| By RICHARD R. BURGESS
The fleet introduction of
the Boeing-built F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has begun with the activation of the Navy's first
Super Hornet fleet readiness squadron (FRS). The new unit, Strike Fighter Squadron 122
(VFA-122), has stood up at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., home to most of the Pacific
Fleet's Hornet squadrons.
VFA-122--officially
established on 1 October 1998--hosted a ceremony on 15 January 1999 to celebrate its
activation and the entry of the Super Hornet into fleet service. Vice Adm. Michael L.
Bowman, commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, was the keynote speaker at the
ceremonies. Among the other dignitaries in attendance were Rear Adm. John B. Nathman,
director of air warfare in the office of the chief of naval operations; Capt. Danny L.
Clarkson, commander, Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Patrick J. Finneran Jr.,
vice president and general manager of Boeing's F/A-18 programs.
Cdr. Mark I. Fox, a
veteran Hornet squadron commander and a combat veteran of the Gulf War who shot down an
Iraqi MiG-21 fighter on the opening day of Operation Desert Storm, is the first commanding
officer of VFA-122.
The squadron, known as
the "Flying Eagles," carries on the traditions of Attack Squadron 122 (VA-122),
which was disestablished in 1991. VA-122 was established on 25 May 1950 as All-Weather
Attack Squadron 35 (VA(AW)-35), which pioneered night-attack tactics during the Korean War
while flying AD (later A-1) Skyraider attack aircraft. The squadron was redesignated
VA-122 on 30 June 1959, when it assumed the mission of training pilots and maintenance
crews for the Skyraider and, starting in 1966, as "Corsair College," for the A-7
Corsair II attack jet. In 1971 the squadron adopted the "Flying Eagles"
sobriquet. VA-122 trained more than 5,000 pilots and 55,000 maintenance personnel during
its 32 years of service.
VFA-122 is scheduled to
support Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 (VX-9) as it conducts operational evaluation
(OPEVAL) of the Super Hornet from May through September 1999. Following OPEVAL, five of
the seven-aircraft Super Hornet test fleet will be turned over to VFA-122. The Flying
Eagles are slated to accept delivery of 34 of the first 62 production Super Hornets (12
single-seat F/A-18Es and 22 two-seat F/A-18Fs) over the next three years. The training of
students is expected to begin in June 2000, and the squadron staff is expected to reach
more than 500 personnel by 2002. The first operational Super Hornet squadrons are expected
to deploy by spring 2002.
New DDG Named For
FDR & Eleanor Roosevelt
A new Aegis
guided-missile destroyer (DDG) has become the first Navy ship named for a former president
and his wife. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt were honored in
the christening of the Arleigh Burke-class DDG Roosevelt at Ingalls Shipbuilding in
Pascagoula, Miss.
The Roosevelt (DDG
80) is the 30th Arleigh Burke-class DDG built for the Navy and the 13th built by Ingalls.
The new DDG is also the first Ingalls-built Flight IIA variant Burke-class DDG--capable of
operating and sheltering two SH-60 helicopters. A Midway-class aircraft carrier named Franklin
D. Roosevelt served from 1945 until 1977. (A Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft
carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is named for the earlier president.)
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
the 32nd president, served as assistant secretary of the Navy for seven years. As
president, he guided the nation through the Great Depression and through most of World War
II. His wife, Eleanor, a tireless and enthusiastic social activist, served twice as a
delegate to the United Nations, chaired the U.N. Human Rights Commission, and drafted the
U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.
The former president's
granddaughter, Nancy Roosevelt Ireland, was the ship's sponsor. Her daughter, Perrin
Roosevelt Ireland, served as maid of honor for the 23 January ceremonies at which Adm. J.
Paul Reason, commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, was the keynote speaker. Also
participating in the ceremonies were H. Lee Buchanan, assistant secretary of the Navy for
research, development & acquisition; Vice Adm. George P. Nanos Jr., commander, Naval
Sea Systems Command; Rear Adm. William W. Cobb Jr., program executive officer for theater
air defense and surface combatants; Rear Adm. David Thomas Hart Jr., deputy director,
surface warfare, in the office of the chief of naval operations; Capt. Harry J. Rucker,
supervisor of shipbuilding, conversion, and repair, Pascagoula; and Jerry St. Pé,
president of Ingalls Shipbuilding.
