An American carrier strike group, led by the USS Harry S. Truman, is currently conducting routine flight operations off the British coast in the North Sea.
The carrier, accompanied by the destroyers USS Stout and USS Jason Durham, as well as the cruiser USS Gettysburg, has been launching fighter jets and helicopters as part of its scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of responsibility.
The USS Harry S. Truman is currently conducting routine flight operations off the British coast in the North Sea, launching fighter jets and helicopters. The carrier recently transited through the English Channel and will soon take part in joint exercises. pic.twitter.com/o5p2H6z4FN
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) October 22, 2024
The USS Harry S. Truman entered the North Sea after transiting through the English Channel last week. These operations are part of its broader mission to maintain combat readiness and enhance the operational capabilities of its naval forces.
Rear Admiral Sean Bailey, commander of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), spoke of the importance of these exercises, stating, “Over 6,600 Sailors of the Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group have put in a tremendous effort to train and prepare to demonstrate the combat power of our U.S. Naval forces and the warfighting advantage they bring.”
The squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 embarked aboard Harry S. Truman include:
– The “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11
– The “Pukin’ Dogs” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143
– The “Sunliners” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81
– The “Knighthawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136
– The “Main Battery” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 144
– The “Seahawks” of Control Squadron (VAW) 126
– The “Proud Warriors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72
– The “Dragonslayers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11
– A detachment from the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 4
“This deployment comes on the heels of the Dwight D Eisenhower Strike Group nine-month mission that highlighted the need for continuity in our sustained presence amid escalating international tensions,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet
Forces Command.
“The Truman Strike Group will contribute to the ongoing combat readiness of our naval forces. The operational experience gained through these deployments is invaluable for maintaining a deep bench of skilled warfighters with confidence in their system’s reliability, adaptability, and lethality in a rapidly changing security environment.”
The U.S. Navy also say that throughout its 26 years of service, Harry S. Truman has deployed nine times to support critical missions and numerous operations and played a pivotal role in the United States’ commitment to ensuring a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity.
No disrespect to the ship or its company but when looking at the air group it’s looking very low end these days. The USN clearly made a mistake by all but ignoring F35 even after the DoD had to go to great expense developing a naval version. F18 is looking like the sword fish of the 21st century. An effective low cost aircraft that’s well past its prime. The fact that the US navy continues to deploy multi billion dollar carriers with no modern combat jets onboard is astounding. Fortunately the USMC went the other way as the did the… Read more »
No disrespect to the ship or its company but when looking at the air group it’s looking very low end these days. The USN clearly made a mistake by all but ignoring F35 even after the DoD had to go to great expense developing a naval version. The USN is indeed incorporating F-35Cs into their air groups, but the Pacific CVNs have priority. The Carl Vinson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln air wings have F-35C squadrons assigned already. Theodore Roosevelt can operate them and will likely get either VMFA-311 or VFA-86 very soon. So 3 American CVNs have F-35C squadrons… Read more »
They can upgrade the F18 all day long much as they did with the sword fish, it’s still slow and it’s not LO.
The USAF a does not believe such aircraft can survive on a modern battlefield yet the USN is doubling down.
That’s exactly what happened with sword fish. Super advanced electronics on a bi plane and good men died trying to fight through ME109’s during the Chanel dash.
They can upgrade the F18 all day long much as they did with the sword fish, it’s still slow and it’s not LO. It’s not supposed to be LO, but the Block III program does make the F-18 a bit more LO than it is now… As for speed, it’s plenty fast enough for what they use it for, especially if it’s carrying bombs, JSOW, LRASM, ARRGM ER, regular HARM, AIM-174B, etc. The USAF a does not believe such aircraft can survive on a modern battlefield yet the USN is doubling down. The USAF isn’t getting rid of their F-16s… Read more »
Yes but the USAF is working on having atleast half of its force being LO and the navy is looking at more like 15%. Fighting a peer adversary those F18 are likely close to useless unless a major SEAD/DEAD operation is conducted by 5th Gen aircraft. In the air to air role the F18 will be at a massive disadvantage against aircraft like the J20. This is not me saying this but the USN itself. This is what they are so desperate for their own NGAD fighter. But it’s jam tomorrows that’s not likely to come. They have the most… Read more »
“No disrespect to the ship or its company but when looking at the air group it’s looking very low end these days.”
That is funny and sadly detached from reality. There is not another csg in existence that can compete with a Nimitz class. For what it’s worth, F-18s or any other aircraft for that matter don’t operate in a vacuum but in a coordinated fashion with all the other capabilities of the carrier and it’s escorts.
The carrier only carry’s F18’s so they literally do operate in a vacuum. Your working on some 1980’s style throw back that a Nimitz class is a balanced Airforce in its own right. That’s not been the case for decades. It’s 44 F18’s and Four AWACS Turbo props. That’s not a particularly menacing force to any peer adversary. The ships is amazingly potent but they have been glacial in deployment of F18. An America class with 20 F35’s is far more deadly than an Nimitz with F18’s with the possible excluding of anti shipping but that will rapidly change once… Read more »