Naval Aircraft

US Naval aviation is the envy of every military in the world. Whether carrier-based or shore-based, a jet, plane, helicopter or trainer, America’s Navy has the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world. And a Navy air wing may also be the most versatile collection of crew and equipment in the sky.

Typically, an air wing consists of:

• 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
• 36 F/A-18C Hornets
• 4 E-2C Hawkeyes
• 4 EA-18G Growlers
• 6 SH-60R Seahawk helicopters
• 2 CH-60 Seahawk helicopters
• 2 C-2A Greyhounds

It's a collection of aircraft built for a wide range of missions. A Navy air wing could fly a combat operation, put troops and supplies in a needed area and finish with a humanitarian mission – all in the same day.

A carrier air wing is a precision-tuned machine of 2,500+ people – on hand and on the job during all major overseas deployments and operational training. When that team is rolling at peak capability, a flight deck crew can launch two planes at a time and land one every 37 seconds in daytime and one every minute at night.

From the pilots to the ground crews, Navy personnel are highly-skilled and trained – operating the best aircraft in the world – and dedicated to protect and serve those at sea and on the ground.

For a listing of all Aviation Rates, click this link: http://www.navydads.com/forum/topic/show?id=2150375:Topic:4111                                                                                                                                            

Air Superiority Launches Here!

Navy planes and jets can warn the fleet of a threat, deter that threat, and-when the mission calls for it-strike targets before they even know what hit them. Advanced electronics, sensors, weapons and all-weather capabilities put the "forward" in a forward-deployed, global presence.

F35-C Lightning II Meet the new boss

The U.S. and it's allies are getting something new and fierce: the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F35-C is the sleek US Navy variant and should be finishing up its trial carrier runs later in 2016. Stealthy, supersonic, well-armed and multi-mission, the F35-C has an advanced airfram and is designed to be supportable and survivable.

F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - APEX Preditors

Agile, versitile and lethal, multi-mission Hornets are the quick-striking, high-tech hunters of an air wing. Capable of taking out targets in all weather, night or day, surface or sky, many experts consider them to be the best class of fighter in the world. Hornet fighter/attack jets are the icons of Navy Aviation.

EA-18G Growler-Electronic Warfare Ace

Modern air combat is as much about the opposing electronics as it is about the opposing missiles. Enter the Growler. Built on a similar platform to the Hornet, it's primary mission is to jam radars, sensors and tracking systems— keeping the rest of the air wing focused on their mission. Although outfitted with potent weapons, Growlers mainly prowl the sky for enemy tracking and communication systems to jam.  

E-2C Hawkeye-Eye In The Sky

If a Hornet of Lightning is the rifle, the Hawkeye is the scope. Advanced radar, threat analysis equipment, surveillance sensors and more create a potent early-warning system miles out. Like all Navy Aircraft, the Hawkeye is multi-mission and can coordinate defense and offense in the air or to the surface. 

P-8 Poseidon-Nothing Gets past It

The Poseidon is the jet engine upgrade to the venerable P-3C Orion. The Poseidon is being phased into service to take on the Orion's old tasks and more, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, shipping interdiction, and electronic signals intelligence. It also carries an impressive array of weapons for its missions, including torpedoes, depth charges, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship missiles. On top of that, it can also deploy and monitor sonobuoys.

P-3C Orion-Mad Surveillance Skills

The one thing you'll notice right away on the P-3 is the distinctive tail "stinger", or the MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection) boom. This high-tech array of sensitive detection instruments is the main purpose of the Orion. It is used  for multiple missions, including maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.

C-2A Greyhound-Five Tons of Critical Logistics

A carrier battle group is a floating metropolis that occasionally has to import and export. The Greyhound is the Navy's freight train with a 10,000 pound payload that can deliver personnel, equipment, spare parts, mail and more to a fleet far out at sea. As mission-critical as any attack craft, Greyhounds can haul just about anything from sea to ground and back.

Helicopters

Rotating roles and missions

Navy Planes get the glory, and Navy helos get the work orders. They define multitasking transporting relief supplies into disaster areas, performing med-evacs, moving supplies ship-to-ship, search and rescue, ground support, clearing mines, torpedoing enemy subs...name it, the do it. All weather, all day and all night, whirlybirds are the unsung heroes of Naval Aviation.

Seahawk SH-60

Indispensable Versatility

The twin-engine Seahawk is a do-it-all machine. this isn't even the full chore list.

• Anti-submarine warfare
• Search and rescue
• Drug interdiction
• Anti-ship warfare
• Cargo lift
• Early warning
• Med-evac
• Special Operations                                                                        

  Seahawks can land on or fly to almost any Navy ship or base. They buzz back and forth around a fleet, moving personnel, parts and other mission-critical items between vessels and shore.

  The Seahawk exists in two variants: the rugged SH-60S and the newer SH-60R. The newest model will be equipped with a more sensitive radar array. However, the cockpits are identical so pilots can seamlessly fly either platform.

Sea Dragon MH-53E

The Enemy is Mine

Sea Dragons are used primarily for airborne mine countermeasures and carry several sophisticated anti-mine systems. But, they can also pick up the slack for Seahawks when it comes to other roles such as assault support. Sea Dragons can deliver up to 55 personnel to a landing zone or carry heavy loads: up to 16 tons for 50 knots or 10 tons for 500 knots.