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John Currin

15 years in Royal New Zealand Navy

French Carrier Charles De Gaulle Leaves on Deployment

DZIRHAN MAHADZIR APRIL 24, 2024 2:58 PM – UPDATED: APRIL 25, 2024 7:21 AM

French aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) departed its home port of Toulon for an operational deployment to the Mediterranean called Akila, which will see the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG) for the first time under NATO control for two-weeks.
In a press briefing on Apr. 11 to announce the deployment, Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard, Commander of the French CSG, stated that the names of French Navy warships and submarines in the group would not be announced as part of an ongoing experiment by the French Navy to obscure the identity of its warships. Mallard stated this is quite effective and “leads to a certain confusion among our competitors,” though he also stated that the Navy would release the classes of ships involved. The French CSG commander also said they could not disclose the specific names of the partner nations’ ships and aircraft involved, until the respective countries publicly released the information themselves.

During the briefing, Mallard released a slide showing Charles De Gaulle would carry an embarked airwing of 18 Rafale M fighters, two E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWEC) and two Dauphin helicopters, while a land-based Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft will support the French CSG. French Navy ships in the CSG are a Horizon-class air defense frigate, a FREMM-class multipurpose frigate, an attack submarine and fleet oiler BRF Jacques Chevallier (A725). The French Navy has since disclosed that the Horizon-class frigate is FS Chevalier Paul (D621).

The slide also showed that surface ships, land-based aircraft and a submarine integrating with the French CSG will come from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United States, though so far only the Portuguese Navy has publicly disclosed its participation. with the frigate NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333). Italian Navy frigate ITS Carabiniere (F593), however, was seen departing with the CSG from Toulon.

Mallard also provided a rough time frame of the deployment, stating that the CSG would operate for a short fortnight under NATO command, then would be under the direction of the French Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, for a period to execute national taskings and then participate in the Italian exercise Mare Aperto 24.1, co-organized by France. Mare Aperto would be the last activity before concluding the deployment, the French CSG commander stated, though he also said this could change with a possible option to enter the Red Sea in support of operations there. He also stated that there were no plans currently for the CSG to deploy to the Indo-Pacific.

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Marie-Doha Besancenot stated that the French CSG will be under the command of STRIKFORNATO (Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO Maritime Staff) from Apr. 26–May 10. In a release on Apr. 18, NATO’s Joint Force Command Naples stated that the French CSG will participate in NATO’s annual Neptune Strike exercise held in the Mediterranean. The exercise demonstrates the alliance’s ability to integrate joint high-end maritime strike capabilities of allied aircraft carriers and expeditionary strike groups to support the defense of the NATO alliance, according to the release.

On Tuesday, the French Navy announced Charles De Gaulle and Chevalier Paul carried out successful firings of Aster surface-to-air missiles a few hours after departure for deployment. A French Ministry of Armed Forces release stated that Chevalier Paul, as the CSG air defense commander, neutralized an air threat at long range using an Aster 30 missile, while Charles De Gaulle fired an Aster 15 missile hitting its target as well. The targets were remotely piloted vehicles that simulated an antiship missile and a reconnaissance drone. Earlier on Apr. 18, the French Navy carried out a synchronized dual firing of the Naval Cruise Missile (MdCN) by frigate FS Aquitaine (D650) and a Suffren-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN). The frigate was located off the coast of Brittany in northwest France, while the submarine was in the Bay of Biscay between the west coast of France and northern coast of Spain. A single missile was fired each by the frigate and submarine at a target located at the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) missile test center in Landes, southwest France. Both missiles simultaneously hit the target. The French Navy stated in a news release that the firing was carried out in a manner resembling operational conditions. “The French Navy thus demonstrates its ability to synchronize strikes against land in depth, from different units, and on a single target,” said the release.

The French CSG is not the only French Navy task group on deployment. The French Navy Jeanne D’Arc deployment has been ongoing since Feb. 19 . The Jeanne D’Arc task group consisting of amphibious assault ship FS Tonnerre (L9014) and frigate FS Guépratte (F714) is a combined training and operational mission carrying embarked French Navy cadets along with a French Army battlegroup. The task force wrapped up a three-day exercise with the Brazilian Navy and Brazilian Marine Corps with a joint amphibious landing on the Brazilian island of Marambaia, according to a Brazilian Navy release. Brazil Navy helicopter carrier Atlantico (A140) and frigate Liberal (F-43) took part in the drills and conducted at-sea drills with the two French ships prior to the amphibious landing.

