German Tornadoes In-Air Refuel Over Czechia (2022) - Panavia 200 NATO Dual-Capable Aircraft (DCA),conventional/nuclear

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

The Combat-ready KC-46 Pegasus Brings More than Fuel to the Fight - Defense Daily

The Combat-ready KC-46 Pegasus Brings More than Fuel to the Fight - Defense Daily: The 21st century battlespace requires agile, adaptive platforms primed to serve multiple roles, including the ability to connect and protect crucial assets. As the all- domain force sets its course for data-centric operations, Boeing’s KC-46A Pegasus is evolving the strategic role of tankers to meet this new reality. Beyond its refueling and cargo, passenger or […]

CENTCOM Commander Boards Nuclear Missile Submarine

U.S. Central Command commander General Michael "Erik" Kurilla,US Army,boarded the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) on 19 October 2022 at a secret location in international waters of the Arabian Sea.Also coming aboard was Vice Admiral Brad Cooper,commander of U.S. 5th Fleet and NAVECENT.The Arabian Sea is between Oman,Yemen and Somalia to the west,and India to the east.General Kurilla got a hands-on briefing on the submarine's capability.The USS West Virginia traverses the globe as a member of U.S. Strategic Command and the seaborne leg of the nuclear deterrent triad. Said General Kurilla: These submarines are the crown jewel of the nuclear triad,and the West Virginia demonstrates the flexibility,survivability,readiness and capability of USCENTCOM and USSTRATCOM forces at sea.* The West Virginia is homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay,Georgia.The Lockheed Martin Space UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missile deployed on the West Virginia is also deployed by the UK's Royal Navy on its Vanguard-class submarines.The Trident II Strategic Weapons System has greater accuracy,payload and range,such that it could be used as a first-strike weapon.* Each of the 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines carries 24 Trident IIs.This will be reduced to 20 in 2023 in accordance with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) agreed by the US and the Russian Federation.The Trident II can carry a variety of nuclear warheads,ranging from 475 kilotonnes of TNT equivalent all the way down to the tactical nuclear weapon range of 5-7 kilotonnes.* While Lockheed Martin Space is the missile's prime contractor,subcontractors include Boeing (navigation maintenance) and Northrop Grumman (engineering and integration).The missiles will remain in service until 2042 under a life extension plan (D5LE).Indeed,two of the D5LE missiles were sucessfully test-fired from the USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) in 2021.The new US Navy Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine will replace the Ohio-class,and the UK's new Dreadnought-class will supplant the Vanguard-class;but the new submarines will continue to field the UGM-133 Trident IIs.* Boeing (BA),Lockheed Martin (LMT),Northrop Grumman (NOC)

Two U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers fly over USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) - Submarine Group Ten

RAF Coningsby Live Action | NATO Exercise SteadFast Noon 2022 - 19 October 2022