carrier strike force

Copyright © 2008 AbacusSuite A5130 Patterson Ave SEGrand Rapids, MI 49512www.abacuspub.com

This manual is copyrighted. No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior writtenpermission of Abacus Software.

Every effort has been made to ensure complete and accurate information concerning the material presented in this book.However, Abacus Software can neither guarantee nor be held legally responsible for any mistakes in printing or faultyinstructions contained in this manual. The editors always appreciate receiving notice of any errors or misprints.

The content of this software and manual are based upon actual names and events. We have strived for historical,aeronautical and geographical accuracy in every aspect. However, we cannot guarantee that you won’t find errorsor misprints. Please keep in mind this is primarily an entertainment package and should not be used as an naval, aviationor historic reference.

This book contains trade names and trademarks of companies. Any mention of these names or trademarks in thismanual are not intended to either convey endorsement or other associations with this manual.

Printed in the U.S.A.

ISBN 1-55755-751-9

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

About The Carriers In Carrier Strike Force ........................ 5

USS Bonhomme Richard & The Wasp Class Of AAS .......................5HMS Illustrious (R06) ......................................................................... 11Charles de Gaulle (R 91) ................................................................... 15

History Behind Amphibious Assault Ships ...................... 18

Pre-World War II Period .....................................................................19World War II Developments ...............................................................19Early Cold War Developments .......................................................... 20Future Developments ......................................................................... 21

Aircraft In Carrier Strike Force .......................................... 22

AV-8B Harrier II Plus ...........................................................................22F-35 Lightning II® ............................................................................... 30Rafale M .............................................................................................. 34

4 www.abacuspub.com

Carrier Strike Force 5

About The Carriers In Carrier Strike Force

Carrier Strike Force features three aircraft carriers: The USSBonhomme Richard (US), the Charles deGaulle (France) and

the HMS Illustrious (UK). Let’s take a closer look at their real-world counterparts.

USS Bonhomme Richard & The Wasp Class Of AAS

The Wasp class feature large-deck multipurpose amphibiousassault ships of the U.S. Navy. The WASP Class is the firstspecifically designed to use air-cushion landing craft (LCACS),and to carry a squadron of Harrier II (AV-8B) STOVL (Short TakeOff Vertical Landing) jets.

The amphibious assault ships of Commander, Task Force Fifty One (CTF-51) cometogether on April 20, 2003 in an unprecedented formation during operations in the

North Arabian Gulf. This was the first time that six large deck amphibious ships from theEast and West coasts have deployed together in one area of operation. Led by the flag shipUSS Tarawa (LHA 1), the ships are (from left to right): USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD6), USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Saipan (LHA 2), and USSBoxer (LHD 4). (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy| Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class

Larry S. Carlson.)

6 www.abacuspub.com

The Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (previously known asLitton Ingalls Shipbuilding) of Pascagoula, Mississippi have builtseven of the Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ships.

Ingalls delivered the first ship in the class, the namesake USSWasp (LHD 1), in May 1989. It’s operational with the US NavyAtlantic Fleet.

The other ships of the class are:

■ LHD 2: USS Essex commissioned in October 1992

■ LHD 3: USS Kearsage commissioned in October 1993

■ LHD 4: USS Boxer commissioned in February 1995

■ LHD 5: USS Bataan commissioned in September 1997

■ LHD 6: USS Bonhomme Richard commissioned in Aug 1998(which you’re enjoying in Carrier Strike Force)

■ LHD 7: USS Iwo Jima commissioned in June 2001

■ LHD 8 USS Makin Island (to be commissioned 2007)

Aircraft

The Wasp Class carries different types of aircraft from assaulthelicopters and up to eight Harriers for close air support. Theship’s air traffic control system is able to follow and control bothHarrier and helicopter operations simultaneously on the ship’slarge 819-foot by 112-foot flight deck.

The ship has two deck edge aircraft elevators that can each lift upto 75,000 pounds. The elevators were designed to fold-up whenthe ships transit through the Panama Canal.

Weapons

The Wasp-class ships are armed with two radar-guided NATOSeasparrow Missile Systems (NSSMS) for anti-air warfareprotection, two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) systems and twoPhalanx Close-in Weapon-System (CIWS) mounts to counterthreats from low flying aircraft and close-in small craft.


Additional defenses include six Super-Rapid Blooming OffboardChaff (SRBOC) decoy system launchers, three 25-mm machineguns and four 12.7-mm machine guns.

Radar

As you would expect on a ship carrying aircraft, the Wasp-classAAS carry an array of radar. This includes navigation radar;primary and secondary air search radar; target acquisition system(TAS) for sea-skimming missiles; and air traffic control radar.

At sea aboard USS Bonhomme Richard Operations Specialist 2nd Class Aristeo Orodiosits at the Spot 25 Radar Repeater. During his watch, Petty Officer Orodio gives

coordinates of contacts to the Digital Dead Reckoning Tracer (DDRT), enabling CombatSystems to trace contacts over a period of time. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate

2nd Class Jennifer Swader. (RELEASED)

Command system

The ship’s large screen displays and automated C4I systems arelocated in the Combat Information Centre (CIC), the LandingForce Operations Centre (LFOC) and flag plot to monitor andsupport tactical operations.

8 www.abacuspub.com

A Sperry Marine Integrated Bridge System (IBS), which providescomputerised integrated navigation, steering and control, is tobe fitted to Iwo Jima and may be retrofitted to previous vesselsof the class.

Amphibious assault capability

The ship’s assault support system synchronizes the simultaneoushorizontal and vertical flow of troops, cargo and vehiclesthroughout the ship, for insertion of forces ashore via helicopters,landing craft and amphibious vehicles.

Six 12,000lb capacity cargo elevators transport material fromcargo holds to staging areas for loading. Cargo to be loadedaboard landing craft within the well deck is moved via a monorailsystem. This system consists of 2,900-feet of track in a six-tracklayout. The five 32-foot monorail trains each have a capacity of6,000-pounds and a speed of up to 600 ft/min (6.8mph).

