June 22, 2023

FRCE Secures Future Components Workload for Air Force MH-139A Grey Wolf

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently secured designation as the Depot Source of Repair (DSOR) for 81 major structural and dynamic components of the Air Force MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, the planned replacement for the UH-1N Huey. FRCE performs maintenance, repair and overhaul of the legacy UH-1N platform at its North Carolina Global TransPark detachment in Kinston. Current projections place the start date for the new work in fiscal year 2028.

June 22, 2023

FRCE Secures Future C-130 Workload, Plans for 200-Plus New Jobs

NORTH CAROLINA — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) will expand its support of military aviators when the depot takes on maintenance, repair and overhaul duties for Navy and Marine Corps C/KC-130J Super Hercules and C/KC-130T Hercules aircraft. Navy officials announced March 17 that FRCE will serve as the designated repair point for the platform. The depot could begin the new workload as soon as the end of fiscal year 2026.

June 22, 2023

FRC Southeast Innovates to Support Fleet Need for Air Combat Training Aircraft

Jacksonville, Fla. — Since Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) inducted its first F-5N Tiger II, the depot has forged forward despite the challenges associated with standing up a new product line. 

June 22, 2023

From Demo to Depot: New Application of Cold Spray Technology Arrives at FRCE

NEW RIVER, N.C. — Following years of rigorous testing and evaluation, a cold spray metallization technology that was initially demonstrated at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) is now being fielded on the H-1 line at the depot’s detachment on board Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.

June 22, 2023

FRCE Marks 100th F-35 Parachute Milestone

NORTH CAROLINA — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35 Lightning II program when the depot recently completed its 100th F-35 parachute repack.

June 22, 2023

FRCE Transportation Branch Keeps Production Moving with New Trailer

NORTH CAROLINA — A new asset in the Transportation Branch at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) is helping reduce turnaround times by simplifying aircraft movement between depot sites.

June 22, 2023

Bad Air Day

Gramps from Yesteryear: November-December 2008 — Following a combat mission, a Hornet pilot set up for a night Case III recovery. After commencing the approach, the pilot began to feel as if he were not keeping up with the aircraft and the approach. As he closed on the ship, he began to realize that he was feeling classic symptoms of hypoxia. Flow to his mask was normal and he did not get any cautions associated with his On Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS). The conditions worsened as he commenced his final approach, and eventually became so incapacitating that he initiated an “own waveoff in the groove.”

June 22, 2023

Daddy’s Home

Before shipping out aboard USS Hornet (CV 12) in the summer of 1944, Frederick Schrader purchased teddy bears for daughters Judy and Barbara, knowing his deployment would prevent him from spending Christmas with his family. The Navy Commander, Naval Academy graduate and aviator, husband and father of two would not return—until nearly 80 years later.

June 22, 2023

Lakehurst Lab Brings Environmental Challenges Inside for Equipment Testing

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, N.J. — Even before encountering an adversary, the warfighter’s equipment is exposed to the impacts of the environment, ranging from the extremes of the desert heat to extreme cold of the frozen arctic tundra to the sunny, salty waters in the middle of the ocean. However, thanks to the Environmental Test Lab (ETL) at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey (NAWCAD LKE), these situations can be simulated to ensure mission readiness and address potential issues.

June 22, 2023

From the Prairie to the Pacific: A Blue Angel’s Journey

Most books written as autobiographies or memoirs by those who have served in the U.S. military are often touted as putting the reader in the cockpit in the midst of the action described, or presenting themselves or the individual whose deeds and careers described as giving the reader the chance to experience what they have in the decades that include that story. Some succeed, many do not. Capt. Rud has definitely achieved that goal. Indeed, any of us who have gone through Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), flown many different types of aircraft in or out of combat, known so many other people of the same frame of mind and intent, will find themselves nodding or shaking their heads, smiling as they recall their own time in these arenas that could try our single and collective spirits and dedication to ourselves as well to others.