"The Roosevelts
redefined America in the Depression era," said Nanos, "and in a similar way,
Aegis destroyers and guided-missile cruisers are redefining the way the U.S. Navy projects
power. As we close the books on the 20th century, it is comforting to see yet another
powerful ship out there to defend our interests in the world."
"This great ship is
further along and more technologically advanced than any Aegis ship we have ever
christened," said Cobb.
Cdr. Matthew Bobola is
the Roosevelt's prospective commanding officer. The 509-foot, 9,204-ton DDG,
scheduled for commissioning in July 2000, will be based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.,
with a crew of 340 personnel.
NOAA Research
Ship Embarks On Year-Long Global Voyage
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research ship Ronald H. Brown has departed NOAA's
Atlantic Marine Center in Norfolk, Va., for a year-long around-the-world voyage "to
study the forces driving global climate variability," NOAA officials have announced.
Scientists from numerous
institutions in several countries will study forces ranging from the microscopic
atmospheric particles that can cool the Earth's surface (by reflecting sunlight back into
space) to the interaction of storms with the ocean, which can modify sea-surface
temperatures and currents. Analysis of the data collected will "help policy makers
make well-informed decisions," said Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley.
Prior to sailing, the
274-foot Ronald H. Brown, homeported in Charleston, S.C., was fitted with a
powerful new Doppler radar that will be used to study precipitation patterns and storm
dynamics. The radar, built by Radtec Engineering Inc. of Broomfield, Colo., will provide
information on, among other things, the wind structure of storms and the location and
intensity of precipitation.
"With its Doppler
radar and state-of-the-art capability to sample both the ocean and the atmosphere
simultaneously, Ronald H. Brown is the best-equipped ship in the world to handle
the complexities of the projects that will be carried out during this world cruise,"
said Rear Adm. William L. Stubblefield, director of the Office of NOAA Corps Operations.
The Ronald H. Brown's
voyage will include port calls in South Africa, Mauritius, the Maldives, Singapore, and
Kwajalein. Before arriving in San Diego, Calif., the ship will service a network of moored
buoys in the tropical Pacific Ocean that collect atmospheric and oceanic data used to
predict El Niño and other weather phenomena.
"Discovering the
reasons for changes in our global climate is critical for protecting our
environment," said Vice President Al Gore. "The Commerce Department's advanced
research ship, the Ronald H. Brown, will enable the use of the latest technology to
confront this issue and search for solutions."
Cdr. Roger L. Parsons is
the commanding officer of the Ronald H. Brown and her complement of five
commissioned officers, 20 civilian crewmen, and up to 34 scientists.
Coast Guard
Announces Roles and Missions Review
The U.S. Coast Guard has
announced the establishment of a Presidential Advisory Council on Coast Guard Roles &
Missions to conduct the first high-level assessment since 1982 of the service's current
and future roles and missions.
Nine distinguished
citizens and government officials were to be appointed by President Bill Clinton to act as
an independent advisory council, officials said, "to identify and distinguish which
roles and missions might be added, increased, reduced, or eliminated." The council
also may consider "whether current functions which the Coast Guard currently performs
might be better performed by other governmental or private organizations."
Coast Guard headquarters
has provided an eight-member staff, headed by Rear Adm. Robert D. Sirois, staff director,
to assist the council, which will meet for six months. The council members will hold
briefings and conduct field visits, officials said, to focus on "what they consider
to be the maritime issues of greatest importance to the nation over the next two
decades." Using background information provided by the Center for Naval Analyses, the
council will craft its recommendations.
The names of the council
members had not been released by the White House as of early February. After being
officially appointed they will face an important and daunting challenge. The Coast Guard
has witnessed steady "mission creep" over the last two decades and is currently
shaping plans for its next major procurement program, the Deepwater Project.
NS Rodman to
Close With Panama Canal Turnover
The Navy's long-standing
presence in the Panama Canal will come to an end next month with the closure of Naval
Station Panama Canal Rodman. The 56-year-old base--located on Panama's Pacific Coast--is
being turned over to the government of Panama in preparation for the final stages of the
turnover of the Panama Canal to Panama.
