VUP-19 and the Coming of Triton to the Fleet

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on VUP-19 and the Coming of Triton to the Fleet
07/05/2020

As I have argued earlier, the Triton is bringing a whole new layer to the kill web for fleet operations.

Operating at high altitude, the Triton is delivering area wide ISR data for dynamic targeting.

Indeed, one way to look at the way ahead for the integrated distributed force is to understand that new platforms are providing interactive ISR and C2 layers for a kill web approach for dynamic targeting.

Ed Timperlake and I argued in a Space News story published in 2012, that the global fleet of F-35s would provide a significant ISR/C2 layer for the joint and coalition force, which provided redundancy for the space force as well.

The ability of the deployed F-35s — again owned by allies as well as U.S. forces — presents a diversified and honeycombed presence and scalable force. This baseline force is significantly enhanced by reachback to space assets, but the space assets now receive redundancy by being complemented as well by a deployed fleet of flying combat systems. This joint capability means that the value of space-based targets goes down to the Chinese or whomever, and diversification provides significant enhancement of deterrence as well.

In short, in rethinking the way ahead with regard to military space — notably in a period of financial stringency — getting best value out of your entire warfighting enterprise is highlighted. Reorganizing the space enterprise within an overall C5ISR approach enabled by a honeycombed fleet of F-35s is a strategic opportunity of the first order.

The Triton provides another layer for a kill web-enabled force able to operate with redundancy and resiliency.

But to do so, much like learning how to use a data rich aircraft like the F-35, requires technological changes, data management changes, and cultural changes to leverage what the technology provides.

Just having the technology is clearly not enough; training and cultural change are crucial to weave what the new technology COULD do into what the force CAN do.

Clearly, the US Navy is working these challenges.

In 2013, the first Triton squadron was established.

According to the US Navy:

Unmanned Patrol Squadron ONE NINE (VUP-19) was established on October 1st 2013 and was later commissioned on October 28th 2016. As the United States Navy’s first unmanned maritime patrol squadron, VUP-19 is a team of more than 500 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel which draws its lineage from and honors the rich history of Patrol Squadron ONE NINE (VP-19) “Big Red.” 

Established in July of 1946 as VP-907 and re-designated as VP-871 in February 1950, VP-19 finally came to be in February of 1953 and carried that name for 38 years of honorable service. In 1951, the sailors of VP-871 were called upon to participate in the Korean War and it was during this time that the squadron earned its nickname “Big Red” for their role in night interdiction missions, dropping red night illumination flares to support allied air and ground units.

As VP-19, “Big Red” participated in the Vietnam War as well as Operation DESERT STORM along with deployments to Japan, Guam, Alaska, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and countless detachments around the world. VP-19 was disestablished in August 1991, having operated the PV-2, PBY-5A/6A, P4Y-2/2S, P2V-2/3/5/7, and P-3A/B/C maritime patrol aircraft as well as earning four Navy Unit Commendations, seven Meritorious Unit Commendations, and two Battle Efficiency “E” Awards over its 45 years of distinguished service. 

Homeported at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida with a permanent detachment to Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, and multiple, globally-dispersed detachment sites, VUP-19 will continue VP-19’s storied legacy and dedication to the defense of the United States by launching the US Navy’s newest Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Maritime Patrol asset, the MQ-4C Triton, to the fleet.

The Mission of Unmanned Patrol Squadron ONE NINE is the sustained, successful deployment of the MQ-4C Triton in support of Combatant and Fleet Commanders. 

When Ed Timperlake and I visited Jax Navy in 2016, we learned that the US Navy was taking a very different course than the US Air Force to working the training and operations for the Triton fleet, than the USAF has done with its remotely piloted aircraft.

We wrote in 2016:

The team at Navy Jax is building a common Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Combat Culture and treats the platforms as partner applications of the evolving combat theory. The partnership is both technology synergistic and also aircrew moving between the Triton and P-8The P-8 pilot and mission crews, after deploying with the fleet globally can volunteer to do shore duty flying Tritons.

The number of personnel to fly initially the Tritons is more than 500 navy personnel so this is hardly an unmanned aircraft. Hence, inside a technological family of systems there is also an interchangeable family of combat crews.

With the P-8 crews operating at different altitudes from the Triton, around 50K, and having operational experience with each platform, they will be able to gain mastery of both a wide scale ocean ISR and focused ASW in direct partnership with the surface navy from Carrier Strike Groups, ARG/MEUs to independent operations for both undersea and sea surface rather than simply mastering a single platform.

This is a visionary foundation for the evolution of the software upgradeable platforms they are flying as well as responding to technological advances to work the proper balance by manned crews and remotes.

During my visit to Jax Navy the week of June 14, 2020, I got a number of updates on the progress and challenges facing integrating Triton into the fleet.

One of those updates was provided by VUP-19.  I met with Lt. Samantha (Thompson) Johnson who transitioned from serving as a P-3 pilot to becoming a Triton air vehicle operator and a weapons and tactics instructor at the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School in Jacksonville.

I also met with LCDR Grant Coddington, the Intelligence Officer for the Squadron.

Rather than quoting either officer directly, I will indicate a number of takeaways I formed from the discussion and will not hold either officer responsible for any errors on my part in my learning process.

The first takeaway, one which was reinforced by other discussions during the visit, was that the Triton operation much like the first few years of P-8 operation, is in its “wheels phase.” There is much to learn about the aircraft, its operations, and the data management challenges being posed by the aircraft as well.

The second takeaway is that the learning process has clarified key aspects of the operational cycle for a Triton orbit. Typically, the squadron operates with five members on a shift: two AVOS or air vehicle operators, two MPOs or Mission Payload Operators and one TACCO or Tactical Coordinator.

The third takeaway was that the personnel coming into Triton and “learning to Triton” come from the manned collection platform side of the house, P-3, P-8 or EP-3.

The fourth takeaway is that unlike Global Hawk, which has its own dedicated pipe to deliver data, the Triton is working through the Navy’s mission data collection systems. This creates challenges in terms of how to best handle the data and how best to ensure it gets delivered to the right place at the right time.

The fifth takeaway is that as software upgradeable aircraft, one paired with the P-8, the Triton is a work in progress. And with a clear focus on informing dynamic targeting, the Triton community is clearly looking forward to coming of the next major upgrade to the mission payload on the aircraft, namely, a multi-INT capability.

