60th Anniversary of First E-2 Flight: Looking Back and Shaping a Way Ahead

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10/25/2020

By Robbin Laird

This week the Navy’s Airborne Command and Control Community celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first E-2 flight.

According to a story released by the public affairs team from Naval Air Force Atlantic:

“While the U.S. Navy celebrated its 245th birthday this October, the Airborne Command & Control Logistics Community marked a longevity milestone: the 60th anniversary of the maiden E-2 flight, Oct. 21, 2020.

“On Oct. 21, 1960, the first flight of the E-2A occurred out of Bethpage, New York. Five years later, on Oct. 19, 1965, the U.S. Navy conducted its first E-2 deployment.

“For 60 years, the E-2 has been the eye in the sky for the U.S. Navy,” said Capt. Michael France, Commander, Airborne Command & Control Logistics Wing, who has flown more than 4,700 hours flying 25 different aircraft. “The E-2 has continued to manage the airspace in both times of peace and in times of conflict, and we are grateful for every pilot, maintainer, and aircrew who have supported this community.”

The Commander of the Naval Air Force Atlantic, Rear Admiral Meier, discussed the history of the introduction of the Hawkeye into the carrier air wing with the current Commander of the Airborne Command and Control Logistics Wing, Captain Michael France.

In that podcast, Captain France started by going back to the test pilot who flew that first flight.

“21 October 1960 was the first flight of the E2 back then. It was known as the W2F or the Willy FID. And that first flight was formed by a guy named Tom Attridge and that name may sound familiar to some that’s the same gentleman who flew the F-11 and as a test program. And he’s the guy that shot himself down by going supersonic and flying faster than his bullets. And he ended up ditching in the field because of that. So that’s the same gentleman that flew the first flight of the E2 back in 21 October 1960.”

The discussion then turned to the way ahead for the airborne C2 community with regard to the various transitions which they are undergoing,

As Rear Admiral Meier put it:

“I think it is a fascinating time for the E2 community, for the whole community with the advent of the E2D is absolutely a game changer. And I’m wondering if you can talk about the role that the E2 takes on and the role that is evolving to include as we’ve discussed previously, your community’s busy with a lot of transitions and a whole lot of improvements which as a test pilot yourself has got to be just fascinating to be involved at as the Commodore.”

Captain France responded:

“We’re involved intimately in three significant transitions right now. We are to E2C to E2D currently about 50%, a little over 50% of transitioning squadrons from the C to the D as well as moving from E2D to E2DAR or area or fueling. That is why we built the E2D was to get Airborne and stay on station.

“And now we’ve transitioned our first squadron VW1-26 in Norfolk, Virginia, to the AR version. The mission systems in the back where the third transition we’re going through right now, going from disc two to disc three. So if you think about the E2D as it stands today, from where we were an E2D with air refueling and the disc three Modd is really why we built this aircraft.

“If you think long range detection and you think persistence on station with air refueling, this aircraft has been around for 60 years and some of the guys in the program say it’s going to be around until 2050. So think about possibly 90 years of flying this airplane. But that’s why we built this airplane. And it has proven itself from in major combat operations from the Vietnam war to Libya, the Gulf war. And it’s going to be around for the foreseeable future.

“When you talk about air refueling and being on station, we’re really moving in the direction of having a tracker that can track it range, but we can do things in the Multi-Domain fashion. We can bring multiple sensors into the aircraft and we can distribute information to the people that need it making so that they can make real time decisions about what they’re seeing.

“Also, we know we’re not just improving the mission systems, but as a test pilot, I’m heavily involved in championing programs, like a PLM type of system that we can put in our airplane that will help our pilots who have been out there doing that mission for eight, nine, 10 hours.

“After doing that air refueling task as well, coming back to the ship at night, bad weather pitching deck and getting some augmentation in the airplane, that’ll help them bring this aboard, bring this aircraft to aboard safely.”

The conversation then moved into the key area which we refer to as shaping kill web information distribution and C2 in the distributed battlespace.

Rear Admiral Meir underscored that “where I see the future of warfare going is the fusion of sensors and imagine unmanned aerial vehicle operating a couple hundred miles from a surface unit passively detecting the system, relaying that information then to that surface unit, which then plugs that into this network and shares amongst perhaps Marine shore-based, shore batteries, other surface ships, aviation units, fleet headquarters, all of those such that the best decisions with that information can be made.

“And those decisions may be to monitor that target. It may be to gather more information, or it may be to hold that target at risk. And that is absolutely where E2D plays such a vital role.”

