Sept. 25, 2025

Grampaw Pettibone

An H-60 was inducted into B-phase maintenance the evening prior to a four-day port visit. Early the next morning, the detatchment’s lead petty officer (LPO) started the day’s planned work on the aircraft, eager to finish to secure folks for liberty.

Sept. 25, 2025

Into the Fight, Into the Sea: HSC-25’s Search and Rescue Mission

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Embarked aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 Detachment 6 trains hard to carry out one of the Navy’s most demanding and essential missions: search and rescue (SAR). Whether someone is lost at sea, injured on land or caught in a life-threatening situation, HSC-25 is trained and ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Sept. 25, 2025

Seconds to Spare: A Sailor’s Fight for Life in the Eye of the Storm

The order to cancel evening flights came down at 8:15 p.m. April 7, a reprieve from a rapidly approaching storm that promised to shroud USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in darkness and rain. But, before the last helicopter could be secured, a different kind of emergency ripped through the ship—a sailor collapsing, an emergency call over the 1 Main Circuit (1MC) and a desperate race against time and Mother Nature.

Sept. 25, 2025

NRL Protects Naval Assets: Land, Sea and Air

The relentless assault of salt-laden sea spray generated by coastal wave action poses a significant and persistent threat to the integrity of Department of Defense assets near and far from shorelines. This corrosive environment accelerates the deterioration of critical military and naval resources, challenging their lifespan.

Sept. 25, 2025

The Mission is the Same

After soaring through two decades as a Marine Corps fighter pilot, Ross Fearon was not quite ready to hang up his flight suit. Instead, he embarked on a new mission after retiring from the Corps, trading combat maneuvers for flight testing on the cutting-edge F-35 Lightning II aircraft service at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE).

Sept. 25, 2025

Bring Your Daughter to Work Day—Aircraft Carrier Edition

In the Navy, many toss around the word “family” casually. Divisions become families. Departments become families. Berthing members become families. Co-workers who spend 18 hours a day working together and another six sleeping near each other become families. And, just like blood and biological family members, sailors rarely get to choose their Navy family members.

Sept. 25, 2025

Navy’s T-54A Ushers in New Era of Pilot Training

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for the T-54A Marlin II training aircraft in May, giving future naval aviators a modern platform to prepare them for the advanced aircraft they will fly in the fleet.

Sept. 25, 2025

CNATTU North Island, HSM-35 Partner to Build Safer, More Prepared Fleet

SAN DIEGO — A unique collaboration between the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) North Island and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 is proving to be a win-win initiative that strengthens fleet readiness, enhances safety and prepares the next generation of aircraft maintainers through hands-on experience.

Sept. 25, 2025

NSDC Member First Navy Officer to Attend USAF Weapons School’s 328th Weapons Squadron

SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. — Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Dring, National Space Defense Center operations integrations chief, was selected to attend the weapons instructor course at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School’s 328th Weapons Squadron.

Sept. 25, 2025

Collaboration, New Training Asset Boost E-6B Pilot Readiness

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — E-6B Mercury pilots from Strategic Communications Wing (SCW) 1 and subordinate commands have completed their first Public Aircraft Operations (PAO) training flight successfully, a significant milestone in maintaining readiness for the critical Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission. The flight, which occurred May 30, was the culmination of fast-paced collaboration and a contract award to address an urgent fleet need.

Sept. 25, 2025

Army Soldiers use Naval Aviation Additive Manufacturing Training to Enhance Operational Readiness Downrange

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Aviation School for Additive Manufacturing (NASAM) is fostering collaboration across forces to ensure lethality and readiness wherever warfighters need it. Recently, two U.S. Army soldiers used the skills they learned at NASAM to produce critical parts while deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sept. 25, 2025

Carrier Air Wing 5 Operates at Iwo To

IWO TO, Japan — Aircrew from the Navy’s only forward-deployed air wing completed another qualification milestone with Field Carrier Landing Practices (FCLPs) at Iwo To, Japan, May 19 through 31.

Sept. 25, 2025

Marine Corps Receives Final MQ-9A Reaper, Concluding Rapid Delivery Effort

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Marine Corps received its final MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 Extended Range (ER) Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) Gray Butte flight operations facility in California in June, marking the successful completion of a three-year acquisition campaign.

Sept. 25, 2025

VMFA-224 Redesignated as Marine Corps’ Newest F-35B Squadron

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. — Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW)) 224 redesignated to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 224 during a change of command and redesignation ceremony here June 26.