The sixth takeaway is that there is clearly a cultural learning process as well. The MPA community has operated throughout its history based on a concept of operations driven by air sortie operations. The Triton is based on a multi-airplane orbit concept of operations which yields a very different data stream than one gets from an air sortied aircraft. And it is one which is layered between what the space systems deliver and what the sortied air collection platforms can deliver.

The seventh takeaway is that the flying side of the house is a work in progress. Notably, with the weather challenges in the Pacific, learning how to manage weather avoidance for a remotely piloted aircraft is a work in progress.

The eighth takeaway is that the Triton in common with other software upgradeable platforms faces the challenge of concurrency between simulators and operational platforms. The operational platform gets and upgrade earlier than the simulators, but the time lag is greater than it should be to close the concurrency gap as efficaciously as possible.

The ninth takeaway is that the Triton community is starting to build some experiential depth, the kind of depth crucial for the knowledge revolution which the Triton can bring to the fleet. And given that the Triton is engaged in tasking, collecting, processing, exploitation and dissemination of information in real time, learning how to do this for the fleet is a crucial challenge facing the future of a kill web enabled force.

And looking forward, as the Triton gains multi-INT capabilities, it will become a more effective platform to contribute to the collaborative effort where multiple sensors can be cross-referenced to provide greater fidelity on targeting, and notably when it comes to smaller vessels of interest as well.

Editor’s Note: Below are a number of Triton stories which provide further information with regard to VUP-19 as well.

U.S. Navy’s Triton Unmanned Aircraft System Arrives in 7th Fleet

January 27, 2020

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – The Navy’s first MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have arrived in Guam for their initial deployment in the Pacific theater.

Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, the first Triton UAS squadron, will operate and maintain two aircraft as part of an early operational capability (EOC) to further develop the concept of operations and fleet learning associated with operating a high-altitude, long-endurance system in the maritime domain.

The Tritons forward-deployed to Guam, both of which have arrived at Andersen Air Force base as of Jan. 26, will fall under Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72, lead for patrol, reconnaissance and surveillance forces in 7th Fleet.

“The introduction of MQ-4C Triton to the Seventh Fleet area of operations expands the reach of the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force in the Western Pacific,” said Capt. Matt Rutherford, commander of CTF-72. “Coupling the capabilities of the MQ-4C with the proven performance of P-8, P-3 and EP-3 will enable improved maritime domain awareness in support of regional and national security objectives.”

The Navy’s Persistent Maritime UAS program office at Patuxent River, managed by Capt. Dan Mackin, and industry partner Northrop Grumman, worked closely with VUP-19 in preparation for EOC. Prior to flying the aircraft to Guam, the team completed extensive operational test and unit level training.

“This significant milestone marks the culmination of years of hard work by the joint team to prepare Triton for overseas operations,” said Mackin. “The fielding of the Navy’s premier unmanned aircraft system and its additive, persistent, multi-sensor data collection and real-time dissemination capability will revolutionize the way maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is performed.”

The MQ-4C Triton will conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that will complement the P-8A Poseidon and will bring increased persistence, capability, and capacity through its multi-sensor mission payload.

“The inaugural deployment of Triton UAS brings enhanced capabilities and a broad increase in Maritime Domain Awareness to our forward Fleet commanders,” said Rear Adm. Peter Garvin, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group. “VUP-19, the Navy’s first dedicated UAS squadron supported by an outstanding NAVAIR and industry team, is superbly trained and ready to provide the persistent ISR coverage the Navy needs.”

Initial operational capability will include four air vehicles with capacity to support 24/7 operations.

Jacksonville-Based Unmanned Patrol Squadron Changes Commanders

From Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs

April 30, 2020

Jacksonville, Florida (NNS) — The commanding officer of the Navy’s Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, transferred leadership during the time-honored change of command ceremony, April 30 aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville.  

The time-honored tradition of the change of command traces its origins back to long before the United States became a nation. It serves as an in-person handoff from one commander to another in a show of unity, good order and coordination in front of those under the command.

Cmdr. Kim DaCosta-Azar, a native of Tarrytown, New York, turned over responsibility to Cmdr. Michael Minervini, a native of Chicago, after two years of leading the command of more than 500 Sailors.

DaCosta-Azar served a unique role by leading a geographically dispersed command in NAS Jacksonville and detachment sites in Andersen Air Base, Guam and Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, California. Her leadership contributed to the squadron’s first certification for deployment. Additionally, she is responsible for the operations of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator (BAMS-D), the predecessor to the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Air System (UAS).

According to DaCosta-Azar, the past two years has been about building a foundation for the Navy’s very first MQ-4C squadron. During this time VUP-19 accomplished many milestones to include the establishment of   the following positions: Air Vehicle Operators (AVO), Tactical Coordinators (TACCO), Mission Payload Operators (MPO), and Triton maintainers in support of fleet operations.

DaCosta-Azar added that flying Triton is very different, “while the basics of the piloting are the same, there is a complexity that comes with fly unmanned aircraft.”  Nearly 100 AVOs and MPOs have qualified under her command.

“The people are what make Triton successful, my personnel do extraordinary things with challenging resources, because this is not your typical aerial platform,” said DaCosta-Azar. “I cannot express in words how proud I am of the Big Red Team.  We are charting a new course in Naval Aviation. There has been a lot of discovery learning, but all of the Sailors of VUP-19 have answered the call at every turn to show up on station. We have arrived and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future under Commander Minervini’s leadership.”

DaCosta-Azar led her team Sailors through the first-ever operational readiness evaluation for Triton, executing over 300 flight hours of two MQ-4C aircraft, and established permanent presence for the unmanned system in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

Following her assignment at VUP-19, DaCosta-Azar will report to the U.S. State Department to work for the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Counter Proliferation Initiatives.

Minervini praised his predecessor for her sound leadership and impact she had on the community.

“Skipper DaCosta-Azar transformed both VUP-19 and the future of the MQ-4C Triton,” said Minervini. “Doubtlessly, her leadership proved critical in laying the foundation for Unmanned Aerial Systems as a new problem-set for America’s enemies and a boon to Naval Aviation.”  