In other developments, the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) completed its deployment in the Red Sea on Tuesday and is now heading to the Indo-Pacific, with its first stop being in India, according to a Netherlands Ministry of Defence release. Tromp is expected to participate in the U.S. Navy-led Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercise held in summer around Hawaii. The MOD release stated that Tromp will return home in September via the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. Multipurpose support ship HNLMS Karel Doorman (A833) is now on its way to the Red Sea to replace Tromp, with a Netherlands MOD release stating there was a need for logistic support ships and medical capability in the region and the deployment would address this as Karel Doorman has an embarked medical team and a Cougar helicopter for the medical requirement.

RFA Cardigan Bay to house hundreds of US sailors and soldiers building Gaza aid pier – 26th April 2024 at 2:50pm

RFA Cardigan Bay will provide a vital link in supplying the people of Gaza CREDIT Royal Navy.png
RFA Cardigan Bay will play an important role in helping aid reach the people of Gaza (Picture: Royal Navy)

A Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel will provide accommodation to hundreds of American soldiers and sailors in the eastern Mediterranean who are helping to deliver aid to Gaza.

The US military has started the construction of a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of vital humanitarian aid.

RFA Cardigan Bay is sailing from Cyprus to help support the international effort to build the pier which is set to be completed early next month.

The pier will initially support the delivery of approximately 90 truckloads of international aid, with plans to increase capacity to 150 truckloads once fully operational.

“It is critical we establish more routes for vital humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza and the UK continues to take a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and our international allies and partners,” Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said.

“The crew of RFA Cardigan Bay are central to the UK’s contribution to the multinational plan to greatly expand the flow of aid into Gaza.

“This will complement the priority of getting more aid in via land routes and Ashdod port in Israel, by enabling tens of thousands of tonnes to be delivered directly from the sea onto the beach.”

The use of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship means American forces can support the aid effort without having to put US boots on the ground.

RFA Cardigan Bay is a large landing ship dock that is designed to quickly offload troops and their equipment either using landing craft or from her large flight deck.

Cardigan Bay had spent four years on a mission in the Gulf before providing security cover for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Cardigan Bay’s sister ship RFA Lyme Bay delivered the UK’s first maritime shipment of aid for Gaza in January.

The 87 tonnes of life-saving aid supplies, which included thermal blankets, shelter packs and medical supplies, were delivered to Gaza via Cyprus.

Due to its proximity to Gaza and its hosting of both British sovereign and US bases, the aid delivered via the US-built pier will also transit through Cyprus.

For several weeks, specialist British military planning teams have been helping to work out the safest and most effective maritime route.

They have been embedded with the US operational HQ in Tampa, Florida, and in Cyprus.

RFA Lyme Bay has delivered nearly 90 tonnes of UK humanitarian aid to Egypt, bound for civilians in Gaza
RFA Lyme Bay has delivered nearly 90 tonnes of UK humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza (Picture: MOD)

The US construction project involves the assembly of an approximately 1,800-foot causeway, known as a Trident Pier, along with a roll-on, roll-off discharge facility situated about three miles off Gaza’s coast.

“The effort to deliver humanitarian assistance from the sea is fully supported by the Israeli Defense Force with whom we have been and will continue to work very closely from fixing the JLOTS [Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability] pier to the shore to providing force protection,” said a senior US defence official.

Once fully operational the pier is expected to be able to deliver enough supplies to feed the 2.3 million population of Gaza.

Meanwhile, the RAF has completed its ninth air drop of 11 tonnes of essential aid to Gaza.

First Type 26 Frigate Progresses Towards Completion

BAE Systems Naval Ships business in Glasgow is continuing to progress the outfit of the lead Type 26 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate for the UK Royal Navy (RN) ahead of the ship’s planned handover in 2026.

The future HMS Glasgow, the first Type 26 frigate for the Royal Navy, is progressing towards completion. Picture from December 2023 courtesy of George Allisson / Uk Defence Journal.

Richard Scott  24 Apr 2024

The future HMS Glasgow – the first of eight Type 26 ASW frigates ordered by the UK Ministry of Defence – has now received both its bow mounted and towed array sonar systems, and is shortly to receive its MK 45 Mod 4 5-inch medium-calibre gun.

