🇺🇸 US Navy launches T-45 replacement effort

The United States Navy has launched the process to replace its ageing Boeing T-45 Goshawk, marking the beginning of a new competition for a carrier-capable jet trainer. In service since the 1990s, the aircraft has been increasingly affected by availability issues and ageing-related constraints.

The future platform will be required to operate from aircraft carriers and prepare pilots for frontline aircraft such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Lightning II. This places the requirement firmly in the advanced trainer category, covering the final phase before operational conversion.

Several candidates are expected to compete. These include the Boeing T-7 Red Hawk, the KAI T-50 in a potential navalised configuration, and the Leonardo M-346, also proposed in a carrier-capable variant. New designs could also emerge as the programme develops.

At this stage, the effort remains in an early phase, with requirements still being refined and no selection made. However, the launch of the competition signals the start of a long-term transition in US Navy pilot training.

US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, operating from the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, successfully intercepted and neutralized a Houthi rebel attack in the Red Sea.

On Wednesday 10th, a total of 18 drones, two cruise missiles, and an anti-ship missile were downed by the F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Dwight D. Eisenhower, alongside the destroyers Gravely, Mason, Laboon, and the British warship HMS Diamond. The Houthi rebels, based in Yemen, targeted ships in the Red Sea with this barrage, although no damage was reported.

This incident marks the 26th attack by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea since November 19, according to the US Central Command. The attack occurred off the Yemeni port cities of Hodeida and Mokha. Vessels in the area were cautioned to proceed at maximum speed and transit with caution, reporting any suspicious activity, as advised by the UK Marine Trade Operations.

While the Houthi rebels did not formally claim responsibility for the attacks, anonymous Houthi military officials indicated that their forces had "targeted a ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea."

These assaults have consistently targeted ships in the Red Sea, a critical passage connecting the Middle East and Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, including the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait, only 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, handles a substantial portion of global maritime trade, with nearly 10% of all oil traded at sea passing through it, representing an estimated $1 trillion in goods annually.

To counter these attacks, a US-led coalition of nations has been actively patrolling the Red Sea. Despite warnings from the US, there has been no widespread retaliatory strike, although American troops were involved in a previous incident where Houthi vessels were sunk, and 10 rebel fighters were killed.

Simultaneously, a tentative cease-fire between the Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s exiled government has held for months. The concern now is that any escalation in sea conflict or potential reprisal from Western forces could reignite tensions in Yemen, the poorest nation in the Arab world, and jeopardize the fragile cease-fire.

US Navy's USS Zumwalt Scheduled to Conduct Naval Hypersonic Missile System Test in 2024

The USS Zumwalt is set to undertake pivotal flight tests in 2024 for its naval hypersonic missile system, marking a significant leap in its weaponry capabilities. Lockheed Martin confirmed the commencement of these trials, which will feature a ship-based hypersonic missile launcher designed to bolster the destroyer's armament.

Preparations for these crucial tests align with the Navy's objective to integrate hypersonic weaponry onto the Zumwalt by 2025. Currently undergoing modernization in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the destroyer is being equipped with the Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system, courtesy of American Shipbuilder HII.

Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson, a Naval Surface Force spokesperson, emphasized that these upgrades will uphold the USS Zumwalt's status as one of the most technologically advanced and formidable ships in the U.S. Navy's fleet.

Lockheed Martin, spearheading the development of the launcher, weapon control system, and components of the missile, announced their intent to conduct flight tests in 2024. This signifies a pivotal step forward in implementing the hypersonic missile system aboard the Zumwalt, reinforcing its position as a cutting-edge naval asset.

Despite the vessel's brief return to San Diego due to an undisclosed maintenance issue, the USS Zumwalt has now settled in its new home port in Pascagoula, where it is undergoing modernization, including the critical installation of the hypersonic missile system.

The forthcoming flight tests in 2024 will be a crucial milestone, showcasing the technological advancements and firepower enhancements that the USS Zumwalt is poised to achieve through its naval hypersonic missile system

USS Mason Repels Iranian Backed Houthi Attack in Southern Red Sea

 

The USS Mason of the Navy intercepted and neutralized a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea, fired by Houthi rebels, according to the U.S. Central Command on Thursday.

The incident took place between 5:45 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. local time in Sanaa, as confirmed by U.S. officials.