Sept. 25, 2025

VMR-1 Celebrates Classification as Full Operational Capability Squadron

FORT WORTH, Texas — Marine Transport Squadron (VMR)-1 conducted a ceremony to celebrate achieving full operational capability with the C-40A aircraft at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, June 18.

Sept. 25, 2025

Blown Away: New FOD Removal Method Enhances Safety

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C — Foreign object debris, or FOD, poses a hazard on flight lines and can threaten the safety of personnel, equipment and aircraft. To minimize these risks, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, has shifted from physically picking up debris to the more efficient method of blowing the debris away. This change in protocol not only accelerates removing hazardous objects but also enhances safety because it reduces potential damage to aircraft and ensures a cleaner working environment for everyone on the flight line.

Sept. 25, 2025

New Unmanned Test System Accelerates UAS Development at NAWCAD

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is boosting its testing capabilities with a new UAS experimentation system showcased recently at a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field.

Sept. 25, 2025

Intrepid’s Fighting Squadron 18: Flying High with Harris’ Hellcats

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — This book contains a highly detailed account of the high-scoring Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat squadron that flew from the light carrier USS Intrepid (CV 11) from 1943 to 1945. The subtitle refers to the score of 22 kills by Lt. Cecil E. Harris, with one more gained while flying the Hellcat’s predecessor, the F4F-4 Wildcat, while flying with Fighter Squadron (VF) 27—a squadron that by war’s end became the sixth highest-scoring Navy squadron with 176.5 kills. Harris became the second highest-scoring ace with 23 overall kills in the second VF-18 (in Hellcats). Indeed, the second VF-18 produced 13 aces during its short deployment in 1944.

Sept. 25, 2025

Navy Demonstrates Swarm Mission Planning Tech

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) demonstrated innovative mission planning software for swarms and other configurations of unmanned air, surface and underwater systems at its headquarters in June.

Sept. 25, 2025

Navy Restores T-10 Test Cell Facility, Enhancing Fleet Readiness  

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s T-10 Test Cell Facility here is undergoing a significant revitalization that will enable engine testing in a noise-suppressed environment.

Sept. 25, 2025

Target Hong Kong: A True Story of U.S. Navy Pilots at War

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Although Osprey published one of its campaign books (No. 263) in 2014 on the Japanese taking Hong Kong right after their attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the campaign detailed in this book remains a little-known part of the Pacific war, less so regarding the often-intense Pacific Air War. However, this heavily detailed, somewhat over-long book is crammed with information of the Japanese takeover of the British colony and other British subjects, and the imprisonment of many foreign nationals, including Americans, who were later released and repatriated.

Sept. 25, 2025

FRCSW Begins F/A-18 Super Hornet Modernization Upgrades

SAN DIEGO — In a landmark achievement that aligns directly with the 2025 National Defense Strategy’s call for a modernized and lethal Joint Force, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has adopted a transformative approach to upgrading the F/A-18 Super Hornet, a critical milestone in continuous capability enhancements.

Sept. 25, 2025

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Establishes New T-45 Repair Capability

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) stood up a repair capability November 2024 for a T-45 Goshawk service life extension program (SLEP) production line supporting the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office.

Sept. 25, 2025

USS Princeton: The Life and Loss of ‘Sweet P’

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — After a fairly long, detailed historical introduction on the Pacific War, the author, a former Marine, embarks on a similarly long and detailed discussion of how the light carrier USS Princeton (CVL 23) came to be and the lengthy process of modifying the light cruiser which began in 1942. It was not that well known at the time, but four other ships also bore the “Princeton” name.

Sept. 25, 2025

FRCE Hosts Navy Reservists for Readiness Training

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently hosted a training exercise designed to sharpen the skills of a Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Forward-Deployed Combat Repair (FDCR) team that travels to deployed and combat locations and repairs battle-damaged military aircraft.

Sept. 25, 2025

FRCE Inducts First CH-53K King Stallion for Maintenance

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) began a new chapter in its support of Naval Aviation’s heavy-lift mission with the induction of a CH-53K King Stallion April 17, marking the first time the platform has been inducted for depot-level maintenance.

Sept. 25, 2025

FRCE Innovation Lab Manufactures Quick Win for F-35 Fleet

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — When a critical need for new tooling arose for the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, innovative thinking and forward-leaning technology at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) helped fill the gap and put 2,000 tools in aircraft maintainers’ hands within days.