Amphibious Assault Vehicles enter the well deck aboard the Wasp-class amphibiousassault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy | Photo by

Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jennifer Swader)


The vehicle storage area typically accommodates five M-1 tanks,25 light armored vehicles, eight M-198 guns, 68 military trucks(HMMVVVs), ten logistics vehicles, 12 5t trucks, two watertrailers, a fuel service truck, four rough terrain forklifts and twogenerator trailers. These vehicles can be loaded aboard landingcraft, and the majority can be rigged for transportation to thebeach by helicopter.

Off the beach, landing craft are launched and recovered throughthe large stern gate, which opens the well deck to the sea. Thiswell deck is 267-feet long, 50-feet wide and is designed specificallyfor handling the Air-Cushioned Landing Craft (LCAC).

The LCAC is a high-speed landing craft capable of carrying upto a 75 ton payload, such as an M1A1 tank and trucks, at a speedof more than 40 knots. The air cushion allows the LCAC to reachmore than 70% of the world’s coastline.

To launch and recover conventional landing craft, the ship canballast over 15,000 feet of seawater to allow these craft to floatinto and out of the well deck.

Information specific to the USS Bonhomme Richard

The current homeport for the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) isSan Diego. The contract to build her was awarded to IngallsShipbuilding on December 11, 1992, and her keel was laid downon April 18, 1995. She was launched on March 14, 1997, deliveredto the Navy on May 12, 1998, and commissioned on August 15,1998.

Its primary mission is to embark, deploy and land elements ofa Marine landing force in amphibious assault operations byhelicopter, landing craft and amphibious vehicle.

10 www.abacuspub.com

Aerial photo of the USS Bonhomme Richard, part of the seven-ship Amphibious TaskForce West (ATF-W) deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo

courtesy U.S. Navy photo | Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jennifer Swader)

USS Bonhomme Richard departed the Pascagoula, Mississippibuilding yard on August 8 and sailed into Pensacola Harbor atNaval Air Station Pensacola for commissioning activities onAugust 15, 1998.

It’s the third United States Navy ship named in honor of John PaulJones’ famous frigate. King Louis XVI of France made theoriginal Bonhomme Richard available to John Paul Jones onFebruary 4, 1779. Jones renamed her Bon Homme Richardalthough the more accurate French spelling is Bonhomme Richard,which is loosely translated as "Poor Richard," in honor of BenjaminFranklin's Poor Richard's Almanac.


The USS Bonhomme Richard from Carrier Strike Force.

John Paul Jones’ Bonhomme Richard played an important rolein America’s fight for independence.

HMS Illustrious (R06)

The HMS Illustrious (R06) is the second of three Invincible-classlight aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and the fifth ship to

bear her proud name in the long history of the British RoyalNavy. She is known affectionately by her crew as “Lusty.”

Her keel was laid down at Swan Hunters Ship Builders Yard onthe River Tyne in 1976. The illustrious was launched in 1981 andcommissioned in her base port of Portsmouth in 1982.


Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R 06) along with Nimitz-class aircraftcarriers USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)

transit in formation during maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo courtesy U.S.Navy | Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jay C. Pugh)

The Illustrious is about 700 feet long and has a beam of about 120feet with a displacement of 20,600 tons.

Four gas turbine Olympus engines provide the power and givethe Illustrious a top speed of about 28 knots although normalcruising speed is 18 knots.


With a Tailored Air Group embarked she has a full complementof over 1000 crewmembers, and can operate with a range of bothrotary and fixed wing aircraft from the Harrier GR9 to troop-carrying Chinook helicopters.

Her roles can vary widely, and include everything from MaritimeStrike to Evacuation Operations; all of which she has ablydemonstrated herself to be very much capable of fulfilling.

The HMS Illustrious in Combat Collectors Second Edition.

The motto of the Illustrious is “Vox Non Incerta”, or “NoUncertain Sound” which is taken from Corinthians I, Chapter 14verse 8 in the Bible.

As the Illustrious neared the end of its fitting out period, the RoyalNavy became involved in the Falklands War against Argentina.Although the Royal Navy worked hard to get the Illustriousthrough all its many tests so it could enter the war, the war wasover before Illustrious could be finished.


Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), bottom, USSHarry S. Truman (CVN 75), top, transit in formation with the Royal Navy's aircraftcarrier HMS Illustrious (R 06) in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy |

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jay C. Pugh)

She nevertheless did perform a useful service after the war. Untilthe RAF airfield on the Falkland Islands was repaired, an aircraftcarrier was required on station to protect the area from possibleArgentine attacks and counterattacks. The carrier Invincible hadbeen on station near the Falklands for several months before theIllustrious finally arrived. In fact, the Illustrious was needed soquickly that the ship was actually commissioned as it steamedtowards the Falklands. After the RAF airfield was repaired,Illustrious returned to the UK for a full shakedown cruise andworkup period, with a formal commissioning on March 20, 1983.

The main task during the 1990s for the Royal Navy aircraftcarriers, including the Illustrious, was helping to maintain the no-fly zone over Bosnia.

The Illustrious led a naval task force of several ships in OperationPalliser during 2000 to help restore peace and stability to SierraLeone.

An important combat deployment for the Illustrious occurred inSeptember 2001. The Royal Navy was conducting a large navalexercise called Saif Sareea II near Oman in late summer. Then theU.S. was attacked by Al Qaida on September 11 as the exercisewas ongoing. The Illustrious remained in the area of the Middle


East with elements of the Royal Marines on board in case theywere needed for any combat operations in Afghanistan. However,no deployment was made before Illustrious was relieved in early2002.

Another example of the HMS Illustrious in Combat Collectors Second Edition

The Illustrious continues to be a valuable asset for the Royal Navyin showing the flag and participating in exercises all around theworld.

The ship has also received several enhancements during refits,including a ski-jump with a steeper angle to enable the Harriersin the air wing to takeoff with a larger payload and reconfiguringthe ship so that it switch switched between the light aircraftcarrier and helicopter carrier roles more quickly.

