USS George H W Bush Participates In Operations Off The Coast Of
Cornwall
Helicopters from 849 Naval Air Squadron took part in a major
maritime exercise recently with the United States aircraft carrier
USS George H W Bush off the west coast of Cornwall. The exercise,
codenamed Saxon Warrior, is an important part of the co-operation
between the UK and the US militaries, and has been taking place
while President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David
Cameron have met to discuss ongoing military ties between the two
countries.
The sophisticated radar on board the Royal Navy's Airborne
Surveillance and Control (ASaC) helicopters is being used to help
control the jets from the USS George H W Bush, and is proving
invaluable as the primary role of the helicopter crews is, and
always has been, the detection and control of aircraft over the
sea. The ASaC's radar is equally effective over land, and is being
used to great effect in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Some 60
per cent of Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose's aircraft
(where 849 Naval Air Squadron is based) are currently deployed on
various operations, including anti-piracy patrols off Somalia.
The US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS George H W Bush
departed Norfolk, Virginia, in the USA in the early morning of
Wednesday 11 May, leading her Carrier Strike Group (CSG) on its
first overseas deployment. In the initial stages of the deployment,
the CSG has been conducting an integrated maritime exercise with
some of its NATO partners off the south west coast of the UK.
"These crucial training opportunities greatly enhance our
interoperability and information-sharing, which help ensure our
national and international security," said CSG Commander, Rear
Admiral Nora Tyson. "It's all about building partnerships,
establishing trust, and leveraging the unique capabilities and
strengths of each member of the combined force." The deployment of
the strike group is part of an ongoing rotation of US forces
supporting maritime security operations in international waters
around the globe.
"Saxon Warrior will test every aspect of our war-fighting
capabilities - from air wing strikes to the self-defence of the
carrier," said Commander Erich Roetz, US Navy. "The beauty of
operating with coalition partners is that we practise with them,
learn their strengths, and then blend those strengths together to
make the most potent coalition force possible."
CVN 77 George H W Bush
The George H W Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG) consists of
Carrier Strike Group 2 staff, Carrier Air Wing 8, Destroyer
Squadron 22 staff, the USS George H W Bush, guided-missile cruisers
USS Gettysburg and USS Anzio, guided-missile destroyers USS Truxtun
and USS Mitscher, and Spanish frigate ESPS Almirante Juan de
Borbon.
The GHWB CSG, which includes over 6,000 sailors, has spent the
last year conducting intensive training and certification exercises
to establish a safe, cohesive organisation capable of performing a
wide variety of missions across the globe, ranging from anti-piracy
and ground support operations to humanitarian assistance and
disaster relief.
As a maritime nation, the UK is heavily dependent on sea-borne
trade, with 90 per cent of our goods being transported by sea, and,
while the Fleet Air Arm squadrons from RNAS Culdrose and elsewhere
are making their presence felt in places like Afghanistan, it is
the maritime projection of power and protection that remains the
number one imperative.