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Rumors of War
By Pinch
Murdoc over in his place posts this tidbit from the McMinnville, OR News-Register about their scheduled F-14D Tomcat museum aircraft (the planned centerpiece of their collection, no doubt):
But the flareup of violence between the Israeli army and Hezbollah and Hamas militias in Lebanon and Gaza led to a change in plans. The Navy, which had been planning to replace the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt's F-14 Tomcats with newer, more multi-dimensional F-18 Hornets, has decided to instead dispatch the carrier to the Middle East with its current squadron of F-14s - including the one promised to the museum.
SOP. Standard Operating Procedure here. My spies down around Oceana say that this is just that, a rumor, and that there is no buzz about any emergency deployment of the USS THODORE ROOSEVELT and its airwing, which would include VF-31, the last Tomcat squadron left in the US Navy.
The Tomcatters are heading to "the Boat" for carrier qualifications in the near future, though, but that has been a scheduled evolution so the aircrew can maintain their required qualifications to land onboard the ship. They need to maintain those quals because it is indeed true that they, and the rest of the airwing and the ship, are one of the "stand-by" carriers in the navy's 6+2 Fleet Response Plan scheme.
Under this schedule, the Navy retains the capability to deploy 6 carriers immediately in a national emergency and then 2 additional carriers within a certain time limit after. Those additional 2 carriers include the one that just returned from deployment, in this case the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Knowing how wacky this world can be, though, I'll just go on record as saying "Who knows?" and leave it at that.
But hey!.....Any excuse for a Tomcat picture!
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Comments
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yeah, but 74...I think the real story is their possible deployment, not the museum angle...
Lebanon has no air force to speak of, but Syria has a lot of fixed wing assets. Not top of the line but everyone has a lucky day.
Not to mention Iran. Better even the odds a little with the best interceptor ever made.
Anyway I grew building models of the Cat (way before Top Gun) and I'm totally biased about a possible come back.
Yeah 74.....I was only....ummm.....slightly joking about the museum thing :) A full scale emergency deployment of a non-scheduled carrier to a hot spot hasn't been done (that I know of) since Desert Storm when Kennedy and CAG 3 had their shipyard drydock period cancelled and they went to the Red Sea for 7 months on about a week's notice back in the summer of 1990.
Gad, I miss the Bethpage Iron works. My camera case (not working bag) has more than a few zaps from Grumman. Put the crane system in Building 1
Guys:
Given the increase in military activity in the Middle East, I'm surprised to see that the United States has not deployed more troops to the region. Could this be happening in a non-public fashion? We have considerable interests over there, and it seems like good, common sense to shore up our forces.
Rick, I believe we're taking our sweet time, meanwhile Israel kicks some Hezbollah ass (wink, wink).
According to Wikipedia, after the USN retires its Tomcats, Iran will have the only air force flying the F-14.
They've been building condos at the end of the Grumman's Bethpage runway and Cablevision has taken over one of the buildings, not sure which one. A tragedy for us Long Islanders.
According to Wikipedia, after the USN retires its Tomcats, Iran will have the only air force flying the F-14.
Not for long. wink wink wink
The F-14....one foot in the grave, the other on a jihadi's neck.
Mike M: That's AWESOME!
yeah, careful with Lex...he's crafty.
He posted a photo in which he *claimed* an 18 had an F-22 Raptor in its gunsights.
Slightly off to the left, just out of range of the camera was the pig flying in formation next to the F-22...
Shenanigans! Shenanigans!
Of course, Cap'n Lex had to put up a video game photo... because it never happened in real life.
The ground war has begun, according to Stratfor's latest intel posted a few hours ago. I have it posted on my site.
Shema Israel!
Cablevision is in the old HQ building. Sigh again. I can remember both Grumman and Republic building airplanes on Long Island. Heck, I can remember Zahn's Airport (LONG closed) LI used to have all sorts of Defense industries - Grumman, Republic, Loral, Sperry, AIL, Narda, Hazeltine (sp?), the list goes on and on. Almost all gone now.
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An F-14 would be a nice piece to add to the museum up there, but hardly the centerpiece. The Evergreen Aviation Museum's real draws are the Spruce Goose and an SR-71.