Charles de Gaulle (R 91)

The Charles de Gaulle (R91), named for the French presidentand general, is currently the only serving French aircraft

carrier and is the flagship of the French Navy. She is the firstFrench nuclear-powered surface vessel and the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier other than those of the United StatesNavy.


The French Navy historically has at least two active aircraftcarriers so that at least one carrier is always operational.However, because the Charles deGaulle is the only activecarrier, the French must build a second aircraft carrier. However,because of cost and other considerations, a possible solutionis a collaboration between Britain and France for future carriers.It is possible that the new ship series could be built on the Britishdesign, incorporating the recent experience with Charles deGaulle.

She is the second only to the Admiral Kuznetsov as the largestEuropean aircraft carrier and is likely to be the most powerfulcurrent European aircraft carrier.

Her offensive power comes from her complement of DassaultRafale M and E-2C Hawkeye aircraft and Aster missiles. It usesthe same steam catapult system as that installed on the Nimitz-class carriers of the US Navy.

The Charles deGaulle replaced the conventionally poweredaircraft carrier Foch in the French Navy in 2001.

The hull was laid down in April 1989 at the DCN Brest Navalshipyard. The carrier was completed in May 1994 and was to benamed Richelieu in 1986 by the French president at the time,François Mitterrand, after the famous French politician Armand-Jean du Plessis, Cardinal and Duc de Richelieu. On February 7th1987, however, after much arguing and discussion, its name waschanged to Charles de Gaulle by Prime Minister Jacques Chirac.

The naming of the ship, however, was just the beginning of thetroubles. Construction quickly fell behind schedule as fundingran low, which was worsened by the economic recession in theearly 1990s. The ship was finally commissioned on May 18th 2001,five years behind schedule.

Problems and troubles continued even after it entered sea trialsin 1999. One problem was the need to extend the flight deck tosafely operate the E-2C Hawkeye. Also, on February 28, 2000, anuclear reactor trial triggered a fire that resulted in a smokeincident.


Then while enroute on November 9, 2000 to Norfolk, Virginia,the port propeller broke and the ship had to return to Toulon fora replacement. Subsequent inspections on the other propeller aswell as with the spare propellers showed similar structural faults.The fault was blamed on a bankrupt supplier. Furthermore, a firedestroyed all documents relating to the design and fabrication ofthe propellers. So, as a temporary solution, the less advancedspare propellers of Clemenceau and Foch were used instead butthat limited the speed of the DeGaulle to 24 knots instead of theexpected 27 knots although this speed reduction had no affect onair operations.

The Charles de Gaulle in Combat Collectors Second Edition.

On March 5, 2001, Charles de Gaulle went back to sea with twoolder propellers and sailed slightly over 25 knots on her trials.Between July and October, Charles de Gaulle had to be refittedonce more due to unusually loud noises near the starboardpropeller, which had rendered the aft part of the shipuninhabitable.


On November 21, 2001, France sent the Charles de Gaulle to theIndian Ocean in support of Operation Enduring Freedom againstTaliban-controlled Afghanistan. The carrier included sixteenSuper Étendards, one E-2C Hawkeye, two Rafale Ms and severalhelicopters. The Super Étendards performed their firstreconnaissance and bombing missions over Afghanistan onDecember 19. Overall they carried out 140 missions or an averageof about twelve daily missions.

On February 18, 2002, satellite reconnaissance spotted unusualactivities near Gardez, which were confirmed by US SpecialForces the next day. The Charles de Gaulle launched tworeconnaissance Super Étendards. On the 20th, British and USforces entered the valley and "Operation Anaconda" began inearly March.

In March, Super Étendards and six Mirage 2000 aircraft carriedout airstrikes against targets claimed to be al Qaeda. A few targetssuggested by US forces were denied out of fear of hitting civilians.Nevertheless, French involvement was complimented by the USPresident George W. Bush on 2002-03-11, mentioning "our goodally, France, has deployed nearly one-fourth of its navy tosupport Operation Enduring Freedom." At this point, the Frenchair complement had been increased to 16 Super Étendards, 6Mirage 2000 D, 5 Rafale aircraft and two Hawkeye AWACS.From February, the air wings of Charles de Gaulle and USS JohnC. Stennis landed on each other's decks as a means of strengtheningthe ties between the allies.

On 2 May, Charles de Gaulle arrived in Singapore for relief andreturned to Oman on 18 May.

History Behind Amphibious Assault Ships

Amphibious assault ships, also called as “amphibs,” “phibs”or more commonly as “gator freighters,” are a class of

warship employed to land and support ground forces on enemyterritory by an amphibious assault. The largest fleet of thesetypes is operated by the United States Navy, including the Tarawaclass dating back to the 1970s and the newer and larger Wasp classships that debuted in 1989.


The United States and the United Kingdom are the two nationsthat have made the most amphibious assaults during the pastcentury, including the great assaults of World War II to the recentattack on the Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq. Therefore, both the USand the UK have been at the forefront of developing amphibiousassault ships.

Pre-World War II Period

Although amphibious assaults occurred in World War I, theassaults were from conventional boats. The disastrous

Gallipoli landings in 1915 showed that this type of operation wasimpossible in the face of modern weapons, especially the machinegun. Nevertheless, not much progress was made in developingdedicated amphibious assault ships in the 1920s and 1930s, exceptby the U.S. Marine Corps. The small Corps operations of theperiod in Central and South America led to the development ofamphibious assault doctrine much in advance of the rest of theworld. By the late 1930s, concrete plans were beginning to formto build the first true dedicated amphibious assault ships.

We can divide amphibious assault ships into two categories: shipsand craft. The ships typically carry the troops from the port ofembarkation to the drop point for the assault and the landingcraft carry the troops from the ship to the shore. Amphibiousassaults taking place over short distances can also involve theshore-to-shore technique where landing craft go directly fromthe port of embarkation to the assault point.