June 22, 2023

F4U Corsair vs A6M Zero-sen, Rabaul and the Solomons 1943-44

During World War II, certain pairings developed—the Battle of Britain, Spitfire vs. the Bf-109, 1944-45, the Mustang vs. the Me-262 jet, and in the Pacific, on the Solomon Island Chains, 1943-44, the F4U Corsair and the Zero. The big-crank-winged Corsair, the new aircraft in the American approach to the naval fighter, quickly established itself against the veteran Mitsubishi Zero that had opposed Allied carrier fighters from the beginning starting with Pearl Harbor.

June 22, 2023

Blue Angels Decades 1946-1955

There have been many books and articles about the Blue Angels in both commercial and Navy publications. We would think that everything has been shown and related about this group of naval aviators, and the people who support them on the ground so they can give the people who watch their outstanding flight demonstrations at air shows around the country the best impression of just how colorful and exciting flying for the Navy and the Marine Corps is. This new book shows how much remains to be told.

June 21, 2023

Navy Receives Final JPALS Unit Delivery

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy accepted delivery of the final Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) unit March 16, marking another on-time or ahead of schedule delivery for increased capability at sea.

June 21, 2023

NAVSUP FLCPS ‘Team Whidbey’ Performs First P-8 Hot Refuel

OAK HARBOR, Wash. — Sailors from Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound (FLCPS) performed the first-ever “hot” refueling of a P-8 Poseidon Aircraft Jan. 30 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI).

June 21, 2023

USS Nimitz Records 350,000th Arrested Landing

SOUTH CHINA SEA — USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the oldest-serving U.S commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, successfully completed its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing recently while sailing in the South China Sea, a milestone nearly 48 years in the making.

June 21, 2023

USS Carl Vinson Completes Tailored Ship’s Training Availability/Final Evaluation Problem

PACIFIC OCEAN — Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) completed Tailored Ship’s Training Availability/Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP) while out to sea in the 3rd Fleet area of operations, April 4.

June 21, 2023

Navy Delivers First Pilot Trainer to Deployed Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office recently delivered the first Aircrew Procedures Trainer (APT) device to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.

June 21, 2023

New H-1 Mission Rehearsal Trainer Improves Capability, Readiness

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The successful delivery of the new prototype H-1 Mission Rehearsal Trainer (MRT) in February to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, marks a significant milestone in Marine Light Helicopter Attack Squadron (HMLA) training.

June 21, 2023

HSC-22 Conducts Final Flight

NORFOLK, Va. — The “Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22 conducted their final flight on Wednesday, Feb. 15, almost 16 years after their first flight in 2006.

June 21, 2023

CH-53K Completes Second Successful Sea Trial

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The CH-53K King Stallion completed five full days and nights of envelope expansion testing at sea in the Atlantic in March. The aircraft continued testing in a modern naval environment following initial successful sea trials in June 2020.

June 21, 2023

MQ-4C Triton Concludes U.S. 7th Fleet Deployment, Looks to the Future

ANDERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — Operated by Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, the MQ-4C is a high-altitude, long-endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (MISR&T) platform that complements the P-8A Poseidon’s capabilities.

June 21, 2023

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Enhancing U.S. Navy, NATO Capabilities

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — An MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operated by the 89th Attack Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, conducted Operation Jackpot Hooligan III during Operation Neptune Strike 23.1, on Feb. 23. During the event, the UAV integrated with air and naval forces to execute a simulated long-range missile strike on a simulated adversarial ship.

June 21, 2023

George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Completes Historic Deployment

NORFOLK, Va. — The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG)—comprised of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and the Information Warfare Commander—returned April 23 to Norfolk, Virginia.

June 21, 2023

Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Deploys

NORFOLK, Va. — The capital ship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for a routine deployment, May 2.

June 21, 2023

Two Marine Corps Aviators Earn Second Set of Wings After Completing New Program

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two Marine Corps Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs), Lt. Col. James Corrington and Maj. Syed Rashid, both earned a second set of the coveted “Wings of Gold” March 23, after completing flight training with the “Rangers” of Training Squadron (VT) 28.

