Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier

  • USS Normandy (CG-64)—An improved Ticonderoga-class (CG-47) Aegis guided-missile cruiser, Normandy is commanded by Captain James F. Deppe. Normandy has already accumulated an outstanding combat record. In fact, she has fired more BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles in anger (thirteen during Operation Deliberate Force in Bosnia back in 1995) than any other Navy cruiser. The heart of Normandy’s combat power is the Aegis combat system, with four SPY-1 phased-array radars to track hun-dredsof targets at once. Aegis-equipped ships can engage dozens of airborne targets (aircraft and missiles) with SM-2 SAMs, while also controlling the weapons of other ships in the battle group. She carries up to 122 missiles in two Mk. 41 vertical launch systems (VLS), including SM-2 Standard SAMs, BGM-109 Tomahawks, and RUM-139A Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rockets. In addition to her twin 5-in/127mm guns and missiles, Normandy carries a pair of SH-60B Seahawk helicopters that can deliver ASW torpedoes and AGM-119 Penguin antiship missiles. During 1997 and 1998, Normandy’s Seahawks came from Helicopter Squadron—Light Forty-Eight, Detachment Eight (HSL-48, Det. 8), headed by Commander Brent Barrow. For the 1997/1998 cruise, the Detachment 8 OIC was Lieutenant Commander Steve Blaisdell, who commanded two SH-60B aircraft, as well as their flight and maintenance crews.The Aegis guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60), one of the escorts of the George Washington battle group.

  JOHN D. GRESHAM

  • USS South Carolina (CGN-37)—Commanded by Captain David K. Brown, South Carolina will be the last U.S. nuclear-powered cruiser in commission. Because of budget pressures, this ship and her sister, California (CGN-36), will retire in 1999. Until then, South Carolina gives the GW battle group excellent service. Thanks to her nuclear power plant, she is the only escort in the group that can stay with the carrier in a long-range, high-speed dash to a distant crisis. South Carolina also has the “New Threat Update” (NTU), an electronics package that establishes a data link with Aegis ships, and accepts firing commands from their computers. This is especially useful, since South Carolina’s missile directors (steerable dish antennas projecting an intense, narrow microwave beam to “light up” the target for a missile’s seeker head) are considered more effective in coastal areas than those of Aegis ships.

  • USS Carney (DDG-64)—One of the newer ships in the Navy, Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) Aegis destroyer. Displacing only 8,300 tons (as compared to almost ten thousand tons for Ticonderoga-class cruisers), the Burkes are considered the finest surface combat vessels in the world on a ton-for-ton/capability basis. The first U.S. warships designed with stealth technology to reduce their radar and infrared signatures, they pack the same Aegis combat system and weapons mix as the larger cruisers. They carry fewer weapons (ninety-six missiles in her VLS launchers and a single 5-in/54 mm gun mount), though, and no helicopter hangar is fitted. Carney is based at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, and commanded by Commander Mark H. Buzby.

  • USS John Rogers (DD-983)—An updated Spruance-class destroyer, John Rogers is based at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. Her skipper is Commander James M. Carr, and the two embarked SH-60B LAMPS helicopters are drawn from HSL-46 (headed by Commander Tim Alexander) at Mayport. For the GW battle group’s 1997/1998 cruise, the HSL-46 Det. 6 OIC was Lieutenant Commander Kenan Shaffer.

  Along with the four cruisers and destroyers, CRUDESGRU Two includes a pair of Oliver Hazard Perry-class (FFG-7) guided-missile frigates. These smaller (3,660 tons) escort ships are particularly useful for inshore work common in littoral operations. Though limited in gun and SAM capabilities, FFG-7’s have good sonars for shallow-water ASW, excellent helicopter facilities, and vast experience in maritime embargo and joint counter-drug operations. Like their namesakes from the age of fighting sail, frigates are fast ships that frequently go in harm’s way.70

  • USS Boone (FFG-28)—Based at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Boone is commanded by Commander Arthur S. Mobley. Her SH-60B Seahawk helicopter came from HSL-42 (commanded by Commander Robert Presler) during her 1997/1998 cruise with the GW group. This unit, HSL-42 Det. 1, is headed by Lieutenant Commander Stuart Howard.

  • USS Underwood (FFG-36)—Underwood is based at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, and commanded by Commander Daniel M. Smith. She also has a single SH-60B Seahawk detachment, this one from HSL-44 (headed by Commander Wayne Tunick). The HSL-44 Det. 7 OIC is Lieutenant Commander Jack Shepard.

