Constellation (CV 64) - Naval Cruise Book

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FA- 18 HORNET The FA- 18 Hornet is the Navy ' s newest strike fighter aircraft. It was first operationally deployed aboard Con- siellalion in 1985. The FA-18 is capable of flying nearly 500 miles inside an enemy ' s defenses, bomb targets, then fight its way back out. The FA-1 8 can be used in either the conventional fighter role or the ground attack role. The FA-18 is flown from Constellation by Strike Fighter Squadrons 1 1 3 and 25, known as the Stingers and Fist of the Fleet, respectively. S-3A VIKING The S-3 A Viking is used primarily for enemy submarine search and prosecution missions in the vicinity of the car- rier battle group. The aircraft provides an ideal balance of computer technology and antisubmarine systems which enable its crew of four to collect, process, interpret and store data. With an endurance of more than seven hours, the S-3A also provides the capability to locate and identify surface ships before they come within range of the battle group. The Viking is flown from Constellation by Air Antisubmarine Squadron 37, known as the Sawbucks. A-6E INTRUDER The A-6E Intruder is a low-level, high speed bomber, designed to deliver a variety of weapons on targets com- pletely obscured by inclement weather or darkness. With a two man crew, the Intruder can carry five 2,000 pound bombs or twenty-eight 500 pound bombs. In addition, the A-6E is capable of carrying the Harpoon anti-ship mis- sile. Attack Squadron 196, known as the Milestones, flies the A-6E from Constellation. The squadron also flies the KA-6D, the tanker version of the Intruder used for in- flight refueling of Constellation ' s other aircraft. SH-3H SEA KING The SH-3H Sea King is a gas turbine powered helicopter used in the primary role of carrier inner zone antisubmar- ine warfare. The SH-3H utilizes a unique variable depth dipping sonar, expendable sonobuoys and Magnetic Anomaly Detection equipment to detect enemy subma- rines. The Sea King has an on-station mission capability exceeding five hours and is airborne during all flight oper- ations. The SH-3H is flown from Constellation by Heli- copter Antisubmarine Squadron 8, known as the Eight- ballers. AIR WING FOURTEEN 15

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AIR WING FOURTEEN wing team. This mariced the first time since World War II that two Marine fighter squad- rons comprised the fighter arm of a Navy air wing. Those two squadrons were eventually replaced by VF-21 and VF-154. CVW-14 deployed aboard USS Constella- tion on 21 February 1985 for the first oper- ational deployment of the FA- 1 8 Hornet and in 1987, while deployed in the Indian Ocean on Constellation, provided air cover for the first F-14A TOMCAT The F-14A Tomcat, the most sophisticated fighter in the world, is designed to protect the carrier battle group from hostile aircraft. The Tomcat is a twin engine, all weather aircraft capable of flying twice the speed of sound. It carries the air-to-air Phoenix, Sidewinder or Sparrow mis- siles and a 20mm Gatling gun. Fighter Squadrons 21 and 154, known as the Freelancers and Black Knights respectively fly the F-14A from Constellation. of many convoys of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The Constellation CWW- 4 team is an ex- tremely valuable national asset which enables the United States to carry out its maritime strategy around the globe twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. CVW-14 is homeported at Miramar Naval Air Station, Miramar, California. E-2C HAWKEYE The E-2C Hawkeye is an airborne early warning and con- trol aircraft capable of carrying out patrol on the battle group perimeters in all weather. The propeller-driven E- 2C assess any threat from approaching enemy aircraft at ranges greater than 250 nautical miles. The E-2C is capa- ble of automatically tracking more than 600 targets and control more than 40 intercepts. The E-2C is flown from Constellation by Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squad- ron 113, known as the Black Eagles. EA-6B PROWLER The EA-6B Prowler is a four-seat all-weather aircraft. It is the only U.S. Navy aircraft built specifically for tactical electronic warfare. The aircraft ' s crew of four (one pilot and three electron- ic counter-measure officers) uses sensitive receivers and high power jammers in an effective combination to sup- port air strike and fleet operations by deceiving, degrading or completely suppressing the enemy ' s radars and radios. The sophisticated electronic equipment used by the EA- 6B make it one of the most expensive aircraft in the Air Wing. Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 139, known as the Cougars, flies the Prowler from Constellation. 14 AIRWING FOURTEEN

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