June 21, 2023

Marine Corps Activates Second F-35C Squadron

MIRAMAR, Calif. — Third Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) reactivated Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 311, an F-35C Lightning II squadron, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, April 14.

March 27, 2023

SkyFall Soars: New Parachute Descent Training Offers More Realism, Durability

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — A new parachute descent training system developed at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is on its way to better help ensure naval aviators are better prepared for every real-life situation that could happen in midair.

March 23, 2023

Bringing the Virtual World into Reality

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — For decades, pilots have taken to flight simulators at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s (NAWCAD) Manned Flight Simulator (MFS) to train, test software and equipment, experiment, develop flight envelopes and even investigate aerial accidents in a safe and inexpensive manner. As newer aircraft and technology are created, these simulators need to be upgraded to reflect these developments becomes necessary, as was the case with one of the Navy’s newest aircraft, the unique CMV-22 Osprey.

March 23, 2023

Air Traffic Controllers: Helping Pilots Find the Needle in the Haystack

South China Sea — The skies are dark, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter is running low on fuel in the middle of the ocean. The pilots follow radar signals to amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli’s (LHA 7) coordinates, but it is nowhere in sight. They make another pass, but still no luck. Time is running out, but the crew is not as alone as they might seem.

March 23, 2023

SECNAV Awards Navy Cross to Retired Korean War Veteran

San Diego, Calif. — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro awarded the Navy Cross Jan. 20 to retired Navy Capt. Royce Williams for his exploits during the Korean War at a ceremony at the San Diego Air and Space Museum

March 23, 2023

New Training Aircraft to Equip Pilots for Tomorrow’s Battlespace

Patuxent River, Md. — The U.S. Navy announced Jan. 25 that it awarded Textron Aviation a single, firm-fixed-price contract to develop the T-54A multi-engine training system (METS) aircraft. The T-54A will provide advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training to student naval aviators selected for multi-engine fleet communities.

March 23, 2023

Grampaw Pettibone

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — During rollout following an arrested landing, the pilot of an F-14B Tomcat experienced an uncommanded ejection through the canopy. The radar intercept officer’s (RIO) seat did not fire. The pilot was rescued from the water by a search and rescue helo. Both aviators sustained first aid injuries.

March 23, 2023

Reducing Mishaps by Understanding Human Factors Engineering

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — As new aircraft, equipment and technology are created, a need to understand the human engineering factors that contribute to their operational safety is paramount to mishap reduction. As Naval Aviation evolves, it requires an understanding of how science and engineering impact the operators who fly and manage these aircraft.

March 23, 2023

Navy Training Squadron Set to Fully Adopt Modernized Flight Program

NAS Corpus Christi, Texas — Training Squadron (VT) 28 “Rangers” are projected to become the Navy’s first undergraduate primary training squadron to fully integrate the Project Avenger syllabus in April. Project Avenger is a part of Naval Aviation Training Next (NATN), an initiative to update the Navy’s approach to producing higher quality pilots. “We’re making better aviators,” said Capt. John Hammernik, Project Avenger instructor pilot. “Their flexible minds are able to adapt and handle changing scenarios. Implementing cross-training with instruments, formations, and normal contact landing pattern flying, they integrate those elements and seamlessly switch between different contexts of flying.”

March 23, 2023

Bi-Annual Exercise Resolute Hunter Provides Real-World Partner-Nation and U.S. Joint Force Interoperability

NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON, Nev. — Exercise Resolute Hunter, a joint/combined exercise involving four participating nations and four joint services, concluded its execution phase on Nov. 17, 2022, aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, Nevada. Hosted by the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), the three-week event is the DOD’s only dedicated Battle Management, Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (BMC2ISR) exercise.

March 23, 2023

NAWCAD Innovation Challenge Team Takes Closer Look at Icing on Aircraft

LAKEHURST, N.J. — A five-person team from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, New Jersey, developed an innovative way to detect ice on an aircraft as part of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Innovation Challenge.