Aug. 21, 2025

Prominent Navy Leaders Queue for MOSA Summit 2025

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — A modular open systems approach (MOSA) narrative is at the forefront of the upcoming MOSA Industry and Government Summit & Expo Aug. 27-29 in National Harbor, Maryland. Leading Navy authorities have set their sights to engage with the DOD tri-services and industry on system lifecycle urgencies using a MOSA strategy.

Aug. 6, 2025

Enhancing Naval Combat Readiness: The Critical Role of Air Warfare Officers

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Naval Air Warfare Operators (AWOs) are air battle managers (ABM) detailed from the E-2 Hawkeye community to provide the Air and Missile Defense Commander (AMDC) with air defense expertise, levying experience from their prior tours aboard aircraft carriers and working with carrier air wing staffs.

Aug. 6, 2025

Grampaw Pettibone

Due to an error in the schedule-writing process and personal neglect, a squadron’s most experienced T-34C Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standards (NATOPS) evaluator launched solo on an out-and-in, although he was fresh from leave and out of currency to fly by himself. The pilot, who six months earlier had weathered a human factors board based on his declining level of professional effort, cancelled his Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance and proceeded Visual Flight Rules (VFR) shortly after takeoff.

Aug. 6, 2025

Editor’s Choice

People often turn to books to learn about leadership and participate in high-minded debates at their book club about what new personality quiz will unlock the secrets of why a team is falling behind or review the best new organizational structure will fix all their problems. While the concept Navy Capt. L. David Marquet explores in “Turn the Ship Around” is not entirely new, his approach takes aim at aspirations discussed in many leadership books and puts them to the test in a real-world environment. He takes the true story of his failures, his trials and his successes and presents them in actionable ways, making them relevant well beyond his operating environment. “Turn the Ship Around!” does far more than discuss the theory of leadership; it puts it into perspective, and it lets us into the author’s head as he grapples with all the decision points and uncertainties that come with shifting the paradigm of leadership.

Aug. 6, 2025

Marines, Air Force Fight as Joint Force for First Time in Navy's Joint Simulation Environment

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — For the first time, Marine Corps F-35 Lightning II and Air Force F-22 Raptor pilots trained as a joint fighting force March 24-27 in the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD) Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

Aug. 6, 2025

NPS, TOPGUN Launch New Master of Warfare Operations Degree

NAS Fallon, Nev. — In Naval Aviation, the best of the best attend the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program, otherwise known as TOPGUN, where they hone their warfighting skills as combat pilots. Starting this year, some will also sharpen their critical thinking proficiency by earning their Master of Warfare Operations (MWO) graduate degree.

Aug. 6, 2025

Two Generations Inspired by TACAMO Mission

Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. — A routine site visit to Oklahoma’s Tinker Air Force Base turned into a unique multi-generational moment for Navy Capt. Adam Scott and his son Lt. j.g. Andrew Scott. The pair shared the cockpit of an E-6B Mercury simulator, executing the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission—the first and only opportunity for them to collaborate on this vital operation.

Aug. 6, 2025

F-35 Work Earns Stammer DOD’s Highest Career Civilian Honor

NAS Point Magu, Calif — Clint Stammer helps warfighters come home alive. They may never know his name, but their survival depends on his quiet dedication. He is an unsung American hero in the Department of Defense. And he received recognition over a plate of fish tacos.

Aug. 6, 2025

NAWCAD Lakehurst Environmental Test Lab Unveils New Proof Loading Equipment

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. — The Environmental Test Lab at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey, unveiled two new proof loading machines during a Feb. 25 ribbon cutting ceremony, adding new technology to help customers and support the warfighter.

Aug. 6, 2025

Symphony at Sea: The Orchestra Supporting Amphibious Flight Operations

Atlantic Ocean — The sounds of helicopter rotors, intercom speakers and dragging chains are heard, night and day, across the flight deck of the first-in-class amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), as pilots conduct vital training necessary to maintain proficiency in their craft and ensure their ability to land onboard Wasp anytime, anywhere in the world.

Aug. 6, 2025

Aircrew Safety Improved with New Oxygen Purity Test at NAWCAD

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — For the first time, the Navy can precisely test how well modern oxygen systems remove impurities to ensure safe air for aircrew after a successful demonstration by teams at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD).

