Aircraft Carriers III

Obi Wan Russell said:

No it would not.

10+ years ago many were stating as confidently as you do here that the QECs would never be built and people like me were daydreaming about that too. I remember predicting as far back as the 80s that the Clemenceaus would end up in South America. I'll admit I was only 50% right, but nobody expected Argentina to decide to unilaterally disarm.

And yes I was referring to Japanese F-35Bs, something the Japanese Government has admitted to investigating the possibilities of, on top of their purchase of F-35As.

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timepass said:

Fly the plane until you can’t! Great save by the pilots aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower back in March 2016

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timepass said:

Fly the plane until you can’t! Great save by the pilots aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower back in March 2016

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=266180374223077

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ARABIAN GULF (July 29, 2016) Lt. Cmdr. Kellen Smith, assigned to the Screwtops of Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123 is awarded the Air Medal in the forecastle of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike). Ike and its Carrier Strike Group are deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theodore Quintana/Released)

Back in 2016...

Release Date: 8/11/2016 10:42:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Liam Antinori, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)(Ike)
ARABIAN GULF (NNS) -- Three pilots assigned to the "Screwtops" of Airborne Early Warning (VAW) Squadron 123 were awarded the Armed Forces' Air Medal for valor aboard aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) following a flight deck mishap March 18.

Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Browning, Lt. Cmdr. Kellen Smith and Lt. Matthew Halliwell were presented the award for reacting in time to prevent the loss of an aircraft by maintaining positive control during the mishap.

The award is presented for heroic actions or meritorious service while participating in aerial flight.

"I'd like to thank the Ike Strike Group family for their support and my fiancee back home, but most importantly I'd like to thank the folks who were there with me on that day," said Smith, aircraft commander that day and co-pilot of the E2-C Hawkeye at the time of the mishap. "It's a good thing to award those who execute training and execute our procedures to a 'T,' so we can carry the lesson forward and pass it on to other crews."

Smith described the events of March 18, a day that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

"We had clear skies and a smooth takeoff, and it seemed like another good day to fly," said Smith, who earlier that day had piloted the aircraft to complete his own arrested landing during the Ike Strike Group Composite Training Unit Exercise. "We finished what we had to do in the air and were relieved to be landing back on board."

With Halliwell in the pilot's seat, the Hawkeye touched down on the flight deck and caught the wire. As they began to decelerate, the arresting cable snapped and they found themselves rolling ever closer to the edge of the landing area.

"It all happened in about eight seconds," said Smith, who has been flying for 12 years. "While we were decelerating we heard a loud snap. When we would normally be coming to a stop, we weren't. Our years of training kicked in and we reacted on instinct. I slapped back the ditching hatch (Hawkeyes do not have ejection seats) as we cleared the deck and began a deep settle (significant descent). I would guess we were about 10 feet from the water before we lifted back up, but Lt. Smith expertly kept us climbing away. It was a sigh of relief when we were back in the air. It helps to know that at the critical moment, all we practice for this scenario actually works. The experience has made me much more confident in my training."

The Screwtops' Executive Officer, Cmdr. Darryl Martin, stated the decoration was more about showing appreciation for the training the pilots received throughout their careers than for what they did to save the aircraft.

"Due to their years of practice and trust in vetted procedures, the crew was able to develop skills and survive the dangerous situation they were presented," Martin said. "If the right lessons were not captured from the past or if the crew had not paid attention to them, they would not be here today. I am humbly grateful for their proven professionalism, resilience, and respect for the dangerous environment in which we find ourselves daily."

Smith stressed as grateful as he and his crew mates were to have regained the air after coming so close to the water, he immediately began to think about those on the flight deck who may not have walked away unscathed.

"The flight back to Norfolk afterwards was long," Smith said. "Once we realized the plane was fine, we started to think about the people back on the ship. The Screwtops are a tight-knit family and the pilots are close to our maintainers. We knew some had been hurt and it was a relief to learn those injured were being taken care of."

Four months after that day, Halliwell has moved on to be an instructor for up-and-coming Hawkeye pilots. Smith and Browning are still flying with the Screwtops.

Smith said there was never a doubt he would be behind the controls again.

"It takes a lot of resolve and focus to fly again after something like this happens, but the Navy has trained us well and I'm more confident than ever I will know what to do in any given situation," said Smith.

VAW-123 is assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)(Ike). Ike and its carrier strike group are deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

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Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov damaged by crane

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, was damaged when the dry dock where it was undergoing a refit sank, sending a giant crane crashing on to the ship.

Rescuers are searching for a missing ship-worker.

Four others needed medical attention after falling into the icy sea.

Russian officials insist the damage is "not critical" but the 70-tonne crane caused a gash on the Kuznetsov's deck of up to 5m (16ft).

The Admiral Kuznetsov was being overhauled at one of the world's largest floating docks near the northern city of Murmansk.

Recent accidents

The carrier played a prominent role in Russia's military campaign in Syria, where Russian fighter jets are supporting troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

It was at the centre of two accidents during its mission in the Mediterranean in late 2016. A MiG fighter jet crashed into the sea as it approached the ship and an Su-33 crashed on landing when a cable broke, and the plane rolled off the deck.

In January 2017, it was dubbed the "ship of shame" by the UK's then Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, as it returned from its mission, sailing close to the UK coast. The ageing carrier sparked mocking headlines as it passed, belching clouds of black smoke.

The PD-50 dock sank after a power cut led to rapid flooding of its ballast tanks. Both its cranes collapsed, one hitting the aircraft carrier which was exiting the dock at the time.

Russian officials and state media have been playing down the latest accident.

"Of course when a 70-tonne crane falls on deck, it will cause harm," conceded Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation which runs the shipyard.

"But according to our initial information, the damage from the falling crane and from the ship listing when the dock sank is not substantial."

'Modernisation to continue'

The Admiral Kuznetsov, which was commissioned in 1985, is undergoing a multi-million dollar overhaul and was due to return to service in 2021.

A spokesman for the factory operating the floating dock said that experts had checked the ship and found "no damage yet that could affect its functioning".

"The crane fell on to the deck near the technical zone, the loading area," Evgeny Gladyshev told the BBC. He said the area affected had been slated for repairs, and had already been partly dismantled in any case.

The aircraft carrier has now been transferred to another shipyard, Ria news agency reports. Officials say its "modernisation" will continue - as well as the extra repairs.

"Work has already started. We will try to keep to the deadline," Mr Gladyshev said.

In a video statement released via social media, the governor of Murmansk said a team of rescue divers from the navy's Northern Fleet was still searching for the missing worker.

Two of the injured have been admitted to hospital.

It is unclear whether the 330m-long dry dock itself can be salvaged.

"Even if this is technically possible, the operation will not be easy and, most probably, very expensive," a spokesman for the shipyard said.

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