March 23, 2023

F2H Banshee Units

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — F2H Banshee Units, By Richard R. Burgess, Osprey Publishing Ltd., UK. 2022. 96 pp. Ill. No. 141 in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series, this latest book from retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard Burgess is his usual highly detailed and colorful account of one of the two U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ jet fighters in the Korean War of 1950-53.

March 23, 2023

CVW-7, FRCSW Complete First of its Kind Aircraft Repairs at Sea

Sigonella, Italy — Artisans from Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) completed first-of-its-kind repairs at sea on an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, Jan. 9. They repaired damages from an in-flight starboard engine fire that occurred on Aug. 31, 2022, cutting down repair times and preserving the operational readiness and mission capabilities of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7.

March 23, 2023

Douglas F4D-1/F-6A Skyray

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Douglas F4D-1/F-6A Skyray, by Nicholas M. Williams, 2021. 257 pp. Ill. A considerable upgrade from the previous 1986 “Naval Fighters No. 13,” this new edition offers 60 additional pages that, of course, include many more photos of what might be considered Douglas’ futuristic bat-wing naval interceptor of the late 1950s-early 1960s.

March 23, 2023

Kamikaze, Japan’s Last Bid for Victory

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Kamikaze, Japan’s Last Bid for Victory, by Adrian Stewart, Pen & Sword Aviation, Yorkshire, UK. 2022. 209 pp. Ill. This author’s list of previously published works, most of which come from Pen & Sword, deals with United Kingdom units in WWII, so he is in home territory once more. Few of these other books are listed in the bibliography.

March 23, 2023

FRCE Conducts Test Run of CH-53K Engine Disassembly

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently opened a new chapter in the depot’s engine program with its first disassembly of the T408 engine, which powers the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter.

March 23, 2023

Navy Delivers New Maintenance Trainer to the Fleet

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office recently delivered the new Maintenance Integrated Flight Control Trainer (IFCT) Aerial Refueling (AR) capable device to the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia.

March 23, 2023

CH-53K Approved for Full Rate Production

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter has entered Full Rate Production (FRP) and its deployment phase, following a decision review by Frederick J. Stefany, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

March 23, 2023

CH-53K Lifts F-35C in External Load Test

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — A CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 performed an external load certification lift of an inoperable F-35 Lightning II airframe in December at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland. The lift was to evaluate the load and inform future lift capabilities.

March 23, 2023

FRCE Bearing Shop Supports the Fleet One Bearing at a Time

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East’s Bearing Shop is a place where success or failure can be measured in thousandths of an inch. In this shop, bearings—used on vehicles that operate in the air, on land and at sea—are inspected, measured and analyzed with a painstaking attention to detail by a small team of highly trained professionals.

March 23, 2023

Joint Effort Completes HSM-79 MH-60R Repairs

NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain — Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79 completed an MH-60R tail bushing repair with Spanish aviation specialists in January at Naval Station Rota, Spain.

March 23, 2023

Navy Successfully Demonstrates Unmanned Cargo Delivery Systems for Ship at Sea

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) recently demonstrated multiple unmanned systems in a first-of-its-kind mission to move supplies to ships at sea without the use of manned aircraft during an event at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, Maryland, part of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

March 23, 2023

MQ-4C Triton Anti-Ice Testing Underway

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The MQ-4C Triton test team conducted the first flight to assess the unmanned aircraft system’s (UAS) ability to fly with wing ice accumulation Jan. 25 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

March 23, 2023

Carl Vinson Successfully Completes PIA Ahead of Schedule, Saves $4 Million

PACIFIC OCEAN — After being moored pierside at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, for six months, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) successfully completed a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) ahead of schedule while underway conducting sea trials Dec. 4, 2022.

