Under NATO Command for Power Projection:Carrier Strike Group 10

NATO Vigilance Activity Neptune Strike 2022 (NEST 22.2) began on 14 October and was to have lasted 12 days.Actually,it was still active as of 28 October.NEST 22.2 was overseen by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) from its headquarters in Oeiras,Portugal.The focal point of the activity was the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG 10) and its integration with NATO Allies and Partners while under NATO command.This enabled the CSG to deliver effects in NATO Joint Operating Areas (JOAs) Allied Joint Forces Command (JFC) Naples,Italy and JFC Brunssum,the Netherlands,projecting Alliance cohesion through simultaneous operations in European waters.Commands throughout the Alliance came together to plan and execute all-domain real world Vigilance Activities,demonstrating NATO'S power and capability.Said Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee,commander U.S. 6th Fleet and STRIKFORNATO: The Neptune series is a tangible demonstration of the power and capability of the NATO Alliance in all-domain operations.Neptune Strike 22.2 is a prime example of NATO'S ability to integrate high-end maritime warfare capabilities of an Allied Carrier Strike Group,ensuring our collective capability to deter and defend.* NATO observed that,within the framework of Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA),the Vigilance Activity improved interoperability of the CSG with STRIKFORNATO;Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE);and the wider Alliance and Partners.It also generated effects in the maritime,air and land domains,providing deterrence and reassurance while offering powerful opportunities for Allied interoperability.It proves the power and cohesion of the NATO Alliance,according to Royal Navy Rear Admiral James Morely,deputy commander,STRIKFORNATO.Such Vigilance Activities ensure the appropriate strategic awareness and force readiness required to sustain the peace.* Added Rear Admiral Dennis Valdez,CSG 10 commander: The teamwork,trust and combat readiness built through these events are our competitive advantage.* As of 28 October,the CSG was transiting the Adriatic Sea,which separates Italy from Southeast Europe,during NEST 22.2.The CSG is an integrated combat weapons system that delivers superior combat capability to deter,and if necessary,defeat our adversaries in support of national security.Indeed,the Spanish frigate ESPS Cristobal Colon (F105) accompanied the CSG during its Adriatic transit,and Rear Admiral Michael Sciretta,commander,Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) flew aboard an E/A-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft from the USS George H.W. Bush.Lieutenant Commander Sean Delaney of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 40 had given Rear Admiral Sciretta a safety check before the two-seater aircraft's flight.* Allies and Partners taking part in NEST 22.2 included Albania;Canada;Croatia;Finland;France;Germany;Greece;Hungary;Italy;Lithuania;North Macedonia;Poland;Romania;Spain;Slovakia;Sweden;Turkey;the UK and the US with more than 80 aircraft;14 ships;and around 6,000 personnel.US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets conducted patrols over Romania,which has a border with Ukraine,with Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets.During a live-fire drill,Sailors from Team Jackpot,that is,Carrier Air Wing SEVEN (CVW-7),fired 50-caliber and M240B machine guns from the George H.W. Bush.Team Jackpot was also very pleased to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg,who mingled with them during his visit to the CSG on 25 October 2022.*

NATO Secretary General press point on board aircraft carrier 🇺🇸 USS George H.W. Bush 25 OCT 2022

