NNS020731-01. Super Hornet Starts Maiden Deployment
By Senior Chief Journalist John Barnett, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Battle Group deployment will be filled with firsts. Starting off that string of firsts was Lt. Corey L. Pritchard of the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115, the "Eagles," from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
Pritchard took the honor of being the first pilot to trap aboard the carrier July 24 in the Navy's newest fighter, the F/A-18E Super Hornet, as it gets underway for its maiden combat deployment with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14.
"Personally, it's exciting for me because it is the first deployment I've ever done, and you don't sign up just to train, you sign up for combat," Pritchard said. "The fact that the Super Hornet is a brand-new jet on its first deployment is very exciting because nobody has done that in the 19 years since the first Hornet came out."
The trap was a major event for the squadron, according to Cmdr. Jeff Penfield, the squadron's commanding officer.
"The first trap was a major milestone for the Super Hornet program, for naval aviation, and this squadron," said Penfield. "A lot of people throughout the Navy team, the industry team, have been working very hard to get this plane out on its first deployment. A lot of dedication -- a lot of long hours. It was huge for them. You can't overemphasize enough how much it means to the whole team to have the plane out on deployment."
The Eagles of VFA-115 and Lincoln are likely to support Operation Enduring Freedom during their deployment. The $57 million fighter will serve not only as a fighter-interceptor, but also as a tool of force projection, by conducting combat missions in hostile skies when needed.
If called to combat, the Super Hornet gives warfare commanders not only the option of extended range but also increased firepower.
The Super Hornet serves as a platform for the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, Harpoon, Harm, SLAM and Maverick missiles, along with the Joint Direct Attack Munitions, Joint Stand-off Weapons and other precision-guided ordnance. The increased weapons payloads and diversity give battle group commanders greater flexibility when planning strike missions.
According to Penfield, the new Super Hornet is the right plane, in the right place, at the right time.
"The Super Hornet is raising the bar on how we will project power overseas. It's an evolutionary plane, not a revolutionary plane," he said.
As with all new innovations, concerns about reliability and performance are in the minds of the warfare commanders and those using the equipment.
In Pritchard's mind, there's nowhere he'd rather be than in the cockpit of the Super Hornet.
"I think even though it is a new jet, we put it through an entire set of workups. We've really had a good chance to troubleshoot the jet, groom them, getting them down to where we like them, so I don't think we'll have any problems," he said. "To be honest, I was excited by the jet when I came into the program. I'm a Super Hornet baby because it's all I've ever flown. I had high expectations, and it's beat every one of those. The whole jet is awesome."
Part of the Chief of Naval Operations' overall vision of "Sea Power 21," the Super Hornet's greater firepower, endurance and its multi-mission capabilities as an all-weather strike fighter, are quickly proving that it is much more than just the new kid on the block.
As the Super Hornet E continues on with its deployment with Lincoln and CVW-14, work continues with the Super Hornet F, which will eventually replace the Navy's fleet of F-14 Tomcats.
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