Operation Inherent Resolve
Aboard USS George HW Bush (CVN-77)
Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Syria
June 2017
|
Photo-report: A more detailed report appears in my book; Thunder Through the Valleys: Low Level Flying - Low Level Photography
The Carrier Strike Wing CVW-8 comprises of around 85 aircraft;
McDonnell Douglas now Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 213 'Black Lions'
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E Super Hornets of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 31 the 'Tomcatters'
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornets of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 37 the 'Ragin Bulls'
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E Super Hornets of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 87 the 'Golden Warriors'
Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'
McDonnell Douglas EA-18G Growlers of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 'Lancers'
Sikorsky MH-60S Kinghawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HS9) 9 the 'Tridents'
Sikorsky MH-60R Kinghawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 the 'Spartans'
Grumman C-2A Greyhounds of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 Detachment 2 the 'Rawhides'.
|
The crew pride themselves on total teamwork. There are seven groups of people working on the flight deck. For easy identification each group wears a different colour jersey.
White shirts are landing signal officers and safety observers,
Yellow shirts are catapult, arresting gear officers and traffic directors,
Blue shirts are tractor drivers and elevator operators,
Green shirts are aircraft maintenance and arresting gear crews,
Brown shirts are aircraft crew chiefs,
Purple shirts are refuellers and are known colloquially as 'grapes',
Red shirts are weapons handlers and crash crews. |
| McDonnell Douglas F/A-18F Super Hornet (166663 'AJ-200') of VFA-213 'Black Lions' Captain Will 'Skids' Pennington's aircraft. |
| Left to right: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18F Super Hornet (166663 'AJ-200') of VFA-213 'Black Lions' about to catch the arresting wire. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166663 'AJ-200') of VFA-213 'Black Lions' having caught the arresting wire. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166663 'AJ-200') of VFA-213 'Black Lions' moving out for a launch. |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet (168917 'AJ-307') of strike fighter squadron VFA-87 'Golden Warriors'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168917 'AJ-307') of strike fighter squadron VFA-87 'Golden Warriors' about to launch. VFA-87's their callsign 'War Party' is painted on the tanks. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168917 'AJ-307') of VFA-87 'Golden Warriors' about to launch. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to touch down |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to touch down. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165298 'AJ-602') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'. |
| Left to right: Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165298 'AJ-602') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'. |
Left to right: Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165298 'AJ-602') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'.
Grumman C-2A Greyhound (162168 '45') of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 Detachment 1 the 'Rawhides'. |
| Boeing EA-18G Growler (168774 'AJ-502') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers'. |
| Left to right: Boeing EA-18G Growler (168774 'AJ-502') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers'. |
| Left to right: Boeing EA-18G Growler (168774 'AJ-502' and 168776 'AJ-504') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers'. |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet (166682 'AJ-204') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166682 'AJ-204') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'.
F/A-18E Super Hornets (168910 'AJ-300' and 168919 'AJ-311') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166636 'AJ-210') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions' and the weapons bay. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165187 'AJ-400') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' catching the wire on landing. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165187 'AJ-400') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' catching the wire on landing. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165182 'AJ-411' and 165176 'AJ-407') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls'. |
| Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165298 'AJ-602') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'. |
| Left to right: Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (165298 'AJ-602') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168917 'AJ-307') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors' launching. |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet (166684 'AJ-206') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166684 'AJ-206' and 166640 'AJ-214') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166682 'AJ-204') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
| Boeing EA-18G Growler (168775 'AJ-503') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers' |
| Left to right: EA-18G Growler (168775 'AJ-503') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers'. |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet (168913 'AJ-303') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168913 'AJ-303') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (168913 'AJ-303') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors' about to launch. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165182 'AJ-411') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' caught the wire on landing. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165182 'AJ-411') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' caught the wire on landing. |
Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165176 'AJ-407') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' caught the wire on landing.
F/A-18C Hornet (164632 'AJ-401') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' under tow across the deck. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' about to launch. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornets (166782 'AJ-106' and 166780 'AJ-104') of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet (166640 'AJ-214') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions' it has three BLU-111 500 lb bombs under each wing. |
| Left to right: F/A-18F Super Hornet (166640 'AJ-214' and 166636 'AJ-210') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornets (166782 'AJ-106', 166780 'AJ-104' and 166176 'AJ-100') of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166783 'AJ-107') of Fighter Strike Squadron (VFA) 31 the 'Tomcatters' udring night operations. |
Left to right: EA-18G Growler (168776 'AJ-504') of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 the 'Lancers',
F/A-18E Super Hornet (166783 'AJ-107') of VFA-31 the 'Tomcatters',
F/A-18F Super Hornet (166684 'AJ-206') of VFA-213 the 'Black Lions'. |
Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (164976 'AJ-402') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls',
Sikorsky MH-60S Kinghawks of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HS9) 9 the 'Tridents',
E-2C Hawkeye (165300 'AJ-601') of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 the 'Bear Aces'. |
| F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls' with its two crew chiefs. |
| Left to right: F/A-18C Hornet (165221 'AJ-404') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls'. |
Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornets (168911 'AJ-301') of VFA-87 the 'Golden Warriors'.
F/A-18C Hornet (165174 'AJ-405') of VFA-37 'Ragin Bulls',
F/A-18E Super Hornet (166778 'AJ-102') of VFA-31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
| Captain Will Pennington Commanding Officer, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166779 'AJ-103') of VFA-31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet (166779 'AJ-103') of VFA-31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
| Left to right: F/A-18E Super Hornet (166779 'AJ-103') of VFA-31 the 'Tomcatters'. |
Left to right: Souda Bay visitors on the US operated ramp.
C-2A Greyhound (162159 '46') of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 Detachment 1 the 'Rawhides',
Lockheed EP-3E Orion Aries II (156511 '511') of VQ-1 'World Watchers'. Fleet reconnaissance squadron (VQ-1) operates the EP-3 Aries signals intelligence (SIGINT). 1 April 2001: An aerial collision known as the Hainan Island incident between a USN EP-3E ARIES II, BuNo 156511, a signals reconnaissance version of the P-3C and a People's Liberation Army Navy J-8IIM fighter resulted in the J-8IIM crashing and its pilot was killed. The EP-3 came close to becoming uncontrollable, at one point sustaining a near inverted roll, but was able to make an emergency landing on Hainan.
Lockheed C-130H Hercules (96-1008) of the 109th Airlift Squadron Minnesota ANG and C-130H Hercules (96-7324) of the 130 Air Wing, 167th Airlift Squadron West Virginia ANG. |
