X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) makes Naval Aviation History

History in the making.....The US NAVY leading the military ( and the world) with technology.

Bravo Zulu !!


From Navy.mil

ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 14, 2013) An X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator launches from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is the first aircraft carrier to successfully catapult launch an unmanned aircraft from its flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tony D. Curtis/Released

Navy's next carrier to be named CVN-79 USS JOHN F. KENNEDY

JFK would have been 94 years young on his birthday, Sunday May 29th....

He would have likely still had a spring in his step, a wink and smile for the crowd and a story or two to share.....He was the last true leader we had as President....

Many like to say that of Ronald Reagan, but Reagan was an actor. He portrayed who you wanted to see and "played" the part.....JFK was a TRUE LEADER...someone in whom Leadership was ingrained in the DNA.

John, we harldy knew ye.....we miss you and only wish that we had been able to hold on to you a little while longer.

Navy's next carrier to be named after JFK

By Lauren King
Meredith Kruse
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 30, 2011

John F. Kennedy will have a second aircraft carrier named after him.

The Navy announcement came Sunday, on what would have been the President and World War II naval veteran's 94th birthday.

Designated CVN-79, the carrier will be the second in the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers. The first, the Gerald R. Ford, CVN-78, is scheduled to be delivered to the fleet in September 2015. It was unclear when the John F. Kennedy would be completed and delivered.

The new carrier is under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Ford-class aircraft carriers are designed to replace Enterprise- and Nimitz-class carriers. The new carriers should save more than $5 billion in ownership costs during their planned 50-year service lives compared with the Nimitz-class carriers, a Navy news release said.

They will retain the same hulls as the Nimitz class but will contain several advanced technology systems, including electromagnetic aircraft launching systems, advanced arresting gear, dual-band radar, a redesigned smaller island and a new propulsion plant.

The Kennedy and other Ford-class carriers will be the premier asset for crisis response, humanitarian relief and striking power in major combat operations, the Navy said.

"President John F. Kennedy exemplified the meaning of service, not just to country, but service to all humanity," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement. "I am honored to have the opportunity to name the next aircraft carrier after this great sailor and inspirational leader, and to keep the rich tradition and history of USS John F. Kennedy sailing in the U.S. Fleet."

Kennedy entered the Navy in October 1941. Serving in the Pacific on a ship known as PT-109, he was in command on Aug. 2, 1943, when the ship was struck by an enemy vessel and split in half. Kennedy led the crew to safety over the next six days and later received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart.

The earlier carrier named after Kennedy, which bore the hull designation CV-67, was decommissioned in 2007 after serving for nearly 40 years. It stayed for several months in Hampton Roads before being towed to Philadelphia. Efforts are under way to preserve it as a museum in Rhode Island.

World's oldest aircraft carrier discovered rusting by the River Thames

The restoration of Naval History is important....It's a shame what was done to many of the historical ships that made history - scrapped, neglected and left to the decay of time....

Well in Britain, it looks like they were able to save one of the more significant crafts of UK Naval History...Brilliant.

World's oldest aircraft carrier discovered rusting by the River Thames
By Daily Mail Reporter
1st March 2011

The worlds' oldest aircraft carrier which was a precursor to today's giant Navy vessels has been discovered - rusting by a river bank.

Looking like another just another rusting hull poking out of the water, for years the large dirt covered rusting wreck in the Thames was ignored.

But a maritime journalist spotted the vessel was a 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter.

Although at just 58 feet long it looks nothing like the modern HMS Ark Royal - which is more than ten times as long - the damaged vessel was the first of the kind.

The tiny craft, discarded in the river like a shopping trolley or piece of litter, would have seen action during the First World War as aircraft carriers were introduced for the first time.

Now it is being restored by experts at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset after being recovered from the water.

Originally it would have carried one plane that was launched by being towed into the wind - and then recovered after it was ditched into the sea on landing.

Jon Jefferies, from the museum, said the small vessel was a significant find.
'It's only tiny but it's this ship that led to the development of the massive modern aircraft carriers,' he said.

'It's the world's first aircraft carrier and at the time the Ark Royal is decommissioned it's fitting it's being restored to its original state.'

Museum director Graham Mottram said he had given up hope of ever finding one of the early 20th century boats intact.

'I was well aware of the story of these seaplane lighters, but was astonished to find that one had survived intact,' he said.

'My short walk along the deck was some of the most exciting steps I have ever taken!'
After seeing the aircraft carrier for himself, he arranged for it to be lifted from the water and transported to the museum's restoration hanger.

