vehicles, as well as catering for a wider range of wind-over-deck speeds required for the launch sequence. The contract for the development of an advanced turboelectric arrester gear has also been awarded to General Atomics. In operation, the electromagnetic motor applies control to the synthetic arrester cable to reduce both the maximum tensions in the cable and the peak load on the arrester hook and the aircraft’s fuselage structure.
The flow of munitions to the aircraft parked on the flight deck has been redesigned to accommodate the required higher sortie rates. The ship carries stores of missiles and cannon rounds for fighter aircraft, bombs and air-to-surface missiles for the strike aircraft, and torpedoes and depth charges for anti-submarine warfare aircraft. To move these munitions the weapons elevators take the weapons from the magazines to the weapons-handling and weapons-assembly areas on the 02-level deck just below the flight deck, while express weapons elevators are installed between the handling and assembly areas and the flight deck. The two companies selected by Northrop Grumman to generate designs for the advanced weapons elevator are the Federal Equipment Company and Oldenburg Lakeshore Inc. The deployment of all-up rounds that are larger than traditional weapons requiring assembly will require double-height magazines and store rooms, which in turn will also affect the level of need for weapons-assembly facilities. The US Navy had also outlined a requirement for a minimum 150 per cent increase in the power generation capacity for the CVN 21 carrier, compared to the earlier Nimitz-class carriers, as the increased power capacity is needed for the four electromagnetic aircraft launchers and for possible future systems, such as directed-energy weapons that might become feasible during the carrier’s lifespan. Raytheon Inc. was contracted in October 2008 to supply a version of the dual-band radar (DBR) originally developed for the Zumwalt-class destroyer for installation on the Gerald R. Ford, and this combines both X-band and S-band phased arrays. Northrop Grumman is also developing the advanced nuclear propulsion system around the A1B reactor and a zonal electrical power distribution system for the CVN 21. The A1B reactor designation stands for ‘Aircraft carrier platform, First generation core, designed by Bechtel’ the contracted designer. The arrival of the Gerald R. Ford class in service will provide America and the United States Navy with vessels that will help project United States foreign policy as the world’s policeman.
The aircraft intended for the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers and the later Nimitz-class vessels is the Lockheed Martin F-35C carrier variant, which will have a larger folding wing and larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control than other versions. The aircraft also has stronger landing gear and an arrester hook to cope with the stresses of carrier landings. The larger wing area allows for decreased landing speed, increased range and payload, with twice the range on internal fuel compared with the F/A-18C Hornet, achieving much the same range as the heavier F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The United States Navy will be the sole user of the carrier variant, with a projected purchase of 480 F-35Cs, replacing the earlier F/A-18A,B,C,D Hornets. On 27 June 2007 the F-35C carrier variant completed its air system critical design review (CDR), which allows for the first two functional prototype F-35Cs to be produced. The F-35C variant is expected to be available for service from 2014. The first production F-35C was rolled out on 29 July 2009. Coupled with the new carriers, the F-35C will present a formidable combination during much of the twenty-first century.