SS INTREPID 1961. Commissioned in August 1943, Intrepid participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), and then eventually became an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). In her second career, she served mainly in the Atlantic, but also participated in the Vietnam War. She was the recovery ship for a Mercury and a Gemini space mission. Because of her prominent role in battle, she was nicknamed “the Fighting I”, while her frequent bad luck and time spent in dry dock for repairs—she was torpedoed once and hit in separate attacks by four Japanese kamikaze aircraft—earned her the nicknames “Decrepit” and “the Dry I”.
Decommissioned for the second time in 1974, she was put into service as a museum ship in 1982 as the foundation of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex in New York City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Intrepid_(CV-11)
For the fourth-generation member of the CAF, remembrance is ‘deeply personal’
Ella Matteabout 11 hours ago
Lt.-Cmdr. Jordan Thwaites is currently on a mission in the Indo-Pacific onboard HMCS Vancouver. (Courtesy of CFB Esquimalt)
Lt.-Cmdr. Jordan Thwaites is a fourth-generation member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who is stationed out of CFB Esquimalt.
He was born in Halifax to a father who was a warfare officer for more than 35 years. His father was also a lieutenant commander and the commanding officer of HMCS Miramichi and HMCS Chaleur.
“He loved going to work every day,” Thwaites said about his father. “He had incredible stories of sailing around the world, meeting people, and going places that seemed to be the result of almost unlimited good luck. All of this he attributed to having chosen the world’s greatest career. I knew from the time I was fairly young that I wanted to serve in the military and, after university, I decided I would start by trying my luck with the same job that brought so many memories to my father.”
Thwaites joined the CAF in 2007, eventually being posted to HMCS Toronto in Halifax.
“I joined the ship and sailed the next day for work-ups and it was the proverbial ‘drinking from a fire hose’ experience,” said Thwaites. “We had a great group of bridge watch keepers (BWKs) under training at the time and there was certainly a healthy atmosphere of friendly competition and comradery amongst us. I spent my two years under training sailing when and where I could in Toronto and St. John’s sailing first to the Arctic and then to the Caribbean primarily.”
In 2011, after Thwaites completed his professional qualification, he had the opportunity to sail in the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs) Moncton and Goose Bay as a BWK. This was a special experience for Thwaites since at the time, the vessels were still primarily crewed by naval reservists.
“The officers and crews are much smaller and tight-knit compared to the large warships I was used to,” said Thwaites. “I enjoyed a lovely summer around Atlantic Canada and out on the Grand Bank getting to focus on my skills as a mariner.”
Afterward, Thwaites was sent on an exchange with the Royal New Zealand Navy, where he sailed in Wellington and Otago as a BWK and training officer. He had the great fortune of visiting essentially all of New Zealand by land and sea, with his visit culminating in a voyage to Antarctica where he had the chance to drive in Otago in great ice fields and see the most remote continent.
After Thwaites toured around New Zealand, he was selected to be an aide-de-camp for Governor General David Johnson in 2013. His two-year duty at Rideau Hall was a “career highlight,” said Thwaites.
“It has always been a career aspiration of mine to be an adie-de-camp for the governor general. I almost couldn’t believe my luck with my commanding officer at the time recommending me … while at Rideau Hall, I received an incredible education in etiquette, diplomacy, and kindness from the incredible staff who worked there.”
Thwaites, like many, joined the CAF for the adventure – a chance to see the world, experience new things, challenge themselves and do things many don’t get to do in a normal job. Now that he has been a part of the CAF for some time, helping people is the most rewarding part of his job.
“Sometimes that’s a small thing, helping someone with something small that makes their day easier, or a joke or a kind word,” said Thwaites. “Other times it’s helping them out with big things in their career or their life. Once in a while, you get to work with someone over the year or many years and get to see them succeed and come into their own and that’s great. Because we are all always learning something new, there’s ample opportunity.”
For the past 16 years, leaving home has been a normal part of Thwaites’s life.
“For me, life aboard the ship is almost as familiar as life at home,” he said. “You come to know and enjoy your routine in many ways, for me a big part of it is unwinding reading before I go to sleep. I had always been a bachelor, so now with a wife, there are new challenges, but despite the long stints away from home, we do receive large blocks of leave, especially following a deployment where we can focus on uninterrupted quality time together.”
Currently, the lieutenant commander is aboard the Indo-Pacific mission back on HMCS Vancouver. The crew moves frequently between different patrol areas responding to intelligence as it comes in. Thwaites describes it as “extremely dynamic.”
