From Bats to Rangers: A Pictorial History of Electronic Countermeasures Squadron Two (Ecmron-2) Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (Vq-2)


Book Description

This Pictorial History of US Navy's Electronic Countermeasures Squadron Two (ECMRON TWO or VQ-2), later designated Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (FAIRECONRON TWO or VQ-2) by Angelo Romano and AMHC (AW) John D. Herndon, USN, (Ret.) is the second title of the new U.S. Navy Squadron Historiesby Ginter Books. The photo coverage of the history of the Electric Bats, also known as the Rangers, is comprehensive, both in terms of photography and in terms of historical content. Much of the squadron's mission was top secret, as were many of its cold war missions, but the authors were able to utilize official (declassified) documents and first-hand accounts to write this book. For completeness, it is also a history of the US Navy Electronic Intelligence gathering activities going back to WWII, beginning with the creation of the Cast Mike (Counter Measures) Project in 1942 and the deployment of early XARD receivers aboard aircraft like the Consolidated PBY Catalina and PB4Y Liberator. After WWII, the Navy started to use the Privateers as dedicated ELINT platforms and assigned them to two special units operating jointly with the National Security Group. One of these units, designated Port Lyautey Patrol Unit (NPU), was based at Naval Air Activities Port Lyautey, in French Morocco. It was first assigned modified PB4Y-1s and later, the Martin P4M-1Q Mercator. The NPU teamed with the Naval Security Group's Naval Communications Unit 32 George (NCU32G), which provided the ELINT equipment installed on board and the crew to operate them, mostly for covert operations around Europe and the Mediterranean. When the NPU reached its full complement of four P4M-1Qs, the unit and NCU32G, needed to have an administrative identity for budgetary and logistics purposes. Airborne Early Warning Squadron TWO (VW-2), based at NAS Patuxent River, was therefore selected to be its "mother" squadron. On May 1, 1953, NPU Port Lyautey became VW-2 Detachment A (or DET ABLE). In 1955, the Navy decided to establish a dedicated squadron for the unique mission rather than continue with a detachment: Electronic Countermeasures Squadron TWO (ECMRON TWO) was established on Sept. 1, 1955. ECMRON-TWO was assigned the alphanumeric designation "VQ-2". Its mission was to conduct electronic-search in support of fleet operations to obtain adequate and timely information on enemy radar, communications, and other emissions in support of fleet operations. The Squadron inherited the P4M-1Qs from VW-2 DET A and acquired a Lockheed P2V Neptune for utility purposes. On Jan 1, 1960, EMCRON TWO was redesignated Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron TWO (FAIRECONRON TWO) but still retained the alphanumeric designation "VQ-2." In 1956, VQ-2 received its first Douglas A3D-1Q Skywarrior, followed in 1957 by one A3D-1. In 1958, the Squadron received the Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune to augment the P4M-1Qs. The more capable A3D-2Q/EA-3B arrived in 1959 followed by the big Lockheed WV-2Q/EC-121M Constellation in 1960. The first Lockheed EP-3E ARIES arrived in 1971 and the squadron continued to fly this aircraft until disestablishment in 2012. The VQ-2 history and all worldwide events surrounding it are very well described and documented in this 242-page book that contains 180 b/w and 444 color photos, most never published before. Thirty-seven superbly detailed aircraft color profiles show the evolution of the color schemes and markings and the different aircraft types and sub-types, providing very useful information for the benefit of both modelers and aviation historians. The inclusion of many squadron patches completes this masterpiece.




World Class Diamondbacks: A Pictorial History of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (Vfa-102)


Book Description

Originally designated Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), the DIAMONDBACKS of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102) were established on 1 July 1955 in Jacksonville, Florida. The first aircraft to carry the distinctive DIAMONDBACK markings was the McDonnell F2H Banshee, a twin-engine fighter-bomber with four 20mm internal cannons. The DIAMONDBACKS' inaugural deployment took place onboard the USS RANDOLPH (CV-15), in July 1956. After this deployment, the squadron transitioned to the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray. In 1960, the DIAMONDBACKS moved to NAS Oceana, Virginia, and transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II. This marked the beginning of a 20-year association with the Phantom. In June 1981, the DIAMONDBACKS bade farewell to the Phantom and transitioned to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat. The Tomcat's design provided the pilot and RIO with a formidable air-to-air radar and weapons system. The long-range AWG-9 radar and its multiple track, multiple launch capable AIM-54 Phoenix missile system, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewindermissiles, and the six-barrelled 20mm cannon, comprised the Tomcat's weapons suite. With the addition to the Tomcat of the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) in 1982, the DIAMONDBACKS added the tactical aerial photo reconnaissance mission to their traditional fighter role. In 1992, VF-102 and the Tomcat entered the critical air-to-ground mission area, thus solidifying the DIAMONDBACKS' role as a strike fighter squadron, and leading the way into the 21st century. In 1994, the DIAMONDBACKS transitioned to the re-engined F-14B and, with the installation of the Low Altitude Navigation Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod in 1998, they added the precision strike mission to their capabilities. In 2002, VF-102 was assigned to Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and transferred to NAS Lemoore, California to transition to the Navy's newest strike fighter, the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. In March 2002, the DIAMONDBACKS were redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102). After completion of the transition to the Super Hornet, VFA-102 moved across the Pacific to Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, to join Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5), the Navy's only forward deployed air wing and part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF). Since then, the DIAMONDBACKS were assigned respectively to the following FDNF carriers: USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), and USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76).




