Late 1970s US Congress Report - The US Sea Control Mission (carriers needed in the Atlantic)

[Yokel]

Another question - did the presence of the Yak-38 Forger aboard the Soviet carriers cause concern to the Western navies? For example was it considered a threat to ASW helicopters and other aircraft?

 

[ECMO1]

As far as I know the MH-60S cannot carry or deploy sonabouys because they went back to the Army fuselage to up its internal carrying capability. They could carry a torpedo but couldn't arm it or program it, so basically worthless for ASW.

With regards to the deployment of the Yak-38, yes the intelligence community promptly broke out their doom and gloom briefs and proclaimed the end of _______________. After observing their actual operations, they became merely a source of amusement to actual operators. Brave pilots though.

 

[Yokel]

There is an article here from CIMSEC about the concept of a small carrier.

Whilst twelve F-35B doing air defence sounds good, and twelve MH-60Rs for ASW. there would be no AEW as such and worse - no escorts. Apart from the issue of defence, does that mean the small carrier controls her own fighters, and surely the point of ASW helicopters is that they work with frigates - especially towed array ones.

 

[gaijin]

The Navy Experimented With Turning Its Attack Jets Into Submarine Hunters 50 Years Ago

The experiment was far ahead of its time in many ways and came in part as a result of the Navy looking to fit every mission onto its supercarriers.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Yokel]

The Navy Experimented With Turning Its Attack Jets Into Submarine Hunters 50 Years Ago

The experiment was far ahead of its time in many ways and came in part as a result of the Navy looking to fit every mission onto its supercarriers.

www.thedrive.com

An interesting article - thank you. I do wonder why the US Navy did not make more of their ASW helicopter capabilities?

During my time aboard the USS Nimitz and Theodore Roosevelt, the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Nine (HS-9) aviators would express their frustration at having to haul cargo, VIPs, and chaplains around while their ASW skills atrophied. In his article, Lieutenant Coogan recommended that utility helicopters (SH-3G models) be utilized to handle all logistics and SAR/plane guard duties. Obviously, as history shows, the common sense of such a smart idea was lost on the Pentagon and Capitol Hill.

Why?

 

[Yokel]

I am also sure that the USN HS squadrons also only had six aircraft each - unlike the carrier borne RN Sea King ASW squadrons who had nine aircraft and also had secondary logistics and SAR roles. The USN could also have put logistics helicopters aboard the supply vessels that accompanied the carriers....

At least with the RN's new carriers, much of the SAR and utility tasking will be done by Marlin HC4s, freeing up Merlin HM2s for ASW and the like.