Thwaites is proud to have grown up with a family that has a proud tradition of service. His retired NWO father wasn’t the only CAF member of the family. His great-grandfather served in the First World War in the infantry from 1914 to 1918. His grandfather took part in the D-Day landings and then in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden as a tank commander.
Before Thwaites even enrolled in the Navy, he worked for Veterans Affairs Canada as a tour guide and caretaker in France at both Beaumont-Hamel, Newfoundland’s national First World War memorial, and Canada’s Vimy Ridge.
“I visited memorials and cemeteries from Normandy to Dieppe and the Somme to Ypres. It’s not nearly as hard to think of their deaths as it is to think of the lives they didn’t get to live or the lives their loved ones had to live without them. For me, remembrance is a deeply personal and spiritual experience and something so deeply a part of my life growing up and my own service now that I don’t remember a time without it,” said Thwaites.
“I’m deeply grateful for all those who have served, those who serve alongside me now, and all those Canadians who work to make our country and the world a better, safer place.”
November 6, 2023 12:53 PM • Updated: November 6, 2023 9:40 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 Nov. 6, 2023, 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 Force
Deployed
Underway
291 (USS 232, USNS 59)
106 (USS 74, USNS 32)
76 (52 Deployed, 24 Local)
In Sasebo, Japan
From left, Takuya Kaneko, chairman of the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Capt. Michael Fontaine, commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Vice Adm. Tateki Tawara, commandant of JMSDF Sasebo District, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Brig. Gen. Shingo Nashinoki, commander of Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, stand in review of JGSDF members during the Sasebo Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Parade in Sasebo, Japan Nov. 3, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
Sailors reset an arresting gear wire following a landing on the flight deck aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), during flight operations in support of the Multi-Large Deck Exercise with USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH-181), in the Philippine Sea, Nov. 5. U.S. Navy Photo
The Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is underway in the Western Pacific. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and other ships with the Reagan Carrier Strike Group recently made a port call in Manila, Republic of the Philippines, from Oct 28 to Nov. 1.
On Nov 3, USS Dewey (DDG-105), a forward-deployed guided-missile destroyer assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, conducted a freedom of navigation exercise in the “excessive claim area” near the Spratly Islands, which are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan, with features also claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Unlike previous news releases about FONOPs near the Spratlys, U.S. 7th Fleet did not give more detail about where Dewey sailed.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG-105) receives fuel and supplies from the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO 199) during an underway replenishment while operating in the South China Sea, Nov. 5. U.S. Navy Photo
China, Vietnam and Taiwan require prior notification before a warship sails by the Spratlys, which violates international law, according to the release. Dewey‘s FONOP, without prior notification, was meant to challenge the claims by China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” reads the release.
Dewey‘s FONOP comes the day after USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341) conducted a Taiwan Strait transit. The two ships were tailed by Chinese aircraft and warships, USNI News reported.
Carrier Strike Group 5
Aircraft Carrier
The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), departs Manila Bay, Philippines, after a routine port visit, Nov. 1. U.S. Navy Photo
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
Carrier Air Wing 5
Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handling) Jared Scifert, from Monticello, Ind., signals the launch of aircraft on the flight deck aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), in the South China Sea, Nov. 2. U.S. Navy Photo
Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, is embarked aboard Ronald Reagan and includes a total of nine squadrons and detachments:
The “Royal Maces” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 – from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.
The “Diamondbacks” of VFA-102 from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Eagles” of VFA-115 from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Dambusters” of VFA-195 from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Shadowhawks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 – from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Tiger Tails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 – from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 – Detachment 5 – from MCAS Iwakuni.
The “Golden Falcons” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 – from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.
The “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 – from Naval Air Facility Atsugi.
Cruisers
USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
USS Antietam (CG-54), homeported in Yokosuka.
Destroyer Squadron 15
Lt. j.g. Bryan Nguyen, from Fairfax Station, Va., stands watch on the bridge aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) in the Taiwan Strait, Nov. 2. U.S. Navy Photo
Destroyer Squadron 15 is based in Yokosuka, Japan, and is embarked on the carrier.
USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group deployed on Oct. 12. The CSG is operating in the Philippine Sea.
Carrier Strike Group 1
Carrier
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), homeported at San Diego, Calif.