Aug. 6, 2025

Navy Celebrates 80 Years of Flight Test at U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — During World War II, in the early days of military aerospace test and evaluation, before formal test training regimens existed, military aviators had an average life expectancy of less than nine weeks—those who survived earned the esteemed title of test pilot.

Aug. 6, 2025

Navy’s Carrier Airwing Flies Further with Hercules’ New Tanker Approval

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy Reserve’s KC-130T Hercules fleet, upgraded with the NP200 propeller system, is cleared to aerially refuel a significantly wider range of aircraft across the carrier airwing after envelope expansion testing at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), which concluded in early 2025. The test effort expands Hercules’ mission—and that of the Navy’s fleet reserve, which exclusively operates the aircraft—beyond its primary focus on logistics and cargo transport.

Aug. 6, 2025

‘Flying Nightmares’ Bring F-35B Thunder to Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas — Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 502, the “Flying Nightmares,” trained new and transitioning pilots on the F-35B Lightning II on a two-week detachment training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth through March 13, focusing on air-to-air and air-to-surface skills. The “Flying Nightmares,” a Fleet Replacement Squadron, target two groups: Category 1 pilots, fresh from undergraduate flight training, and Category 2 pilots, shifting from older aircraft to the F-35B.

Aug. 6, 2025

U.S.-Based F-35s Replace Hornets in Rotational Deployments to Japan

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — The U.S. Marine Corps’ Japan-based aviation forces received their first F-35 deployment from the continental United States on March 8. Based out of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, an F-35B squadron of Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to support Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW) flight operations in the Indo-Pacific.

Aug. 6, 2025

Marines Test Wireless Long-Range Precision Fires Successfully

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Late last year, the Marine Corps executed successfully its first live employment test of a new Long-Range Precision Fire (LRPF) capability. The event was executed at Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG) in Yuma, Arizona, where an AH-1Z Viper conducted single launch by way of a wireless application via Marine Air-Ground Tablet (MAGTAB).

Aug. 6, 2025

Marines Fast Track New Tug for MQ-9 Reaper

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Office recently delivered a cutting-edge aircraft towing solution to a Marine Corps squadron at Cherry Point, North Carolina, addressing urgent operational needs in record time.

Aug. 6, 2025

Marine Corps MQ-9 Reapers Enhanced with Advanced Payload Upgrade

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s MQ-9 Reaper test squadron at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, received the first SkyTower II (STII) pod in preparation for the system’s initial operational capability (IOC) next year.

Aug. 6, 2025

HM-12 ‘Sea Dragons’ Host Sundown Ceremony

NORFOLK, Va. — Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 12 held a sundown ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, March 21, closing the chapter on 54 years of excellence.

Aug. 6, 2025

Retired AV-8B II+ Soars to New Mission with Pima Air and Space Museum

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — A retired and demilitarized AV-8B Harrier II+ was inducted into the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 14.

Aug. 6, 2025

Navy Delivers New Crash and Salvage Cranes, Strengthening Fleet Readiness

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s Common Aviation Support Equipment Program Office delivered in February the first of 27 replacement Crash and Salvage Cranes (CSC) to Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) in Pensacola, Florida.

Aug. 6, 2025

Aircraft Maintenance Enables a Capable Aircraft for Search and Rescue Missions

PHILIPPINE SEA — While Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 is embarked aboard USS America (LHA 6), the crew practices search and rescue (SAR) training at sea. SAR is a life-saving mission designed to recover people on land and at sea in emergencies. Aircrew personnel assigned to HSC-25 continuously sharpen their search and rescue skills by conducting mock recovery missions based on a variety of scenarios, such as a lost swimmer, man overboard or missing hikers to name a few examples.

Aug. 6, 2025

Lakehurst Team Steps Up to Meet Fleet Need for Critical Equipment

LAKEHURST, N.J. — Thanks to team members from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey, the fleet restocked its supply of release elements, a critical safety item needed to launch C-2 Greyhounds and E-2 Hawkeyes from an aircraft carrier. With the help of more than 50 people, the fleet maintained its ability to launch the airborne and coordination aircraft from the decks of aircraft carriers worldwide.

Aug. 6, 2025

NAWCAD Lakehurst Certifies New Testing Equipment for Ship Motion Platform

LAKEHURST, N.J. — After three years of development, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey, successfully qualified the Motion Platform Aerial Sensor Suite (MPASS) prototype system for future use with the Ship Motion Platform (SMP).

