Know and use all the capabilities in your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass. — Dave 'Preacher'

Know and use all the capabilities in your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass.— Dave 'Preacher' Pace, USN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-vyAqwxbqc

Learning Objectives

• Know designations, and missions of major naval aircraft

• Know contribution of the aviation community to the overall mission of the Navy

• Know aircraft squadron designations, basic mission and aircraft assigned

• Know and understand the training pipeline and career progression

Birth of Naval Aviation

• Early Development– November 1910 – Eugene Ely took off from a

wooden platform build over the foredeck of the United States Cruiser Birmingham

– January 1911 – Ely completed “double” by landing his Curtiss biplane on a specially erected deck on the cruiser USS Pennsylvania.

– May 1911 – First Naval Aircraft ordered

• USS Langley– Converted in 1922

• USS Ranger– 1st Carrier build from the

keel up in 1934

First Aircraft Carrier

Growth of Naval Aviation

• WWI– Used to spot U-boats on patrol missions– Primarily used for reconnaissance– Later stages of war aerial combat became more

widely accepted

• WWII– Not considered “capital” ships– Pearl Harbor – battle line severely damaged– Out of necessity, Naval aviation took the war to the

enemy

Mission of Naval Aviation

• Strike Warfare– Attack A/C carry air-to-surface ordnance to

destroy ground installations or vessels– F/A-18

• Anti-air Warfare– Nullify or reduce the effectiveness of an attack

by hostile aircraft or guided missiles– F/A-18, EA-6B

Missions (cont)

• Anti-Submarine Warfare– Used to cover large areas rapidly and

relatively invulnerable to submarine defensive measures

– P-3C, SH-60

• Anti-Surface Warfare– Cover large areas, destroy surface combatant

threats and conduct surface survaillance– F/A-18, EA-6B, SH-60, P-3,

Missions (cont)

• Mine Warfare

• Non-Combat Missions

• Fleet Support

• Command and Control

• Search and Rescue

Aircraft Designations

• letter signifies primary mission(i.e. P-3, C-2A)

• Mission modifier may precede the basic mission symbol(i.e. EA-6B, EP-3E)

• Number refers to sequential design number (i.e. E-2C)

• Letter following the number is the modification to an original design(i.e. EA-6B, F/A-18C, F/A-18D, F/A-18E)

Squadron Designations

• Squadron Prefix– V for fixed wing– H for rotary wing

• Squadron Class Symbol– Designates primary mission of squadron

• Squadron Number– Designates particular squadron

VFA-94

VP-4VAQ-129

VT-86

HS-2

VMA-542

AV-8 Harrier

Vertical/Short-takeoff attack aircraft used by USMC

F/A-18 Hornet

Carrier-based fighter/light-attack

$57 million

Mach 1.8

50,000’ altitude

1,275 nm range

P-3 OrionLand-based, long-range patrol and ASW/ASUW aircraft

$36 million

411 knots

28,000 altitude

2300nm range

E-2 Hawkeye Carrier-based prop plane with a dome on top housing a radar antenna, Airborne Command and Control, Battle Space Management

$80 million

300 knots

30,000’ altitude

CH/MH-53 Sea Dragon-Mine Countermeasures

-VertRep

-Assault Support

SH-60 Seahawk

Twin-engine, medium lift, utility or assault

SH-60B – ASW

SH-60F – SAR/ASW

WEAPONS!!!

• 20-MM Gun– 6-barreled Gatling-type gun– 2,000-6,000 rounds/minute

• Air-to-Air Missiles– Sparrow II

• Medium range (10 nm), semi-active misslie

– Sidewinder• Short range (3 nm), passive missile using infrared homing

– AMRAMM (Advanced medium-range, air-to-air missile)

• Intended to replace the sparrow

More Weapons

• Air-to-ground missiles– HARM (High-speed, Anti-radiation Missile), long

range (50 nm), used against radar installations– SLAM (Stand-off, Land-Attack Missile)

• A modified Harpoon

– Harpoon• Long range (60 nm), anti-surface missile

– Maverick• Electro-optical or infrared guidance• Air to surface weapon intended for use against tanks

– Wall Eye• Glide bomb w/ a shaped charge

Rockets

• 2.75” Rockets– Unguided rockets carried in pods mounted on

either helos or attack aircraft

• 5.0” Rockets– Unguided rockets carried in pods

Bombs

• Low-drag, general purpose (GP)– Iron bombs ranging in size from 500lbs to

2,000lbs– No guidance system– Used against targets for blast/fragmentation

effect where collateral damage is not a consideration

• Snake Eye– Retarded-delivery GP bombs– Fins open to slow bomb’s fall

Bombs

• FRAG bombs– High fragmentation– Dropped in clusters against troops or ground targets

• Incendiary bombs• Cluster bombs• Practice bombs• Concussion/Fire bomb• LGB – Laser Guided• JDAM – Satellite guided

Others

• Torpedoes– MK-46– MK-50

• Mines

• Nuclear Weapons

Service Selection

• Letters of Intent– Fall Semester Junior Year.– Primary and Secondary Community Desires.

• December Grads– Notified Mid October.

• May / August Grads– Notified Mid February.

Basic Training Pipeline

Service SelectionService Selection CommissioningCommissioning IFS / APIIFS / API

IntermediateIntermediatePrimaryPrimary

Flight TrainingFlight Training

Flight PayFlight Pay

Pipeline Pipeline SelectionSelection

Advanced / FRSAdvanced / FRS

Service Obligation

Pilots (Jet)– 8 years from winging date

Pilots (Prop or Helo)– 7 years from winging date

Naval Flight Officers (NFO)– 6 years from winging date

Aviation Career Path

SeaJPME

TRACOMFRS

IP/INFO OP DH StaffSQDN

IP/IFO Sea

IP/INFO

XO/CO

XO/CO

Questions?