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Scramble 469
over the F-35C Lightning II strike fighter community. An
internal directive mentioned that on 1 August 2018, the com-
mander, Joint Strike Fighter Wing, will be established on
NAS Lemoore (CA). The JSFW will man, train and equip the
three current F-35C strike fighter squadrons (VFAs): the two
fleet replacement squadrons, VFA-101 at Eglin AFB (FL) and
VFA-125 at Lemoore, plus VFA-147, an operational squadron
currently in transition from the F/A-18E to the F-35C. As more
fleet squadrons make the transition to the F-35C, they will be
reassigned from their current wing, Strike Fighter Wing, US
Pacific Fleet (also based at Lemoore) or Strike Fighter Wing
Atlantic based at NAS Oceana (VA). Those SFWs will continue
to man, train and equip the Navy’s F/A-18 strike fighter
squadrons.
Early May 2018, the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations,
Admiral John Richardson, announced the establishment of US
2nd Fleet. From 1 July 2018, 2nd Fleet will exercise operational
and administrative authorities over assigned ships, aircraft
and landing forces on the East Coast and northern Atlantic
Ocean. Additionally, it will plan and conduct maritime, joint
and combined operations and will train, certify and provide
maritime forces to respond to global contingencies.
Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
(ComNavAirLant)
The United States Navy expects to establish Air Test and
Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 at Webster Field in St. Inigoes
(MD) on 17 October 2018. Webster Field is close to NAS Patux-
ent River (MD) and it will become the home base of the new
squadron, which will assume the role of the Unmanned
Aerial System detachment of Naval Test Wing Atlantic. The
Naval Test Wing provides research, development, test and
evaluation support for Navy and Marine Corps UAS’s. As
the UAS story expands it “requires the establishment of a
command dedicated solely to that mission.” Webster Field is
already in use for UAS testing. Small tactical UAS’s, like the
MQ-21 Blackjack and the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicop-
ter, have already been operated in a test environment from
this location. It is not reported yet what types of UAS will be
assigned to UX-24.
Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet
(ComNavAirPac)
Carrier Air Wing 17, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), NA
The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) arrived back home to
NB San Diego (CA) on 7 May 2018. The deployment started
on 6 October 2017 when it departed this location. During the
cruise it supported Operations Inherent Resolve and Free-
dom’s Sentinel. During the deployment five port calls in four
different countries where made: in the United Arab Emirate,
the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Singapore and the
Republic of the Philippines, as well Hawaii and Guam.
Carrier News
The US Navy announced it plans to return the USS George
Washington (CVN-73) to US Fleet Activities Yokosuka,
(Japan) as the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier.
The GW entered a four-year Refueling and Complex Overhaul
(RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding (VA) in August 2017.
Before entering its RCOH, the carrier spent seven years oper-
ating from Yokosuka before it was relieved by the USS Ronald
Reagan (CVN-76). The RR will eventually return to an unde-
fined location in CONUS, but the USS John Stennis (CVN-74),
currently homeported in Bremerton (WA), will be the next
carrier to enter RCOH. So it sounds logical that the RR will
be homeported in Bremerton after GW arrives back in Yoko-
suka. It is also said that the GW is the first carrier to operate
the, yet to be chosen, MQ-25 Stingray Unmanned Carrier-
based Aerial Refueling. As GW leaves dry-dock in 2021, and
the MQ-25 likely not ready to deploy until the mid-2020s,
George Washington will be back in Japan before receiving
the first MQ-25As. The Navy’s FY2019 budget request plans to
spend USD 719 million on MQ-25 research and development.
The Navy plans to make its first purchase in 2023, and initial
operational capability is expected in FY 2026. George Wash-
ington’s move to Newport News was part of a three-carrier
homeport swap, which sent USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-
71) to NB San Diego (CA) while USS Ronald Reagan left the
West Coast to replace George Washington in Japan.
United States Marine Corps (NY)
The Pentagon announced that its Lockheed Martin new USD
31 billion CH-53K project for the US Marine Corps may be
Heading for the active runway is CH-53E 164860/YJ-860. Visiting from nearby MCAS Miramar, HMH-465 Warhorses is the unit operating this
Super Stallion helicopter. (NAF El Centro (CA), 28 March 2018, Marcel J. van Bielder)