This marks the 22nd attempted assault on international maritime vessels since October 19, as reported by CENTCOM. No damages or injuries were reported in this occurrence, which has become a routine challenge for U.S. vessels patrolling the Red Sea, aiming to establish and maintain order amidst the ongoing conflict between Hamaz and Gaza. Presently, there are 18 vessels operating in the region, and none have sustained damage from the nearly two dozen assaults.

Most of the weaponry used in these attacks, targeted at allied ships or in their proximity en route to Israel, have been linked to Iranian-backed factions, such as the Houthis, as indicated by CENTCOM.

In response to the threat posed by the Houthi militia, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on groups that have aided Iran with weaponry or financial support. Additionally, the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian has been initiated to counter the escalating Houthi assaults.

US Navy Vessel Shoots Down Another Drone in Red Sea

The USS Mason intercepted and brought down an aerial drone on Wednesday, a drone that authorities linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen with ties to Iran. The USS Mason intercepted and brought down an aerial drone on Wednesday, a drone that authorities linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen with ties to Iran. This event marks the most recent instance of a U.S. warship thwarting drone and missile threats in the Middle East over the past few weeks.

“We can confirm the USS Mason shot down an uncrewed aerial vehicle originating from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen (...) Dec. 6 in the southern Red Sea,” a military official granted anonymity said in an email to Navy Times. “(...) no damage or injury to U.S. equipment or personnel.”

As with other recent instances of Navy ships shooting down air drones, the official said the drone was headed toward the Mason but that its intended target is unclear. 

The incident comes days after Navy destroyer USS Carney shot down multiple air drones Sunday as several merchant ships came under attack by Houthis in Yemen missiles fired from Houthi rebel-controlled areas of Yemen, as well as continued attacks on U.S. ground forces in Iraq and Syria following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Late last month, the Pentagon said that Houthis fired at least one ballistic missile in the general direction of the Mason in the Gulf of Aden as it responded to a distress call from the Israeli-linked commercial vessel Central Park.

Last month, a group of five armed individuals from Somalia boarded the Central Park, aiming to seize control of the vessel and gain entry to the crew cabin. The crew of the commercial ship secured themselves "within a secure refuge," as per the statement.

Upon the arrival of the Mason following the distress signal, the armed individuals departed the location. Nevertheless, a search and seizure team dispatched by the Mason apprehended them while aboard the ship.

The USS Mason operates within the carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, which left Norfolk, Virginia, in October for its planned mission. Last month, the carrier group navigated through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf.

Spanish frigate 'Méndez Nuñez' integrates into the US strike group deployed to the Mediterranean to provide support to Israel

Sources from Spain's Ministry of Defense deny any connection to the Israeli conflict, framing the recent activities as part of routine measures to 'enhance joint capabilities' of the US Navy within the 'Noble Shield' operation.

On October 9th, the Pentagon directed the Carrier Strike Group of the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Eastern Mediterranean to assist Israel in its offensive against Hamas. This deployment comprised the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the Ticonderoga class, alongside guided-missile destroyers of the Arleigh-Burke class, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). Notably, the latter destroyer was among the four vessels stationed at the Rota military base.

Spain's Chief of Defense (EMAD) confirmed that the frigate 'Méndez Núñez' is conducting training activities with the US Navy Strike Group in the Eastern Mediterranean. EMAD emphasized that this integration "has nothing to do with Israel" and aims to 'implement joint procedures to increase interoperability and enhance combined capabilities.'

Specifically, the frigate 'Méndez Núñez' participated in an anti-aircraft defense exercise alongside the Group's vessels and F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft of the US Navy. Moreover, personnel exchanges were conducted with the USS 'Normandy'. Flight operations were carried out to acquaint both crews and pilots with helicopters and respective naval platforms.

An SH60B helicopter from the frigate 'Méndez Núñez' landed on the American aircraft carrier, while an MH60R helicopter interacted with the frigate 'Méndez Núñez'.

Eisenhower Strike Group to Team Up with USS Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean amid Israel Gaza war

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier is set to head to the Eastern Mediterranean and will unite with the USS Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group to offer assistance to Israel. This represents the most recent action by the Pentagon to strengthen the U.S. presence in the area during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The carrier set sail from NAS Norfolk last Saturday, the 14th, for a planned deployment to the U.S. European Command region of responsibility. The 'Eisenhower' Strike Group is accompanied by Carrier Air Wing 3, the cruiser Philippine Sea, and the destroyers Gravely and Mason.

On Tuesday, the 10th, the USS Gerald Ford arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean. The strike group comprises eight squadrons of attack and support aircraft, along with the destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, as well as the cruiser Normandy.

