French Squadron Performs Jet Engine Swap-Out Aboard U.S.S.
Truman
As part of interoperability operations with the French Navy, a
maintenance crew for the French aircraft Rafale F3 performed a jet
engine swap-out on board USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) June 4. The
Rafale, a fourth generation fighter jet capable of performing both
air-to-air and air-to-ground missions attached to CVN Charles
de Gaulle (R 91), was conducting carrier qualifications on board
Truman.
Rafale Fighter Jet Lands Aboard U.S.S. Truman
"The French have conducted many carrier qualifications (CQs)
with U.S. aircraft carriers in the past. However, this is the first
time that an engine swap-out with a foreign navy has been done on a
U.S. carrier," said Cmdr. Tim Hill, the VFA-32 executive officer
and air wing liaison for French interoperability exercises. "This
is a big step in working towards the ability to operate a French
squadron on a U.S. carrier."
According to French Navy Cmdr. Henri Mahe, the chief maintenance
officer for Charles de Gaulle, the Rafale was specifically designed
for performance and for efficient maintenance. The seven-man French
navy maintenance team from the Rafale squadron 12F completed the
engine swap-out in three hours.
Hundreds of Truman service members transiting the hangar bay
stopped to take photos and to see the Rafale up close. Among the
onlookers was Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class
Heather Martinez, who was standing watch in Truman's primary flight
control tower when the Rafale landed. Martinez said she was
impressed by the maneuverability of the aircraft and by the ease
with which the jet was recovered. "We followed the same procedures
we do when recovering our own aircraft," said Martinez. "It went
very smoothly."
U.S. and French service members were quick to point out the
similarities in how the two navies operate, including using the
same color-coding scheme to distinguish roles on the flight deck.
The only difference in the flight deck jersey color scheme is the
significance of the color purple; for the U.S. Navy the color
indicates the refueling team, for the French, it signifies the
presence of the priest. "We were surprised when we saw so many
purple shirts on the flight deck," said Mahe.
Rafale File Photo
For Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, commander, Carrier Strike Group
(CSG) 10, the five-day interoperability exercises between Charles
de Gaulle and Truman and the engine swap-out are a natural
progression in a relationship between two allies. He recalled
conducting operations with French aircraft carrier CV Foch (R99),
and serving as a junior officer in an A-7 Corsair squadron with a
French aviator. "It is important to train with our partners. They
are a great navy and the better we get at working together, the
more effective we are as warfighters," said Driscoll.
Truman deployed May 21 as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier
Strike Group (HSTCSG)in support of maritime security operations and
theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet
areas of responsibility. HSTCSG includes Commander, Carrier Strike
Group (CCSG) 10, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Carrier Air Wing
Three (CVW) 3, Commander, Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 26 and German
Frigate FGS Hessen (F221).
ANN Salutes Lt. Katharine Cerezo, USS Harry S. Truman Public
Affairs