VUP-19 was established on Oct. 1, 2013 and commissioned three years later as the U.S. Navy’s first unmanned maritime patrol squadron, VUP-19 draws its lineage from and honors the rich history of Patrol Squadron (VP-19) “Big Red” legacy. The squadron reports to Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 11, which is also based aboard NAS Jacksonville. The mission of VUP-19 is the sustained deployment of the MQ-4C Triton in support of Combatant Commanders around the globe.

Navy MQ-4 Triton Flying Operational Missions From Guam

By Gidget Fuentes

USNI News

May 12, 2020

Almost three months after arriving in Guam, a pair of MQ-4C Triton autonomous, unmanned aircraft have integrated into fleet operations and training flights and stretched the Navy’s maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific, according to the Navy.

The Navy is counting on the Triton, which can operate at greater than 50,000-foot altitudes and at the 2,000-mile-plus range, to provide an unmanned platform for persistent, maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities and work alongside its manned fleet of reconnaissance and surveillance patrol aircraft. The Tritons with Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 – the Navy’s first unmanned aircraft squadron – arrived in Guam in late January to support CTF-72, which oversees the patrol, reconnaissance and surveillance force in the U.S. 7th Fleet region.

“Bringing Triton forward creates a complex problem set for our adversaries,” Cmdr. Michael Minervini, VUP-19’s commanding officer, said in a statement.

“Our ability to provide persistent ISR to fleet and combatant commanders is unmatched in naval aviation.”

Along with supporting current operations for several Indo-Pacific-based task forces, one Triton drone recently joined in a “close formation” taxiing along with more than a dozen manned aircraft prior to takeoff at Anderson Air Force Base, Commander Task Force 72 officials said.

The radar and sensors-packed Triton drones have been operating from Anderson AFB to provide, according to the Navy, an “early operational capability (EOC) to further develop the concept of operations and fleet learning associated with operating a high-altitude, long-endurance system in the maritime domain.” Tritons’ onboard sensors and radar can track ships at sea, match tracks with automated identification systems and relay that information to shore-side bases or nearby aircraft, for example.

While the Tritons fly from Guam, the “Big Red” squadron of 300 personnel isn’t based in Guam.

A group of VUP-19 aircrew and maintainers are forward-deployed to Guam, but squadron officials and mission operators are based at VUP-19’s home at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., and a permanent detachment including maintenance personnel reside at NAS Point Mugu, Calif.

POINT MUGU, Calif. (Nov. 9, 2017)The first MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, Detachment Point Mugu, arrives at Naval Base Ventura County, Calif. The MQ-4C took off from Palmdale Airport and was remotely controlled from NAS Pax River. (U.S. Navy photo by Public Affairs Specialist Theresa Miller/Released)
Drone
GUAM (April, 4) A MQ-4C Triton taxis at Andersen Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael S. Murphy)
The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system approaches the runway at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., after completing its inaugural cross-country flight from California. The Navy will conduct Triton flight tests at Patuxent River in preparation for an operational deployment in 2017. (U.S. Navy photo by Kelly Schindler/Released)

July 4, 2020: Independence Day 2020

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on July 4, 2020: Independence Day 2020
07/04/2020

By Robbin Laird

On July 2, 1776, the signers of the Declaration of Independence finished their work.

The document was approved by Congress on July 4, 1776 and hence that became Independence Day for the newly forged United States of America.

The two youngest signers of the Declaration of Independence were both from South Carolina. Thomas Lynch, Jr. and Edward Rutledge of South Carolina were both born in 1749 and were only 26 when they signed the Declaration. Most of the other signers were in their 40s and 50s.

The text of the Declaration of Independence follows:

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature; a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;

For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;

For imposing taxes on us without our consent;

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses;

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress, in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

This year President Trump held the Independence Day event not in Washington DC but at the foot of the Mount Rushmore memorial.

Blue Angels July 3, 2020 from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

The New York Times declared such an action as divisive but then again Ronald Reagan was considered a divisive president as well by the media commenting on President Reagan.

As was noted in an opinion piece by historian Gil Troy published in The New York Times in 2016 noted with regard to reactions to the election of Ronald Reagan:

“I am scared that if Ronald Reagan gets into office, we are going to see more of the Ku Klux Klan and a resurgence of the Nazi Party,” Coretta Scott King said in November, 1980.

“I’m afraid things are going to blow sky high during this next term,” a nursing student said.

He’s a “nitwit,” added a Democrat. “He’s shallow, superficial and frightening,” one of that year’s historic numbers of “undecideds” insisted.

Ronald Reagan “seems not to relish complexity and subtlety,” the New York Times editorial endorsing President Jimmy Carter’s re-election proclaimed.

“The problem is not a loose lip but the simple answer.”

While fearing what Reagan’s own running mate, George H.W. Bush, had dismissed as Reagan’s “voodoo economics” during their primary fight, the editorial board feared “voodoo diplomacy,” too.

From coast to coast, half of a divided nation abhorred — and underestimated — the president-elect. “The American people,“ Hamilton Jordan, a key Carter aide, said, “are not going to elect a 70-year-old, right-wing, ex-movie actor to be president.”

At the Independence Day event held at the footsteps of Mount Rushmore, President Trump channeled his inner Reagan to respond to the the unprecedented events ranging from the House of Representatives attempt at a coup d’etat, to COVID-19, to the BLM narrative bidding for prime time in America.

The President clearly articulated a response to such events, which The New York Times considered divisive but one could ask what the events since November have been from the House, the conflict among the states to managing COVID-19 and the the BLM narrative?

Perhaps just a bit divisive, mates?