Additional U.S. Air Force F-15s, F-16s, and A-10 fighter aircraft have also been dispatched to the region. The duration of the operations of both strike groups off Israel and when Ford will begin its return home remain uncertain.

Related:

US Deploys A-10s, F-15s, and F-16s and USS Gerald R. Ford to Middle East amid Israel-Gaza Fighting

Israel strikes Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and Syria

Israel grounds 11 F-35 JSF jets after U.S. crash

US Deploys A-10s, F-15s, and F-16s and USS Gerald R. Ford to Middle East amid Israel-Gaza Fighting

U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, declared on Oct. 8 that extra A-10s, F-15s, and F-16s were deploying to its theater of actions alongside the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike team, which arrived on Tuesday in the Eastern Mediterranean.

On Thursday, the 354th Fighter Squadron from Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, reached the CENTCOM area.

“We expect to see more posture increases flowing in over the next week,” said the senior defense official, who did not specify what U.S. military forces would arrive in the region. “The [CENTCOM] announcement of the posture increases on Sunday are extremely significant and sizeable, and it’s going to take a couple days to get all those augmentations in place.”

U.S. military personnel stationed at the American embassy in Israel are also offering advise to the Israel Defense Forces concerning hostage rescue mission. Pentagon at present does not have any intention of dispatching American ground troops to Israel.

Meanwhile, the USS Ford and its task force will conduct in a range of assignments in the Eastern Mediterranean, encompassing intelligence and maritime assistance. Despite the Ford's task force being capable of executing long-range attacks, that is not a choice the Defense Department is contemplating.

U.S. government authorities have not yet made a determination regarding whether the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its task force, which embarked on a deployment to Europe arranged before the Oct. 7 assaults, will rendezvous with the USS Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The initial U.S. delivery of compact-size bombs and various armaments reached Israel in the recent week. Upcoming transports of military gear for Israel should comprise anti-aircraft systems, artillery rounds, Joint Direct Attack Munition sets, alternative precision-guided armaments, and interceptors for their Iron Dome setup.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to travel to Israel, where he will meet withIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israel's war cabinet.

 

US Navy grounds T-45 Goshawk fleet

The Navy grounded its T-45C Goshawk jet trainer fleet Friday “to review an engine blade fault,” according to a press release issued Tuesday by Naval Air Systems Command.

The decision to halt Goshawk flights for the Navy and Marine Corps was made “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our aviators,” Chief of Naval Air Training Rear Adm. Richard Brophy said in the statement.

The Goshawk is used as part of the Navy and Marine Corps pilot training program for carrier aviation and tactical strike missions, according to the Navy.

T-45s have been flying since 1988, with the C variant entering the fleet in 1997.

navytimes 

NEWS 2022 March, 16

USAF F-35 have encountered with PLAAF's J-20 over East China Sea 

A top USAF general said that F-35s have had at least one encounter with Chengdu J-20s, and that the Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft has a key role in long-range air-to-air kill chains. He did not, however, told when the F-35/J-20 encounter took place.

“It’s a bit early to say what they intend to do with the J-20, so really all we’ve seen it do is air superiority,” he said.

flightglobal

USAF B-21 'Raider' begins ground test phase

The first B-21 'Raider' has entered the ground test phase, paving the way for its expected rollout this year and subsequent first flight.

Northrop Grumman has six of the stealthy aircraft in various stages of production

The next step will involve getting the B-21 ready for flight. This includes carrying out engine runs as well as low-speed and then high-speed taxiing.

After that, the actual first flight from Plant 42 to Edwards Air Force Base in California will take place. Formal flight testing will be held at Edwards.

defensenews

NEWS 2022 March, 12

 Pakistan inducts J-10 'The Dragon from the East' into service

Pakistan on Friday formally inducted the multirole J-10C fighter jets, acquired from China, into its air force to improve the country's combat capabilities

Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a ceremony held at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas Kamra in Attock district of Punjab to induct the new jets.

At the induction ceremony, the Pakistan Air Force described the J-10C as the ‘Dragon from the East’. The Pakistan Air Force signed an agreement with China to buy the J-10C in June last year. It claimed the aircraft was “omni-role” and had “matchless manoeuvrability” and advanced electronics and weapons.

While claims of Pakistan buying the J-10 or a variant of the fighter have circulated for over a decade, an acquisition was only confirmed late last year. In late December, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had announced the PAF would be inducting 25 J-10C fighters as a response to India's induction of the Rafale jets.

theweek

Aircraft additions to US Navy and Marines with new federal bill spending package

The new spending bill includes $900 million for a dozen Super Hornets. It also nixes $10 million the Navy had requested to shut down the production line.