Aug. 6, 2025

New Heights: 3rd MAW Marines, Squadrons Earn Top Aviation Awards

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. — Marines and squadrons from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) have been recognized with 12 Marine Corps Aviation Association 2025 Aviation Awards, honoring their exceptional leadership and dedication to mission accomplishment. The highly competitive awards program spans 30 categories across the Marine aviation enterprise.

Aug. 6, 2025

Naval Aviation News Magazine Wins First Place Navy Public Affairs Award

PATUXENT RIVER, Md, — The Naval Aviation News (NAN) magazine recently received the first place Team Publication in the Navy Public Affairs Awards (NPAA) program for calendar year 2024.

Aug. 6, 2025

FRCE Earns Second Consecutive CNO Shore Safety Award

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.J. — The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has selected Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) to receive the CNO Shore Safety Award in the Large Industrial Activity category for the second consecutive year, recognizing its continued efforts toward safety and occupational health excellence in fiscal year 2024.

Aug. 6, 2025

FRCSW Engineer Reshapes Navy Composite Repairs

NORTH ISLAND, Calif. — After nearly 16 years of service at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), Dr. Justin Massey, Division Head for Composites and Corrosion, is transitioning to a new role with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Japan. His departure concludes a defining chapter for FRCSW’s composites team, where Massey has played a critical role in advancing repair techniques that have saved millions in taxpayer dollars and extended the life of naval aircraft.

Aug. 6, 2025

New Electronic Work Order System Improves Efficiency

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) leads the way with an enterprise-wide electronic work order (EWO) initiative set to streamline the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul documentation and inspection processes across Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRCs). After seven months of development, FRCE became the first FRC to go live with the system Jan. 14 upon the induction of an UH-1Y Venom at the depot’s detachment onboard Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Aug. 6, 2025

Workforce Suggestions Save FRCE More Than $230K

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Ten members of the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) workforce recently earned recognition for their contributions to the Beneficial Suggestion Program (BSP), which allows employees to improve the way the command does business. Employees who develop a money-saving idea that increases the life or quality of a product, reduces costs or improves delivery times have the opportunity to earn a portion of the savings generated by their recommendation.

April 25, 2025

Five Million Steps: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after Three Decades of Service to our Nation

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Young or old, civilian or military, starting a career or getting ready to end one, perseverance, resilience and reflection remain valuable qualities across the human experience. Retired Air Force veteran Jason France addresses all of these and more in his well-told story of a post-retirement, five-month hike along the Pacific Crest trail. His goal was to fulfill a lifelong dream, but it turned into more. An inveterate planner, he experienced the struggle and ultimately joy of letting go and living in the moment, while at the same time exploring the bigger picture—examining and rediscovering himself, and clarifying what he wanted out of the next chapter of his life. He overcomes the psychological and physical challenges of the 2,650-mile journey, a solitary endeavor somewhat conversely only made possible with the help of others, and immeasurably enriched by the friends he made on the trail and his family back home. Ultimately, “Five Million Steps” is the story of a moment in time of one person’s life but with implications for all of us. —David Byrd, Editor in Chief

April 25, 2025

Lakehurst Announces Capability Expansion at Ship Motion Platform

LAKEHURST, N.J. — After two years of establishing the core capabilities of the Ship Motion Platform (SMP) at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst, New Jersey, test engineer Rob Pellegrino said he and his team have expanded and integrated the site capabilities with the surrounding test sites to provide a multifaceted development tool for military and commercial customers.

April 25, 2025

Marine's Award-Winning NPS Thesis Explores Mixed-Reality for Training Aviators

As the Naval Aviation Enterprise moves to integrate emerging virtual, augmented and mixed-reality technologies fully into the spectrum of aviation training, understanding the impact of these technologies on training effectiveness is paramount.

April 25, 2025

Grampaw Pettibone

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — During the last at-sea period prior to deployment, a flight of four AV-8B Harriers launched from an amphib on a long-range night interdiction mission. The flight plan called for a strike on a training range using laser-guided training rounds, plus aerial refueling from a section of tankers before and after the strike. Although all aircraft were equipped with targeting pods, once airborne the division discovered only Dash-3’s was working.

April 25, 2025

VAQ-133 Completes First Next-Generation Jammer Deployment

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Electronic Attack Squadron 133 (VAQ-133), assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, returned Dec. 14, 2024, from the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s (ABECSG) five-month deployment to the Middle East and Eastern Pacific to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in time for the holidays.