World War II Developments

Many early AAS were simply converted cargo vessels but oneimportant exception was the Landing Ship Tank (LST). As

its name suggests, it’s a specialized type of ship for taking tanksor other large vehicles ashore. What made the LSTs different wasthey could go right to the beach and discharge directly ontoshore.

Beyond the ships carrying the troops, other vessels were needed.It was quickly appreciated that amphibious assaults were suchcomplicated operations that a specialized flagship was needed,with facilities that a normal naval vessel simply could notprovide. It was also realized that battleships, cruisers and


destroyers could not necessarily provide all the fire support(including suppressive fire) that an assault would need. Thereforespecialized shipping was developed that incorporated variousdirect and indirect fire weapons. These included guns and rocketswhich could be mounted on landing craft and landing ships. Aspart of the final barrage before an assault, the landing area wouldbe plastered by these types.

Despite all the progress that was seen during World War II, therewere still fundamental limitations in the types of coastline thatwere suitable for assault. Beaches had to be relatively free ofobstacles, and have the right tidal conditions and the correctslope. However, the development of the helicopterfundamentally changed the equation.

Early Cold War Developments

The first use of helicopters in an amphibious assault cameduring the Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956

(also called the Suez War). Two British light fleet carriers werepressed into service to carry helicopters and make a battalion-sized airborne assault. One of these Bulwark was commissionedin the late 1950s as a dedicated “commando carrier”. Thetechniques were developed further by American forces in theVietnam War and refined during training exercises. The modernamphibious assault can take place at virtually any point of thecoast, making defending against them extremely difficult.

Examples of earlier ships playing a similar role to the currentvessels for amphibious assaults included five Iwo Jima classLanding Platform Helicopter vessels that were built in the 1950sand 1960s as well as various converted fleet and escort carriers.The first of the type envisaged was the escort aircraft carrier USSBlock Island (CVE-106/LPH-1), which never actually saw serviceas an amphibious assault ship. Delays in the construction of theIwo Jima class saw other conversions made as a stopgap measure;three Essex-class aircraft carriers (USS Boxer (CV-21/LPH-4),USS Princeton (CV-37/LPH-5), and USS Valley Forge (CV-45/LPH-8)) and one Casablanca-class escort carrier (USS Thetis Bay(CVE-90/CVHA-1/LPH-6)) were converted into amphibs, theBoxer and Thetis Bay classes.


U.S. Marine Corps HUS-1 helicopters are towed to their launching positions on theflight deck of the USS Princeton (LPH-5) on March 20 1960. Note groups of Marines

marching aft to board their helicopters. (Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from thecollections of the Naval Historical Center.)

The Tarawa and Wasp types and their Iwo Jima class forebearsresemble aircraft carriers. However, the role of an amphibiousassault ship is fundamentally different to that of an aircraftcarrier. Its aviation facilities are not to support strike or airdefence aircraft, but for hosting helicopters to support forcesashore.

Future Developments

The LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushioned) is a recent innovationin AAS. These large hovercraft expand how an amphibious

assault can take place and increase the speed of transfer of assetsfrom ship to shore. Ground effect planes such as the Ekranoplan,straddling the line between aircraft and ship, have also beenproposed for the role in the past.


Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) 24 from Assault Craft Unit Five (ACU-5) exits thewell deck of amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) during a routine training

evolution off the coast of California. The LCAC provides the capability to launchamphibious assaults from points over the horizon, thereby decreasing risk to ships and

personnel. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy | Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2ndClass Johansen Laurel)

One ambitious idea in the 1950s were to use amphibious assaultsubmarines but this idea has not proven practical although theSoviet Union almost did add an amphibious assault submarinesto its navy in the 1960s. However, this idea may change as thevalue of stealth because more recognized.

Aircraft In Carrier Strike ForceAV-8B Harrier II Plus

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier IIPlus is a second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing

(V/STOL) multirole aircraft. British Aerospace rejoined theproject in the early 1980s, and it has been managed by Boeing/BAE Systems since the 1990s. The AV-8B was developed from theearlier Hawker Siddeley Harriers and is primarily used for lightattack or multirole tasks and typically operated from small


aircraft carriers. Several NATO countries, such as the UnitedKingdom, Spain, Italy and the United States, use variants of theHarrier. One way the Harrier is unique it that it’s the only fixedwing V/STOL aircraft used by the US and the UK.

The aircraft is called the AV-8B Harrier II Plus in US Marine Corpsservice and the Harrier GR7/GR9 in RAF service. Although itshares the designation letter number with the earlier AV-8AHarrier, McDonnell Douglas made several major changes to theAV-8B Harrier II Plus. The AV-8A was a previous-generationHawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1A procured for the US MarineCorps and both models are commonly referred to as the HarrierJump-jet.

It’s unusual in its international level of development, whichbrought the design from the first British P.1127 prototype in 1957to the AV-8B Harrier II Plus of today. The AV-8B had its directorigins in a joint British-U.S. project (Hawker-Siddeley andMcDonnell Douglas) for a much-improved Harrier aircraft, theAV-16. However cost overruns in engine development on thepart of Rolls Royce and in the aircraft development caused theBritish to pull out of the program. Financial assistance from theU.S aid helped early development of the Hawker P.1127 underthe Mutual Weapons Development Program (MWDP), and thesalvaging of what was left of the AV-16 Advanced HarrierProgram by McDonnell Douglas, making the second-generationfamily possible. McDonnell Douglas had restarted its ownprogram and had almost reached production status when BritishAerospace (BAe) rejoined the program in the 1980s. They thenjointly produced the aircraft and BAe developed secondgeneration Harriers from the aircraft. By the 1990s McDonnellDouglas merged with Boeing, and BAE was merged into BAESystems who went on to manage the family into the early 21stcentury.

Interest remained in the U.S., so a less ambitious, though stillexpensive project was undertaken by McDonnell on their owncatered to U.S. needs. Using things learned from AV-16development, the development work continued leading to theAV-8B for the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft was centered on


the Marines' need for a light ground attack airplane and focusedon payload and range as opposed to speed. In the early 1980s, theBritish restarted development of their own second generationHarrier based on the U.S. design which led eventually to the GR5.

