There has been criticism over the air campaign
against IS, not just in terms of rules of
engagement but also due to a lack of support
on the ground from forward air controllers
(FACs). It is very di cult for a pilot ying at
20,000ft accurately to understand the situation
on the ground without the assistance of a
well-trained FAC or JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack
Controller). This leads to the ‘boots on the
ground’ argument. Critics have suggested
that the US needs to employ a similar strategy
as used in Afghanistan, with special forces
troops calling in air strikes as situations present
themselves. This would help shorten the ‘kill
chain’ and enable mission rates to provide a
more meaningful strike rate.CRITICISM
The Carl Vinson arrived in the Persian Gulf
where it relieved USS George H. W. Bush
(CVN 77) and CVW-8 that had been
conducting air operations in support of
Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’ — the Navy
only maintains a single carrier in the region
these days. CVW-17 aircraft immediately
swung into action, performing air strikes in
Syria and Iraq and also supporting maritime
and theater security operations within the 5th
Fleet AOR. The history of US naval
operations in the region was once again being
re-written in a new era of enduring
commitments.O ensive missions
CVW-17 fl ew its fi rst mission in support of
‘Inherent Resolve’ on October 19, 2014.
Typically, the busy fl ight deck is hectic to say
the least. On average there are nine daily
launch and recovery cycles, with the fi rst
take-off at around 10.30hrs and the last
recovery long after midnight. About 20 per
cent of these daily sorties are combat
missions over Syria and Iraq. Although the
USS Carl Vinson is operating in the northern
part of the Persian Gulf, designated targetareas are often several hundred miles away.
With missions lasting up to seven hours the
Hornets and Super Hornets need to be
air-refueled three to four times during their
sorties. Tanker support is primarily provided
by US Air Force KC-135R Stratotankers or
KC-10 Extenders. Additionally, CVW-17 has
F/A-18Es equipped with ‘buddy’ refueling
pods, providing an important organic
capability for the carrier to mitigate the risks
of aircraft with low fuel states on recovery.
The nature of the current targets in Iraq
means that most missions assigned to the
Carl Vinson’s aircraft are usually not
pre-planned. In most cases targets are
assigned while the fi ghters are already in the
air, or the fi ghters fi nd targets independently.
The pilots fl y over designated areas in a grid
pattern — known as kill boxes — which
typically cover 60 square miles, searching for
militant positions and engaging hostile
targets as they appear. However, criticism has
been leveled at the rules of engagement
applied to the coalition fi ghters and how the
chain of command needed to approve target
engagement has led to pilots being unable to
strike fl eeting targets of opportunity. It is clear
that senior commanders are very aware of the
need not to incur civilian casualties.
A typical operational load for an F/A-18C
Hornet comprises an AIM-9X Sidewinder, a
500lb GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition
(JDAM), an AN/ASQ-228 Advanced
Targeting Forward-Looking Infra-Red
(ATFLIR) pod, one to three 330-gallon
external tanks, and a laser-guided AGM-65E
Maverick missile. The pylon adjacent to the
ATFLIR is usually empty in order to give the
pod’s sensors a wider fi eld of view. The
weapon load for an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
is similar in terms of weapon types but the
‘Rhino’ can carry a much heavier load,
including up to four JDAMs plus a Maverick.
On January 18, 2015, after three months of
fl ying against IS, CAPT Matt Leahey, offi cer
commanding CVW-17, reported: ‘We have
fl own over 1,300 fl ights including close air
support, interdiction, strike, airborneThis photo: This VFA-81 ‘Sunliners’
F/A-18E is con gured as a tanker with a
centerline ‘buddy’ refueling pod.
Bottom left: The carriers operating in
the Persian Gulf are navigating a very
busy and important stretch of water,
as evidenced by this shot of a VFA-94
‘Mighty Shrikes’ F/A-18C on nals to
the boat.
Below: Re-supply within the strike
group, plane guard search and rescue
and anti-surface threat reaction keeps
the MH-60S crews busy around the
clock.
Right top to bottom: This shot allows
a nice comparison of ‘Classic’ and
Super Hornets. Both types are ying
with similar mission loads, mainly
comprising of 500lb Joint Direct Attack
Munitions and AGM-65 Mavericks.
VFA-22 crews return from a long
mission over Iraq. These ights can
typically last up to seven hours.9290-95 USS Vinson C.indd 92 20/03/2015 11:13