Glasgow has been in dry dock in Scotstoun, on the north bank of the River Clyde, since its float-off in late 2022. Scotstoun is Naval Ship’s focal point for final outfit, commissioning test and trials; steelwork and major ship construction activity is undertaken at its sister Govan yard, which lies on the south bank of the Clyde.

Sir Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Naval Ships, said that work continues to insulate, paint and outfit Glasgow in Scotstoun. “We intend to move her into [the wet dock] for final test and commissioning in the autumn of this year,” he said. “Cardiff [ship 2] will then take her place in dry dock.”

Lister estimates Glasgow to be at least 65% complete, with all structural steelwork is complete, and major equipment installations are underway.

“We’re preparing to fit the [main] gun, we’ve fitted the bow sonar [Sonar 2150], and we are currently testing the towed array sonar [Sonar 2087]. All the engines are in, shafts and so on are in. We’re at that stage of connecting and installing the last few pipes, wiring up the ship, and setting-it-to-work prior to testing and commissioning.”

Sir Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Naval Ships

Glasgow is due to be formally named during 2025. Sea trials are planned to start in early 2026, with handover to follow later that same year.

Following handover, the RN will undertake a period of training and work-up on Glasgow. “They are planning for an initial operating capability in the 2028 timeframe,” said Lister.

While acknowledging that the first-of-class build had been challenging, Lister said that lessons learned are already improving performance on subsequent ships:

“We’re shrugging off the challenges of the prototype, and the design is now finished. The amount of change that’s in the programme is being eroded all the time – so the amount of change in ship 3 is one tenth of the amount of change that’s in ship 2.”

Type 26 Cardiff
HMS Cardiff, the second Type 26 frigate, is progressing towards structural completion on the Govan hardstand. It will be the last Type 26 assembled in the open. Picture by Richard Scott.

The second Type 26, the future HMS Cardiff, is progressing towards structural completion on the hardstand in Govan, with work underway to fit and align the ship’s shaft lines. Float-off is planned for the third quarter of 2024, after which Cardiff will be moved to dry dock in Scotstoun to continue fitting out.

All Type 26 frigates from ship 3 (HMS Belfast) onwards are planned to be consolidated under cover within a new Wet Basin Hall assembly facility now taking shape on the Govan site. According to Lister, blocks of Belfast will start moving into the hall at the end of this year. “The facility will not be completely finished until August/September next year,” he said, “but because the roof [is going to be on] we will take advantage of the weather protection that provides over the winter.”

Type 26 Wet Basin Hall
Construction work underway on the new Wet Basin Hall in Govan. BAE Systems plans to have sections of HMS Belfast inside by the end of 2024. Picture by Richard Scott.

BAE Systems forecasts that the productivity and efficiency benefits accruing from the new covered assembly hall will realise significant time and cost reductions in future Type 26 builds. “The business case for building the Wet Basin Hall is based on our ability to accelerate production and use less hours in building the ships,” Lister said. “We aim to reduce the build duration from the first-of-class being 96 months to the eighth being 60 months. And more than that we intend to compress the interval between ships from 18 months to 12 [months].”

TAGS BAE Systems Shipbuilding Type 26

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DSA 2024

AUTHORS

Posted by : Richard Scott

Richard Scott is a well-known UK-based writer on the Royal Navy and other naval forces worldwide.

Navies commemorate Anzac Day on board last remaining ship of Gallipoli campaign

HMS M33 is an M29-class monitor of the Royal Navy. Built in 1915, she saw active service in the Mediterranean during the First World War and in Russia during the Allied Intervention in 1919. She was used subsequently as a mine-laying training ship, fuelling hulk, boom defence workshop and floating office, being renamed HMS Minerva and Hulk C23 during her long life. She passed to Hampshire County Council in the 1980s and was then handed over to the National Museum of the Royal Navy in 2014. A programme of conservation was undertaken to enable her to be opened to the public. HMS M33 is located within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and opened to visitors on 7 August 2015 following a service of dedication. She is one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships of the First World War and the only surviving Allied ship from the Gallipoli Campaign, the other being the Ottoman minelayer Nusret, preserved in Çanakkale.
Construction[edit]
M33 was built as part of the rapid ship construction campaign following the outbreak of the First World War by Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Ordered in March 1915, she was launched in May and commissioned in June; an impressive shipbuilding feat, especially considering that numerous other ships of her type were being built in the same period.[1]
First World War[edit]
Armed with a pair of 6-inch (152 mm) guns and having a shallow draught, M33 was designed for coastal bombardment. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Preston-Thomas, her first active operation was the support of the British landings at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli in August 1915. She remained stationed at Gallipoli until the evacuation in January 1916. For the remainder of the war she served in the Mediterranean and was involved in the seizure of the Greek fleet at Salamis Bay on 1 September 1916.