The AV-8B can operate from several types of amphibious ships,rapidly constructed expeditionary airfields, forward sites anddamaged conventional airfields thanks to its Short Take Off andVertical Landing (STOVL) capability. This makes the aircraftparticularly well-suited for dedicated close air support. TheHarrier uses a single pilot in its fighter version but a two-seattrainer with the full military capability of the single seater is alsoavailable.

An example of an AV-8B Harrier II Plus that you’ll fly in Carrier Strike Force.

The AV-8B was designed primarily to improve upon theperformance and handling qualities of the AV-8A/C. Althoughits new design featured composite structures, a bigger wing,higher engine thrust and updated avionics, it still used the basicsingle-engine, vectored exhaust nozzle configuration of theearlier version.


The primary missions for the Harriers depends in large part onthe military force using it. For example, the primary mission forUS Harriers is to attack and destroy surface and air targets, escorthelicopters and more. The primary mission of the Harrier as usedby the Royal Air Force is that of a ground-attack fighter-bomber.For this role, the UK Harrier carrier a variety of externalordnance with maximum weight up to 5000 pounds as well astwo 30-mm cannons. The Royal Navy uses the Harrier in a fleetair-defense role. These Harriers carry Sidewinder missiles inaddition to the cannon and various external stores.

The naval version of the Harrier, called the Sea Harrier, uses ashort takeoff technique from a small carrier equipped with a ski-jump launching ramp. When the mission is completed, and theHarrier is lighter, it lands vertically on the carrier. This mode ofoperation is called STOVL for Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing.

The key to the versatility of the Harrier is probably the Rolls-Royce (Bristol division) Pegasus turbofan engine. Most jet engineshave only one jet-exhaust nozzle but the Pegasus has fourexhaust nozzles. Two of these nozzles are located on each sideof the engine. The two front nozzles discharge unheated aircompressed by the fan and the rear nozzles discharge the hot jetexhaust.

A rotating cascade of vanes is used in each nozzle to vector thethrust from a horizontal direction for high-speed flight to avertical direction for hovering and vertical takeoff and landing.Intermediate positions are used for short takeoff and landing(STOL) and for maneuvering in combat situations, or what iscalled a VIFF, vectoring in forward flight.

Another key element for the Harrier is the method for controllingthe aircraft. When operated as a conventional airplane, the usualailerons, rudder, and horizontal tail are used to generateaerodynamic control moments about the roll, yaw, and pitchaxes, respectively. In hovering flight and at low forward speeds,however, the aerodynamic controls are ineffective, and reactionjets are used to provide the necessary control moments.


At intermediate speeds, both reaction jets and aerodynamiccontrols are used. Pitch jets are located at the nose and tail of thefuselage, a roll jet is at each wingtip, and a yaw jet is located behindthe tail. The reaction jets utilize compressed air from the high-pressure engine compressor and respond in a proportionalfashion to conventional movements of the control stick andrudder pedals. The control jets come into operation automaticallywhen the thrust-vectoring nozzles are rotated to any angle inexcess of 20-degrees. Control of the thrust-vectoring nozzles isexercised by a lever in the cockpit located alongside the throttle.

The airframe of the Harrier also has several interesting features.With 12-degrees anhedral (negative dihedral), the 34-degreessweptback wing is mounted on top of the fuselage. As with thewing, the all-moving horizontal tail has a large anhedral angle(15-degrees). The anhedral angles of the wing and horizontal tailare intended to minimize the aircraft rolling moments due tosideslip.

Even so, at certain combinations of low speed and high angle ofattack, aerodynamic rolling moments greater than the combinedaerodynamic and reaction control power may occur if the angleof sideslip is allowed to exceed a prescribed value. To assist thepilot in maintaining the angle of sideslip within acceptable limits,a small yaw vane that provides a visual indication of sideslip angleis mounted on the fuselage just ahead of the windshield.

As you can see in the following image, the landing gear of theHarrier is yet another unusual feature. It’s designed to avoidinterfering with the engine and thrust-vectoring nozzles. Asingle two-wheel arrangement is located behind the engine anda single steerable nosewheel is in front of the engine. Thebalancing outrigger wheels mounted at each wingtip retract intothe reaction control fairings.


A landing supervisor watches as an AV-8B Harrier with Marine Medium HelicopterSquadron 261 (reinforced) executes its distinctive vertical landing on the flight deck of

the U.S.S. Kearsarge. (Photo courtesy United States Marine Corps | Photo by Sgt. MattEpright)

The performance and other capabilities of the AV-8B proved tobe dramatic improvements over those of the AV-8A/C. Thesechanges and upgrades helped the AV-8B become a valuable assetfor Coalition Forces in the various conflicts in the 1980s and 1990sin the Persian Gulf area. Unfortunately, the noncombat accidentrate was quite high at more than 14 per 100,000 flight hours forits first seven operational years. In other words, pilot error andmaterial failures were the major reasons for the accidents. Therewere eleven Harriers and two pilots lost just in 1990 alone fromaccidents and other noncombat failures..

By 1998, USMC Harrier operations had resulted in 17 fatalities,one permanent disability and 68 AV-8B aircraft lost. With acumulative Class A mishap rate of 12.1 per 100,000 flight hours,the AV-8B has consistently outpaced all USMC aircraft types inthis statistic. It has been the single predominant contributor tothe overall Marine aviation mishap story.


The Harrier II was the first Marine Corps tactical strike platformto arrive in theater for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. A totalof three squadrons each with twenty aircraft and one six-aircraftdetachment operated ashore from an expeditionary airfield,while one squadron of twenty aircraft operated from a seaplatform.

During the ground war, AV-8Bs were based about forty milesfrom the Kuwait border so they were the most forward deployedtactical strike aircraft in the war. The AV-8B flew 3,380 sorties andmaintained a mission capable rate in excess of 90%. Averageturnaround time during the ground war surge rate flightoperations was just over twenty minutes.

