Will Fly 70 Sorties Per Day

Crews aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 began conducting cyclic flight operations off the coast of Southern California on June 21.

The training is the next step in Stennis and CVW-9's work-ups for their next deployment.

"For us, it’s the next big step toward achieving our battle rhythm," said CVW-9 Assistant Strike Operations Officer Lt. Eric Sinibaldi. "It’s about being able to launch, fly the mission, and recover quickly, safely and smoothly."

With approximately 70 aircraft aboard, Stennis and CVW-9 will enter cyclic flight operations by flying about 70 sorties a day, said Sinibaldi. Over the next couple weeks, the flight tempo will be increased to 90 to 100 sorties per day.

"Up to this point, we flew carrier qualifications (CQ)," said Stennis’ Assistant Air Operations Officer Lt. Rick Payne. "Now we have progressed from simply launching, flying around the pattern and recovering aircraft, to launching, flying missions and recovering."

According to Payne, it is the first time the ship and CVW have been able to conduct cyclic flight operations since the end of 2004. It marks a dramatic increase in overall integration of the ship and the carrier air wing.

"This is the essential piece of combat readiness," said Stennis’ Commanding Officer, Capt. Brad Johanson. "Cyclic flight operations are strike warfare focused to achieve power projection in the international war on terrorism. This is what we will be doing when we go to the Persian Gulf next year."

(Aero-News salutes Journalist 1st Class (SW/AW) Chris Fowler, USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs)

FMI: www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn74/