Tag Archives: Commander Naval Air Forces

Procedural Problems, Maintenance Lapses Led to Water Contamination Aboard Carriers USS Nimitz, USS Abraham Lincoln

Procedural Problems, Maintenance Lapses Led to Water Contamination Aboard Carriers USS Nimitz, USS Abraham Lincoln

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W Bush (CVN-77) transits the Adriatic Sea on March 17, 2023. US Navy Photo

Water contaminated with jet fuel accidentally pumped throughout aircraft carrier USS Nimitz‘s (CVN-68) potable water system and resulted in widespread contamination that made 11 sailors sick in September, according to an investigation the Navy released on Monday. Read More

Procedural Issue Contaminated Fresh Water System With Jet Fuel on USS Nimitz

Procedural Issue Contaminated Fresh Water System With Jet Fuel on USS Nimitz

Sailors aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) assemble on the flight deck and form a human ‘100’ to commemorate the centennial of the aircraft carrier on March 20, 2022. US Navy Photo

Sailors could’t use the potable water system aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) for three days after jet fuel contaminated the fresh water tanks last week, a Navy official told USNI News on Wednesday. Read More

Navy Adjusts F-35C Squadron Size to End Fighter Shortfall by 2025

Navy Adjusts F-35C Squadron Size to End Fighter Shortfall by 2025

An F-35C Lighting II from the ‘Argonauts’ Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, left, a F/A-18F Super Hornet from the ‘Bounty Hunters’ VFA 2, center, and F/A-18E Super Hornets from the ‘Stingers’ VFA 113, right, sit on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Jan 30, 2021. US Navy Photo

Navy officials told a key House panel this week that by creating a different mix of aircraft in the future carrier air wing, the service could shave five years off the timetable to close the shortfall in its strike fighter aircraft inventory. Read More

First F-35C Air Wing Ready to Bring 5th-Gen Fighters to Carrier Strike Group

First F-35C Air Wing Ready to Bring 5th-Gen Fighters to Carrier Strike Group

PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 30, 2021) An F-35C Lighting II from the “Argonauts” Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 sits on the flight deck on Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson is currently underway conducting routine maritime operations. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Erin. C. Zorich)

As the Navy approaches the first-ever deployment of its advanced carrier air wing – with the fifth-generation F-35C Joint Strike Fighter paired with the CMV-22B Osprey to serve as the carrier onboard delivery plane – leadership from USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and Carrier Air Wing 2 say they’ve ironed out many integration issues between the ship and the two new aircraft types and are ready for a final exercise this summer to prove they can deploy. Read More

Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell Takes Command as New Navy Air Boss

Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell Takes Command as New Navy Air Boss

Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller is properly relieved by Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell as Commander, Naval Air Forces and Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific during a change of command ceremony aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) at Naval Air Station North Island Oct. 2. U.S. Navy Photo.

Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell formally began his role as the Navy’s ninth Air Boss last week, the service recently announced. Read More

Navy Announces New VCNO, Other Top Assignments, in First Notification Since Policy Reversal

Navy Announces New VCNO, Other Top Assignments, in First Notification Since Policy Reversal

Top Row (left to right): Vice Adm. William Lescher, Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Rear Adm. Gene Black Bottom Row (left to right): Rear Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey, Rear Adm. John Mustin

The Navy announced several new assignments for its top officers, the first public announcement of its kind since December 2018, when the service stopped announcing senior flag moves in the name of cybersecurity. Read More

Mission Capable: How More Ready Jets Is Helping the Navy Create Deadlier Pilots

Mission Capable: How More Ready Jets Is Helping the Navy Create Deadlier Pilots

Sailors inspect an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the ‘Blue Diamonds’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on March 23, 2020. US Navy Photo

This post is the second in a two-part series on the naval aviation community’s effort to build better readiness and how that is changing the future of naval aviation.

“It was, quite frankly, a little scary.”

In 2015, Rear Adm. Rich Brophy was a captain who had just taken command of Carrier Air Wing 9 and was trying to usher the unit through pre-deployment training, while sitting at the bottom of a bathtub in naval aviation readiness. Read More