April 25, 2025

Versatile, Agile, Dependable and Enduring: C-130 Hercules Turns 70

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The C-130 Hercules has been answering the call to defend America since Aug. 23, 1954, providing tactical airlift, humanitarian aid, air support and various other missions. Initially designed to be a medium cargo plane able to land in short, confined runways, the Hercules is used in over 70 countries with more than a million flight hours. Last year marked the 70th year the C-130 has been in flight, and the aircraft continues to reach new heights.

April 25, 2025

Night Flight Operations:USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Conducts Routine Flight Operations Around the Clock

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — Observing nighttime flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) is like watching a meticulously choreographed ballet unfold under the cover of darkness.

April 25, 2025

F4B and Export Variants

No. 116 in this publisher’s long-lived Naval Fighters series, and heavily illustrated with photos and manual diagrams—as well as the usual end-of-book discussion of plastic scale models of this iconic Boeing fighter that served an equally long career with the Army as the P-12 series—this book is arguably one of the best in the series. Combining familiar and unfamiliar images with an equally authoritative text and captions, it is both an excellent introduction and a great reference of this biplane fighter that played great service to the aviators of the Navy, Marines and Army. Those pilots would soon find themselves fighting in the Pacific and Europe in the cockpits as well as in senior leadership positions during World War II.

April 25, 2025

Yom Kippur War 1973, Airpower in Israel’s hardest-fought war.

Review by Cmdr. Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.) No. 43 in Osprey’s open-ended Air Campaign series, this new soft-cover title is the latest dealing with what was something of an expected, yet surprising, addition to the long list of Arab-Israeli wars, beginning with the 1948 War of Independence following Israel’s declaring itself a state in May 1948.

April 25, 2025

VMFA-211 Facilitates USS Tripoli Aviation Certification

PACIFIC OCEAN — Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the Essex Amphibious Ready Group in 2018, marking the first combat deployment of the F-35B Lightning II. This deployment demonstrated the effectiveness of amphibious forces when the Marine Corps’ fifth-generation fighter capabilities are integrated aboard the Navy’s amphibious assault ships.

April 25, 2025

F-35B Begins Sea Trials with Japanese Multi-Functional Destroyer in Eastern Pacific Ocean

PACIFIC OCEAN — A U.S. F-35 Lightning II aircraft landed aboard Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 84) for the first time Oct. 20, 2024, off the southern coast of California to begin developmental test aboard the allies’ largest ship.

April 25, 2025

Carderock Team Provides Critical Technical Support for F-35B Sea Trials on JS Kaga

BETHESDA, Md. — Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division’s Platform Integrity Department engineers responded to a request from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Paxtuxent River F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) to support developmental flight trials aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Izumo-class JS Kaga (DDH 184) in early October.

April 25, 2025

VMFA-533 First Operational F-35 Squadron Aboard MCAS Beaufort to Receive Aircraft

BEAUFORT, S.C. — Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), received its first F-35B Lightning II jet Oct. 11, 2024, aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort, South Carolina.

April 25, 2025

NAWCWD Team Delivers F-35 MDF in Record Time

POINT MUGU, Calif. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) team delivered a crucial mission data file (MDF) ahead of schedule, accelerating the normal production timeline significantly to support Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). 

April 25, 2025

Navy’s Third Operational F-35C Lightning II Squadron Achieves Safe-for-Flight Certification

PACIFIC OCEAN — Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86 has earned a Full Safe-for-Flight certification on the F-35C. The F-35C enhances the carrier strike group’s ability to project power, supporting U.S. national security and integrating seamlessly with other carrier air wing assets.

April 25, 2025

Teams Wrap E-2D Software Update Preliminary Review

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The fleet is one step closer to significant improvements for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye after the E-2/C-2 Airborne Command & Control Systems Program Office and industry partner Northrop Grumman Corporation wrapped the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Delta System Software Configuration (DSSC)-6 Preliminary Design Review (PDR) recently.

April 25, 2025

VAW-123 Sends Last E-2C Hawkeye to Boneyard

TUCSON, Ariz. — Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 123 transferred two of its four E-2C Hawkeye aircraft to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, the largest aircraft “boneyard” in the world, in September.