Members of the Royal Navy and the navies of New Zealand and Australia have gathered on board the last remaining ship from the Gallipoli campaign to mark Anzac Day.

A wreath was laid during the service on board the monitor vessel HMS M.33 which is in dry dock next to HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Members of the Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal Australian Navy take part in an Anzac Day service of remembrance on board HMS M.33 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Members of the Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal Australian Navy take part in an Anzac Day service of remembrance on board HMS M.33 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The service was led by Royal Navy Chaplain Ralph Barber and was accompanied by two buglers from the Royal Marines School of Music performing the Reveille.

Troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – shortened to Anzac – were landed on the western shore of the Gallipoli peninsula on April 25 1915 as part of the failed campaign that lasted into 1916.

Eileen Clegg, from the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) which helped organise the service, said: “Anzac Day is the most important day of commemoration in New Zealand and Australia, and HMS M.33 serves as an excellent symbol of the sacrifice made in Gallipoli and beyond.

“This event allows anyone, serving or not, to honour this sacrifice from those who lived and served thousands of miles away.”

Members of the Royal New Zealand Navy replace their caps during an Anzac Day service of remembrance on board HMS M.33 (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Members of the Royal New Zealand Navy replace their caps during an Anzac Day service of remembrance on board HMS M.33 (Andrew Matthews/PA)

An NMRN spokeswoman said: “Anzac Day, which takes places annually on April 25, was originally commemorated to honour those from New Zealand and Australia who lost their lives in the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War.

“HMS M.33 supported the landings at Gallipoli in 1915, and is the only surviving ship from the campaign.”

Kiwi ingenuity shines as NZDF gets creative for Gallipoli Anzac Day ceremony

Able musician Orson Paine at the Anzac Day dawn service in Gallipoli on 25 April 2024. Photo: Supplied / NZDF

A commander involved in Anzac Day services in Gallipoli is proud of his contingent for rising to the challenge after their luggage was lost in transit.

New Zealand Defence Force representatives played a full part in the ceremonies, despite earlier uncertainty after uniforms and instruments went missing during the Dubai floods last week.

But Major Peter Bowyer said Kiwi ingenuity got them through, with the uniforms they did have being swapped and resized.

“As the commander, I’m just so proud of the contingent for what they’ve done. There were some challenges but I think we’ve [made] a fantastic representation.”

The uniforms they did get back in time were swapped and resized, as members without roles in the ceremony wore civilian clothes, Bowyer said.

Meanwhile, the Anzac spirit helped ensure the Royal New Zealand Navy’s bugle player could perform The Last Post.

Able musician Orson Paine’s bugle never made it, but a member of the Australia Defence Force band loaned him their cornet, Bowyer said.

Traditionally The Last Post is played on a bugle, but he said Paine was a professional.

“He’s a very capable musician and I’m sure he would have provided a very good Last Post … on anything.”

USS George Washington to Depart for Japan via South America

SAM LAGRONE APRIL 24, 2024 10:44 AM

USS George Washington (CVN-73) returning from sea trials on May 25, 2023. HII Photo

Carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) is set to depart Naval Station Norfolk, Va., this week for its new homeport in Japan, the Navy announced on Wednesday.
George Washington is scheduled to leave Norfolk on Thursday to sail down the coast of the U.S., through the Caribbean Sea and enter the Pacific by rounding Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.

The carrier will be part of U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2024 event that will team Washington up with the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), and Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189). The carrier will embark with a partial air wing from Carrier Air Wing 7, Naval Air Force Atlantic announced. Outlined earlier this month, Southern Seas will have the U.S. group sail with warships from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay. Washington plans to make port calls in Brazil, Chile and Peru. An international staff will of about 24 officers from 11 partner nations will serve on the carrier.