The Harrier GR7

The three aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy (HMS Invincible,HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal) and their aircraft providea very potent form of sea power. This capability is complementedby the flexibility of the air group. In addition to the advanced SeaHarrier FA2 Fighter/Attack aircraft, the aircraft carriers cancarry Harrier GR7s as well. While Sea Harrier FA2 remains oneof Europe’s most potent air defense aircraft, power projection ofa carrier air group has been enhanced with the integration ofspecialist ground attack RAF Harrier GR7.

The GR7 is quite similar to the AV-8B Harrier II used by the USbut fitted with RAF-specific navigation and defensive systems aswell as other changes including additional underwing pylons forSidewinder missiles. The improved design of the GR7 allows theaircraft to carry twice the load of a GR3 over the same distanceor the same load twice the distance. The first flight of the HarrierGR7 was in 1989 and deliveries to RAF squadrons began in 1990.A total of 96 aircraft were ordered, including 62 interim GR5s thatwere later modified to GR7 standard.

Fully operational with three front line squadrons and theOperational Conversion Unit, the GR7 features forward-lookinginfrared (FLIR) equipment that when used with the pilot’s nightvision goggles (NVGs), provides a night, low level capability.Although optimized for low level operations at subsonic speeds,the Harrier is also well suited to medium level operations whereit uses its highly accurate angle rate bombing system (ARBS)


which uses a monitor and laser dual mode tracker (DMT). TheGR7 is a very versatile aircraft of the British and can easily bedeployed to remote forward operating locations and thiscapability is regularly practiced during exercises.

The Harrier T10, two-seat trainer version of the GR7, came intoservice in 1995 and is fully operationally capable.

Recent operational deployments for the GR7 Harriers have beento Italy in support of NATO and UN operations in Bosnia andSerbia and of course to the Middle East embarked on Royal Navyaircraft carriers.

A main difference between the AV-8 Harrier and the F-35B isthat instead of using lift engines or rotating nozzles on the enginefan as with the AV-8 Harrier, the F-35B uses a shaft-driven LiftFan developed by Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce. One wayto think of this is as a turboprop embedded into the fuselage;engine shaft power is diverted forward using a clutch-and-bevel gearbox to a vertically mounted, lift fan that is contra-rotating and located forward of the main engine in the center ofthe aircraft. Bypass air from the cruise engine turbofan exhauststhrough a pair of roll-post nozzles in the wings on either side ofthe fuselage, while the lift fan balances the vectoring cruisenozzle at the tail.

In effect, the F-35B power plant acts as a flow multiplier, muchas a turbofan achieves efficiencies by moving unburned air ata lower velocity, and getting the same effect as the Harrier’shuge, but supersonically impractical main fan. Like lift engines,this added machinery is dead weight during flight, but increasedlifting power increases takeoff payload by even more. The coolfan also reduces the harmful effects of hot, high-velocity air thatcan harm runway pavement or an aircraft carrier deck. Thoughrisky and complicated, it was made to work to the satisfactionof DOD officials. Unlike Boeing’s entry, the prototype was ableto demonstrate a historic flight starting with a short takeoff,transitioning to supersonic flight, and ending with a verticallanding.


F-35 Lightning II®

The single-seat, single-engine and supersonic F-35 LightningII® (formerly called the Joint Strike Fighter), which is expected

to be the largest military aircraft procurement in history, willreplace several aging fighter and strike aircraft for the U.S. AirForce, Navy, Marine Corps as well as various aircraft in othernations. Lockheed Martin and major partners BAE Systems andNorthrop-Grumman are leading the design and manufacturingteams.

The US hopes the F-35 will become a true multirole aircraftcapable of performing close air support, tactical bombing and air-to-air combat. Therefore, the JSF program was originally designedto replace several aircraft at one time, including the F-16, A-10,F/A-18 and AV-8B fleet of tactical fighter aircraft. The program,however, isn’t without critics, who maintain that the F-35 doesn’thave the range to replace dedicated bombers and lacks the abilityto supercruise as a primarily a strike platform. (Supercruise is theability to cruise at supersonic speeds efficiently without usingafterburners.) Furthermore, critics are likely to mention theinevitable cost overruns and lengthy development delays onsuch an ambitious project and new aircraft.

The JSF program does, however, have several supporters whobelieve it’s an opportunity to break the old pattern of militaryaircraft procurement in the U.S. by allowing commonality amongaircraft and saving development costs. So, the JSF program is thefirst U.S. military aircraft program to consider cost as anindependent variable, which is different from earlier programsin which extra features always increased the cost.

The F-35, furthermore, was never intended to replace bombersor be an air defense aircraft. The US Air Force and Navy alreadyhave proven the idea of a multirole aircraft with the F-16 FightingFalcon and the F/A-18 Hornet.

The US Air Force has selected the Lightning II nickname for theF-35 to honor both Lockheed’s twin-prop P-38 Lightning flownin World War II and the Cold War-era jet Lightning developed byEnglish Electric, which was incorporated into BAC, a predecessorof F-35 partner BAE Systems.


Variants

The three variants of the F-35 are expected to replace severalaircraft for the US and UK forces. All variants have the samefuselage and internal weapons bay, common outer mold lineswith similar structural geometries, identical wing sweeps andsimilar shaped tails. The weapons are stored in two parallel bayslocated behind the main landing gear. The canopy, radar, ejectionsystem, subsystems and avionics are similar among the differentvariants as is the core engine, which is based on the Pratt &Whitney F119.

F-35A (CTOL)

The F-35A is a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraftand is expected to replace the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10Thunderbolt II beginning in 2011 for the US Air Force. Althoughit’s the smallest and lightest F-35 variant, it’s also the only onewith an internal gun, the GAU-12/U 25-mm cannon.

