After having spent the better part of a day re-visiting the National Museum of Naval Aviation, located onboard NAS Pensacola, there is much to post about – most good, but some others. For background, despite spending 26 years on active duty, when I left Pensacola for the E-2C replacement squadron (RVAW-120) in Norfolk, I would…
…And then writes about it. This past week I spent a day with the “Greyhawks†of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron ONE TWO ZERO (VAW-120) – the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for Hawkeye and Greyhound aircraft. As an FRP squadron, VAW-120 is tasked with training pilots, naval flight officers (NFOs), and aircrew and maintenance personnel…
We reach a critical junction this week for the future of the Naval Institute. Since February a small but determined group has sought to surface in the light of day plans undertaken to radically change the mission of the Institute and force a new direction which offers little in the way of relevance as a…
Couple of developments in the last week with regards to major systems in our Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) plans for the coming decades: Item: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded concept definition contracts to three teams competing for the SM-3 Block IIB advanced interceptor (aka: Next Generation Aegis Missile (NGAM)). Designed to…
Hard on the heels of the announcement naming the floating casino aircraft carrier after a Ming dynasty admiral who conquered Taiwan, comes word that the naval jack is, well, just not big or bright enough: To match the bigger role that the PLA Navy is playing in international waters, all its vessels will receive bigger,…
 Another test of the SM-3 Blk 1A was successfully completed last night with the intercept of an IRBM-class target: The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), U.S. Navy sailors aboard the Aegis destroyer USS O’KANE (DDG 77), and Soldiers from the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command operating from the 613th Air and Space Operations…
More from Norman Polmar on the USNI: THE NAVAL INSTITUTE IN CRISIS Dear Friends and Colleagues, As you know, the Board of Directors–for now–has withdrawn the proposed change to the mission statement that would have made the Naval Institute an advocacy organization. Unfortunately, the battle is not over. The majority of the Board still seeks…
There is a saying in politics that if you really want to find out what is going on, follow the money. The current Chairman of the USNI Board of Directors has cited the need for the Institute to gain financial stability as the prime motivator behind their actions leading up to the mission change. Following…
Announcing the 137th Annual Meeting of the US Naval Institute: More than ever we need you there, in person, at the meeting. I’m going and have registered – registration is free (but required) for USNI members. See you there. w/r, SJS P.S. Don’t forget to vote – while the Board of Directors may have stated…
Today’s post comes by way of AT1 Charles Berlemann, Jr. Currently assigned to VAQ-135 (World Famous Back Ravens), he enlisted in 1998 and has made five deployments (see “Postcards from Deployment”). Interested since 1995 (Charles calls himself an “unofficial member), he joined the Institute in 1999. We have maintained correspondence for a few years now…