March 23, 2023

U.S. Naval Community College to Offer Associate of Science Degree in Aviation Maintenance

QUANTICO, Va. — Beginning in summer 2023, the United States Naval Community College (USNCC), headquartered in Quantico, Virginia, will offer an associate of science degree in aviation maintenance. USNCC began accepting applications Feb 27.

March 23, 2023

Navy Experiments with Flight Line of the Future Tagging Technology

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) recently conducted flight line of the future experimentation with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to independently identify and track aircraft on the flight line with tagging, commonly known as QR codes.

March 23, 2023

MRTS 3D® Moves Forward With Implementation

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS) 3D® was implemented for testing for the first time on a Navy ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), from Nov. 29 to Dec. 11, 2022.

March 23, 2023

V-22 Program Office Recognizes Four Decades of Collaboration

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Forty years ago, the Department of Navy (DoN) took control of what is now known as the V-22 Joint Program Office, responsible for the cradle-to-grave acquisition, sustainment, development and production of the venerable tiltrotor aircraft.

March 23, 2023

World Famous Vanguard of HM-14 Fly Final Flight

NORFOLK, Va. — The “World Famous Vanguard” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 14 flew the final flight of the squadron Dec. 8, 2022, in Norfolk, Virginia.

March 23, 2023

New Zealand Receives First of Four P-8A Poseidons

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — New Zealand accepted its first P-8A Poseidon during a ceremony Dec. 7 held in Seattle, Washington. This is the first of four P-8A deliveries to the New Zealand Defence Force. The P-8A replaces New Zealand’s current fleet P-3K2 Orions.

Dec. 21, 2022

AIRLANT’s MOC Director Discusses Transforming Naval Aviation from the Deckplates to the Flight Lines

NORFOLK, Virginia — Capt. Ronnie Harper has spent the entirety of his 35-year naval career improving Naval Aviation through positions held as an enlisted and naval officer assigned in organizational (O-Level) and intermediate (I-Level) maintenance and acquisition assignments. This experience ultimately led to his current role as the Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) Director at Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT).

Dec. 21, 2022

Grampaw Pettibone

NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — During night operations, in an effort to take a break and rest while waiting for the arrival of an F/A- 18C to land and proceed to his “hot brake” check area prior to the refueling pits, a plane captain/hot brake checker laid down on the centerline of the taxiway and fell asleep. As the Hornet taxied to the hot brake check area the pilot’s attention was diverted from the taxiway because he was unable to see the illuminated taxi wands where the hot brake checker usually stands. His attention was on the hangar, the refueling pits and the sides of the taxiway looking for the hot brake checker.

Dec. 21, 2022

Ford Executes First Deployment

NORFOLK, Virginia — The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), flagship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), returned Nov. 26 to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, after successfully completing its inaugural deployment throughout the Atlantic while conducting exercises and port visits with Allies and partners.

Dec. 21, 2022

Essential Repairs Needed: Getting A Bird to Fly

NORFOLK, Virginia — The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) aviation structural mechanics work with Sailors from various Fleet Readiness Centers (FRC), who are temporarily assigned to Ford’s aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD), to support the readiness of the various squadrons aboard.

Dec. 21, 2022

Behind the Scenes: Tire Shop

NORFOLK, Virginia — Pilots cannot taxi, take off or land an aircraft without tires. But whose job is it to service the tires?

Dec. 21, 2022

50 Years Since First Flight, E-2C Legacy Continues

NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The E-2C Hawkeye has been a linchpin in the Navy’s command and control capabilities for more than 50 years. The all-weather, carrier-based tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of flight. Although the E-2C is scheduled for sundown in 2026, the aircraft’s impressive legacy of capability and sustainability will live on.

Dec. 21, 2022

NAMCE Lemoore Responsible for Returning Nearly Five Squadrons’ Worth of Aircraft to Fleet Since 2018

NAMCE LEMOORE, California — The 400 officers, Sailors and civilian contractors assigned to Naval Aviation Maintenance Center for Excellence (NAMCE) Lemoore, California, have made a critical impact to the goal of 360 mission-capable (MC) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Navy-wide since the command’s stand-up in 2018.