The speech of President Trump can be found below:

Remarks by President Trump at South Dakota’s 2020 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration | Keystone, South Dakota | The White House

 

President Donald Trump addresses the crowd during the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3, 2020. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
B-1B Lancers fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The B-1s, from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the Navy Blue Angels based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls, S.D.; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, Rapid City. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
F-16 Flying Falcons fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s, from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls, S.D., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; Blue Angels F-18 Hornets based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, Rapid City. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters fly over Mount Rushmore during a Salute to America celebration hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. The HH-60s, from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment based in Rapid City., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the Navy Blue Angels based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.; the B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; and South Dakota National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls. Additionally, bands from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix/Released)
The U.S. Air Force Academy Band Pegasus plays music during a Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3, 2020. The USAFA Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., was part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band, Mitchell, S.D., also provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
The South Dakota National Guard’s 147th Army Band performs music during a Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3, 2020. The 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., was part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., were part of the DoD’s participation that also included aerial flyovers by the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16s Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60s Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., also provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.
A firework display concludes the Salute to America celebration at Mount Rushmore hosted by the state of South Dakota July 3. DoD’s participation during the event included aerial flyovers by the Blue Angels, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., the B-1B Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base; South Dakota Air National Guard F-16 Falcons from the 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls; and HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 1-189th Aviation Regiment, in Rapid City, S.D. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 147th band, from Mitchell, S.D., provided musical entertainment. The events celebrated the 244th year of the Independence of the Nation and provided the DoD an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities and professionalism of the Armed Forces.

Upgrading the Direct Defense of Europe: Rotating Older Navy Ships Out of Rota for Modern Aegis Destroyers

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on Upgrading the Direct Defense of Europe: Rotating Older Navy Ships Out of Rota for Modern Aegis Destroyers

In our forthcoming book on The Return of Direct to Defense to Europe: Meeting the Challenge 21st Century Authoritarian Challenge, Murielle Delaporte highlighted that with regard to defense policy under President Trump has seen an upsurge in defense capabilities postured for the direct defense of Europe.

“The return of direct defense has meant that NATO and the United States have needed to refocus on high-end warfare.

“And this is being done in various ways by the various nations in terms of how they determine how this might best be done.

“The exercise regimes being pursued by NATO since 2014 clearly have highlighted the strategic shift from the land wars to direct defense. A clear example of the new approach to a higher-end warfare exercise regime is illustrated by the Trident Juncture 2018 exercise. Trident Juncture, a NATO-led exercise, hosted by Norway, included around 50,000 personnel from NATO countries, as well as Finland and Sweden, and tested NATO’s collective response to an armed attack against one ally, invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. As the head of the Allied Transformation Command put it in an interview in 2017: “NATO needs to hold exercises on a large scale. Only this way are we able to test all the levels in the alliance: From the troops on the ground and all the way up to a strategic level.”[1]

[1] “Taking NATO Back to Its Core Mission,” Norwegian Ministry of Defence, June 2, 2017, https://forsvaret.no/en/taking-nato-back-to-its-core-mission

Another way is upgrading the capabilities of U.S. and allied forces within Europe to deal with threat posed by the evolving Russian missile strike force.

The US Navy has responded in part by rotating older Navy ships out from Rota Spain and replacing them with new Aegis Destroyers, capable of operating effectively within a kill web.

A 2019 announcement by 6th Fleet underscored that they were intending to cycle out older warships for the newer combat ships.

The U.S. Navy plans to rotate the four currently Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E) ships with newer, modernized ships in order to posture the most capable forces forward in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).

The destroyers being sent to Rota would all be newer, with more advanced combat systems, such as those on Roosevelt.

Additionally, the U.S. Navy intends to relocate a helicopter maritime strike squadron (HSM) to Rota, Spain, in support of the destroyers, which will enhance the multi-mission roles of these ships.

What the slide show highlights is the rotation out of the USS Carney.

NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (June 27, 2020) — The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020.

Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)

In a story by Megan Eckstein published by USNI News on June 29, 2020, the departure of USS Carney was highlighted as follows:

Carney is the first of the four Rota-based DDGs to be swapped out and return stateside, as part of a Navy plan to rotate more capable DDGs into the busy theater.

The sea service announced last year, “The U.S. Navy plans to rotate the four currently Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E) ships with newer, modernized ships in order to posture the most capable forces forward in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).

Additionally, the U.S. Navy intends to relocate a helicopter maritime strike squadron (HSM) to Rota, Spain, in support of the destroyers, which will enhance the multi-mission roles of these ships.”

Roosevelt is the first Flight IIA Arleigh Burke DDG to serve in the FDNF-E fleet and brings with it the most recent advanced capability build (ACB) of the Aegis Combat System, which integrates weapons and sensors such as the Cooperative Engagement Capability; Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile; Mk 15 Close-In Weapons System Block 1B; and the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, capable of supporting Standard Missile (SM) 3 and newer variants, the Navy previously stated.

These new capabilities allow the ship to conduct air and missile defense at the same time.

When the original four DDGs started operating out of Rota, the Navy worried that they were solely watching the skies for missiles to protect European land infrastructure and didn’t have the capacity to simultaneously watch for threats to the ships themselves.

This forced the Navy to figure out a plan to integrate Raytheon’s Sea Rolling Airframe Missile (SeaRAM) onto Aegis-equipped DDGs for the first time as an added means of self-protection for the ships.

 

 

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020. Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020. Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020. Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)
Line handlers heave mooring lines as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020. Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset, June 27, 2020. Carney is being replaced by USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis/Released)

France Withdraws from NATO Naval Mission: Turkish Alleged Actions as Cause

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on France Withdraws from NATO Naval Mission: Turkish Alleged Actions as Cause
07/03/2020

By Pierre Tran

Paris – France has pulled out of a NATO naval mission in the Mediterranean in protest against a Turkish frigate allegedly switching on targeting radar on a French warship, plunging ties between two members of the military alliance to a new low.

“The president of the French republic has decided to withdraw French capabilities from Sea Guardian until further notice,” armed forces minister Florence Parly told July 2 members of the European parliament on the defense and security committee.

That French suspension from the Nato maritime security operation, dubbed Sea Guardian, was in response to a Turkish warship, the Orucreis, June 10 “lighting up” with targeting radar a French frigate, the Courbet, which sought to inspect a Turkish cargo ship.

“That is an aggressive act and undignified for a Nato ally,” Parly said.

The Turkish cargo ship, suspected to be carrying weapons to Libya, was escorted by three Turkish frigates, which were also sailing in the Nato mission, daily Le Figaro reported.

Turkey strongly denied that charge, with the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu July 2 calling on France to apologize.

“We are waiting to France to apologize, that it apologize unconditionally,” he said at a press conference in Berlin with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, AFP news agency reported.