Nicolas Ardito Barletta,
general administrator for Inter-Oceanic Region Authority, will receive the Rodman property
during the transfer ceremony, which is scheduled for 11 March. The base--which supported
all U.S. naval activities in South America and assisted U.S. Navy ships transiting the
canal--will close in April. The turnover of the base is stipulated in the Panama Canal
Treaty of 1977, which requires that all U.S. military property in Panama be transferred to
the government of Panama by 31 December 1999.
The Caribbean Area
Coordinator of the Navy's Western Hemisphere Group will coordinate future port services
requests for U.S. Navy ships transiting the canal.
In a related development,
the U.S. Special Operations Command-South (SOCSOUTH) will relocate its headquarters from
East Corozal, Panama, to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. The move, involving
approximately 309 military and civilian personnel, is expected to be completed by June
1999. SOCSOUTH is involved in developing military-to-military relations with Latin
American armed services through exchanges and exercises, and provides them specialized
training in peacekeeping, de-mining, and various other missions and operations.
Three SSNs
Deactivated: Atlanta, Narwhal, Polk
The Navy's active
submarine fleet has declined by three boats with the recent deactivation of three
nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
The USS Narwhal, a
one-of-a-kind SSN, has been deactivated after more than 29 years of service. Commissioned
on 12 July 1969, the Narwhal featured numerous state-of-the-art advancements in
quieting, nuclear propulsion, and combat systems. Homeported at various times in New
London, Conn., Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk, Va., she made 17 major deployments. The Narwhal--deactivated
in 16 January ceremonies at Norfolk Naval Station--is being defueled and prepared for
decommissioning by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va.
The Los Angeles-class SSN
USS Atlanta also was deactivated in Norfolk--but after only 17 years of service.
The Atlanta was the first Atlantic Fleet submarine to be armed with Tomahawk cruise
missiles. Her 22 January deactivation ceremonies were attended by a 60-member delegation
of Georgians led by Don Giles, president of the Atlanta Metropolitan Council of the Navy
League. Also in attendance was the ship's sponsor, Mrs. Colleen Nunn, wife of former Sen.
Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), both of whom were among the dignitaries participating in the ship's
christening ceremonies on 17 August 1980. Cdr. Maurice M. Montana was the last commanding
officer of the Atlanta, which is being dismantled at Newport News Shipbuilding.
The converted Benjamin
Franklin-class SSN USS James K. Polk has ended a career that began on 16 April 1966
as a nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN) based in Charleston, S.C. As an
SSBN the submarine conducted 66 strategic deterrent patrols, 19 while armed with Polaris
ballistic missiles and 47 armed with Poseidon ballistic missiles; her last patrol as an
SSBN was completed in August 1991.
In March 1994 the James
K. Polk completed a 19-month conversion (at Newport News Shipbuilding) to an SSN
capable of carrying a dry-deck shelter that could be used to deliver and retrieve special
operations forces engaged in covert operations. While homeported in Norfolk, the Polk completed
three deployments to the Mediterranean and participated in numerous special-warfare and
antisubmarine warfare exercises.
After her deactivation on
8 January, the James K. Polk departed Norfolk for defueling and decommissioning at
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash.
Sea Service Notes
Naval Air Station
Barbers Point, Hawaii, will be turned over to the state of Hawaii on 2 July 1999. A 1
July ceremony will mark the transfer of the base, which will host units of the National
Guard and become a general aviation airport. The Navy's four P-3 Orion units (Patrol
Squadrons 4, 9, and 47 and Patrol Squadron Special Projects Unit 2) and Helicopter
Antisubmarine Squadron Light 37 based at Barbers Point will have shifted to Marine Corps
Base Kaneohe by that date. The Coast Guard Air Station will remain at Barbers Point,
from which it operates HC-130H Hercules aircraft and HH-65A Dolphin helicopters.
Patrol Squadron 10
has become the first P-3 Orion squadron at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, to
receive the P-3C modified through the Antisurface Warfare Improvement Program (AIP)
at Lockheed Martin's facility in Greenville, S.C. The AIP version, already introduced in
P-3 squadrons in Barbers Point, Hawaii, and Jacksonville, Fla., is equipped with
long-range optical and infrared surveillance cameras and a synthetic-aperture radar, and
has the ability of launching Maverick and SLAM missiles. The Navy expects to acquire 54
AIP conversions. |