Dec. 21, 2022

Ship Motion Platform Brings Unique Testing Tool to NAWCAD Lakehurst

NAWCAD LAKEHURST, New Jersey — After five years of hard work and dedication, team members from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCAD LKE) are excited to see their one-of-a-kind Ship Motion Platform (SMP) fully operational.

Dec. 21, 2022

Team Investment Saves CH-53K Program Schedule, Strengthens Small Business

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — Ingenuity, oversight and a capital investment by the production department for Naval Air Systems Command’s Heavy Lift Helicopter Program Office helped transform a struggling U.S. manufacturer into a modern, dependable production source for aircraft fuel cells and avoided the potential failure of a critical Department of Defense (DOD) supplier.

Dec. 21, 2022

The Phoenix Rises: Resurrection of Aircraft 166879

NAS OCEANA, Virginia — In the waning sunlight of April 2, Victory 205 took off on a Functional Check Flight (FCF) Profile A—the last step in the arduous maintenance journey before being deemed airworthy. The growl of the afterburners and retraction of the landing gear was met with cheers, high-fives and jubilation from the 15 dedicated maintainers on the flight line. To many, this may have seemed like a normal F/A-18 takeoff from Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana; however, this was the first flight of aircraft 166879 (Side 205) since May 4, 2012. 

Dec. 21, 2022

50th CH-53E Super Stallion Completes RESET

MIRAMAR, California — The 50th CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft recently completed an extensive maintenance process, known as RESET. The program achieved its “golden” milestone in September with the completion and delivery of the aircraft back to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 466, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.

Dec. 21, 2022

King Stallion Completes First Exercise

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho — Arid, hot air sits heavy over the mountains. Soon, the autumn winds will sweep the lands to chase away the heat, but before they can, the chop of helicopter rotor blades can be heard through the valleys. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 has been here before, but never with the latest innovation in Marine Corps aviation: the CH-53K King Stallion.

Dec. 21, 2022

HSC-3, HSC-4, VRM-30 Receive Navy’s Highest Flight Safety Award

SAN DIEGO, California — Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, Commander, Naval Air Forces, presented the 2021 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Aviation Safety Award to the “Merlins” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3, the “Black Knights” of HSC-4 and the “Titans” of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 aboard Naval Air Station North Island, California, Oct. 20.

Dec. 21, 2022

First Student Naval Aviators Begin Training in New Helicopter System

MILTON, Florida — Twelve student naval aviators at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, began advanced helicopter training in the new TH-73A Thrasher aircraft in early September.

Dec. 21, 2022

2nd MAW Marines Train Using Video Games

CHERRY POINT, North Carolina — The tension in the room was palpable as the prototype of the Gaming Environment for Air Readiness (GEAR) system was booted. Program stakeholders loomed over the shoulders of anxious developers as the Marines of Marine Air Support Squadron (MASS) 1 prepared their demonstration of the program. Unit leadership observed as the Marines worked through air-control scenarios while plotting points on their maps, giving commands to a simulated pilot programmed with artificial intelligence

Dec. 21, 2022

Marines Move Out with First Tier 1 Expeditionary AM Machine

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — Maintainers at Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 39 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, can now deploy an additive manufactured (AM) capability in contested logistics environments thanks to a newly installed Tier 1 Expeditionary (T1X) desktop polymers AM system. Additive manufacturing is the industrial production name for 3D printing.

Dec. 21, 2022

VMFA-314 “Black Knights” Return from Historic Deployment

MIRAMAR, California — The “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 returned in August from their deployment with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

Dec. 21, 2022

Navy Demos Wide Range of VTOL Systems for Future Operations

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office put Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) systems through their paces during a two-week technical demonstration in mid-September.

Dec. 21, 2022

EA-18G Growler Returns To the Skies Five Years After Mid-Air Collision

NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, California — An EA-18G Growler, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, successfully completed a functional check flight Oct. 17 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington, marking the end of a complex transformation process for an aircraft thought to be beyond repair.