The Turkish minister accused France of sending weapons to Gen. Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which seeks to topple the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

France has made four requests, namely reaffirmation of respecting the arms embargo on Libya, Turkey giving up the use of Nato cover while making arms shipments, greater cooperation between the European Union and Nato, and mechanism to cut conflict, Parly said.

Parly raised the alleged naval incident at a June 17 Nato meeting, received support from eight members of the alliance, and a pledge from secretary general Jens Stoltenberg to conduct an inquiry, afternoon daily Le Monde reported.

The resulting classified Nato report avoided pointing the finger at Turkey despite information, notably electronic warfare data, supplied by the French. That lack of support led to the French ambassador to Nato writing June 30 a letter to Stoltenberg, informing him that France was suspending its contribution to Sea Guardian.

Macron June 30 placed the “historic and criminal responsibility” of Turkey for the situation in Libya.

Turkey said it backs the internationally recognized Government of National Accord and accused France of backing forces led by Haftar, supported by Egypt, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Weapons shipped to forces led by Haftar would breach the arms embargo.

France deployed a frigate and a maritime patrol aircraft in support of that Nato bid to police the UN arms embargo on Libya. Paris continues to deploy a frigate and a maritime patrol aircraft to the EU Irini naval mission to police the arms embargo.

Macron has previously said Nato suffered from “brain death,” following a lack of response to Turkey’s invasion into northern Syria last year.

Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile strained relations with Nato, and led to the US withdrawing the sale of the F-35 fighter jet to the Turkish air force.

Turkish companies will continue to build key parts for the F-35 until 2022, Bloomberg reported.

The featured photo: France is suspending its role in Operation Sea Guardian, saying Turkey does not “respect” the Libya embargo: Getty Images

Photo Source: world-europe-53262725

Editor’s Note: In our forthcoming book, The Return of Direct Defense in Europe: Meeting the 21st Century Authoritarian Challenge. we address Turkey as one of the key authoritarian challenges. 

“Turkey under President Erdoğan has seen a significant change from being a secular state focused on close collaboration with the liberal democracies to one more focused on its Islamic and national identities and playing off of the European alliances, both the European Union and NATO.

“Erdoğan has sought to expand Turkey’s independent role in the world and has actively pursued a redefinition of Turkish interests away from Westernization and Europeanization to shaping an expanded role in the Middle East, North Africa, and embracing Putin’s Russia as a partner.”

And we concluded: “The alliance within alliance challenge becomes a key dynamic which will drive change in the European alliances.  If one combines, the migratory dynamics of the past ten years, with the return of direct defense as the Russians have returned to reshape threats to Europe along with the combined Russian and Chinese effort to make the world safe for authoritarian regimes, the differentiation among the European nations about how best to shape their abilities to defend their interests is to be anticipated and expected. This clearly is remaking of the European alliances, within which Turkey has a significant impact.

“In short, we are facing a major strategic shift within Europe with regard to how alliances will operate, be shaped and be forged going forward to deal with the 21st century political and strategic environment.”

The book will be published this Fall and we will announce its publication and where to buy the book to our readers this Fall.

Laird & delaporte book cover option 2

3rd Aviation Brigade

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on 3rd Aviation Brigade

Soldiers from 4-3 Assault helicopter Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd CAB, 3rd ID, conducted an air assault on May 6 at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany.

In this video, 1st Lt. Stephen Quinn discusses the importance of this training and how it contributes to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigades mission in Europe.

HOHENFELS, GERMANY

05.06.2020

Video by Spc. Savannah Roy

Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

The Challenge of Manning, Training, and Equipping Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces for the New Strategic Environment

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on The Challenge of Manning, Training, and Equipping Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces for the New Strategic Environment
07/02/2020

By Robbin Laird

Earlier this year on March 12, 2020, Capt. Matthew Pottenburgh became the 58th Commodore in charge of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven.

In an article by Lt. Zachary Galcynski, the Wing Eleven Public Affairs Officer, the event was highlighted as follows:

The Navy’s Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) Eleven held a change of command ceremony aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, March 12.

Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller III, commander, Naval Air Forces/commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, served as the guest speaker for the ceremony and highlighted the accomplishments of Capt. Craig Mattingly during his tenure, and welcomed Capt. Matthew Pottenburgh as the 58th commodore.

“He’s a ‘mission first – people always’ leader and when he says, ‘take care of your Sailors and families and they will take care of the mission’ he means it,” said Miller. “He walks that walk and has walked that walk ever since his first day as an enlisted Sailor in 1987.”

Rear Adm. Peter Garvin, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, served as the presiding officer for the ceremony and discussed the stalwart professionalism, inspirational leadership, and operational focus exhibited by both Mattingly, and Pottenburgh.

“Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven has been very well served by Capt. Mattingly during his time in command, and we look forward to continuing that brilliant record of success under Capt. Pottenburgh,” said Garvin.

Mattingly, a native of Austin, Kentucky, left the family dairy farm in 1987 to enlist as an aviation anti-submarine warfare operator in the Navy. He is a 1995 graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Oceanography. He also holds a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

He took command of CPRW-11 as the 57th commodore in June 2018 and reflected on his time in command.

“I am proud to have led this great team. I can only ask that you continue to strive to be a competent, professional force which has no equal; that you lead Sailors with compassion, that you excel in the air, and that most of all, you continue to be better today than yesterday,” said Mattingly. His flying tours include Patrol Squadron (VP) 50 during his enlisted days, and as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) with VP-8 and VP-26 aboard NAS Brunswick, Maine, as a fleet instructor with VP-30, NAS Jacksonville and command of VP-9 at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii to name a few.

As he thought about his original plans following the 2018 change of command and to present day, Mattingly reflected on the wing’s accomplishments.  “Our focus will be to take care of our most precious assets, the men and women of CPRW-11. We will sustain current readiness of our P-8A squadrons and reserve P-3C squadron while incorporating the MQ-4C Triton in to the maritime patrol and reconnaissance force,” said Mattingly.

During his tenure, Mattingly oversaw continuous squadron deployments, along with supporting Mobile Tactical Operations Centers engaged in various areas of responsibility.

Pottenburgh, a Galena, Ohio native, assumed command of the largest P-8 Poseidon, P-3 Orion and MQ-4 Triton Wing from Mattingly, who has commanded CPRW-11 over the last 21 months. Pottenburgh addressed the ceremony attendees and discussed the focus of the Wing after assumption of command.