The bill includes $570 million for two CH-53K King Stallion and four MV-22 Ospreys for the Marines.

The bill also has $40 million for two additional MQ-9A Reaper to provide the Marines with greater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability while spread across greater distances.

The Navy would get $323 million for two additional MQ-4 Triton UAVs, $117.8 million for four F-35B Joint Strike Fighter engines, as well as $50 million to accelerate setup of a maintenance depot for F-35Bs.

defensenews

NEWS 2022 March, 6

USS Truman joins NATO effort in air policing patrols over Eastern Europe

Fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman are conducting airborne patrols with NATO allied air forces in U.S. 6th Fleet.
NATO has nearly doubled the number of military jets on alert across Europe amid concerns that Russia’s reckless flying in international airspace could escalate alongside its war in Ukraine.
Strike Fighter Squadrons 11, 34, 81 and 211, and Electronic Attack Squadron 137, from embarked Carrier Air Wing 1 kicked off a variety of missions, including NATO enhanced air policing, to bolster the security alliance in late February, a 6th Fleet spokesperson told Navy Times. The airborne patrols commenced Feb. 24 and are ongoing.

militarytimes

USAF F-35s conduct air policing operations out of Baltic countries

U.S. Air Force F-35As are conducting flight operations out of Lithuania and Estonia — along with fighter jets from the Royal Danish and Polish air forces — to secure the skies over Baltic allies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Six  Lightning IIs with the 34th Fighter Squadron out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, forward deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to NATO’s eastern flank Feb. 24 to augment the alliance’s air policing mission, just one day after Russia invaded Ukraine.

NATO released video Tuesday of F-35s conducting flight operations at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Other Lightning IIs are deployed to Ämari Air Base in Estonia and Feteşti Air Base in Romania.

Operating alongside F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Eagle fighter jets, the F-35s are tasked with ensuring no illegal or threatening air traffic is present in NATO territory, a tall order as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine.

airforcetimes

NEWS 2022 March, 4

First B-21 has been taken out the production facility and moved to Hangar for Loads Calibration

The first B-21 expected to fly is largely assembled and has moved to a calibration facility, one of the last steps before powering systems and making final checks ahead of first flight.

First B-21 has got landing gear, wheels and wings. Six B-21s are now under construction at Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif.

The loads calibration test ensures the structure and gives an insight about if the design meet the needs

The aircraft has not yet been assigned a tail number or name and there is not date of rollout and first flight

airforcemag

RAF P-8 JOINS NATO TO TRACK RUSSIAN VESSELS IN MEDITERRANEAN

A Royal Air Force Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has joined other NATO ships and aircraft to locate and track Russian Navy warships in the Mediterranean Sea.Deployed to the region on a training exercise, the aircraft was reassigned to support a coalition of NATO warships tasked with the shadowing of Russian vessels.

raf

US Navy recovers wreckage of F-35C that crashed South China Sea

In order to retrieve the wreckage of the military aircraft from "approximately 12,400 feet" deep, a team of US Navy service members used a "remotely-operated vehicle" called the CURV-21 to attach "specialized rigging and lift lines to the aircraft" at the bottom of the ocean.

The US Navy on Wednesday recovered from the bottom of the South China Sea the wreckage of a F-35C that crashed into the deck of a US aircraft carrier in January, the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced in a news release Thursday.

The F-35C crashed into the ocean after failing to make a successful landing on the USS Carl Vinson, while conducting "routine flight operations" on January 24.

cnn

USS Gerald Ford completes sea trials ahead of 2022 deployment

The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford concluded a maintenance availability and sea trials Monday in preparation for the its first deployment.

After completing modernization and maintenance work, then sea trials, during a sixth-month Planned Incremental Availability at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, the carrier arrived at Naval Station Norfolk to kick off training and certification.

navytimes

BRITISH F-35 CONDUCTED FIRST REFUELLING IN FLIGHT FROM US NAVY'S F-18F SUPER HORNET

British Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning combat aircraft have for the first time undergone “buddy-buddy” refuelling behind a US Navy (USN) Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet. Conducted in the Asia-Pacific region during the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) ongoing Carrier Strike Group deployment, the activity involved jets from the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) 617 Sqn, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. 