Dec. 21, 2022

Navy Evaluates New Crash Crane, Increasing Capability, Availability

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The Navy’s Common Aviation Support Equipment Program Office is currently evaluating Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) on a Crash and Salvage Crane (CSC) at the Aircraft Anechoic Test Facility in Patuxent River, Maryland.

Dec. 21, 2022

Navy Contracts MQ-9 Reapers for Marine Corps, Extending Range for Future Operations

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The Navy recently awarded a $135.8 million contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for eight MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) Unmanned Aircraft Systems that are scheduled for delivery to the Marine Corps in late 2023.

Dec. 21, 2022

Navy Fast-Tracks Contract for MQ-9 Reaper Advanced Technology

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The Navy recently awarded an $8.4 million contract to multiple vendors for the Marine Corps’ MQ-9 Reaper Airborne Network Extension (ANE) Skytower II (STII).

Dec. 21, 2022

End of an Era: Navy Conducts Final AQM-37 Target Launch

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — The Navy launched the last two remaining AQM-37 targets Sept. 22 in support of the U.S. Army’s Integrated Fires Mission Command operations at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

Dec. 21, 2022

Domestic H-1 Production Concludes, Manufacturing for International Customers Continues

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland — Following an unprecedented on-time delivery record, the Marines received its final AH-1Z Viper as mapped out by the service’s program of record (POR).

Dec. 21, 2022

CNATRA Flight Surgeon Earns Wings of Gold

NAS CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A flight surgeon attached to Training Squadron (VT) 35 of Training Air Wing Four recently earned his Wings of Gold, the first Aeromedical Dual Designator (AMDD) to transition from flight surgeon to pilot in 20 years.

Dec. 21, 2022

FRCE Artisans Earn Kudos for Repairing Damaged Vintage Aircraft

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, North Carolina — A pair of Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) artisans recently got a chance to step back in time while doing a good deed for the community.

Dec. 21, 2022

FRCE’s H-53 Military Branch Keeps the Fleet Ready to Fight

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, North Carolina — The CH-53 Sea Stallion and MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopters have been mainstays of the Navy and Marine Corps for decades. On any day, these heavy lift helicopters can be seen around the world performing a wide variety of critical missions.

Dec. 21, 2022

WSINT 22B: USAF Weapons School Conducts Largest-Ever Over-Water, Joint Counter Maritime Exercise

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada — The United States Air Force Weapons School conducted its largest-ever over-water joint counter maritime exercise as part of the USAFWS integration (WSINT) phase of its curriculum Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 over the Pacific Ocean.

Dec. 21, 2022

The Aircraft Carrier Hiryu

I may be prejudiced, but this medium-format, very-well illustrated volume is one of the most unusual books I have seen in some time. It is the latest title in Osprey’s “Anatomy of the Ship” series and is worth every penny of its price.

Dec. 21, 2022

F9F Panther vs Communist AAA, Korea 1950-53

No. 121 in the long-running “Duel” series, this latest title by prolific Osprey author Peter Davies addresses an interesting, seldom-described area in the air war during the Korean War, that of one of the U.S. Navy’s two major jet fighters’ record against the often fearsome barrage of Communist major defenses, that of often intense ground anti-aircraft fire.

Dec. 21, 2022

F3D/EF-10 Skyknight Units of the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Occasionally forgotten in Navy and Marine Corps aviation history, the Douglas F3D Skyknight was a twin-jet carrier-based night fighter with a mixed career that included a brief use in its intended role aboard carriers with the Navy.

Nov. 21, 2022

The TOPGUN Legacy: Making Mavericks

The sun rises over Nevada. A rumble rolls across the desert, but it’s not the sound of a rare rainstorm. It’s two U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets engaged in a close-range combat training exercise. One is the haze-grey color of fleet squadrons. The other sports desert camo with a red star on its tail, one of the paint schemes used by the Navy Reserve’s adversary aircraft squadrons to mimic those used by America’s adversaries.