Several of the craft's original features have been discovered by experts as they work restore it.

The 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter - which looked similar to this - was discovered in the River Thames by a maritime journalist who saw a rusting hull sticking out the water

The original boat number H21 has been unmasked along with the spot where the Ministry of Defence recorded the craft length - LVIII or 58feet - and the War Department's broad-arrow symbol.
The crew quarters in the bow have also been re-discovered.

These would have been used by the deck crew to shelter from the weather and sea conditions whilst under tow, and to store ropes, oil, tools and other small items required to service the lighter and its transported aircraft.

The 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter was built so that aircraft could extend their range prior to take off and be covertly moved.

Restoration: Vessel will eventually go on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Four prototypes were made and it proved so successful that a further 46 lighters were then made.

There is only one other example of these early aircraft carriers.
It is largely submerged and has corroded to almost nothing.

The remains are entombed in thick black mud on the banks of the River Hamble in Hampshire however at low tide it is proving to be an invaluable source of reference and donor parts.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum hopes to display a WWI Sopwith Camel on board once the dirty weathered vessel is fully restored next year.

Ultimately the Fleet Air Arm Museum hope to complete the restoration and display the world's oldest aircraft carrier with a World War I Sopwith Camel on board as if ready for take off.

US Admiral to CHI-COMS.....Nice PR on new missile but we will fend off any challenge to our fleet....

Gotta love those CHI-COMS.....They like to "talk" a good game...like when they showed footage of their jets taking down an enemy plane last month, only to find out the "take down" was footage lifted from the movie TOP GUN.....

Not that China's military is weak, but they do like to play the PR campaign a little more than they should....China has many soldiers but I feel we are more than able to compete with them on technology.

Here is our US navy countering what they have put out about the " Carrier Killer ' Missile they claim will effect our naval capability in the Pacific....

The article touches on the a key point -

" The DF 21D is unique in that it is believed capable of hitting a powerfully defended moving target — like the USS George Washington — with pinpoint precision. That objective is so complex that the Soviets gave up on a similar project."

So the CHI-COMS claim they can do this....well it is highly unlikely we will need to prove it as they really don't want to engage us....they would rather wage battle in the markets of commerce where they DO have a serious advantage based on trade & labor.

I am confident that the US Navy can handle the Chinese Dragon should that day come...in the meantime, we should keep up the defense of our freedom as it is what allows us to be the symbol of hope & freedom to others around the world.....regardless of what the lefty liberal kooks would like you to believe.


US Admiral: Carrier killer won't stop US Navy

By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press
Tue Feb 15, 6:55 am ET

YOKOSUKA, Japan – A new "carrier killer" missile that has become a symbol of China's rising military might will not force the U.S. Navy to change the way it operates in the Pacific, a senior Navy commander told The Associated Press.

Defense analysts say the Dong Feng 21D missile could upend the balance of power in Asia, where U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups have ruled the waves since the end of World War II.

However, Vice Adm. Scott van Buskirk, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, told the AP in an interview that the Navy does not see the much-feared weapon as creating any insurmountable vulnerability for the U.S. carriers — the Navy's crown jewels.

"It's not the Achilles heel of our aircraft carriers or our Navy — it is one weapons system, one technology that is out there," Van Buskirk said in an interview this week on the bridge of the USS George Washington, the only carrier that is home-based in the western Pacific.

The DF 21D is unique in that it is believed capable of hitting a powerfully defended moving target — like the USS George Washington — with pinpoint precision. That objective is so complex that the Soviets gave up on a similar project.

The missile would penetrate defenses because its speed from launch would not allow enough time for carriers or other large ships to complete countermeasures.

That could seriously weaken Washington's ability to intervene in any potential conflict over Taiwan or North Korea, as well as deny U.S. ships safe access to international waters near China's 11,200-mile (18,000-kilometer) -long coastline.

Van Buskirk, whose fleet is responsible for most of the Pacific and Indian oceans, with 60-70 ships and 40,000 sailors and Marines under its command, said the capabilities of the Chinese missile are as yet unproven. But he acknowledged it does raise special concerns.

"Any new capability is something that we try to monitor," he said.

"If there wasn't this to point to as a game changer, there would be something else," he said. "That term has been bandied about for many things. I think it really depends in how you define the game, whether it really changes it or not. It's a very specific scenario for a very specific capability — some things can be very impactful."