F-35B (STOVL)

The F-35B is a short-takeoff and vertical (STOVL) variant andbeginning in 2012 is scheduled to replace the US Marine CorpsAV-8 Harrier II and F/A-18 Hornet and Royal Air Force (RAF)/Royal Navy (RN) Harrier GR7/GR9 aircraft.

The US Marine Corps will fly a slightly different version of theF-35. Its design will be similar to the Air Force F-35A because it’strading fuel capacity for vertical flight systems. As with theHarrier, guns on the F-35 will be carried in a pod.

F-35C

The F-35C is an aircraft carrier based variant that the US Navyis expecting to use by 2012 to replace various variants of its F/A-18 Hornet (A/B/C/D). The Navy is also expecting to use theF-35C as a stealthy complement to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.


The F-35C differs from the other F-35s with a larger, folding wingand larger control surfaces for improved low-speed control, andstronger landing gear needed for landings on aircraft carriers.The larger wing area provides increased range and payload, withtwice the range on internal fuel compared with the F/A-18C,achieving much the same goal as the much heavier Super Hornet.

An example of the F-35 that you’ll fly in Carrier Strike Force.

History Of The Joint Strike Fighter Program

The Joint Strike Fighter program began in the mid 1990s as aresult of the Department of Defense (DoD) search for a commonfighter to replace its existing but aging fleet of fighters.

The program began in November 1996 with a five-yearcompetition between Lockheed Martin and Boeing to determinethe most capable and affordable preliminary aircraft design.

The contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD)was awarded to Lockheed Martin on October 26, 2001, whichmeant that Lockheed-Martin won the possible $200 billion contract(the largest military contract ever), to build the Joint StrikeFighter.


The Lockheed X-35 beat the Boeing X-32 in a design andperformance competition, although both met or exceededrequirements. The Lockheed Martin X-35 was chosen over thecompeting Boeing X-32 mainly because of the lift-fan STOVLdesign developed by Lockheed that emerged better to theBoeing vectored-thrust approach. The lift fan has significantexcess power that could be critical given the weight gain that allfighter aircraft experience.

Lockheed Martin Corp. is developing the F-35 at its fighteraircraft plant in Fort Worth, where the new stealth warplane isexpected to provide about 9,000 jobs over the next three to fourdecades. Northrop Grumman Corp. is to build the F-35’s centerfuselage in California and BAE Systems the aft body in England.

The first F-35 rolled out of the Lockheed Ft Worth, TX factory onFebruary 19, 2006. It’s currently undergoing extensive groundtesting and flight-testing at Edwards Air Force Base.

The first engine run of the F135 engine in an airframe occurredfrom September 15-18, 2006. The success of these tests meant thatthe F-35 was for the first time completely functional on its ownpower systems.

Some features of the F-35 came from the development of otherfighters and aircraft. For example, a quick look suggests thesingle engine F-35 might be a trimmer and sleeker version ofanother new fighter, the twin engine F-22 Raptor.

The exhaust duct design on the F-35 resembles the GeneralDynamics Model 200, a 1972 VTOL aircraft designed for the SeaControl Ship. Lockheed had a relationship with the YakovlevDesign Bureau on their bid for the Joint Advanced StrikeTechnology competition. (Yak, or A.S. Yakovlev Design BureauJSC, is a Russian aircraft designer and manufacturer). Thiscreated some rumors that the Yak-141 influenced the overalldesign of the F-35 but the two aircraft, in reality, are quitedifferent.

The F-35 may represent the future for many military forces of thefree world. It’s a new family of affordable, stealthy combataircraft designed to meet the 21st century requirements of the USand the UK.


The current plan for the F-35 is for it to be the premier strikeaircraft through at least 2040 and hopefully through to 2060. Itwill provide air- to-air capability second only to the F-22 Raptorair superiority fighter. The aircraft give the US Air Force analmost all-stealth fighter force by 2025. The variants for the U.S.Navy and U.S. Marines will be the first deployment of an “all-aspect” stealth aircraft.

One more example of the F-35 that you’ll fly in Carrier Strike Force.

Rafale M

The Rafale is the French twin-engine, delta-wing multirolefighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation for

both the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) and the French Navy(Aéronavale).


A French Rafale M performs a catapult-assisted launch from the flight deck of thenuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). The Rafale is the first

French aircraft to both launch and recover on an American carrier. (Photo courtesy U.SNavy | Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brandon Morris)

Dassault uses “Omni Role” as a marketing term in an effort todifferentiate the aircraft from other “multi-role” fighters that haveprimary and secondary roles. Dassault also uses the term toindicate the Rafale’s ability to switch from one role to anotherduring a single sortie, although the term is mostly meant toencapsulate the fact that the Rafale is replacing sevenspecialized planes.

Development

By the mid 1970s, both the French Air Force and Navy recognizedthey both needed a new generation of fighter to replace theirfleets of Jaguars and F-8 Crusaders, and their requirements weresufficiently similar to combine into one project.


The Rafale M that you’ll fly and enjoy in Carrier Strike Force.

The Rafale A technology demonstrator was shown for the firsttime in late 1985 and flew for the first time on July 4, 1986. Becausethe SNECMA M88 engines being developed were not consideredsufficient for the initial testing programs without many safetyconcerns, the demonstrator Rafale flew with General ElectricF404-GE-400 afterburning turbofans similar to those poweringthe F/A-18 Hornet. Nevertheless, even without the SNECMAengines, the French Ministry of Defense was impressed enoughwith the demonstration to place production orders in 1988.

Additional testing, such as carrier touch-and-go landings andengine testing, continued before the Rafale A was retired in 1994.Although the Rafale A and British Aerospace EAP were somewhatcomparable, when the first Eurofighter made its maiden flight inMarch 1994, the French had already been flying the Rafale aircraftin test flights for three years, including trials on aircraft carriers.

Three versions of Rafale were in the initial production order:

■ Rafale B (Biplace)Two-seat fighter for the French Air Force.


■ Rafale C (Chasseur)Single-seat fighter for the French Air Force.