“This international staff will receive instruction from U.S. Naval War College professors and will work alongside embarked Destroyer Squadron 40 personnel,” reads a statement from U.S. Southern Command.

The international staff will include officers from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Following Southern Seas 2024, “George Washington will relieve USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) as the forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) aircraft carrier during a historic carrier swap at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., this summer. This will mark the second time George Washington has served as the FDNF aircraft carrier, arriving in Japan in 2008 as the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be forward deployed to Japan before being relieved by Ronald Reagan in 2015,” reads a statement from Naval Air Force Atlantic.

Following the transfer, Reagan will head to Washington state for an overhaul before its permanent homeport assignment.

Prior to this week’s planned departure, George Washington completed its midlife nuclear refueling and complex overhaul at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The normally four-year-long maintenance period stretched to just short of six years due to a number of factors, including supply chain issues and workforce problems that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington began the RCOH period on Aug. 4, 2017, and redelivered to the Navy on May 25, 2023.

During the RCOH, the Navy conducted an extensive quality of life study that revealed sailors living aboard the carrier had some of the toughest living conditions in the Department of Defense. The investigation followed the death by suicide of nine GW sailors from 2017 to 2022.

USS America (LHA-6), is an amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy and the lead ship of the America-class amphibious assault ship. The fourth U.S. warship to be named for the United States of America, she was delivered in spring of 2014, replacing Peleliu of the Tarawa class.

USS America

Her mission is to act as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group, carrying part of a Marine expeditionary unit into battle and putting them ashore with helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by F-35B Lightning II aircraft and helicopter gunships.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_America_(LHA-6)

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: April 22, 2024

U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE STAFF – APRIL 22, 2024 12:40 PM

USNI News Graphic

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of April 22, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

Ships Underway

Total Battle ForceDeployedUnderway
294
(USS 234, USNS 60)		93
(USS 63, USNS 30)		53
(33 Deployed, 20 Local)

In Japan

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Robert Miller, from Palatka, Florida, assigned to USS America (LHA-6) guides an MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262, to take off from the flight deck while conducting routine operations in the Philippine Sea, April 2, 2024. US Navy Photo

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is in port Yokosuka. The carrier is set to depart for a repair availability in Washington state later this year. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan. USS America (LHA-6) is in port in Sasebo.

In the South China Sea

Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class McGilf Reyes, from Springs, Colo., conducts maintenance on an MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to the ‘Eightballers’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, in the hangar bay aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), April 19, 2024. US Navy Photo

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is underway in the South China Sea.

The carrier has been using older C-2A Greyhounds as a temporary carrier-onboard delivery vehicle while the CMV-22B fleet was grounded following the November crash of an Air Force MV-22B Osprey off the coast of Japan.

Earlier this month, Naval Air Systems Command lifted the grounding of the Ospreys and the Navy has started re-certifying crews and aircraft for the logistics operations.

Carrier Strike Group 9

An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the ‘Black Knights’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, lands on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on April 18, 2024. US Navy Photo 

Carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 11

Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic (Equipment) 2nd Class Carl Barr, from West Hartford, Vt., signals during flight operations on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), April 17, 2024. US Navy Photo
  • The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
  • The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
  • The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
  • The “Flying Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
  • The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
  • The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.
  • The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
  • The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.

Cruiser
USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 23

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG-83) transits the South China Sea, April 20, 2024. US Navy Photo

Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.

  • USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
  • USS Halsey (DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
  • USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In the Red Sea

A MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter, attached to the ‘Dusty Dogs’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7, departs the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG-58) in the Red Sea, April 6, 2024. US Navy Photo

U.S. ships continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational effort to protect ships moving through the region. Houthi forces in Yemen continue to attack merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while U.S. naval forces in the region have continued strikes against Houthi weapons that U.S. Central Command says are a threat to naval and merchant ships. Houthi forces say they are targeting ships with connections to the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Israel.

As of Monday, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Red Sea.

Ike deployed on Oct. 14, while several of the carrier’s escorts left on Oct. 13. The carrier transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Oct. 28 and transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin extended the ship’s deployment late last month, a defense official confirmed to USNI news.

The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.

Carrier Strike Group 2


Carrier

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 3

  • The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
  • The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
  • The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
  • The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
  • The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
  • The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.

Cruiser
USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Destroyer Squadron 22
Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.

  • USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
  • USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

On Tuesday, CENTCOM “forces successfully engaged two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen,” according to a news release from the combatant command.

In the Persian Gulf

U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In the Eastern Pacific

USS Boxer (LHD-4) coming into San Diego, Calif., on April 15, 2024. Image San Diego Web Cam

The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) returned to San Diego, Calif., delaying its deployment after suffering a casualty, USNI News reported. The two San Diego dry docks large enough to accommodate a big deck amphibious warship are currently occupied, complicating the repairs of Boxer.

Naval Sea Systems Command told USNI News on Monday that it has not yet made a decision on the way forward.

“Boxer is currently pier side at Naval Station San Diego. As inspections and assessments are continuing, a decision on the most efficient way to execute repairs is still being determined,” reads the statement.

In the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic

USAV SP4 (LSV-6) underway on the James River on March 12, 2024. USNI News Photo

The ships carrying pieces to build a humanitarian aid pier in Gaza are now mostly in the Mediterranean Sea.

Four U.S. Army watercraft, a Military Sealift Command transport and a Maritime Administration ready reserve transport ship are all now in port or operating near the island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean.

As of Monday, USAV General Frank S. Benson (LSV-1), USAV SP4 James A. Loux (LSV-6), USAV Montorrey (LCU-2030), USAV Matamoros (LCU-2026) were operating near Crete, along with Military Sealift Command ships USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK-3010) and MARAD ship MV Roy P. Benavidez (TAKR-306). USAV Wilson Wharf (LCU-2011) was in the Eastern Atlantic off the coast of North Africa, not yet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Lopez and USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (TAK-3008) were transporting parts of Naval Beach Group One’s similar floating pier system to operate in tandem with the Army’s system.

2nd Lt. John P. Bobo returned to Jacksonville, Fla., after experiencing a fire in its engine room, the Navy said Wednesday. The crew extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire is under investigation, according to the statement. The Navy is now assessing how to get the gear aboard Bobo to the Eastern Mediterranean.

The general concept will have the Army build a pier that it will anchor to the shore in Gaza, with no U.S. personnel setting foot on land. The Navy will build a transfer point two to three miles offshore where cargo – likely originating in Cyprus – will be transferred to the Army watercraft to be taken to the pier.

Based on the initial timelines, the pier could be completed by mid-May.

In the Western Atlantic

USS Oak Hill (LSD-51) ,Left, USS Cole (DDG-67) ,center, and USS Wasp (LHD-1) ,right, underway in the Atlantic Ocean, April 14, 2024. US Navy Photo

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) is operating off the East Coast.

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) is underway conducting basic training.

In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.

A Fallen Bomber Faced Disaster on the Ground—Until a Boneyard Miracle Rescue

a jet on the runway

When a B1-B Lancer’s engine failed, an unexpected savior rose from the desert.

BY KYLE MIZOKAMIPUBLISHED: APR 22, 2024 7:30 AM ESTbookmarksSAVE ARTICLE

U.S. Air Force

  • The Air Force is recalling a bomber sent to a desert retirement back to active duty.
  • “Lancelot” enjoyed a brief vacation in Arizona before a vacancy in the fleet needed filling.
  • The bomber is currently undergoing preparations to return her to the 45-strong B-1B force.

The U.S. Air Force is bringing a bomber back from the dead—or, rather, from the Boneyard. The B-1B bomber #85-0081, also known as “Lancelot,” is undergoing a refurbishment designed to ready the big, swing-wing bomber for active duty, replacing another bomber lost in a fire. The process illustrates how “The Boneyard” is not always a final resting place for America’s warbirds and how planes might be ‘reanimated’ to make up for combat losses.

Bomber Down

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B-1B engine fire on grand at Dyess AFB

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In 2022, Dyess Air Force Base mechanics were running the engines of B-1B Lancer bomber while fixing its hydraulics. A crack in an engine disc resulted in the #1 engine catastrophically disassembling, severing fuel lines in the process. The fuel caught fire and the engine was destroyed in a fireball, with parts landing up to five hundred feet away from the parked aircraft. No injuries were reported. The event was captured on video and the bomber was written off as a total loss.

The Boneyard

digital twin wichita lancer bomberU.S. Air Force

In 2020 an older B-1B Lancer bomber was donated to Wichita State University from the Boneyard to create a “digital twin”, precisely measuring all the parts that make up the bomber for research and ongoing maintenance purposes.