“We will continue to man, train, equip, and operate combat-ready and lethal Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces who are ready to deploy to any corner of the globe,” said Pottenburgh. “We will continue to deter aggression and maintain freedom of the maritime domain.”

In 1996, Pottenburgh commissioned as an Ensign earning his Wings of Gold upon completion of Naval Flight Officer training in May 1997. Pottenburgh holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University of Dwight D. Eisenhower School. His recent flying tours include VP 40, VP-47 and command of the VP-5 “Mad Foxes” aboard NAS Jacksonville.

After relinquishing command at CPRW-11, Mattingly will serve as the Executive Assistant for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy (OPNAV N3/N5) at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

CPRW-11 squadrons include Patrol Squadrons (VP) 5, VP-8, VP-10, VP-16, VP-26, VP-45 and VP-62, along with the Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP-19).

There are two Patrol and Reconnaissance Wings in Florida and Washington State, composed of 14 Patrol and Reconnaissance squadrons.  There is a single Fleet Replacement Squadron located in Jacksonville, FL.

Patrol and Reconnaissance Wings serve as the Navy’s premier provider for airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, and Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operations.

But what does it mean to man, train and equipping the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces for the new strategic environment?

During my recent visit to Jax Navy, I had a chance to talk with Capt. Pottenburgh, Commodore of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN, and Captain T. J. Grady, Commanding Officer of VP-30 and the Triton Fleet Introduction Team. The two leaders have worked together on and off again throughout their careers and that collaboration informs and helps synchronize their current efforts as well. And both early on were part of the transition from P-3 to the P-8 and involved in the “training wheels” phase of P-8 development from 2012 through approximately 2017 and the next phase of the deployment of a global fleet and fleet wide modernization efforts since that time.

There were a number of takeaways from our conversation which provide an understanding of one might effectively answer the question posed above. I am not going to quote Captain Pottenburgh and Captain Grady directly, but will identify what I learned from that conversation.

Obviously, introducing a significantly different aircraft from the P-3, one which operates most effectively embedded in networks, is a challenge. It is challenge on several levels.

The first challenge is working through the kinks in the aircraft itself and getting that aircraft fully functional to deliver the baseline capabilities which the aircraft as a fleet might provide.

That takes time for the operators, the operational crew and the maintainers, to gain the experience to inform the engineers and the contractors of what needs to be fixed, improved or replaced.

That initial phase has been completed, but because it is a software upgradeable aircraft, there is an ongoing quality of what will change onboard the aircraft to adjust to the kill web operational realities of the aircraft within the fleet going forward.

The second challenge is training to operate an aircraft operating with a very different concept of operations than the P-3 which operated “alone and unafraid.”

Given the nature of the operational capabilities of the aircraft, and how the cabin is configured for operators, there has been a learning process to sort through the kind of crewing and squadron size most effective.

This phase is now under the belt for the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community.

And operating the aircraft over time has led to different crewing approaches as well.

When we visited Jax Navy in 2016, there were five work stations onboard the aircraft. This now has been increased by one, or to having six work stations onboard the aircraft. They have added a second Electronic Warfare Operator or EWO to the operational crew onboard the P-8.

The third challenge is to adapt the enterprise not simply the P-8 as a platform.

Clearly, mastering an ability to operate the P-8 as a platform and one embedded in a kill web is the bedrock from which enterprise management can then be addressed. But because this is a sensor generating, receiving and embedded platform which is both a sensor and shooter, but a sensor-shooter that can enable third party targeting, the enterprise is an important part of the man, train and equip function as well.

Part of this challenge is to work ways to manage data much more effectively in support of the MPA fleet as well as the larger joint combat force.

This has led to the standing up of Tactical Operations Control Squadron (TOCRON) 11 as part of the Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing as well. This command is operational this month and is the latest member of CPRW-11. The squadron is tasked with data support and management for CPRW-11. They are tasked with imaging all of the fleet’s mission systems hard drives, and data with regard to software, mission planning and the flight profiles of the fleet.  They are the key enabler to maritime patrol’s Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (TCPED) process, which helps drive the intelligence analysis cycle.

With the increase in mission system’s capability and increasing integration into the joint kill web, the MPRA community clearly relies on TOCRON with a P-8 enabled MPA force.

The fourth challenge is standing up of the Triton squadron and working the challenge of the co-development of Triton with the P-8 to deliver the common operating picture enabling the kill web force.

The Triton is the new kid on the block and is working through the “training wheels” phase much like the P-8 faced earlier.

But the Triton poses other challenges associated with the evolving nature of the enterprise.

How to manage orbital concepts of operations along with more traditional sortie generation operations by manned aircraft?

While the P-8 can operate with autonomy and networkability, the Triton is network generating and enabling asset.  CPRW-11 and VP-30 works cross training for the operators for the P-8 and Triton, as the Navy does want to create an isolated remote piloted operating community.

The Triton puts significant demands on the wave forms and networks enabling the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance and the equip function here certainly reaches beyond what the P-8 and Triton platforms organically carry themselves.

I have referred elsewhere as Triton being an example of manned-unmanned teaming but it was suggested in this conversation that there was a better way to put this idea.

What is being shaped are coordinate operations between the two platforms, where the Triton can sweep the field of operations to identify targets and allow the P-8s to focus on those targets and to focus their activity from take-off on where they need to go and what they need to do.

By training operators in both Triton and P-8 operations, crews gain first hand access to the wider range vision which Triton delvers compared to P-8.

In short, the evolution of the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community poses significant challenges in mastering evolving platforms, notably ones designed to work together.

But even greater challenges are posed by the question of training for how that community operates within a distributed maritime force to deliver integrated effects.

Editor’s Note: Recently, VP-30 received the 100th Poseidon aircraft.

In a Navy article published on May 15, 2020, the event was underscored as follows:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) — The Navy’s 100th P-8A “Poseidon” was delivered to Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, May 14.

In July 2004, the Navy placed its initial order of P-8A aircraft to replace the venerable Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion, which has been in service since 1962. The Maritime Patrol community began transition to the P-8A in 2012. The delivery of the 100th P-8A coincides with VP-40’s successful completion of the 12th and final active component squadron transition to the Poseidon.

