[HTML1] The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is getting ready to wrap up its Persian Gulf deployment, but before they head home, they’re lending a hand to American operations against the Islamic State in Iraq. In this official Navy video, ordnancemen pack explosives to assemble bombs for the strikes. In the clip below, you’ll see what happens after they’re loaded onto F/A-18 Hornets and dropped onto targets. The video shows an airstrike in northern Iraq on Friday. [HTML2] The Bush carrier strike group and Carrier Air Wing 8 left Norfolk back in February and are scheduled to make their way…
Browsing: ordnance
The rare torpedo discovered by dolphins off the coast of California arrived safely at the Washington Navy Yard on May 30. Naval History and Heritage Command’s Underwater Archaeology Branch now has the remains of the Howell torpedo, a Navy release said. It is only the third one known to exist; the other two are displayed at the Naval Undersea Museum and the Naval War College. Before arriving in D.C., the torpedo was placed in fresh water, which helps leech the salt out of the artifact, the release said. “It’s kept in water because it was found in a saltwater environment,”…
Just two months after winning gold at the 2012 London Paralympics, Lt. Brad Snyder is partnering with Delta Gamma fraternity to help blinded veterans regain their independence. Delta Gamma’s new initiative, Service for Sight: Joining Forces, was launched on Veterans Day. Though the Greek organization already supports sight-related charities, donating $300,000 in 2011, this new program will specifically help blinded veterans. In September 2011, Snyder was leading an explosive ordnance disposal platoon in Afghanistan when he triggered an improvised explosive device. The blast left him irreversibly blind. “Gaining your independence back is the best aspect of feeling good as a…
There may not have been many of you — the former supply ship Saturn’s crew of 160 never included many more than 40 sailors during its 25-year run with Military Sealift Command — but here’s a respectful nod to you and your old ride, which was sunk in the Atlantic Wednesday after the George H.W. Bush Strike Group spent two days attacking the decommissioned ship during a training/sinking exercise. Ships from Destroyer Squadron 22 and aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 8, along with Patrol Squadrons 10 and 45, took part in the tactical training exercise using surface-to-surface, air-to-surface and surface-to-air…
An artist’s rendition of the the AGS at work. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead in an interview with Navy Times last month voiced his commitment to providing Marines precision littoral fire support. We’re looking at rounds that give us extended range and are compatible with 5-inch guns. Precision is going to be key. In today’s world, if you are developing a fire solution, it must be able to give you almost pinpoint accuracy, to within a couple of meters. GPS technology offers that. Of course, there is a huge G-force, so [the round] will have to be able…
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Green Hornet on Thursday took to flight – the fighter jet, not the super hero. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was powered by a 50/50 blend of biofuel and JP-5. That same day, a U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors. Two others will soon have their day in court. And on Wednesday, the Navy implemented its first change in 17 years to…
March was a busy month for the Global Force for Good. You’ve likely heard about the commissionings, the pummeling of pirates and all the other good tidbits. Here are a few highlights that may have slipped under your radar: The carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower launched nearly 620 combat sorties and flew more than 3,600 cumulative hours from the North Arabian Sea supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Nearly three dozen nuggets gave a collective sigh as the carrier John C. Stennis began the journey home to Bremerton, Wash., after 21 days at sea in support of fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications. Stennis…
With a radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun spitting out 4,500 armor-piercing tungsten rounds per minute, and a 100-percent kill distance in the realm of eight miles, what’s badder than a MK15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System? An upgraded MK15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon System. Raytheon on March 31 was awarded a $204 million to beef up 32 CIWS systems. John Eagles, a spokesman for Raytheon, today told Scoop Deck that the amount jumped by $10 million because some extra upgrades were ordered – and with good reason. The 32 existing mounts will upgrade to 1B status, which is a defense system with a…
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon took a day trip with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead this week. This is the play-by-play report. 1015 We are treated to a quick review of A/C repair – a very important facet of sub life. Not only for reasons of comfort, but for the fact that the four units on a sub keep all the equipment cool. MM1 (SS) Aaron Riedel then gives us the skinny on the “Weapons Team Trainer.” This is where you learn how to fire a torpedo the right way. There’s more to it than plug and…
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon took a day trip with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead this week. This is the play-by-play report. Sailors assigned to the guided-missile submarine Florida practice skills controlling the boat in the Ships Control Team Trainer at the Trident Training Facility in Kings Bay, Ga. (photo by MTCS (SS) Nicholas Davies) 0930 We are in the “Ships Control Trainer,” where the gold crew from the guided-missile sub Florida is being put to the test. The diving officer of the watch is giving direction to sailors manning the helm on his right, which controls…