“The refuelling occurred during exercises with the US Navy aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson,” the RAF says. It involved RAF and RN pilots. “A Super Hornet configured with external fuel tanks and AAR [air-to-air refuelling] equipment provided a valuable opportunity to carry out this training and enhance interoperability between UK and US aircraft carriers and their respective carrier-borne aircraft,” the service adds. 

flightglobal

USS Carl Vinson Preparing for First F-35C Deployment

Next year, the most advanced carrier air wing in history will sail to the Pacific aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). Last week, the Carrier Air Wing 2 took the first steps in getting its new F-35C Joint Strike Fighters and CMV-22B Ospreys integrated into the air wing and aboard the carrier. 

Vinson went to sea with its air wing for the first time in this deployment cycle, following a lengthy maintenance availability to upgrade the ship to support the Navy’s first deployment of its fifth-generation fighter and a new cargo aircraft to support it. 

Though there are still some little details to work out – moving the new F-35C Joint Strike Fighter safely around the deck, practicing with new firefighting equipment designed for the large nacelles on the CMV-22B Osprey – ship and air wing officials say they’re ready to spend this workup cycle figuring out how to leverage the F-35C’s stealth and data-sharing capabilities to make this advanced carrier air wing as lethal as possible.

usni

Italian Fincantieri Wins $795M Contract for US Navy FFG(X) Frigate Program, beating Spanish Navantia F-110

The Navy awarded a $795-million contract to Fincantieri to begin building a new class of guided-missile frigates, in the first new major shipbuilding program the service has started in more than a decade, the Navy announced today.
Fincantieri beat out what was originally four other competitors, who were asked by the Navy to take a mature parent design and evolve it to meet the Navy’s needs for potential high-end warfare. Fincantieri, which will build its frigate at its Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin, based its FFG(X) design on the FREMM multi-mission frigate already operated by the French and Italian navies.
Source says that Spain didn't win contract with the Navy because of the current Spanish Social Communist government and the withdrawal of F-104 'Mendez Nuñez' from U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group, last May 2019, amid tensions with Iran.
usni

Pentagon releases videos of encounters between UFOs and Navy pilots

After verifying the authenticity of the footage years ago, the Pentagon has finally released three videos of separate encounters between Navy pilots and unidentified flying objects.
The videos — two were taken in January 2015, while the third dates back to November 2004 — were released “in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos,” Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough said.

militarytimes

USAF US NAVY US MARINES F-35's will have to live with limits on supersonic flights

An issue that risks damage to the F-35’s tail section if the aircraft needs to maintain supersonic speeds is not worth fixing and will instead be addressed by changing the operating parameters, the F-35 Joint Program Office told Defense News in a statement Friday.
The deficiency, first reported by Defense News in 2019, means that at extremely high altitudes, the U.S. Navy’s and Marine Corps’ versions of the F-35 jet can only fly at supersonic speeds for short bursts of time before there is a risk of structural damage and loss of stealth capability.
The problem may make it impossible for the Navy’s F-35C to conduct supersonic intercepts.
defensenews

Eighteen sailors onboard the USS Kidd have tested positive for the COVID-19

A U.S. Navy destroyer deployed off Mexico’s western coast is the second American warship at sea to suffer an outbreak of coronavirus onboard, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday, April 24.
Eighteen sailors onboard the USS Kidd have tested positive for the virus, the Navy said Friday.
The outbreak aboard the USS Kidd, first reported by Reuters, was detected after a sailor exhibiting symptoms tested positive for COVID-19 and was later evacuated off the ship, Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said.
The USS Kidd is heading back to port “quickly” after an eight-person Navy medical team boarded the ship in an attempt to help contain the virus’ spread, Hoffman told reporters.
The Kidd is in the same carrier strike group as the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier pulled from rotation in the Pacific and ordered to port in Guam in March due to a coronavirus outbreak onboard.
thedefensepost

Pentagon plans to dispatch Blue Angels and Thunderbirds in coronavirus response

The Pentagon is planning a multicity tour of the U.S. military's top flight demonstration teams to "champion national unity" amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to senior U.S. officials.
The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, the demonstration squadrons for the Navy and Air Force, will fly over some cities together and others separately, according to the memo. The flyovers will take place in the next several weeks "to thank first responders, essential personnel, and military service members as we collectively battle the spread of COVID-19."
President Donald Trump announced the mission, named Operation America Strong.
"This is a tribute to them, to our warriors because they're equal warriors to those incredible pilots and all of the fighters that we have for the more traditional fights that we win," Trump said.
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