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2025 Year in Review Now Available!

Welcome to the third annual year in review edition of Naval Aviation News. As we close out another remarkable year, let us take a moment to reflect, not just on the milestones and success stories, but also on the spirit of innovation, resilience and service that defines our Naval Aviation community. This year’s stories span decades of achievement and highlight the people, platforms and partnerships that continue to keep Naval Aviation at the forefront.

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Check Out the Latest Issue

In this edition of Naval Aviation News, we explore the challenges of fighting a roaring, jetfueled fire aboard an aircraft carrier from the perspective of a sailor experiencing firefighter training for the first time. Read about her observations starting on page 24. Staying aboard aircraft carriers, on page 30, learn about a new tool being used to repair jet blast deflectors—a feature crucial to protecting the deck from jet engine firings. On page 34, read about two brothers who followed in their father’s footsteps, joined the Navy and are now naval flight officers, having graduated together. And learn about how updated Automatic Terrain Awareness and Warning System (ATAWS) installed on F/A-18 Legacy Hornets are working to prevent crashes by taking over controls when impact with the ground could be imminent.

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Into the Inferno: A Sailor’s First Encounter with Aircraft Firefighting

The flames crackled and hissed in front of Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Alex Tetrault, spitting sparks and radiating heat that pressed against her fire-retardant coveralls. Cool air flowed steadily through her mask as she traced the nozzle in a practiced “figure eight,” feeling the hose surge with high-pressure water. It was a far cry from her usual routine aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73), where she spent her days reviewing order numbers and managing stock control in the supply department.

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The Cool Science Behind Keeping Oxygen Systems Safe: NAWCAD Lakehurst Enhances Cryogenic Support for Naval Aviation

s the Cryogenics and Corrosion Control Support Equipment (SE) Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, New Jersey, Asif Yeahia knows many people may not understand fully the work his team does. But when one is working with substances at temperatures below negative 200 degrees, they end up with one of the "coolest" jobs at the Warfare Center—both literally and figuratively.

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Two Paths, One Commission Brothers Graduate OCS Together, Enter Naval Aviation

Standing side by side at their Officer Candidate School (OCS) graduation, brothers Ensign Zachary Melvin and Ensign Samuel Melvin marked the culmination of two very different journeys, paths that ultimately converged as they commissioned together as Navy officers in the same class and earned their selection as naval flight officers.

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Test Squadrons Prove ATAWS Ready for Legacy Hornet Fleet

A low-flying F/A-18 Hornet raced across the China Lake desert during a simulated terrain collision scenario. Seconds before impact, the Automatic Terrain Awareness and Warning System (ATAWS) took command, pulling the jet to safe altitude—demonstrating a life-saving capability now proven ready for the fleet. The recovery was part of a joint test program by the “Dust Devils” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, in partnership with the “Salty Dogs” of VX-23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

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2025 Year in Review Now Available!

Check Out the Latest Issue

Into the Inferno: A Sailor’s First Encounter with Aircraft Firefighting

The Cool Science Behind Keeping Oxygen Systems Safe: NAWCAD Lakehurst Enhances Cryogenic Support for Naval Aviation

Two Paths, One Commission Brothers Graduate OCS Together, Enter Naval Aviation

Test Squadrons Prove ATAWS Ready for Legacy Hornet Fleet