Adversaries Put on Notice as Carrier Strike Group 10 Deploys

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG 10) deployed from Naval Station Norfolk,Virginia on 10 August 2022.Besides the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and its embarked Carrier Air Wing 7 (CAW 7),the CSG includes warships guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55);guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 26 (DESRON 26) USS Nitze (DDG 94),USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) on its maiden deployment,USS Farragut (DDG 99) and USS Truxton (DDG 103);and typically an unannounced nuclear-powered attack submarine.* Said Rear Admiral Dennis Velez,Commander Carrier Strike Group 10:We bring the full range of U.S. and Allied maritime power in support of national security and defense objectives wherever we sail.Throughout our deployment,we will continue to operate with and reassure our Allies,maintain open sea lanes for trade and increased prosperity,and deter-or if necessary-destroy our adversaries.* Added Captain David-Tavis Pollard,CO of George H.W. Bush:George H.W. Bush Sailors are warriors,leaders,teachers and ambassadors leaning forward,representing their families,hometowns,and the American people wherever we operate.* The Navy explained that CSG 10 is an integrated combat weapons system that delivers superior combat capability to deter,and,if necessary,defeat America's adversaries in support of national security.In total,the CSG is a force of more than 6,000 Sailors,capable of executing a wide range of missions worldwide.The aircraft carrier herself is a flexible,tailorable warfighting capability for the national command authority,which,with the CSG,mainitains maritime stability and security to ensure access,deter aggression,and defend US,Allied and Partner intetrests.* As of 19 August,the CSG remained in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia.It is believed it will set sail for Europe shortly to relieve the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group currently on deployment in the European theatre of operations.* The sponsor of the USS George H.W. Bush is Dorothy "Doro" Bush,daughter of the late President George H.W. Bush.She recorded a message of support for CSG 10 on the occasion of its deployment.

Naval Strategy:U.S. 2nd Fleet One Year On

On 24 August 2019 the U.S. 2nd Fleet marked the 1st anniversary of its Establishment Ceremony,which took place aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) at Norfolk,Virginia.The Fleet was given the following Mission:
To develop and employ maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access,deter aggression,and defend U.S.,allied and partner interests.*
Writing for the Business Insider website,the commander of U.S. 2nd Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk,VADM Andrew Lewis,said that:
The last time 2nd Fleet existed,the world looked very different than it does now:Today maritime superiority,vital to our national security,has been placed at risk by resurgent powers,namely Russia and China,seeking to supplant the US as the partner of choice around the world.The 2nd Fleet of today has redirected its strategic focus from mainly training units to deploy to regional conflicts in the Middle East to operating high-end naval forces and developing tactics to deter potential conflicts,to include near-peer adversaries in the North Atlantic and Arctic.*
We must be present in contested spaces-and virtual presence is not true presence.US 2nd Fleet is focused on the waters from the East Coast to the Arctic,Norway,and approaches of the Baltic and Azores.*
VADM Lewis continued:
Russia considers itself THE great power in the Arctic,and China is certainly interested in the hydrocarbon and fish available in those waters.If we do not get into the Arctic with a measured and deliberate approach,the area is destined for conflict.*
The greatest challenge I have faced is disrupting the sense of normalcy established during years of fighting FROM the sea,rather than fighting UPON the sea.We need to take a close look at the assets we have and ensure we are employing them appropriately and fighting as fleets rather than task groups or units.*
We are building US 2nd Fleet to be the market disrupter that changes the way we fight as a fleet-as a coalition-and in doing so,we will be ready to fight.*

Navy Air Strikes Continue in Iraq;More Troops Arrive

US Navy fighter jets struck another Islamic State militant position today,taking out a mortar just to the north of Mt.Sinjar.The mortar position threatened the thousands of Yazidi people camped on the mountain for refuge.The militants want to get rid of them in their campaign of ethnic cleansing.*
This same humanitarian crisis has resulted in 129 more US military advisors being sent to Iraq.There were already 250 of them engaged in assessing,advising and assisting the Iraqi military.Many of these advisors are special operations troops.*
In addition to these US forces,there are an additional 450 providing security to the US Embassy and Baghdad International Airport.If the additional 75 US troops are sent to Mt.Sinjar to assess the number of Yazidi people there and how best to evacuate them,there would be 829 pairs of American boots on the ground.All the troops are authorised to defend themselves,but not to conduct offensive operations.*
In addition to the ground forces,the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George W. Bush(CVN 77) has provided the airpower in the current Iraqi campaign,with the exception of the drones that have also been in use.The Boeing F/A-18 Hornets or Super Hornets have been dropping GPS/laser guided bombs on militant positions,but can also deliver air-to-ground missiles.Both aircraft can fly at up to Mach 1.7 at a ceiling of 50,000 feet.
With three external fuel tanks and four 1,000 pound bombs,the Hornets have a range of 369 nautical miles;the Super Hornets have a range of 486 nautical miles.The Hornets have a wingspan of 40.4 feet and a length of 56.0 feet;the Super Hornets have a wingspan of 44.9 feet and a length of 60.3 feet.There are about 60 aircraft aboard the George H.W. Bush,manned and maintained by an air wing of 1500 personnel.*
Military cargo planes from the US,France and Great Britain have been dropping humanitarian aid to the Yazidi people,a religious minority in Northern Iraq.*
Boeing(BA)

