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Argentine Pilots Train with George Washington Carrier Strike Group

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080508-03
Release Date: 5/8/2008 8:24:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Riza Caparros,
USS George Washington (CVN 73) Public Affairs

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- Navy pilots from Argentina trained with their counterparts from the U.S. Navy while performing low approaches to the flight deck of USS George Washington (CVN 73)(GW) on May 5.

The aerial evolution involved coordination with GW's air department, Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), currently embarked on GW, and an Argentine Landing Signal Officer (LSO), who was on station on the GW's LSO platform during the evolution.

Cmdr. Bradford L. Brown, GW's Air Boss, said the event was an impressive way of displaying the U.S. Navy's good working relationship and interoperability with its Argentine counterparts.

"This was a great opportunity to train our own Sailors in this warfare area," said Brown. "To work with other countries, we're showing our Sailors that the big Navy is really a combination of ours, theirs, and other partners."

"My navy, the Brazilian navy and the Chilean navy have been working very well together the last five years, but we all know we need to work together with the U.S. Navy. I have no doubts that we have to work more together," said Cmdr. Sergio Sanchez, Argentine Navy landing safety officer.

Sanchez also expressed his wishes that aviators from his country's sea service will remember the day as, "very, very important. I know our pilots will think this is important to show the American Navy our skills and how we work professionally. We want to leave a good image."

"The American Navy may not need materials from us," continued Sanchez. "But we all need the friendship between our nations, for us to work together for the positive direction of the world."

Deputy Air Wing Commander, Capt. Andy Whitson, described what he hopes his air wing will understand as the meaning behind joint operations with other navies.

"Rarely do we get to come down and work with our South American partners, so having that opportunity to see how they operate is a great experience for entire wing," said Whitson. "It's one thing to read textbooks and intel estimates of what we think their capabilities are, it's quite another to actually fly with them and talk to them. We have different capabilities, but it's the man and the machine that makes the difference. If we can understand that a little better, we can work together much more capably."

The George Washington Carrier Strike Group consists of George Washington, Carrier Air Wing 17, and Destroyer Squadron 40 which includes the USS Farragut (DDG 99) and the USS Kaufman (FFG 59). The GW CSG is in South America, currently engaged in maritime exercises for Partnership of the Americas, which is designed to promote interoperability and security throughout the hemisphere.

For more news from USS George Washington, visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn73/.