  The last two combat vessels of the GW battle group are a pair of improved Los Angeles-class (1688) nuclear-attack submarines, which give Admiral Mullen additional capabilities that we can only describe in general terms because of the tight security restrictions that surround and protect the “Silent Service.” In addition to hunting down potential enemy submarines inshore, they can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles, track maritime targets, gather electronic intelligence, and covertly deliver and retrieve special operations forces. The assigned SSNs are:

  • USS Toledo (SSN-769)—Based at the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, Toledo is commanded by Commander Bill Burke.

  • USS Annapolis (SSN-760)—Also home-ported at Groton, Annapolis is led by Commander Daniel Parson.

  Logistics may be the least “sexy” part of Naval operations, but supplies are always the first concern and constant worry of the professional warrior. You don’t leave port without carefully planning how the fleet supply train will support your operations at sea over many months and thousands of miles. The mark of a real “blue-water” Navy is the ability to sustain operations at sea indefinitely. The U.S. Navy pioneered at-sea replenishment over six decades ago.

  • USS Seattle (AOE-3)—The great advantage of nuclear-powered warships is that they do not require fuel oil for propulsion. With four nuclear ships (a carrier, cruiser, and both submarines), the GW battle group has no need for a flotilla of supporting oil tankers. Only one combat support ship is assigned to the GW battle group, but what a ship! With over 53,000 tons displacement fully loaded, USS Seattle (of the Sacramento class) carries bunker and aviation fuel, fresh food, spare parts, supplies, and ammunition. She can defend herself with a Mk. 29 Sea Sparrow SAM system, a pair of 20mm Mk. 15 Phalanx CIWS, and a full SLQ-32 ESM/ECM system. Captain Stephen Firks commands Seattle.

  Partners: The Guam Amphibious Ready Group

  When I wrote about the Marine Corps a few years ago, teaming CVBGs and ARGs/MEU (SOC)s into combined task forces was still a very new concept.71 Though joining these two powerful and flexible units makes great sense, big technical, institutional, and cultural barriers had to be overcome in order to make it happen. Once the concept was implemented, however, it quickly proved its worth, in the Balkans, the Taiwan Straits, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. The CVBG/ARG/MEU (SOC) teams have held the line for American interests and kept a lid on the chaos of the 1990s.

  For their 1997/1998 Mediterranean cruise, the GW battle group teamed with an ARG based around Amphibious Squadron Two (PHIBRON-2). These four ships are commanded by an “ARG Commodore,” Captain Phillip Sowa, USN, from his flagship, the amphibious helicopter carrier (LPH) USS Guam (LPH-9). Though Guam lacks the larger flight deck, well deck, and hangar found on newer Tarawa (LHA-1) and Wasp-class (LHD-1) assault ships, the ARG has found ways to compensate for these shortcomings. To make up for the shortage of well deck space as well as vehicle and cargo capacity, the ARG has an extra Dock Landing Ship (LSD) to carry the full range of gear needed by an MEU (SOC). Since flight deck parking space on Guam is minimal, the AV-8B Harrier II detachment assigned to the MEU (SOC) was reduced to four aircraft. For close air support, the MEU (SOC) can rely on VMFA-251, the Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron embarked on GW. Marines prefer to have their own aviators flying cover over a hot beach or landing zone.

  The amphibious helicopter carrier USS Guam (LPH-9), flagship of the amphibious ready group attached to the George Washington battle group.

  JOHN D. GRESHAM

  • USS Guam (LPH-9)—Guam is among the last of her kind—one of only two of the Iwo Jima class (LPH-2) still in service—and is scheduled to be deco
mmissioned after the 1997/1998 cruise. Until then she will be Commodore Sowa’s flagship and the headquarters for the embarked MEU (SOC). While she lacks the comforts, as well as some of the advanced communications and electronics, of her younger LHA/LHD cousins, Guam is an old warhorse, able to carry up to 1,500 Marines and twenty-four helicopters. Captain William J. Luti commands her.

  • USS Shreveport (LPD-12)—Another “rusty but trusty” veteran of American amphibious operations. An Austin-class (LPD-4) Amphibious Transport Dock, Shreveport is the “inshore” element of the ARG, with much of the “special” warfare capability of the MEU (SOC) aboard. This includes an organic remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) unit of Pioneer reconnaissance drones, as well as the rubber boats, the force recon element, and a Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team. Led by Captain Denby Starling II, she can expect at least a decade of service ahead before her final trip to the scrap yard and replacement by a new San Antonio-class (LPD-17) amphibious ship.

