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Carrier Aircraft News

11 Oct 2017

Inside the USS Gerald R. Ford

An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 flies over USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The aircraft carrier is underway conducting test and evaluation operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt)

President Donald Trump addressed the more than 10,000 people attending the ceremony where the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), was commissioned on Saturday, July 22 in Norfolk, Va. “Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong,” said Trump. Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley recalled President Theodore Roosevelt, who used to say, “Walk softly, and carry a big stick.” Stackley then turned to Trump and said, “Mr.

30 Jul 2017

USS Gerald R. Ford Completes First Arrested Landing

Less than one week after Pres. Donald J. Trump commissioned the U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) launched and recovered its first fixed-wing aircraft July 28, 2017, off the coast of Virginia. The first arrested landing, or "trap", occurred at 3:10 PM (EST) and the first catapult launch happened at 4:37 PM (EST). Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Struck of Tallmedge, Ohio piloted the F/A-18F Superhornet from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 based at Patuxent River, Maryland. The Superhornet caught the number two arresting wire of Ford's advanced arresting gear (AAG) system and was launched from catapult one using the electromagnetic launch system (EMALS). "Today, USS Gerald R.

17 May 2015

USN Successfully Tests Electromagnetic Catapult on CVN 78

The Navy conducted the first-ever, shipboard, full-speed catapult shots using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) aboard the aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Naval Sea Systems Command announced May 15. EMALS is a carrier-based launch system designed to expand the operational capability of the Navy's future carriers to include all current and future planned carrier aircraft. The recent test shots, known as "no-loads" because no aircraft or other loads were attached to the launching shuttle, successfully demonstrated the integrated catapult system. Using electromagnetic technology, the system delivers substantial improvements in system maintenance…

17 Apr 2015

'Amazingly Intact' WWII-era Aircraft Carrier Surveyed

Features on a photo of USS Independence CVL 22 are captured in a 3D low-resolution sonar image of the shipwreck in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The Coda Octopus Echoscope 3D sonar, integrated on the Boeing AUV Echo Ranger, imaged the shipwreck during the first maritime archaeological survey. The sonar image with oranges color tones (lower) shows an outline of a possible airplane in the forward aircraft elevator hatch opening. (Credit: NOAA, Boeing, and Coda Octopus)

NOAA, working with private industry partners and the U.S. Navy, has confirmed the location and condition of the USS Independence, the lead ship of its class of light aircraft carriers that were critical during the American naval offensive in the Pacific during World War II. Resting in 2,600 feet of water off California's Farallon Islands, the carrier is "amazingly intact," said NOAA scientists, with its hull and flight deck clearly visible, and what appears to be a plane in the carrier's hangar bay.

24 Sep 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 24

USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) is launched September 24, 1960 at Newport News Shipbuilding. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Ingalls Industries)

Today in U.S. Naval History - September 24 1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, USNR, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force. 1944 - 5th Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines 1960 - First nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), launched at Newport News, Va. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.

17 Sep 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 17

Today in U.S. Naval History - September 17 1861 - Union landing party from USS Massachusetts takes possession of Ship Island, Mississippi. This was the headquarters for Adm. David Farragut's Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron. 1944 - Navy Task Force lands Army troops on Angaur, Palau Islands supported by Navy carrier aircraft and shore bombardment For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.

12 Sep 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 12

Today in U.S. 1952 - USS Coral Sea (CVB-43) took Marshall Josip Tito for a one-day cruise in the Adriatic Sea where he was shown flight operations. 1966 - Launch of Gemini 11, piloted by CDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN and LCDR Richard F. Gordon Jr., USN. Their mission lasted 2 days and 23 hours and included 44 orbits at an altitude of 1368.9 km.. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.

09 Sep 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 9

Today in U.S. 1825 - USS Brandywine sails for France to carry the Marquis de Lafayette home after his year long visit to America. 1943 - Operation Avalanche, Western Naval Task Force under Vice Adm. 1945 - A "computer bug" is first identified and named by Lt. Grace Murray Hopper while she was on Navy active duty in 1945. It was found in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator at Harvard University. The operators affixed the moth to the computer log, where it still resides, with the entry: "First actual case of bug being found." They "debugged" the computer, first introducing the term. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.