Carrier Air Wing 2
The “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
The “Stingers” of VFA 113 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
The “Warhawks” of VFA 97 – F-35C – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
The “Golden Dragons” of VFA 192 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore
The “Gauntlets” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Black Eagles” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 113 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
The “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 – CMV-22B – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
The “Blue Hawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island
The “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island
Cruiser
USS Princeton (CG-59), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
Destroyer Squadron 1
Sailors pose for a photo during a costume contest held on the mess decks as part of a ship-wide Halloween observance while deployed underway aboard Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Hopper (DDG-70) in the Philippine Sea on Oct. 31, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
Destroyer Squadron 1 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Carl Vinson.
USS Hopper (DDG-70), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
USS Kidd (DDG-100), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
USS Sterett (DDG-104), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
In the Marshall Islands
U.S. Army Col. Rems Keane, Director of Operations for the 9th Mission Support Command (MSC) Honolulu, Hawaii, talks about the flight deck of the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) with Chief Hospital Corpsman Melinda Canales, right, and Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Timothy Godden, middle, as part of a tour with Pacific Partnership 2024-1 in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nov. 6, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) reached the Marshall Islands on Oct. 30 for Pacific Partnership 24.
“The arrival of Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) to Majuro, RMI, signifies the launch of the Pacific Partnership 24-1 mission, which will enable American and Marshallese participants to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships,” Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific said in a news release.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Ships from the Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), U.S. Sixth Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), and Italian Navy frigates Carlo Margottini (F 592) and Virginio Fasan (F 591) sail in formation in the Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 3, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its escorts are underway in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean is meant to deter Hezbollah, Iran and other actors from joining the war between Hamas and Israel. Hamas is a State Department-designated terrorist group that started ruling the occupied territory Gaza after Israel withdrew troops and settlers in 2005.
Earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin extended the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group’s deployment in the Mediterranean.
Also in the Eastern Mediterranean is U.S. 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20).
A U.S. Marine MV-22 Osprey aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docking ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 29, 2023. U.S. Marine Corps Photo
San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) and embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Bravo Command Element are in the Mediterranean Sea. Mesa Verde is part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). USS Bataan (LHD-5) and USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), the other two ships in the Bataan ARG, are currently operating in U.S. 5th Fleet.
Carrier Strike Group 12
Carrier
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Carrier Air Wing 8
The “Ragin’ Bulls” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Blacklions” of VFA 213 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Golden Warriors” of VFA 87 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Tomcatters” of VFA 31 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 124 – 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 “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
The “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
Cruiser
USS Normandy (CG-60), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Destroyer Squadron 2
Ensign Christopher Duehr, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG-74), uses a sound-powered phone during a replenishment-at-sea with the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3) in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 3. U.S. Navy Photo
Destroyer Squadron 2 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Ford.
USS Ramage (DDG-61) homeported at Norfolk.
USS McFaul (DDG-74) homeported at Norfolk.
USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), homeported at Mayport, Fla.
In the Red Sea
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) transits the Suez Canal, Nov. 4. U.S. Navy Photo
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4 and is in the Red Sea. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) 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.
U.S. Central Command said on social media Sunday that an Ohio-class submarine arrived in its area of responsibility. A picture posted with the announcement appeared to show the sub in the Suez Canal, northeast of Cairo. These SSGNs carry up to 154 tomahawk missiles.
Carrier Strike Group 2
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier (CVN-69) sails in formation in the Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 3, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
Carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Carrier Air Wing 3
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) transits through the Suez Canal, Nov. 4. U.S. Navy Photo
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, Va.
The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
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, Va.
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, Va.
Cruiser
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) transits the Suez Canal, Nov. 4. U.S. Navy Photo
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.
ITS Virginio Fasan (F 591), homeported at La Spezia, Italy
Bataan and Carter Hall entered the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden on Friday, Oct 27, according to ship spotters. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is embarked across Bataan, Carter Hall, and Mesa Verde.
Among many missions for which Marines are trained is evacuating civilians in conflict zones. USNI News visited the unit in April during an exercise Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in North Carolina.
Embarked units include Amphibious Squadron 8, 26th MEU (SOC), Fleet Surgical Team 8, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, Assault Craft Unit 2, Assault Craft Unit 4, and Beach Master Unit 2. The 26th MEU (SOC), based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., includes Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 22.
In the Persian Gulf
U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) 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.
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55) conduct a replenishment at sea with French logistics supply ship BRF Jacques Chevallier (A 725) in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 4, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
USS George Washington (CVN-73) is underway in the Virginia Capes.