The final transition concluded amidst a global pandemic, which could have halted or delayed the schedule, however, VP-40 remained on track.

“We finished up VP-40’s transition this month, and it has been a challenge. Despite the travel restrictions, the additional required procedures, and the aircraft transfers, VP-30 answered the call. The VP-30.1 detachment at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington was grinding every day to keep the transition on schedule,“ said VP-30 Commanding Officer Capt. T. J. Grady.

The P-3C to P-8A transition has been on glideslope, on course, maintaining the original schedule over the last seven years, all while continuing to meet VP Global Force Management and deployment obligations.

“The P-8A program has delivered ahead of schedule and under budget since its inception, which is why the delivery of the 100th P-8A is such a significant milestone,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group.

Between January 2016 and now, the P-8A fleet has grown from 33 to 100. The U. S. Navy is on contract to deliver a total of 117 P-8As in support of a larger fleet.

VP-30, the “Pro’s Nest,” is the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS).  VP-30’s mission is to provide P-3 specific training to pilots, naval flight officers, and enlisted aircrew prior to reporting to the fleet.  More than 650 staff personnel train over 800 officer and enlisted personnel annually, utilizing 21 P-3 aircraft.

And in a June 6, 2019 article, the way ahead was highlighted for VP-30.

As the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the MPRF, Patrol Squadron THIRTY (VP-30) is ground zero for new developments.

The VP-1 “Screaming Eagles” are the latest to receive training on the P-8A. With VP-1 complete, there are only two active duty VP squadrons still flying the P-3, one of which is currently transitioning.

This winter, VP-30 graduated the very last class of P-3 pilots it intends to send to the Fleet. There remains a small cadre of pilots who will continue to train students on the electronic intelligence-gathering variant of the P-3 — the EP-3 — but from this year forward almost all students at VP-30 will be trained solely on the P-8.

“It’s exciting to see firsthand how the community is changing,” said LCDR Darryl Abriam, the Student Control Officer at VP-30.

The EP-3 will remain in service until the full integration of the MQ-4C Triton, an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). The Navy just broke ground on a new facility for Unmanned Patrol Squadron ELEVEN (VUP-11) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

In a US Navy article by June 17, 2020 by Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, the standing up of the new TOCRON 11 command was highlighted.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tactical Operations Control Squadron (TOCRON) 11 took the first step toward standing up as an official command aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, June 17.

Capt. Matthew Pottenburgh, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 11 served as the guest speaker at the assumption ceremony welcoming the command’s first commanding officer, Cmdr. Anne Gilson.

“This is a watershed moment for the Maritime and Patrol Reconnaissance Force to welcome Tactical Operations Control Squadron 11 officially to Naval Air Station Jacksonville,” said Pottenburgh.

As of June 2020, 179 personnel, to include 26 officers and 153 enlisted personnel, have reported to TOCRON-11 commanded by Gilson who is from Concord, N.C.

“As the first commanding officer of TOCRON-11, I am proud to serve alongside such committed and dedicated Sailors in this critical mission,” said Gilson. “Our efforts provide the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force with robust, agile, and reliable Tactical Operation Centers to maximize maritime domain awareness, command and control, and lethality.”

Assuming command of TOCRON 11 marks the first commanding officer position in her 17-year career. Upon assuming command, she will wear the command pin, established in 1960 to recognize the responsibilities placed on those officers of the Navy who are in command.

“We are committed to the success and wholeness of the entire P-8A fleet and aim to unite MPRF against any and all adversaries by expanding situational awareness throughout the globe,” said Gilson.

CPRW-11 squadrons include Patrol Squadrons (VP) 5, VP-8, VP-10, VP-16, VP-26, VP-45, VP-62, Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP-19), and TOCRON-11.

There are two Patrol and Reconnaissance Wings in Florida and Washington State, composed of 14 Patrol and Reconnaissance squadrons, one Fleet Replacement Squadron and over 45 subordinate commands.

Patrol and Reconnaissance Wings serve as the Navy’s premier provider for airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, and Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operations.

Finally, this is how the US Navy describes the command:

Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven’s history and reputation are unparalleled. Commissioned on Aug. 15, 1942 at Norfolk, Va., Patrol Wing Eleven relocated five days later to San Juan, Puerto Rico to provide support for allied shipping convoys in the Navy’s Caribbean Sea Frontier. As the Navy overcame Germany’s Atlantic/Caribbean U-boat campaign, Wing Eleven PBY-5Ns patrolled a million square miles of ocean, providing spotting and assistance to scores of wounded allied ships and sinking 10 German submarines while damaging 18 others.

The post-World War II drawdown culminated for Wing-11 in 1950 with a homeport shift to NAS Jacksonville and a transition to the P-2V Neptune.  Throughout the decade, Wing-11 squadrons continued to patrol vast areas in support of long-range reconnaissance and fleet exercises.  Operational commitments grew as the Cold War intensified and Maritime Patrol Aviation (MPA) continued to refine warfighting competencies in anti-submarine warfare (ASW), aerial mine warfare, search and rescue, and aerial photographic intelligence.

MPA excellence continued in the 1960’s with Wing-11 aircraft on-station for the recovery of our first astronauts and in support of President Kennedy’s quarantine of Cuba at the height of the 1962 Missile Crisis.  By 1970, Wing-11 squadrons had transitioned to the P-3 Orion.  In the years that followed, Wing-11 squadrons recorded thousands of hours ‘on top’ of Soviet submarines in Cold War operations from Greenland, Iceland, Bermuda, Ascension, the Canary Islands and Azores, and bases throughout the Mediterranean.

Wing-11 units met the challenge of the immediate post-Cold War period, supporting Operation Desert Shield/Storm, establishing an airborne presence during the Balkan Wars of the 1990’s, and supporting counter narcotics efforts in the Southern Hemisphere.  The Navy formally recognized the close link between VP and VQ missions in 1998, bringing Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2) into Wing-11 and amending the command name to Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing-11.

Wing-11 units continue to excel in multi-mission roles.  P-3 Aircraft Improvement Program (AIP) delivers traditional maritime capabilities, real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and standoff land attack missile (SLAM) capability to theater and fleet commanders.  Wing-11 units proved their continued relevance and vitality during operations over Kosovo in 1999 and in subsequent stabilization efforts there. 