22 Aug 2014

Mammoet Lifts Space Shuttle atop Carrier Aircraft

Mammoet lifts space shuttle replica Independence atop the original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) NASA 905, a Boeing 747.

Last week, engineered heavy lifting and transport company Mammoet lifted a new attraction at the NASA Space Center Houston to a greater height. As thousands of onlookers watched, a 250-foot tall Mammoet crane lifted a 122-foot long space shuttle replica three stories high to its resting place atop the original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) NASA 905, a Boeing 747. The Boeing, with its unique piggyback cargo, ultimately will become a destination for visitors from around the world. The delicate lift to the crown of the 63-foot 747 took about 40 minutes.

21 Aug 2014

Signet Tows Aircraft Carrier on Final Voyage

SOLAS Certified, ABS A1, 10,000 BHP, Signet Warhorse III en route to Newport Naval Shipyard to tow USS Saratoga to Brownsville, Texas.

The final voyage of aircraft carrier USS Saratoga begins today. From the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western Hemisphere, the USS Saratoga has made her mark around the globe, and served more than 38 years in the United States Navy. The carrier’s aircraft flew sorties in the Vietnam War, in Operation Desert Shield and over the states of the former Yugoslavia in 1992. Throughout its four decades of service, more than 60,000 sailors served on its decks, with roughly 5,000 at any given time.

16 May 2014

Unmanned Navy Carrier Aircraft Program: Progress Update

One year ago, Sailors watched an unmanned air vehicle take-off from a nuclear-powered carrier flight deck for the first time in naval aviation history, says Capt. "May 14, 2013 was an extraordinary day for the Navy. The crew from USS George H.W. Bush launched the X-47B that morning off the coast of Virginia. The tailless, autonomous unmanned aircraft took to the skies, while the flight crew on deck celebrated this historic achievement. Our Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Adm. David Buss called it “a watershed event” as he watched from the flight deck. He compared this event to aviation pioneer Eugene Ely’s first-ever landing on the deck of a ship in 1911. In July, the UCAS-D team went back to the ship and took testing one step further.

07 May 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: May 7

Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho is torpedoed, during attacks by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft in the late morning of 7 May 1942. Photographed from a USS Lexington (CV-2) plane. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives

Today in U.S. Naval History - May 7 1779 - Continental Navy sloop Providence captures British brig Diligent off Cape Charles 1934 - USS Constitution completes tour of principal U.S. ports 1940 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders Pacific Fleet to remain in Hawaiian waters indefinitely 1942 - Carrier aircraft sink Japanese carrier Shoho during Battle of Coral Sea For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

07 Apr 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: April 7

USS Ohio (SSBN-726). U.S. Navy photo

Today in U.S. Naval History: April 7 1776 - Continental brig Lexington captures British Edward 1917 - Navy takes control of all wireless radio stations in the U.S. 1942 - Navy accepts African Americans for general service 1945 - Carrier aircraft defeat last Japanese Navy sortie (Battle of East China Sea); Yamato, world's largest battleship, and five other ships sunk 1979 - Launching of first Trident submarine, USS Ohio (SSBN-726) at Groton, Conn. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

21 Feb 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: February 21

USS Saratoga (CV-3). Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Today in U.S. Naval History - February 21 1944 - Marines with support of naval bombardment and carrier aircraft secure Eniwetok atoll 1945 - USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) struck by a kamikaze off Iwo Jima and sunk in 90 minutes with loss of 318 men. USS Saratoga (CV-3) struck by five kamikazes but survived with loss of 123. Bismarck Sea was last carrier lost in combat during World War II. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

09 Jan 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: January 9

Steamship Star of the West, with reinforcements for Major Anderson, approaching Fort Sumter (Image courtesy United States Library of Congress)

Today in U.S. Naval History - January 9 1861 - Union steamer Star of the West fired on in Charleston Harbor 1918 - Establishment of Naval Overseas Transportation Service to carry cargo during WWI 1945 - Carrier aircraft begin two-day attack on Japanese forces, Luzon, Philippines For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

14 Nov 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: November 14

USS Birmingham (U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.)