April 25, 2025

Program Office Celebrates Final Visit by EP-3E ARIES II Aircraft

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — Two EP-3E Airborne Reconnaissance Integrated Electronic System (ARIES) II aircraft stopped at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, while making their return journey from final detachments. Upon arrival of the second aircraft, current and former Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office personnel gathered to commemorate the aircraft flown by a crew from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1. NAS Patuxent River was the first stateside stop before both aircraft flew home to NAS Whidbey Island, Washington.

April 25, 2025

Last of the Sea Dragons Qualifies on MH-53E

NORFOLK, Va. — The last two naval aviators to qualify to operate the MH-53E Sea Dragon are completing the final phases of their training while assigned to training squadron Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 12 in Norfolk, Virginia. 

April 25, 2025

CH-53K Advanced Aviation Training Device Declared Ready for Training

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — A Test Readiness Review and Joint Final Testing were completed for the CH-53K Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD) 1, resulting in the trainer being declared ready for training Aug. 16. The new, mixed-reality static training device is the first of its kind to support both pilot and aircrew training on the CH-53K King Stallion. Veraxx Engineering Corporation developed the AATD prototype for the H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopter Program Office.

April 25, 2025

TACAMO Community Announces Name for New Mission Aircraft: E-130J

PATUXENT RIVER, Md — The Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office and Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1) announced Oct. 21, 2024, the name selected for the Navy’s new Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission aircraft: E-130J.

April 25, 2025

Navy Awards $3.5B Contract to Northrop Grumman to Develop Successor to E-6B Mercury

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy announced in December it awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $3.5 billion contract to conduct the mission-systems integration for the E-130J, which will be the successor to the E-6B Mercury for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission.

April 25, 2025

FRCE Supports Marine F-35 Recovery Training

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) is using a unique depot training asset to help Marines gain real-world experience in recovering a damaged F-35B Lightning II without risking harm to an operational aircraft.

April 25, 2025

FRCE Marks 150th F-35 Induction

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked a milestone in its support of the F-35 Lightning II program when the depot recently inducted and completed modifications on its 150th F-35 and returned the aircraft to the fleet.

April 25, 2025

New F-35 Storage Solutions Set to Boost Efficiency at FRCE

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — The Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) F-35 Lightning II aircraft modification line continues to grow with the recent addition of a new storage system that will improve safety and efficiency.

April 25, 2025

FRCSE Inducts First F-35B and F135 Power Module for Depot-Level Work

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) achieved two significant milestones in the same week by inducting its first F-35B Lightning II and F135 power module (PM), one of five major modules of the F-35 propulsion system.

April 25, 2025

FRCSW Bids Farewell to Last Legacy F/A-18

NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. — Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has been a pillar of Naval Aviation maintenance since its establishment in 1919. Over the decades, the facility has supported the Navy’s mission readiness, ensuring iconic aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder and S-3 Viking remained airworthy. Now, FRCSW signifies a major shift with the final maintenance of its last legacy aircraft—an F/A-18 Hornet.

April 25, 2025

FRCE Delivers Final AV-8 Harrier to Fleet

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) marked the end of an era with the completion of its final AV-8B Harrier maintenance event Sept. 26, 2024, delivering the aircraft to Marine Attack Squadron 223 onboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

April 25, 2025

FRCE Delivers Final Harrier Engine to Fleet

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — Following the delivery of the depot’s final AV-8B Harrier in September, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently completed its last F402 engine maintenance event, delivering the finished product to the fleet Oct. 28, 2024.

April 25, 2025

FRCSW Begins New Chapter with F-16 Workload

NORTH ISLAND, Calif. — Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) is the Navy’s premier West Coast aircraft repair, maintenance and overhaul organization, specializing in Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and their related systems. The command officially added the F-16 Falcon to its workload in December 2024, marking a significant milestone in the facility’s ongoing mission to sustain Naval Aviation. 

April 25, 2025

Marines Improve F-35B Maintenance Efficiency With 3D Printing

Marine Corps innovation isn't just a buzzword—it happens every day at the tactical, end-user level, where Marines like Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bevan, an airframes technician, and Sgt. Landon Boroday, an aviation machinist, turn challenges into cutting-edge solutions that enhance aviation maintenance and readiness.

Dec. 23, 2024

FRCSW Takes Extra Steps to Assure Quality

NAS NORTH ISLAND, Calif. — Quality assurance simply refers to inspections to catch errors or product defects before they reach the user, but a healthy Quality Management System (QMS) involves much more than that. A truly robust QMS optimizes an organization’s performance not only by monitoring process results, but also managing and continually improving the processes themselves.