A key issue in all of this is how naval integration intersects with joint or coalition force integration, which is a key work in progress, but clearly a force multiplier and enabler

This is how Rear Admiral Meier highlighted this challenge:

“You mentioned JADC-2 earlier, and that’s an interesting topic because that’s an air force led initiative joint, all domain command and control and everything that we’re doing in the Navy is intended and designed such that it will be both independent, which is the great strength of our carrier strike groups, our maneuver warfare, or lethality at range.

“We talked about the endurance of whether it’s E2 or others as a result of our refueling, but it is that maneuver lethality is a combination if you will, of the aircraft but also that independence of the aircraft carrier and then plugging completely in the JADC2 such that everything that the carrier is absorbing, learning and vacuuming up can then be plugged into the whole command and control network.”

In my visit to NAWDC earlier this year, I focused very much on the C2/ISR dynamics of change and how the airwing of the future was really best described as the integratable air wing. My interview with  CDR Christopher Hulitt, then head of CAEWWS, the Navy’s airborne command & control weapons school located at Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) at Naval Air Station Fallon, provided a wide-ranging perspective on the way ahead for his community.

This discussion provides a useful compliment to the discussion between Rear Admiral Meier and Captain Michael France.

One of the key points which emerged in the discussion with CDR Hulitt was the following:

“With the coming of the F-35 to the carrier wing, there is a broader shift in working diverse sensor networks to deliver the combat effect which extended reach sensor networks can empower. At Fallon, they are working the relationship between the F-35 and the E-2D and sorting through how to make optimal use of both air systems in the extended battlespace. Commander, Airborne Command & Control and Logistics Wing and Carrier Air Wing Two and are moving forward with a new initiative, the First Integrated Training Evolution (FITE), which will provide basic, tailored integrated training incorporating E-2D(AR) and F-35 paired with fourth generation platforms.

“It is about deploying an extended trusted sensor network, which can be tapped through various wave forms, and then being able to shape how the decision-making arc can best deliver the desired combat effect.”

The podcast of Rear Admiral Meir and Captain France can be listened to below:

 

Featured Photo: An E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the “Bear Aces” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124 lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 8 are operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 16, 2020) An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, flies over USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) flight deck during flight operations. Ford is currently conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 16, 2020) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 1st Class Sidney Gutierrez, from Miami, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) air department, signals while directing an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, during flight operations. Ford is currently conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Elliott)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 16, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) air department observe the landing of an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, during flight operations. Ford is currently conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Elliott)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 16, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) air department chock and chain an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, on Ford's flight deck during flight operations. Ford is currently conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesus O. Aguiar)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 16, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) air department direct an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, on Ford's flight deck during flight operations. Ford is currently conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesus O. Aguiar)
An E2-C Hawkeye landing at NAS Fallon. The E2-C supports the "TOPDOME" course. TOPDOME school is responsible for advanced, individual training on Airborne Tactical Command and Control by Hawkeye Weapons and Tactics Instructors.

USMC Reserves Sundown Super Cobra

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10/24/2020

The AH-1W Super Cobra participates in its Sundown flight at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, New Orleans on Oct. 14, 2020.

After an incredible 933,614 flight hours over a 34 year career, the AH-1W “Whiskey” Super Cobra flew its last flight over the City of New Orleans passing its legacy and mission to the “Zulu” variant, the AH-1Z Viper.

The “Zulu” will carry the torch of its predecessor, continuing to enable Marine Forces Reserve to go, fight, and win our nation’s battles through air superiority.

BELLE CHASSE, LA, UNITED STATES

10.14.2020

Video by Lance Cpl. Christopher England

Marine Forces Reserve

Remembering German Unity Day: 2020

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By Robbin Laird

October 3, 2020 is German Unity Day.

This is a very significant date in history, which changed the face and fate of modern Europe.

The face is clear; the long term impact on the fate of modern Europe is not.

I have spent much of my life involved in various aspects of working the ground for German unification, with substantial time spent in Europe in the 1980s dealing with the Soviet challenge to Europe.

And during my visit to Berlin in 2018, I looked back at the events of 1989.

This was the piece published on November 11, 2018.

I am in Berlin today for the International Fighter Conference 2019 which starts tomorrow.

I took the opportunity to revisit Checkpoint Charlie.

It is now a museum, but also a testament to the will of the West to defend liberal democracy against the Soviet Union.

I often visited West Germany in the 1980s when the political warfare over Euromissiles was a dominant reality.