The development of the missile comes as China is increasingly venturing further out to sea and is becoming more assertive around its coastline and in disputes over territory.

Late last year, China and Japan were locked in a heated diplomatic row over several islands both claim in the East China Sea, an area regularly patrolled by U.S. Navy vessels. A flotilla of 10 Chinese warships, including advanced submarines and destroyers, passed through the Miyako Strait last April in the biggest transit of its kind to date.

Experts saw it as an attempt by China to test Japan and the United States and demonstrate its open water capabilities.

China has also expressed strong displeasure with U.S. carrier operations off the Korean Peninsula, saying that they posed a security risk to its capital.

Still, van Buskirk said the Navy has no intention of altering its mission because of the new threat and will continue to operate in the seas around Japan, Korea, the Philippines and anywhere else it deems necessary.

"We won't change these operations because of this specific technology that might be out there," he told The AP while the USS George Washington was in its home port just south of Tokyo for repairs last week. "But we will carefully monitor and adapt to it."

The faster-than-expected development of the missile has set off alarm bells in Washington. Further, China is developing a stealth fighter jet that could be used to support its navy in a potential conflict and hopes to deploy its first aircraft carriers over the next decade.

Before visiting Beijing last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he has been concerned about the anti-ship missile since he took office.

In December, Adm. Robert Willard, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, told Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper he believed the missile program had achieved "initial operational capability," meaning a workable design had been settled on and was being further developed.

The missile is considered a key component of China's strategy of denying U.S. planes and ships access to waters off its coast. The strategy includes overlapping layers of air defense systems, naval assets such as submarines, and advanced ballistic missile systems — all woven together with a network of satellites.

At its most capable, the DF 21D could be launched from land with enough accuracy to penetrate the defenses of even the most advanced moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 900 miles (1,500 kilometers).

To allay regional security fears, van Buskirk said, China needs to be more forthcoming about its intentions.

"It goes back to transparency," he said. "Using the United States as an example, we are very clear about our intent when conducting routine and normal operations in international waters ... That is what you might expect from other nations that might operate in this region

The aircraft carrier built in a conservatory - - Made from LEGO

Lego has been a family favorite in our house for years - The best loved toy in the world has been used to create some great pieces of art and now a model of the biggest warship in the world...Bloody brilliant !!

The aircraft carrier built in a conservatory: Made from Lego, it weighs more than 500lb, is 23ft long and took 600 hours to build

By Daily Mail Reporter
4th November 2010

Britannia rules the waves once again boasting the the world's biggest aircraft carrier - but this one is made from Lego.

The 23-foot-long, quarter-of-a-ton model is an exact replica of the USS Intrepid and was built by British Lego fan Ed Diment.

The enormous model took a whopping 600 man hours over nine months to complete and weighs a hefty 551 lbs.

It is made from 250,000 separate Lego pieces collected over the last 30 years and even comes with its own planes, life rafts and crew to make it extra-realistic.

The intricate 1:40 scale model is an identical copy of the USS Intrepid as it appeared in 1945, and is estimated to be worth around £15,000 to buy new.

The completed ship is even too big to fit in Mr Diment's house and is currently being stored in neatly-stacked boxes in his garage in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Mr Diment, 38, a management consultant, completed the ship last month, just before Government announced massive cuts to the defence budget.

He said: 'I did wonder for a moment whether they might like to buy it - at this rate we may need it!

'I've been a huge Lego fan since I was two or three, and have been collecting pieces for more than 30 years now.

'In the past I've made the HMS Edinburgh, which was nine or ten feet long, and the HMS Hood, at 20 feet long. But this is the largest ship I've ever attempted.

'It's built on a 1:40 scale, which I chose deliberately so that I could use Lego pieces as the crew to make it look more realistic,' he said.

'I used pictures on the internet and a book called The Anatomy of Ships, which has very detailed drawings and diagrams of the actual ship.

'I then built a skeletal framework out of rainbow colours, which is now hidden away inside the grey exterior of the ship.'

It was a case of all hands on deck as Mr Diment press ganged his wife into helping with the project, while friend Ralph Sabelsberg also lent a hand.

'We have a couple of hundred Lego figures aboard, in their different uniforms, around a hundred life rafts and two whaler boats which would have resupplied the ship,' Mr Diment said.

'There is a working lift to the main deck which moves up and down, the gun turrets move and the radar spins - all radio controlled.

'It's been a huge project and I was very relieved and excited to finally finish it after nine months.'