In 2021, the Air Force retired 17 B-1B bombers from the active force. The B-1B bomber force—stripped of its ability to carry nuclear weapons under the New START arms control treaty with Russia—was often used in Iraq and Afghanistan as a close air support aircraft. Its combination of high speed, long range, and ability to drop precision-guided bombs proved a major asset for troops on the ground. As a result, the B-1B fleet had one of the lowest readiness rates of all aircraft types, due its age (the bombers first entered service in 1986) and years of hard use.

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The Air Force plans to retire all B-1B bombers by the early 2030s, replacing them with the new B-21 Raider bomber. The readiness problem, however, was so bad that the Air Force decided to retire some bombers early to save the rest. The service cut 17 of the bombers from a fleet of 62, flying them to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

us aviation historyBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI//Getty Images

Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group employees remove a part from a B-1 Lancer bomber stored in the boneyard on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base May 2015.

Davis-Monthan is the home of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, otherwise known as AMARG, or The Boneyard. The Boneyard is the home of thousands of aging Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft retired from flying status. The high desert temperatures and low humidity prevent corrosion and rust, preserving the planes.

In most cases, the planes are stored—awaiting some emergency that might recall them to active duty—and are eventually cut into scrap. Other planes, including B-52G bombers, are cut into pieces and then preserved to allow Russian satellites to verify that they have been permanently retired from the nuclear force. Still other planes are slowly cannibalized for spare parts to keep other planes going. That was the expectation for the retired B-1B planes.

Knight Resurrected

a large airplane on the runwayWikimedia Commons

“Lancelot”, photgraphed in 2000.

B-1B serial number #85-0081 was one of the 17 bombers retired in 2021. The plane had been photographed by aviation enthusiasts for years—visiting Edwards Air Force Base, Misawa Air Base in Japan, Abbotsford Airport in Canada, and other locations. In 2004, the aircraft suffered a collapse of its nose gear after landing at the U.S. airbase on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The plane, call sign SABRE 01, is well known enough among plane spotters that you can buy a reproduction of the nose art online.

Four of the seventeen retired B-1Bs were kept in flyable condition, in case there was a need to bring them back. And as it turns out, that happened sooner than anyone expected. Air Force officials immediately began plotting to bring one of the bombers back, and Lancelot was selected to replace the bomber lost in the 2022 fire.

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Lancelot was first flown to Tinker Air Force Base, where it underwent programmed depot maintenance at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. According to Arnold Air Force Base, the bomber will also receive upgrades that it missed during its brief retirement to bring it up to par with the rest of the active fleet. Pilots from the 10th Flight Test Squadron flew the aircraft from the Boneyard to Tinker, and then flew test sorties with the rejuvenated plane before handing it over to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base.

A Lesson for Future War

aviation desert boneyardRichard Baker//Getty Images

Dozens of F-16 fighters, shrinkwrapped in protective plastic, await the call to be turned into silverware…or fly again. Some F-16s are converted into QF-16 drones.

America’s aging warplane fleet means that, often, there are models of aircraft sitting in the Boneyard while the same models are on active duty. While this is obviously not as good as having the latest planes, there is a major, hidden advantage.

In the event of a major war, it is inevitable that the armed services will take aircraft losses. It would take only five lost B-1B bombers to reduce the fighting force by ten percent. Bringing back planes from the Boneyard and refurbishing them to modern standards takes less time than building new ones. The process can also count on decades of institutional knowledge about the airframe. In its press release, the Air Force mentioned one civilian analyst who helped with the resurrection—he had been part of the B-1 program for 30 years.

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us aviation historyBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI//Getty Images

Rockwell B-1 Lancer bombers are seen in a boneyard at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base May 13, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona.

In some ways, the Boneyard is not a retirement community for airplanes—it’s a bank and insurance policy rolled into one. The Air Force, Navy, and Marines deposit less useful planes (that are often expensive to operate) and wait. The aircraft sit silently in the desert, among the horned toads, rattlesnakes, and scorpions, until someone decides that they are worth more as scrap than they are as warplanes. Most never leave the Boneyard under their own power. But a few, like Lancelot, turn on their engines and roll down the runway to serve once again.

Headshot of Kyle Mizokami

KYLE MIZOKAMI

Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he’s generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. He lives in San Francisco.