  • USS Ashland (LSD-48)—Designed to carry a mix of landing craft, vehicles, and cargo, Ashland is a Whidby Island-class (LSD-41) amphibious ship, capable of carrying up to four Landing Craft, Air Cushioned (LCAC), which are favored in today’s amphibious operations. Captained by Commander Timothy R. Hanley, Ashland is a modern and very comfortable ship for its crew and embarked Marines.

  • USS Oak Hill (LSD-51)—Oak Hill is one of four Harpers Ferry-class LSDs, cargo variants of the Whidby Island class. By shortening the well deck so that it only has a capacity for two LCACs, Oak Hill gains vastly increased stowage for vehicles and cargo. Oak Hill is an another state-of-the-art amphibious ship, with Commander Michael A. Durnan at the helm.

  Amphibious ships like these are hardly sleek greyhounds of the sea. Sailors joke that the designator “LSD” stands for “large slow duck!” For this reason, Admiral Mullen has teamed several of his escorts for regular operations with the Guam ARG, depending upon the mission. For example, during inshore amphibious operations, South Carolina and John Rogers usually provide cover for the ARG. This includes ASW and gunfire support, as well as a SAM air defense “bubble.” Thanks to her NTU system, South Carolina can tap into the sensor and automation systems of the Aegis ships, and take firing cues from them.

  The ARG’s combat power is the cargo it can deliver—Marines and their “stuff.” For the Guam ARG, that cargo is the 24th MEU (SOC). The 24th was the unit that plucked Air Force Captain Scott O’Grady out of Bosnia back in 1995, after his F-16C Fighting Falcon was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 SAM. Today the unit is commanded by Colonel Richard Natonski, USMC, and has roughly the same structure as in 1995. The 24th’s components include:• Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3-6—The core of the 24th MEU (SOC) is built around BLT 3-6, a reinforced Marine rifle battalion. Its 1,200 Marines have their own armor, artillery, and transport, providing a capability to launch small coastal raids or spearhead large invasions. During 1997 and 1998, the 24th MEU (SOC) has been commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Mills.

  • Medium Marine Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263)—The air component of the 24th MEU (SOC) is a reinforced squadron of twelve CH-46E Sea Knight medium-transport helicopters. Attached are quartets of CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift, UH-1N Iroquois command-and-control, and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters. Normally there is a detachment of six AV-8B Harrier II fighter-bombers assigned, but Guam’s limited deck parking space reduced this to just four. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Duva is the commander of HMM-263, and is equipped to operate as a Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC—commanding Army, Navy and Air Force aviation assets on the scene) if necessary.

  • MEU Service Support Group 24 (MSSG-24)—the 24th MEU (SOC)’s logistical tail is the 24th MSSG. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Brian L. Tonnacliff, this compact unit keeps the 24th supplied with everything from floppy disks and ammunition to jet fuel and water.

  All of the above components make for one of the best-balanced, most compact fighting forces in the world. What it lacks, like its CVW-1 teammate, is depth—it is only a couple thousand sailors and Marines in a world where dictators command tens of thousands of soldiers. But one of the nice things about being a “gator” sailor or Marine is that if you go in harm’s way, a lot more Marines and other American warriors can be on the way, soon to back you up.

  “Cats and Dogs”: Miscellaneous Attached Units

  CVBGs, ARGs, and MEU (SOC)s are just three of the many units “owned,” trained, and “packaged” by U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) in Norfolk, Virginia.72 Before a CVBG or ARG/MEU (SOC) goes into combat, it will likely be reinforced with additional support units. While this may not be a complete list, it is representative of what has been regularly used in the last decade or so.

  • Land Based Air Support—In addition to CVW-1 and HMM-263, the GW battle group frequently needs support from land-based aviation to sustain long-term operations in high-threat areas. This was seen clearly during Operations Desert Storm and Joint Endeavor. These aviation units can include:—Airborne Tanker Support—Every CAG dreams, hopes, and lusts for more airborne tanker support. Since the retirement of the KA-6D Intruder, the only tankers he actually “owns” are S-3 Viking and ES-3 Shadow aircraft, which can carry under-wing “buddy” refueling pods. Each of these can “give away” about 8,000 lb/3,627 kg of fuel for tanking. This is less than a third of what used to be dispensed by a single KA-6D, so any land-based tanker support is precious. One option is a Marine KC-130 Hercules tanker detachment “on-call” for the 24th MEU (SOC). In addition to Marine tanker support, other tanker assets can make the life of CVW-1 easier. Navy carrier aircraft have refueling probes that fit almost any Air Force, Navy, or NATO tanker aircraft available. Especially valuable are the big Air Force KC-10A Extenders, which can refuel aircraft with either boom or probe refueling systems. One KC-10A carries over ten times the “give-away” fuel load of an S-3/ES-3 tanker, and has much greater loiter time. A favorite Navy “trick” is to use a large land-based tanker, like a KC-135, as a “milk cow” to top off S-3/ES-3 tankers, which then distribute the fuel to other carrier aircraft.