The U.S. President was hardly popular and when you visit the Checkpoint Charlie museum it is easier to find remembrance of JFK’s visit than the historical moment when President Reagan challenged the Soviet leaders to “teardown that wall.”

I set up a working group in the mid-1980s at the Institute for Defense Analysis to discuss the prospects and how to shape a possible German reunification.

It was not a widely attended effort, but did prepare the way for the historical events.

The key agreement of the group was that if the new Germany was not part of the Western institutions, the European Union and NATO, then any agreement with the Soviets would not be worth the effort.

The concept in those days was that only an agreement that yielded a real outcome which could fit into the values of the liberal democracies really mattered.

Simply having an agreement to look like progress was being made was the wrong way to go because it would only help the authoriarians working to undercut consensus in our societies.

Seems a long time ago.

There was no desire to have a Soviet veto power over the future of Germany.

The Russians frequently insist that they had promises with regard to the fate of sovereign states in Europe; that somehow they had a veto power over which states could work with the West and which could not.

That simply is not true.

And that brings us to Berlin, East and West.

West Berlin was a fragment of liberal democracy in a sea of Soviet and East German authoritarianism.

The Stasi was a prevalent force and provided the atmosphere for any Western visitors to the “workers paradise” which could could be seen in East Berlin.

My first job in the Pentagon was to work for a man who had just served as the Brigade Commander in Berlin.


BG William C. Moore
25 Aug 1978 – 01 Aug 1980

According to Wikipedia:

“The Berlin Brigade of the United States Army was a separate brigade based in Berlin. Its shoulder sleeve insignia was the U.S. Army Europe patch with a Berlin tab, later incorporated.”

I functioned as his tutor on things Soviet and we had many discussions about his time in Berlin.

What impressed the most was the dedication of the Brigade.

As the General put it: “We are a speed bump which would be crushed as the Soviets prepared to move against the inner German border. But we need to do so in a way that would remind them that the United States was not going to yield an inch of German territory without a fight.”

Put in simple terms: “We are going all to die in a conflict; we need to do so with and for a purpose.”

That kind of courage and dedication can be forgotten when visiting Berlin today.

Turning Checkpoint Charlie into a museum is clearly a reminder of what U.S. servicemen and women contributed to the future of Germany.

But turning it into a museum and remembering the 30 year anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall also recalls the lessons learned from the Armistice Day being remembered in Europe.

The “war to end all wars” didn’t.

And the Fall of the Berlin Wall did not end to the East-West conflict.

And the 2008 and 2014 territorial seizures by Russia are clearly a reminder, that there are no wars that end all wars.

Checkpoint Charlie may be a museum; but it is a reminder that the East-West conflict is hardly over.

2014 is as significant as 1914 but simply has not been recognized as such.

In the video below, by Senior Airman Kelsey Cook, Regional Media Center AFN Europe released on October 2, 2020, the importance of this day and the events that led to the reunification of Germany.

USS Ronald Reagan

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USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conducts underway flight operations during its 2020 deployment. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well as the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

INDIAN OCEAN

10.10.2020

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Erica Bechard

USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76)

Historic GCC Commercial Flight: Israel and UAE Link Up Via Etihad Airways

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By India Strategic

Tel Aviv/ Abu Dhabi. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has become the first GCC carrier to operate a commercial passenger flight to and from Israel.

The historic flight, operated by an Etihad Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, was flown in partnership with the Maman Group, and landed at around 7 a.m. It took off a few hours later for the three-and-a-half-hour journey from Israel to the UAE.

“Today, we make history. Etihad has become the first Gulf airline to operate a passenger flight to Israel. And this is only the beginning… Salam and Shalom!” Etihad Airways tweeted.

“Shalom Tel Aviv! Thank you for the very warm welcome to #Israel,” it said in another tweet.

On board the return flight was a group of tourism industry leaders, key corporate decision makers, travel agents, and cargo agents, along with the media to experience Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, at the invitation of Etihad Airways and representatives of Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry.

This is the latest development in a growing cooperation between the two nations following the establishment of diplomatic ties, and the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE and Israel in Washington D.C. on September 15. It also follows Israeli national airline El Al’s first symbolic commercial flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi on August 31.

His Excellency Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Chairman, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Today’s flight is a historic opportunity for the development of strong partnerships here in the UAE, and in Israel, and Etihad as the national airline, is delighted to be leading the way. We are just starting to explore the long-term potential of these newly forged relationships, which will be sure to greatly benefit the economies of both nations, particularly in the areas of trade and tourism, and ultimately the people who call this diverse and wonderful region home.”