Oct. 4, 2022

Collaboration Enhances Successful CH-53K Flight Control System

A full authority digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) is one of many impressive capabilities setting the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter apart from any other heavy lift aircraft. “Full authority” means the FCS provides all of the aircraft motion—not just supplementing the pilot for stability.

Oct. 4, 2022

Making History on USS Gerald R. Ford as Deployment Nears

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first-in-class of the Navy’s newest generation of Ford-class aircraft carriers. It’s been nearly 40 years since the Navy has commissioned a new generation of aircraft carriers. With change comes history that has to be made. Ford has done just that.

Oct. 4, 2022

Navy Engineers Make Helicopter Pilots’ Most Dangerous Job Safer

Landing a helicopter in low visibility environments is one of the most difficult tasks in aviation for a rotary-wing pilot; add weather like fog, wind or worse and aircraft recovery can be dangerous.

Oct. 4, 2022

FRCSW Goes to the Movies Supporting ‘TOP GUN: Maverick’

It takes a lot to make a movie. In the case of Tom Cruise’s latest film, “TOP GUN: Maverick,” it took the artisans, engineers and staff of Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) to not only provide an authentic presentation of the aircraft used in the film, but also support for the filming itself.

Oct. 4, 2022

Collaborate to Innovate: Grassroots Effort Fosters Integrated Test Ops

A grassroots movement—started at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland—is fostering integrated test operations across the Navy’s test enterprise.

Oct. 4, 2022

Unmanned Carrier Aviation Demonstration Gives Glimpse of the Air Wing of the Future

The Air Wing of the Future is here. The Unmanned Carrier Aviation Demonstration (UCAD) conducted by the MQ-25 Stingray Integrated Test Team recently evaluated the deck of the aircraft.

Oct. 3, 2022

Increased Aerial Refueling Compatibility Facilitates True Joint Environment

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Aerial refueling capabilities can increase the range, lethality and survivability of modern aircraft. Maximum compatibility between tanker and receiver aircraft enable warfighters to get to the fight and return home safely.

Oct. 3, 2022

Integrating the Live and Virtual Environments for Development and Training

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — “Train like you fight:” This mantra is becoming a reality as advanced technology ushers in training environments that merge live, virtual and constructive (LVC) capabilities to expand the scale and complexity of training conditions. LVC training environments connect live, in-person elements with manned virtual simulators and constructive computer-generated forces. 

Oct. 3, 2022

FRCSW First Depot to Tackle Super Hornet Service Life Modification

NAS NORTH ISLAND, California — When the artisans, engineers and support staff of Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) inducted their final F/A-18 legacy (A-D model) Hornet fighter to undergo the Center Barrel Replacement (CBR) procedure last March, they probably thought they could take a break.

Oct. 3, 2022

FRCE Moves Into Future With New Helicopter Blade Balancing System

Rotor blades for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter that arrive for rework at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) will be balanced on a new system that will save about $18 million by eliminating the need for building a new testing facility.

Oct. 3, 2022

FRCSE Steps Up to Support Rolls-Royce in Meeting Fleet Requirements

NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, Florida — More than 40 artisans with Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) were deployed to Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas, during a year-long effort to assist Rolls-Royce in meeting the fleet demand of 145 ready-for-issue (RFI) F405 engines powering the T-45 Goshawk.

Oct. 3, 2022

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Launches Ground Check Huts

Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida — Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) recently received five new environmental protection shelters or ground check huts. The shelters aren’t just new to FRCSE, but they are the first of their kind aboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

Oct. 3, 2022

FRCSW Sets Sights on Growler Mishap Repair

WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA — Less than 35 days after inducting a CMV-22 Osprey aircraft to repair a crack to an inner skin panel, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest’s (FRCSW) unique refurbishing capabilities and resources were tapped by the Navy once again—this time to repair an EA-18G Growler involved in a flight deck mishap.