Current Events in the Americas

Since the question of US Navy carrier air wing composition comes up again and again, and it has been suggested numerous times that some kind of guide would be helpful to scenario writers, and we're all about aiming to please, here's my contribution to the effort. Posted here as an FAQ so its easy for all of you prospective scenario writers (c'mon, you gotta be out there somewhere): Its an excellent resource, so I would look here first: Go Navy USN CARRIER AIR WINGS circa 2001 US Navy Aircraft Carriers and Assigned Carrier Air Wings – US Atlantic Fleet Enterprise (CVN 65) CVW-8 Tailcode AJ Type Serial VF-41 Black Aces F-14A AJ1XX VF-14 Top…

From Flight Global [excerpt] CV32: We have an election looming here in Canada in less than a week, and the planned purchase of 65x F-35A is one of the more controversial issues dogging the campaign. And while I am Conservative to my very bone marrow, I will say that the Conservatives are wrong on this issue in that: (1) the requirement was written for the F-35, rather than a requirement being written and then candidates sought to meet it; (2) that the only 'competition' was undertaken in the USA, between LM and Boeing over who would build JSF, and had nothing to do with what platform would replace the CF-18; (3) the F-35 is not the only aircraft that mi…

From Air Force Times Tanker decision made By Kent Miller, Gayle S. Putrich and Pierre Tran - Staff writers Posted : Friday Feb 29, 2008 19:35:04 EST After months of deliberations — and more than one delay — the Air Force has finally decided who will build the service’s new refueling tankers. Northrop Grumman and European partner EADS beat out presumptive favorite Boeing for the Air Force’s $35-40 billion, 179-plane tanker deal, Air Force officials said. The bigger size of the plane was the crucial factor, they said. It represents the first of three deals that could eventually be worth as much as $100 billion over 30 years to replace almost 600 tankers. Comp…

From Defense Aerospace USS Freedom Commissioned in Milwaukee (Source: US Navy; issued Nov. 8, 2008) MILWAUKEE, Wisc. --- The crew of USS Freedom (LCS 1) ushered in a new era in naval warfare on Nov. 8 as the ship was brought to life at Milwaukee's Veterans Park before a crowd of nearly 10,000. The ship was officially placed in commission by Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter, who remarked the Navy was commissioning not just Freedom but a new class of naval war ships. "In this platform we are making the right investments in our future security and in our prosperity," Winter said. "For those of you who will have the privilege of serving in Freedom you w…

Latest Hueys, Cobras make huge strides Find Marine Corps Times article here. Helos offer more power, technology upgrades By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer Posted : Sunday Jan 4, 2009 8:37:58 EST CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — At a distance, the new UH-1Y helicopters look similar to those born during the Vietnam era, but the four-blade Huey, which Marines call the “Yankee” model, is a different bird entirely. It has greater range, speed and lift than the old UN-1N — with less vibration. It carries 2,700 pounds of fuel, nearly double the capacity of the “November” model, and its integrated avionics, navigation and communications system give the aircrew access to …

From Free Beacon [excerpt]

From Aviation Week U.S. Considering Shooting Down Satellite Feb 12, 2008 By David A. Fulghum U.S. officials are studying the possibility of shooting down the errant Lockheed Martin intelligence satellite that was launched into space for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The concern is that the spacecraft carries a full tank of hydrazine - a toxic propellant - that would have been used to reposition the satellite in orbit. Government analysts say the odds are that the tank will crack open during re-entry or than it will land in the ocean, which makes up 70% of the area where the breaking up satellite might land. There also is concern in some quarters …

Four JASSM Test Failures Cast Doubt On Program's Future The U.S. Air Force's Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) proved ineffective during four recent flight tests, which were conducted as the Pentagon weighs whether to terminate the new stealthy cruise missile program due to cost increases. During the tests, which took place Apr. 30 - May 1, three of the cruise missiles impacted "well outside the target area," at distances greater than 100-200 feet, according to a preliminary Air Force report on the mishaps. These missiles failed to cause damage to the intended targets. Developers attribute the misses to a GPS "dropout problem" that affected the missile…

Britain a "crude colonial power in decline" says Argentine President Tension brewing in the South Atlantic?

From EIN Presswire [excerpt] For gemerson:

Apparantly the Port Royal is stuck on a reef. Story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,489590,00.html

The drama called the US defense budget saga, can be likened to a poorly cast and predictably-plotted soap opera! Here's the source: http://defensenews.com/story.php?c=AME&amp...49668&s=SEA Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the US shipbuilding industry is getting a high priority in our national defense. What I'm saying is - its overrated. Two flavors of LCS (which are white elephants). The Danish experimented with "multi-purpose" warships and found they didn't work. The Virginia class SSN, while nice is not the best platform for the job. UW is shifting from the deep blue water of the oceans to the littoral. It's like taking a race horse and strapping it to a log…

Two opposing points of view: US Navy Needs Diesel Submarines and Old Tech Isn't the Answer

From National Defense

CNN WASHINGTON (AP) -- A mechanical monster grabs the F-14 fighter jet and chews through one wing and then another, ripping off the Tomcat's appendages before moving on to its guts. Finally, all that's left is a pile of shredded rubble -- like scraps from a Thanksgiving turkey. Rows of retired F-14 jets await demolition Monday at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. The Pentagon is paying a contractor at least $900,000 to destroy old F-14s, a jet affectionately nicknamed "the turkey," rather than sell the spares. The Pentagon fears that if the surplus jets aren't destroyed, they could fall into the wrong hands, including Iran's. Within a workda…

Biggest pieces of ZUMWALT (DDG 1000) come together in the night (DefenseNews' Intercepts blog) Lots of pics.

From Navy Times Analyst: DDGs without CIWS vulnerable By Philip Ewing - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday Sep 16, 2008 5:55:34 EDT For all the modifications and improvements that have come with each new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the 20 most recent ships have arrived from the shipyard missing something — the distinctive white domes of the Phalanx Close In Weapons System. The first 34 Burkes carry two of the 20mm, six-barrel Gatling guns, known as CIWS, which can find and shoot down air targets that slip through the outer defenses of a ship or task group. But since 2002, destroyers have come from the builders without the guns, as plans called for a new mi…

From Jane's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers 'buckling' under stress, admits USN By Tara Copp 11 October 2007 Serious structural defects have been identified throughout the United States Navy's fleet of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, Jane's can reveal. The navy (USN) has admitted that many of the 51 ships currently in service are buckling under the stress of higher-than-anticipated loads at sea. The impact of rough-sea slamming on the bow has led to warping of main transverse bulkhead beams and some of the cribbing, a source said. Repairs and strengthening work is already being carried out on the latest Flight IIA ships as well as vessels from the ear…

US Navy Missile Defense: The Vision Realized ... a series of articles about US Navy missile defense, yesterday, today, and tomorrow (from Defense Media Network) Part 1: The Transition From Guns to Missiles Part 2: Building and Deploying the US Navys Missile Fleet with Urgency Part 3: Getting Surface-to-Air Missile Development Started Part 4: The Three Ts Talos, Terrier, and Tartar Part 5: Building an Aegis Fleet Part 6: The Tipping Point Part 7: The Vision Realized - The evolution of Aegis BMD

From DefenseNews [excerpt]