America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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CARRIER AIRWING ONE AMERICA AIRCRAFT Length - 62' Height - 16' Span - 64.1' Speed - Mach 2+ F-14A TOMCAT The F-14A Tomcat is a two seat, twin-engine all weather aircraft capable of flying twice the speed of sound. Its mission is to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft in order to establish and maintain local air superiority. The Tomcat can carry long-range Phoenix missiles in addition to Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles, and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. Fighter squadrons VF-33 and VF-102, based at NAS Oceana, Virginia, flv the F-14 from AMERICA. 24

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Hoar Admiral (select) John J. Mazach in an informal ceremony conducted on the flight deck. AMERICA transits through the Straits of Bab el Mandeb to the Gulf of Aden en route to the Arabian Gulf and the other side of the war. 10 February: AMERICA has a Beer Day” during a Steel Beach Picnic, allowing crew members two beers each after 45 consecutive days at sea. 14 February: AMERICA transits the narrow Straits of Hormuz and arrives in the Arabian Gulf. 15 February: AMERICA becomes the first and only carrier to operate on both sides of the war when it joins three other U.S. aircraft carriers in the Arabian Gulf carrier box. 16 February: AMERICA spots and destroys an Iraqi floating mine inside the aircraft carriers operational area. This would be the first of a total of four mines discovered while operating in the Arabian Gulf. 20 February: AMERICA is host to the combat press pool. VS-32 destroys an armed Iraqi patrol boat, thus becoming the first S-3 squadron to successfully engage, bomb, and destroy a hostile surface vessel. 23 February: Aircraft from the AMERICA destroy a Silkworm (anti-ship) missile battery after Iraq unsuccessfully fired a missile at the USS MISSOURI (BB 63). During all of CVW-l's strikes into the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations. AMERICA destroyed approximately 387 armored vehicles and tanks. 28 February: Coalition forces cease hostile offensive action after successfully liberating Kuwait and destroying Iraq’s ability to wage war. Iraq submits a letter to the United Nations accept -ing all 12 U.N. resolutions concerning Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The end to hostilities was called by President Bush only 42 days after the war began, and exactly two months after AMERICA departed Norfolk. Virginia. 04 March: AMERICA departs the Arabian Gulf and returns to the Red Sea after conducting 3,008 combat sorties during the war. 09 March: AMERICA arri -es on-station in the Red Sea. 16 March: AMERICA arrives in the Red Sea port of Mur ghada, Egypt, and makes the first port call of the deployment after 78 consecutive days at sea. 03 April: Homeward bound. AMERICA transits the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. 11 April: The United Nations declares the official end to the Gulf War. 24 February: The ground assault into Iraq and Kuwait begins as AMERICA provides close air support for coalition troops. 23

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 F A-18C HORNET Length - 56' Height - 15.2' Span - 40.7' Speed - Mach 1.8 The F A-18C is a high-performance, all-weather, multi-mission tactical aircraft. It is a single-seat, twin-engine jet which can undertake fighter, attack and reconnaissance missions. Its targets may be enemy ground installations, aircraft, or naval units. Strike fighter squadrons VFA-82 and VFA-86, based at NAS Cecil Field, Florida, fly the F A-18C from AMERICA. A-6E INTRUDER The A-6E Intruder is a two-man, subsonic, low-level medium attack bomber with the capability to deliver bombs on target with pinpoint accuracy deep into hostile territory. Its mission is the destruction, in all weather conditions day or night, of moving or fixed land targets. The A-6E is flown from AMERICA by Attack Squadron VA-85, based at NAS Oceana, Virginia. The squadron also flies the KA-6D model of the Intruder, which is the tanker version used for in-flight refueling. Length - 54'7 Height - 16'3 Span - 53' Speed - 502 Kts