  —Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Support—Back in 1982, the Royal Navy learned a hard lesson about operating without AEW support in a high-threat environment. Ships were sunk, sailors died, and the expedition to retake the Falkland Islands was seriously jeopardized. While VAW- 123’s four E-2C Hawkeyes provide excellent AEW capability, Admiral Mullen is happy to have additional “eyes in the sky.” If support from Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft is available, count on him using it with gusto. Data links on Navy ships can talk to computers on Air Force and NATO Sentries. Secure voice radios are also compatible, assuming everyone has correctly loaded the proper codes (this is a common foul-up in exercises, and it’s been known to happen in combat).

  —J-STARS Ground Surveillance—The GW CVBG has powerful sensors to monitor the sky, but its ability to detect and track surface and ground-based targets is more limited. The S-3Bs of VS-32 can fly effective day and night maritime surface surveillance missions, but this competes with their other missions as tankers, ASW aircraft, and sea control platforms. Real-time tracking of ground targets ashore is even more difficult. If you need to monitor a ground threat, have your CinC ask the Air Force for the loan of few E-8 Joint Surveillance, Tracking, and Reconnaissance System (J-STARS) aircraft. Based on a commercial Boeing 707 airframe, the E-8’s carry side-looking synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) that can detect both stationary and moving targets on the earth’s surface. The J-STARS system also has special modes for detecting and tracking maritime targets, then passing the data to the battle group via a data link. Because J-STARS is designed for “wide area” surveillance, it can monitor thousands of square miles of territory at a time.

  —Air Force Wings—CVW-1 is trained and equipped to work jointly with air units of other services, or even of allied countries. This reflects a profound transformation in Navy thinking since 1990, and even as late as 1995 the capability was marginal. But now the CVBG finally has its own
capability to generate and use Air Tasking Orders to synchronize and “de-conflict” all kinds of air operations (strikes, sweeps, recon, cargo delivery, airmobile assault, cruise-missile salvos, search and rescue—you name it!). Someday we may see “expeditionary” Air Force wings (like the 366th, a composite unit of fighters, bombers, and tankers) directly supporting carrier operations or providing cover for a CVBG or ARG.

  —Marine Aviation Support—The Marine Corps can quickly deploy squadron of two-seat F/A-18D Hornet all-weather strike fighters to support CVBG, ARG, and MEU (SOC) operations. Equipped with Nighthawk laser-targeting pods for LGBs, as well as AIM-120 AMRAAM and AGM- 65 Maverick missiles, the F/A-18Ds are highly capable strike fighters. Marines also fly land-based EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare (EW) and jammer aircraft to augment those already aboard the carrier. Also, Marine Hornets and Prowlers can easily operate from carriers if necessary, since they too have tailhooks!

  • Reconnaissance Support—To plan air strikes effectively you need high-quality, up-to-the-minute imagery of potential targets, and intelligence analysts who understand how to interpret these images. The main reconnaissance asset on the carrier is a quartet of TARPS-equipped F-14’s. Older TARPS pods bring back reels of film that has to be developed in an onboard photographic lab. New Digital TARPS pods have a data link that can return a stream of pictures to the carrier before the F-14 lands. Other sources for imagery tend to sound like a bowl of alphabet soup: Satellite imagery will come from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in Chantilly, Virginia, with its fleet or orbital imaging and radar satellites. UAVs and other airborne imaging systems can also be tasked for the CVBG staff. To process and distribute imagery and other products, the National Imaging and Mapping Agency (NIMA) was created in 1996. NIMA will combine the services of NRO, the Central Imaging Office (CIO), the National Photographic Center (NPIC), and the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), all under a single roof. Digital and paper maps, annotated photography, and customized target graphics will be “pulled” on demand by regional joint intelligence centers and “pushed” down to the wing and squadron intelligence officers who will need it.