As an important facilitator of trade, the flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi will also carry commercial cargo sourced from, and destined for, points across Etihad’s global network, in addition to commercial guests.

Etihad has also become the first non-Israeli airline in the Middle East to launch a dedicated website for the Israeli market in Hebrew. Also available in English, the Israeli version of the airline’s official website contains digital content including extensive information on Etihad’s operations, product, services, and network.

The site also includes an Abu Dhabi destination guide.

The site can be viewed in Hebrew at www.etihad.com/he-il and in English at www.etihad.com/en-il.

As the UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways is one of the world’s leading airlines, acclaimed for its unparalleled service, industry leading cabins, and genuine Arabian hospitality.

Published by India Strategic on October 19, 2020.

This flight was the next step after the first commercial flight occurred on October 18, 2020 with Flight#LY973 from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Manama, Bahrain.

The El Al flight LY973 took off from Israel’s Ben Gurion international airport in the capital Tel Aviv at 11:19am local time and landed in the Bahraini capital Manama at 1:33pm local time, according to flight tracker FlightRadar24.

The airliner carried a delegation of US and Israeli officials that were traveling to Bahrain to sign a normalization declaration formally launching full diplomatic relations between the two countries. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Meir Ben-Shabbat, are leading the delegation, according to the US Treasury Department.

And after landing in Manama, Barhrain.

 

 

 

 

Building Blocks on the USS Ford: Reshaping the Flight Deck and Ops Tempo

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By Robbin Laird

In the last article on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), I looked at one key building block which enhances both the ops tempo of the strike package on the USS Gerald R. Ford as well the flexibility of the weapons packages which can be moved to the flight deck and loaded on the strike aircraft.

This is a key input into a significantly redesigned flight deck workflow which allows for a much more rapid turnaround of the launch and recovery of aircraft as well as more flexibility operating and arming the strike packages.

My flight deck visit was facilitated by Ford’s Top Catapult Officer (TOPCAT), Lt. Cmdr. Andy Kirchert and by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) 2nd Class Thomas Drew Watson (from Winona, MS).

Insights throughout with regard to the impacts of the workflow on operational tempo and combat impacts were provided by Lt. Christopher Warzinski, CSG-12’s Joint Interface Control Officer, Rear Adm, Craig Clapperton, Commander Carrier Strike Group 12, and by the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) Commanding Officer, Capt. J.J. Cummings.

A major difference can be seen right away when one steps onto the flight deck. Next to the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) during my visit was the USS John C. Stennis whose flight island can be seen in the rear of this photo.

The island on the USS Gerald R. Ford has been moved 140 feet aft and is 30% smaller. What this allows is  significant additional space  for aircraft refueling and weapons loading operations, with the area forward of the island able to accommodate  more combat aircraft.

During flight operations, Ford’s design increases the amount of usable space forward of the island and reduces the amount unusable space aft.

As the ship’s captain, Capt. J.J. Cummings, put it: “If you think of the ship as a gun, and the strike force as bullets, then we have increased the size of the clip because we can load it with more bullets because of the island being further aft  on Ford versus Nimitz.”

The clam shell form factor for the weapons elevator flight deck hatches also open with minimal  flight deck interference.

There is more operational space on the USS Gerald R. Ford’s flight deck and the new launch and landing systems as well as a significant redesign of how refueling is done on the flight deck provide key tools for a significant reshaping of the operational tempo for the large deck carrier.

The new launch system allows for a wider range of aircraft to operate from the carrier; the new arresting gear system can recover them. The ability to mix and match the current air fleet and the future one is significantly enhanced with EMALS. The launch system has a larger aircraft weight envelope that exceeds what is available with steam, so EMALS can launch very light aircraft or heavy aircraft which means this system can accommodate future manned or unmanned aircraft.

The same flexibility exists in the Advanced Arresting Gear with larger current operating wind and weight envelopes and the capability to recover future aircraft designs with minimal modifications required.

The refueling system is designed to keep a clear path to the catapult by reducing flight deck obstructions caused by refueling hoses, weapons skids and weapons elevator access points. This highly efficient flight deck flow allows for the FORD to sustain higher launch and recovery rates.

Let me turn to each of these capabilities which add up to a new workflow on the deck which provides for a more rapid pace of ops tempo and more flexibility to mix and match mission packages as well.

Much of the press about USS Gerald R. Ford has been about its launch system, the electromagnetic aircraft launch system or EMALS.