Today in U.S. Naval History - November 14 1846 - Naval forces capture Tampico, Mexico. 1910 - Civilian Eugene Ely pilots first aircraft to take-off from a ship, USS Birmingham (CL-2) at Hampton Roads, Va. He lands safely on Willoughby Spit, Norfolk, Va. 1941 - Order to withdraw Marines at Shanghai, Peiping, and Tientsin, China. 1944 - Carrier aircraft attack Japanese shipping in Philippines sinking five ships and damaging one. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

24 Oct 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: October 24

USS Kleinsmith (APD-134). U.S. Navy photo

Today in U.S. Naval History - October 24 1944 - In air-sea battle in the Sibuyan Sea, carrier aircraft attack Japanese Center Force. 1958 - USS Kleinsmith (APD-134) evacuates U.S. nationals from Nicaro, Cuba. 1962 - Atlantic Fleet begins quarantine operations to force Soviet Union to agree to remove ballistic missiles and long range bombers from Cuba. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

18 Oct 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: October 18

Today in U.S. 1812 - U.S. sloop of war Wasp captures HM brig Frolic. 1859 - U.S. Marines reach Harper's Ferry, Va. and assault the arsenal seized by John Brown and his followers. 1867 - USS Ossippee and USS Resaca participate in formal transfer of Alaska to U.S. authority at Sitka and remain to enforce law and order in new territory. 1944 - Third Fleet Carrier aircraft attack Japanese ships in harbor and land forces around Manila. 1968 - In Operation Sea Lords, the Navy's three major operating forces in Vietnam (TF 115, 116, and 117) are brought together for the first time to stop Vietcong infiltration deep into South Vietnam's Mekong Delta. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

16 Oct 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: October 16

Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan. Artist: H. Peterson after Alexander James. (Photo: U.S. Naval History & Heritage Command)

Today in U.S. 1885 - Capt. 1891 - Baltimore Incident, Valparaiso, Chile. 1940 - Fifth group of 10 destroyers from the Destroyers for Bases Deal turned over to British at Halifax, Canada. 1942 - Carrier aircraft from USS Hornet (CV-8) conduct attacks on Japanese troops on Guadalcanal. 1943 - Navy accepts its first helicopter, a Sikorsky YR-4B (HNS-1) at Bridgeport, Connecticut. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

24 Sep 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 24

Enterprise (CVAN-65) was christened on Saturday, 24 September 1960. (Photo: Ron Reeves)

Today in U.S. Naval History - September 24 1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, USNR, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force. 1944 - 5th Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines 1960 - First nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), launched at Newport News, Va. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

12 Sep 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 12

Typhoon Iniki (Photo: NOAA)

Today in U.S. 1952 - USS Coral Sea (CVB-43) took Marshall Josip Tito for a one-day cruise in the Adriatic Sea where he was shown flight operations. 1966 - Launch of Gemini 11, piloted by CDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN and LCDR Richard F. Gordon Jr., USN. Their mission lasted 2 days and 23 hours and included 44 orbits at an altitude of 1,368.9 km.. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

09 Sep 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: September 9

Today in U.S. 1825 - USS Brandywine sails for France to carry the Marquis de Lafayette home after his year long visit to America. 1945 - A "computer bug" is first identified and named by LT Grace Murray Hopper while she was on Navy active duty in 1945. It was found in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator at Harvard University. The operators affixed the moth to the computer log, where it still resides, with the entry: "First actual case of bug being found." They "debugged" the computer, first introducing the term. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

07 May 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: May 7

Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho is torpedoed, during attacks by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft in the late morning of 7 May 1942. Photographed from a USS Lexington (CV-2) plane. (Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives.)

1942 - Carrier aircraft sink Japanese carrier Shoho during Battle of Coral Sea. The first day of the carrier battle of Coral Sea, May 7 1942, saw the Americans searching for carriers they knew were present and the Japanese looking for ones they feared might be in the area. The opposing commanders, U.S. Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher and Japanese Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi and Rear Admiral Tadaichi Hara, endeavored to "get in the first blow", a presumed prerequisite to victory (and to survival) in a battle between heavily-armed and lightly-protected aircraft carriers.