■ Rafale M (Marine)Single-seat carrier fighter for the French Navy

The prototype Rafale C flew in 1991 and the first of two RafaleM prototypes flew later that year. The prototype Rafale B flewin early 1993 and the second Rafale M prototype flew later in 1993.The catapult tests for the Rafale were initially done in July andAugust 1992. However, because France did not have its ownland-based catapult test facility, those initial catapult tests weredone in the U.S. at NAS Lakehurst in New Jersey and NASPatuxent River in Maryland.

After the land-based catapult tests were successful, the aircraftbegan trials aboard the French aircraft carrier Foch.

A French Rafale M performs a catapult assisted launch from the flight deck of thenuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). The two French Rafales are

the first French aircraft to land and launch on an American carrier in six years.Enterprise and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 are currently underway on a

scheduled six-month deployment. (Photo courtesy U.S Navy | Photo by MassCommunication Specialist Seaman Brandon Morris)


The original idea for the Rafale B was for it to be a trainer, butexperiences in the Gulf War and the Balkans showed that a secondcrewmember was too important on strike and reconnaissancemissions. The French therefore ordered more Rafale B aircraft toreplace some Rafale C aircraft. The French Navy, which initiallydid not have a two-seat aircraft on order; made a similar decisionalthough the purchase order was later cancelled.

Because of political and especially economic uncertainty, aproduction Rafale M didn’t fly until 1999.

At one time the French government was expected to order up to292 Rafales (232 for the Air Force and 60 for the Navy) but onlyabout half have the order has been met. The most recent deliverywas in December 2004 when 59 Rafales were delivered.

The Rafale M has received the highest priority because it’sreplacing several, much older, aircraft such as the F-8 Crusaderfighter. Service deliveries began in 2001. These aircraft wereembarked on the Charles de Gaulle in 2002, and became fullyoperational in June 2004, following an extended operationalevaluation (“OPEVAL”) that included flying limited escort andtanker missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom overAfghanistan.

Although the Rafale M was restricted to an air-to-air role, witha limited range of weapons, many analysts considered it to be themost advanced fighter in service in Europe

The French Air Force received its first three Rafale Bs in lateDecember 2004. They went to the Centre d’Expériences AériennesMilitaires at Mont-de-Marsan for operational evaluation andassociated pilot conversion training. The first Armée de l’Airfrontline unit, Escadron de Chasse 1/7 Provence at Saint-Dizierwas expected to receive its Rafale Bs in 2006 but deliveries weredelayed.

Full Operational Capability (FOC) was scheduled for mid-2007when the type should be fully operational as an omni-rolefighter/fighter-bomber with MICA air-to-air missiles, SCALPEG cruise missiles, GPS-guided bombs, and laser-guided bombs(LGBs) (though the latter will be designated by other platformsor by ground based systems).


Variants

Rafale A

This variant was more of a test aircraft than a production aircraft.It first flew in 1986 and has now been retired.

Rafale D

Dassault used the “D” designation (“discret” or stealthy) in theearly 1990s for the production versions for the Armée de l’Air,to emphasize the new semi-stealthy features they had added tothe design. Various sources have reported the development ofan active stealth system, involving the use of a system whichbroadcasts “cancellation” waves.

Rafale B

This is the two-seater version for the Armée de l’Air; deliveredto EC 330 in 2004.

Rafale C

This is the single-seat version for the Armée de l’Air; deliveredto EC 330 in June 2004.

Rafale M

This is the carrier-borne version for the Aéronavale, whichentered service in 2002. The Rafale M weighs about 500 kg (1,100lb) more than the Rafale C. Very similar to the Rafale C inappearance, the M differs in the following respects:

■ Strengthened to withstand the rigors of carrier-basedaviation

■ Stronger landing gear

■ Longer nose gear leg to provide a more nose-up attitudefor catapult launches

■ Deleted front center pylon (to give space for the longergear)

■ Large stinger-type tailhook between the engines


■ Built-in power operated boarding ladder

■ Carrier microwave landing system

■ “Telemir” inertial reference platform that can receiveupdates from the carrier systems.

Rafale N

The Rafale N, originally called the Rafale BM, was planned to bea two-seater version for the Aéronavale. Budget constraints andthe cost of training extra crew members have been cited as thegrounds for its cancellation.

Armaments

The Rafale carries an integrated electronic survival systemnamed SPECTRA. It features a software-based virtual stealthtechnology. The most important sensor is the Thales RBE2passive electronically scanned multi-mode radar. Thales claimsto have achieved unprecedented levels of situational awarenessthrough the earlier detection and tracking of multiple air targetsfor close combat and long-range interception, as well as real timegeneration of three-dimensional maps for terrain-following andthe real time generation of high resolution ground maps fornavigation and targeting.

However, in those circumstances when signature managementis required, the Rafale can use several passive sensor systems.

The front-sector electro-optical system or Optroniques SecteurFrontal (OSF), developed by Thales, is completely integratedwithin the aircraft and can operate both in the visible and infraredwavelengths.

The SPECTRA electronic warfare system, jointly developed byThales and EADS France, provides the aircraft with the highestsurvivability assets against airborne and ground threats.

The real-time data link allows communication not only withother aircraft, but also with fixed and mobile command andcontrol centres. For those missions requiring it, the Rafale willalso eventually use the DAMOCLES electro-optical/laser


designation pod that brings full day and night LGB capability,though the Armée de l’Air’s current plans call for Rafale to usestand off weapons, and for the LGB role to be handled by Mirage2000s.

The Rafale core systems employ an Integrated Modular Avionics(IMA), called MDPU (Modular Data Processing Unit). Thisarchitecture hosts all the core functions of the aircraft as Flightmanagement system, Data Fusion, Fire Control, Man-MachineInterface, etc.

Having a problem or question with Carrier Strike Force?

If so, please read through this manual carefully beforecontacting the Abacus customer support team. Also, theAbacus website may answer many of your problems orquestions.

www.abacuspub.com

However, if you cannot find the answer, contact our supportteam by e-mail for help:

[email protected]

carrier strike force

Documents