In the Eastern Pacific
USS Boxer (LHD-4) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) transit the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 4, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo
Amphibious warship USS Boxer (LHD-4) is operating off the coast of California in the Southern California Operating Areas. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is also underway off California.
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.
The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching in January 1917, and her commissioning in December that year. She was armed with a battery of twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, and was protected by heavy armor plate, with her main belt armor being 13.5 inches (343 mm) thick.
USS MississippiUSS MississippiUSS Mississippi
The ship remained in North American waters during World War I, conducting training exercises to work up the crew. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the ship served in the Pacific Fleet. In May 1941, with World War II and the Battle of the Atlantic raging, Mississippi and her two sister ships were transferred to the Atlantic Fleet to help protect American shipping through the Neutrality Patrols. Two days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi departed the Atlantic to return to the Pacific Fleet; throughout her participation in World War II, she supported amphibious operations in the Pacific. She shelled Japanese forces during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands and the Philippines campaigns and the invasions of Peleliu and Okinawa. The Japanese fleet attacked American forces during the Philippines campaign, and in the ensuing Battle of Leyte Gulf, Mississippi took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the last battleship engagement in history.
After the war, Mississippi was converted into a gunnery training ship, and was also used to test new weapons systems. These included the RIM-2 Terrier missile and the AUM-N-2 Petrel missile. She was eventually decommissioned in 1956 and sold to ship breakers in November that year.
The Royal Navy has been working to expand the operating limits of the jet, to develop advanced takeoff and landing techniques, allowing the aircraft to launch with more weapons.
The SRVL sees an aircraft land on the carrier after approaching the ship from behind at speed, before using thrust from the aircraft’s nozzle and lift created by air over the wings to touch down and gently come to a stop.
Previously, F-35 jets had only landed on the ship vertically, which sees them hovering by the side of the £3bn carrier before moving sideways and lowering onto the flight deck.
USS Gerald R Ford sails in formation with the Nimitz-class USS Dwight D Eisenhower (Picture: US Department of Defence)
For the first time in decades, the ships and aircraft of two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have sailed together in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
US carriers USS Gerald R Ford and USS Dwight D Eisenhower drilled for three days along with the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney and two Italian guided missile frigates.
The two carrier strike groups have been operating in the area at the direction of Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, to bolster deterrence in the region.
“Operating dual carrier strike groups alongside allies and partners in a dynamic environment demonstrates our capability and capacity to respond with agility decisively to any contingency,” explained Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee, the Commander of the US 6th Fleet.
“Our presence sends a clear signal about our commitment to deter aggression and promote stability throughout the region.”
USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group was dispatched following the 7 October attack on Israel amid fears that the escalating conflict could engulf the region.
Why aircraft carriers are still the go-to for projecting power.
The Dwight D Eisenhower CSG deployed on 14 October, with the initial intention to relieve the Gerald R Ford CSG that had been operating in the Mediterranean since June as part of the regional US and Nato presence.
The US has maintained a carrier strike group in the region since December 2021.
Shortly after the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, the US Defense Secretary extended USS Gerald R Ford’s deployment and shifted the strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as part of the US effort to keep the conflict from spreading.
Norwegian submarine HMoNS had been attempting a mock attack on HMS Queen Elizabeth (Picture: HMSQNLZ X)
For the first time in decades, the ships and aircraft of two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have sailed together in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
US carriers USS Gerald R Ford and USS Dwight D Eisenhower drilled for three days along with the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney and two Italian guided missile frigates.
The two carrier strike groups have been operating in the area at the direction of Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, to bolster deterrence in the region.
“Operating dual carrier strike groups alongside allies and partners in a dynamic environment demonstrates our capability and capacity to respond with agility decisively to any contingency,” explained Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee, the Commander of the US 6th Fleet.
“Our presence sends a clear signal about our commitment to deter aggression and promote stability throughout the region.”
USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group was dispatched following the 7 October attack on Israel amid fears that the escalating conflict could engulf the region.
He said: “There is no other single weapons system that can deliver the same kind of signal, message, flexibility.”PlayMute
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The Dwight D Eisenhower CSG deployed on 14 October, with the initial intention to relieve the Gerald R Ford CSG that had been operating in the Mediterranean since June as part of the regional US and Nato presence.
The US has maintained a carrier strike group in the region since December 2021.
Shortly after the Hamas attacks in southern Israel, the US Defense Secretary extended USS Gerald R Ford’s deployment and shifted the strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as part of the US effort to keep the conflict from spreading.
