Aircraft Carriers III

The tense waters of Asia-Pacific or the Middle East could go for weeks or months without a U.S. aircraft carrier patrolling there this spring. But military planners are weighing whether this is the right moment to drop carrier presence, with strikes against Islamic State militants intensifying, rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and North Korea's hydrogen bomb test. The other options are to cut one carrier's needed maintenance short or extend a crew's deployment beyond the 7-month goal — both unsavory options for fleet bosses.

At issue is a weeks-long period between when the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group heads home from the Gulf in May and when the Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG deploys later that summer. That leaves the John C. Stennis CSG, which deploys in a few weeks, as the only flattop in either 5th or 7th Fleet.

Another option is abruptly canceling the carrier Ronald Reagan's overhaul. The flattop recently arrived in Japan and needs maintenance before preparing for its patrol this summer.

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The Indian Air Force and Navy plan to re-enact an exercise performed off the northern coast of Gujarat nearly 40 years ago in the next few days. It will not only test the country's defences in the western front but also be an attempt to display India's strengths in the air and sea. Nearly 50 years ago, in September, 1965, the Pakistan Navy bombarded Dwarka in an attempt to shift focus from the raging air war that was taking a heavy toll on its aircraft.

The 44,500-tonne carrier along with accompanying ships will approach the Gujarat coast from the Gulf of Oman region. Air Force Station Jamnagar will have to react when the flotilla reaches Indian Territorial Waters and scramble fighter jets to meet the challenge. It is likely to send in Jaguar long-range maritime strike aircraft or even Su-30MKIs this time round. The Mig-29Ks on board the INS Vikramaditya will respond to the defence put up by the IAF.

"The idea is to test the level of preparedness and skills of our frontline ships and aircraft. The air force will treat the ships as an invading force while the carrier group will take on the land-based aircraft as aggressors in neutral waters. It will be an interesting exercise with a lot of learning for everybody," the official added.

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Brumby said:

Carrier scramble: CENTCOM, PACOM face flattop gaps this spring amid tensions

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I think it is a terrible idea to defer maintenance or extend deployment as a stop gap because eventually that becomes a norm. The carrier gap issue is a known problem when USS Enterprise was decommissioned and the overall numbers reduced to 10. In my view, they should seriously consider using the LHA/LHD as a mini carrier to fill the gap given that the F-35B is now operational.

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Air Force Brat said:

I know the Marines would love it, not sure if they are far enough along to be confident of operating off the Carrier, and they only have 10 birds, but they would def be a force multiplier. I agree that to jink the carrier schedule will have ripples far down the chain.

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FORBIN said:

INS Viraat and Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard
View attachment 23810

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SinoSoldier said:

Old, but haunting, video of a snapping arrestor cable:

How was the aircraft handling officer able to act so quickly?

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