Dec. 23, 2024

FRCSW Revamps Supply Chain Efficiency

NAS NORTH ISLAND, Calif. — Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) has entered into a strategic collaboration with the U.S. Army Software Factory (ASWF) to develop a web-based application designed to improve how Transportation Account Codes (TACs) are managed and tracked. The function of TACs is to help the command pay for and track shipments. The initiative aims to solve major issues with keeping up with and verifying shipments because of the large number and fast pace of movements.

Dec. 23, 2024

FRCE Named Top Organization in Safety by Department of Defense

Aurora, Colorado — For the second time in three years, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) earned recognition as the safest organization within the Department of Defense (DoD) with the 2024 Safety and Occupational Health Management System (SOHMS) Achievement Award in the organizational category.

Dec. 23, 2024

CMV-22: Operational Excellence at Fleet Readiness Center Southwest

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — At Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), the maintenance of the CMV-22 Osprey is executed with military precision, reflecting the center’s critical role in ensuring the operational readiness and safety of the fleet. Deputy Program Manager Michael Dixon provides an overview of the Planned Maintenance Interval (PMI) Depot event process, demonstrating the meticulous attention to detail required to maintain these advanced tiltrotor aircraft.

Dec. 23, 2024

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast Inducts First F-35B Aircraft, F135 Power Module for Depot-Level Work

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) achieved two significant milestones in the same week by inducting its first F-35B Lightning II and F135 power module (PM), one of five major modules of the F-35 propulsion system.

Dec. 23, 2024

Acquisition Standards Can Be a Two-Way Street

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — In January, the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office fielded an urgent call from a squadron in the Red Sea supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian. It wanted to carry more AIM-9X missiles on its Super Hornets to bolster its capability against Houthi attacks on merchant vessels. The program office partnered with multiple other program offices, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) and others to provide a flight clearance in just seven days, a process that—depending on complexity—ordinarily could take weeks or months. In this case, collaboration overcame multiple obstacles.

Dec. 23, 2024

Grampaw Pettibone

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — An AH-1W Super Cobra launched as Dash-4 in a division of Cobras for a daytime electronic warfare and “battle drills” mission in the local warning area. After several simulated engagements, the Dash-4 helicopter commander in the front seat transferred controls to the copilot in the rear seat. The helicopter commander then passed a “heads down” over the intercom and proceeded to focus on the forward-looking infrared display in an attempt to find the Dash-3 aircraft.

Dec. 23, 2024

Rapid Collaborative Additive Manufacturing Effort Helps U.S. Protect International Ally

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The ability for Naval Aviation to deploy and intervene anywhere in the world is one of the many tenets that makes it a superior force. At any point in time, Sailors and Marines can receive orders to support an ally and need to be ready for whatever threat it engages. That requires shipboard and aircraft components to be fully operational. Last year, the failure of a single quarter-sized component aboard the landing system of a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, the USS Bataan (LHD 5), nearly resulted in the vessel being unable to assist Israel in the escalating Red Sea crisis. However, quick thinking and action enabled the ship to make necessary repairs and intervene in a major battle, saving countless lives.

Dec. 23, 2024

ONR TechSolutions Delivers New Realistic Flight Simulator

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — A new innovation in aviation training, featuring a simulator sponsored by the Office of Naval Research TechSolutions program, delivers a better way to prepare future Navy pilots.

Dec. 23, 2024

Program Office Brings E-6B Mercury Operator, Maintainer Training into the 21st Century

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The training for operators and maintainers of the Navy’s E-6B Mercury fleet has launched into the 21st century thanks to new virtual 3D training systems provided by the Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office.

Dec. 23, 2024

VT Aviators Complete Carrier Qualifications Aboard IKE

NAS Patuxent River, Md. — The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) hosted student naval aviators Sept. 24 from Training Air Wing (TW) 1, composed of Training Squadron (VT) 7 and VT-9 from Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi, and TW-2, composed of VT-21 and VT-22 from Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, as a part of carrier qualification (CQ) training off the coast of Florida.

Dec. 23, 2024

Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” and H8K “Emily” Units

No. 153 in the extensive Combat Aircraft series, this new Osprey book combines two of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s (IJN) primary long-range flying boats versus the U.S. PB4Y-1/2 Liberator/Privateer (Duel 126, 2023). We reviewed the latter in the Summer 2023 issue.