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 signaled a new focus for Wing-11 units.  In addition to traditional missions, units support homeland defense and the Global War on Terrorism in Operations Vigilant Shield and Enduring Freedom respectively.  During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Wing-11’s VP-45 was the first east coast squadron to establish a permanent detachment site in Iraq, flying combat missions in direct support of the troops on the ground. 

Additionally, supporting Department of Defense’s initiatives, Wing-11 transferred administrative control of VQ-2 to Wing-10 in Whidbey Island, Wash., and subsequently acquired Jacksonville’s Aviation Support Detachment.  The BRAC decision in 1995 to shut down NAS Brunswick forced a major transition for Wing-11 with the arrival of Brunswick’s four squadrons beginning with VP-8 and VPU-1 in June 2009.  Today, eight squadrons and Aviation Support Detachment fall under Wing-11, making it the first “Super Wing” in Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance history.

Wing Eleven’s squadrons include VP-5, VP-8, VP-10, VP-16, VP-26 and VP-45. Additionally, the unmanned patrol squadron is VUP-19.

The featured photo: Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11 Commodore Capt. Matthew Pottenburgh, gives his remarks as guest speaker during the Assumption of Command for Tactical Operations Control Squadron (TOCRON) 11, formerly known as Mobile Tactical Operations Center (MTOC). The former MTOC Officer in Charge was Cmdr. Donte Jackson (center) and the new commander for TOCRON 11 is Cmdr. Annie Gilson. (U.S. Navy photo by Julie M. Lucas/Released)

For more information on NAS Jacksonville-based patrol squadrons go to:

VP-5 “MAD FOXES”

VP-8 “FIGHTING TIGERS”

VP-10 “RED LANCERS”

VP-16 “WAR EAGLES”

VP-26 “TRIDENTS”

VP-45 “PELICANS”

VUP-19 “BIG RED”

 

 

 

SPMAGTF-CR-CC

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on SPMAGTF-CR-CC

“The U.S. Marine Corps is the nation’s crisis response service, forward deployed and poised to rapidly respond to crises as necessary.

“Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Crisis Response (SPMAGTF-CR), are Marine Corps units tailored to conduct crisis response, contingency operations, theater security cooperation, enabling operations, and all other missions as may be directed throughout their assigned Combatant Command (COCOM).

“They are characterized as:

  • Land based, self-supporting, and self-sustaining.
  • They are capable of command and control at multiple locations simultaneously.
  • They are postured to respond to requirements across the full range of military operations, anywhere within their respective regions.
  • They are an enduring, short notice crisis response capability for the Marine Corps.

“The Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) is a rotational contingent of approximately 2000 Marines, sailors and support elements on the CENTCOM AOR.

“SPMAGTF-CR-CC is commanded by a colonel and is comprised of air, logistics, and ground combat elements.  These elements provide the crisis response force with organic lift, sustainment and support, and strike capabilities.”

The slideshow highlights adivision of U.S. Marine Corps KC-130Js with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command 20.2, flying in formation during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020.

The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations.

KUWAIT

06.24.2020

Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice 

13th Marine Expeditionary Unit    

U.S. Marine Corps KC-130Js with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, sit on the flight line before a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A U.S. Marine Corps crew chief with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conducts a preflight inspection for a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
U.S. Marine Corps pilots with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conduct a preflight inspection during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A U.S. Marine Corps crewmaster with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conducts a preflight inspection during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
U.S. Marine Corps crewmasters with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conduct a preflight inspection during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A U.S. Marine Corps crewmaster with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conducts a preflight inspection during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
U.S. Marine Corps KC-130Js with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, taxi to the runway for a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A division of U.S. Marine Corps KC-130Js with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, fly in formation during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A division of U.S. Marine Corps KC-130Js with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2 land on the runway during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)
A U.S. Marine Corps crewmaster with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command 20.2, conducts a preflight inspection during a division flight in Kuwait, June 24, 2020. The purpose of the division flight was to maintain aircrew proficiency with flying more than two aircraft in formation during aerial operations. The SPMAGTF-CR-CC is a crisis response force, prepared to deploy a variety of capabilities across the region. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Cutler Brice)

The 158th Fighter Wing Transitions from F-16s to F-35s

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on The 158th Fighter Wing Transitions from F-16s to F-35s
07/01/2020

In a June 6, 2020 article by Michael Strasser, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum, 158th Fighter Wing the transition from F-16 to F-35 was highlighted:

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (June 5, 2020) — Members of the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard took to the skies over Fort Drum this week while training on the F-35 weapons system at Range 48.

Located in South Burlington, Vermont, the 158th Fighter Wing is the first Air National Guard unit to transition from flying F-16s to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The pilots have spent months conducting flying operations, and this was their first experience releasing inert training ordnance from their new fighter jets.

“For several pilots, this was their first time employing heavyweight ordnance from an F-35,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Michael Cady, chief of weapons and tactics for the 134th Fighter Squadron. “We pulled several lessons learned from the employments this week that would not have otherwise been gained if we hadn’t been carrying actual munitions.”

The surface attack training was supported by personnel from Fort Drum Range Control and the 174th Operations Group Detachment 1, a New York Air National Guard tenant unit on post.

“Our detachment runs the Adirondack Gunnery and Bombing Range, commonly referred to as ‘Range 48’ at Fort Drum,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Fulmer, 174th Operations Group Detachment 1 commander.
“We manage approximately 4,000 acres of the training area, providing targets for door/aerial gunnery training from rotary-wing assets, as well as targets for fixed-wing assets from all services.”

Fulmer said that the 158th Fighter Wing is one of the primary fixed-wing units that train at Range 48.

“This is due to both proximity to Burlington, and the unique training afforded by the vast military airspace that surrounds Fort Drum – and much larger portions of northern New York,” he said.

“The close proximity of Range 48 to our unit has certainly demonstrated its significant value to our training as we work towards being officially certified for combat missions in the near future,” Cady added.

Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, present their skills in career fields including avionics, crew chiefs, munitions, weapons and operations, Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vt., June 25, 2020. These Airmen come from some of the most critical career fields in ensuring the 158th is mission capable with the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)