I discussed this system at some length with Lt. Cmdr. Andy Kirchert.  There are several advantages of the system over the legacy steam catapult system which he highlighted.

First is the flexibility and adaptability of the system. The EMALS system has more room for growth for future aircraft systems. Steam will not be able to shoot super light aircraft and it can shoot heavy aircraft but that is serious wear and tear on the CAT when it shoots heavy shots. Heavy/light shots not an issue at all with EMALS.

Second, the new system has reduced manning requirements for the launch function. There is reduced manning by 50%.

Third, longer fly days are enabled due to reduction in the pre-flight and post flight procedures. For example, steam catapults require a heat up to be ready for launch

Fourth, the system is easier on aircraft which should led to reduction of stress on the aircraft due to launch. The system delivers very precise endspeeds for the launch process.

Fifth, the system delivers enhanced safety margins. The system will not allow launch of an aircraft if it sees something wrong in the process.

Obviously, there have been challenges with the system, but the Ford team is overcoming those challenges, but according  Lt. Cmdr. Kirchert, “We are in the fine-tuning phase.”

One might note that both the French and Indian navies are lining up to procure EMALS which suggests confidence in the system.

The counterpart to the EMALS is the Advanced Arresting Gear system which provides capabilities to recover the current fleet of aircraft in environmental conditions that exceed what is possible with the Nimitz class system

And similar to EMALS, AAG is designed to have the ability to operate with aircraft of varying weights, including future aircraft systems. When one visits the Advanced Arresting Gear system below deck, it is amazing to see how automated it is and how little manpower is required to operate it as well.

The refueling system is a major aspect of the redesign of workflow on the flight deck. My guide to this aspect of the ship was provided by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) 2nd Class Thomas Drew Watson. Post flight, aircraft are parked along two isles for refueling – one on the deck edge and the other just outside of the landing area. This parking arrangement allows unobstructed access to the catapults.

The in deck refueling stations which are unique to the Ford keep refueling hoses out of the taxi paths to the catapult. (refueling stations which can refuel two aircraft at the at those stations.

This has a major impact because on the Nimitz the refueling crew has to carry several, lengthy connected fuel hoses which are heavy from the starboard side of the Nimitz class to do mid-deck refueling. On the Ford, the hoses are right there beside the in-deck refueling stations and rather than having to have a crew of 5 people to bring the hoses 150 feet to mid-deck and do refueling, you only need two crew to man the in-deck refueling stations.

Lt. Cmdr. Kirchert emphasized that the sensors that make up the system and the software which manages them have posed development challenges in the past, but that NAVAIR and General Atomics have worked effectively to provide for the software changes necessary to allow the system to function effectively. And many of the software changes are quickly phased into the system between underways.

Also in common with almost all new systems, parts failures have emerged which were not anticipated but those parts are being rebuilt to provide for better performance as well.

My topside visit ended with a discussion with by Rear Adm. Clapperton.

He underscored that the USS Gerald R. Ford was going to be a key enabler for the maritime distributed force which the Navy was envisaging as its way ahead for the fleet.

With an ability to provide flexible strike options to the fleet, and a capability to support new weapons, and new aircraft, the new generation carrier was a key infrastructure to support the way ahead facing the U.S. Navy, the joint and coalition force.

Featured Photo: A T-45C Goshawk, attached to Training Air Wing 2, prepares to launch from USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck Sept. 11, 2020. Ford is seen underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Sarah Mead)

USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) practices evasive maneuvering Sept. 23, 2020. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting an independent steaming event. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) practices evasive maneuvering Sept. 23, 2020. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting an independent steaming event. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts special performance trials Sept. 22, 2020. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting special performance trials to set the baseline for how the Ford-class will conduct maneuvers to improve the ship’s war fighting capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kallysta Castillo)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) conducts special performance trials Sept. 22, 2020. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting special performance trials to set the baseline for how the Ford-class will conduct maneuvers to improve the ship’s war fighting capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kallysta Castillo)

US F-35s and Israeli F-35s in Exercised Enduring Lightning III

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A U.S. Air Force KC-135R aircrew from the 340th Expeditoinary Air Refueling Squadron flies over Israel in support of Exercise Enduring Lightning III, Oct 12, 2020.

The United States and Israeli air forces train to maintain a ready posture to deter against regional aggression while forging strategic partnerships across the U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command areas of responsibility.

(U.S. Air Force video by SrA Roslyn War

10.12.2020

Video by Senior Airman Roslyn Ward

United States Air Forces Central