Page 64 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

CVN 77 IN THE MED

Above: CDR Kevin Robb, commander of VFA-213
‘Blacklions’ in the squadron ready room.
‘Blacklions’ boss
MH-60R 166552/’AJ-706’ from Helicopter Maritime
Strike Squadron 70 ‘Spartans’ departs for a morning Commander Kevin Robb, the offi cer in
patrol around the carrier, loaded with a single charge of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213
AGM-114 Hellfi re training round. A Russian Navy ‘Blacklions’, spoke to AFM about the unit’s
intelligence ship was always in the vicinity during Operation Inherent Resolve missions and
AFM’s time on the carrier.
the ‘ten-JDAM’ Super Hornet load-out that
Air Wing (CVW) 8 with a different range Despite the constant Russian presence was the subject of media attention.
of threats compared with those in the in the Mediterranean, RADM Whitesell “My squadron fl ies the F/A-18F Super
Arabian Sea, RADM Whitesell explained. confirmed that the Russians had never Hornet and we carry a wide range of
“In the eastern Mediterranean, the demonstrated hostile intent or acted in ammunition that helps support the
Russians are always watching us, trying an aggressive way towards US forces. coalition. We fl y missions in Iraq and in
to see what kind of operations we have “We are both professional air forces and Syria. As far as ordnance is concerned,
to maintain. Russian warships and are aware of discipline. We follow the rules we employ the JDAM [Joint Direct Attack
Munition], and we use sometimes our gun.
Russian submarines are always operating of engagement. We know our nation’s We co-operate with multinational JTACs
next to us, monitoring our ships. primary strategic interest here in the [Joint Terminal Attack Controllers] on the
“In the Arabian Gulf there are the Iranians, area is not to start a conflict between the ground. We have Danish, French, German,
they are all around us, trying to figure Russians and the United States. Obviously, Italian, UK and, of course, Americans.
out what we do and we always need to the Russians are providing overwatch of “[The ‘ten-JDAM’ Super Hornet] was a real
have situational awareness [of them]. It the Syrians on the side of the pro-regime combat confi guration. This plane fl ew
is much shorter to fly from the eastern forces; we are on the other side of the fence over Syria and dropped almost all of its
Mediterranean to Raqqa and within Syria. It supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces, ordnance. It was a team eff ort to achieve
is a quicker flight for us to get to those areas but we have the same enemy – ISIS [Islamic this. There were many calculations
and that allows us to have more station State of Iraq and Syria, or IS]. As long as before to make sure it would fl y properly.
time. As far as the Mosul area, it is just everyone is focused on ISIS, everybody I believe it was the fi rst time that a
about exactly the same amount of [flying] remains professional. The rendezvous Super Hornet has carried that much
time from the Mediterranean as it is from that we had with the Russians has to do ammunition in combat. It was actually a
the Arabian Gulf, but it requires more fuel more with curiosity, because we fly in close little lighter than the confi guration with
for the same distance. But this is the beauty proximity to each other. Up to now it has four drop tanks – around 2,500lb lighter.
of the mobility of the aircraft carrier; we been a very professional environment.” You take off , you watch the airspeed and
can operate effectively from both areas. RADM Whitesell was speaking on board you fl y away. With a little more steam in
Operations remain exactly the same.” CVN 77 before the carrier began its the catapult, everything is OK.”

Above: CAPT Will Pennington, commanding offi cer
of CVN 77. Below: RADM Kenneth Whitesell,
Commander, Carrier Strike Group 2.

64 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 www.airforcesmonthly.com