US Forces Poised For Iraq Response-USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group

US warships,aircraft and troops are poised for orders to respond to the advance of Iraqi Islamist militants toward Baghdad.In the Persian Gulf,aka Arabian Gulf,are the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush(CVN 77) and its strike group:guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea(CG 58) and guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun(DDG 103),as well as one or more attack submarines.
The George H W Bush has about 60 aircraft to coordinate and execute any strike mission against the militants the President may order.The cruiser and destroyer can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles for precision strike,as can attack submarines.
Also in the Persian Gulf is the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde(LPD 19) with 550 US Marines aboard.The Marines are on standby to evacuate up to 5,000 American civilians currently in Iraq.In Iraq itself,170 Marines and Army troops have been added to the permanent US embassy guard force to bolster security and support for US personnel.The Baghdad embassy compound,located in the International Zone,aka Green Zone,is the largest in the world.The Green Zone is a heavily guarded,closed-off area of central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government buildings;private military contractors;and the US,British,Australian and Egyptian embassies.
Another 100 US troops have arrived in the region and are on standby for airfield management,security and logisitics support.
The White House is also considering sending up to 100 special forces troops to Iraq.They would be non-operational,soley for training and advising the Iraqi army on military bases,although authorised to defend themselves.
The main militant group is formally known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,or ISIL,and has captured extensive territory in both Iraq and Syria.They are only 37 miles North of Baghdad at this writing.

Northrop Drone Makes Naval Aviation History

It was a smooth engineering event.There was no drama at all.The deck crew,some of them taking cell phone photos,almost seemed irrelevant as Northrop Grumman's X-47B was launched from the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush(CVN 47) off the coast of Virginia Tuesday.It wasn't Top Gun,yet it was an historic flight nonetheless as the first drone to be launched from a US aircraft carrier signaled the dawn of a new era in naval aviation.
This drone landed at nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent River Maryland-again without incident;but the next step for the Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstrator,or UCAS-D, program will be to land one on the deck of a moving aircraft carrier later in the year.Eventually,the Navy will arm drones and be able to fly them anywhere in the world without the need for an air base in a distant land:a new degree of independence for unmanned air combat operations.
What is more,the X47-B doesn't need human controllers with a joystick.Its flight is totally computerised.
The Top Gun era is by no means over,however.The Navy's manned F-35 Lightning IIC Joint Strike Fighter program is barely off the ground and will be the standard of aircraft carrier combat operations for many decades into the future.Drones will be a valuable tool,but just one of a range of options for theater commanders.Land-based drones haven't replaced land-based US Air Force fighter or bomber aircraft in the Iraq and Afghan Wars.
Combat air drones are slated for deployment aboard carriers by 2020.
Northrop Grumman(NOC)

Aircraft Carrier To Be Delivered

The USS George H.W. Bush was christened October 7,2006.She will be delivered to the fleet this year.The last of the Nimitz class of carriers,she has two nuclear reactors,about 80 aircraft,and a complement of 5680 personnel.Northrup Grumman(NOC) is her builder.