North American Vigilante A-5A, RA-5C


Book Description

This is aircraft was to replace the AJ-1/2 and the A3D as a nuclear attack bomber. This twin engine bomber carried the Linear Bomb (nuclear weapon) was carried between the two J78-GE-8. It was also used as a tanker, a Photo Recon and ECM. This was the second heaviest aircraft excepted by the Navy the first being the A-3. The first prototype flew August 31, 1958 and deliveries started in 1960 to VAH-7. The new USS Enterprise was the first ship to deploy the A-5.




Time Flies


Book Description

An insight into the daily exploits of a fighter pilot during the Cold War and beyond, both from the cockpit and in commandReflections on high level staff meetings, including briefing the Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Heseltine, during the formative years of the Eurofighter projectDetails of commanding a Tornado F3 squadron during Gulf War OneMemoirs of flying with the Red Arrows, including the 1993 tour of the USAProfusely illustrated with high-quality photographs Time Flies: Reflections of a Fighter Pilot is a detailed insight into the exploits of a RAF pilot from the cockpit and in command in the air, on land and at sea. Covering interceptions of Soviet bombers off Iceland to defending Saudi Arabia in Gulf War One, this gripping biography follows his thirty-year career operating Lightnings defending the UK, F-4 Phantoms from HMS Ark Royal and defending the Inner German Border (IGB) as well as commanding a Tornado F3 squadron, including a deployment to Saudi Arabia in Gulf War One. The author formulated the operational requirements for the Eurofighter Typhoon, flew with the Red Arrows, served as the deputy station commander at RAF Leuchars and led the Tornado F3 four-ship flypast over Edinburgh Castle as the Stone of Destiny was returned to Scotland on 30 November 1996. A serious study for the aviation enthusiast and military historian, this work is also sumptuously illustrated with rich and candid photographs to inspire modellers.




Black Knights Rule! (BKR)


Book Description

Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154), also known as the "Black Knights", is a United States Navy strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Black Knights are an operational fleet squadron flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. As of 2014, VFA-154 is attached to Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Their callsign is "Knight". The roots of VFA-154 can be traced back to VBF-718, a Naval Air Reserve squadron which was established at NAS New York, on July 1, 1946. The squadron was redesignated VF-68A, on February 1, 1947, VF-837 on December 1, 1949, VF-154 on February 1, 1953 and, finally, VFA-154 on October 1, 2003. Black Knights Rule! (BKR) - A Pictorial History of VBF-718 / VF-68A / VF-837 / VF-154 / VFA-154 - 1946-2013, is the first one of the new US NAVY SQUADRON HISTORIES. The photo coverage on the lineage of the Black Knights is as comprehensive as one has ever seen, both in terms of photography and historical content.




P-8A Poseidon


Book Description

The P-8A Poseidon, a variant of the Boeing 737 series of airliner, takes over the role of antisubmarine warfare from the P-3 Orion, itself a derivative of an airliner, the Lockheed Electra. The P-8A brings new capabilities, endurance, and crew enhancements to the art form of maritime patrol, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The Poseidon also brings with it weapons such as antiship missiles, mines, torpedoes, and bombs. It can lay down sonobuoys to detect, track, and attack submarines that are quieter, deeper diving, and more stealthy than ever before. The ability to perform search and rescue, assist stranded victims of an incident at sea, and coordinate rescue efforts is unparalleled. The P-8A can connect to tactical networks to relay data it collects, or it can receive information and play a part in a larger operation involving several platforms, from surface ships to aircraft and ground facilities.




B/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat


Book Description

Studies of air combat in the Vietnam War inevitably focus on the MiG-killing fighter engagements, B-52 onslaughts or tactical strikes on the Hanoi region. However, underlying all these was the secretive 'electron war' in which highly-skilled electronic warfare officers duelled with Soviet and North Vietnamese radar operators in the attempt to enable US strike forces to reach their targets with minimal losses. Orbiting at the edge of heavily-defended territory, the vulnerable EB-66s identified and jammed the enemy's radar frequencies with electronic emissions and chaff to protect the American bombers. Their hazardous missions resulted in six combat losses, four of them to SA-2 missiles and one to a MiG-21, and they became prime targets for North Vietnamese defences when their importance was realised. This illustrated study focuses on the oft-overlooked B-66 series, examining their vital contributions to the Vietnam War and the bravery of those who operated them in some of the most challenging situations imaginable. Author Peter E. Davies also explores how the technology and tactics devised during the period made possible the development of the EF-111A Raven, an invaluable component of the Desert Storm combat scenario over Iraq and Kuwait in 1991, and the US Navy's EA-6B Prowler, which entered service towards the end of the Vietnam War.




Douglas R4D-8/C-117D Super Gooney


Book Description

This aircraft was used as a transport, VIP carrier, station hack, a trainer with VT-29, and its usage in Antarctica with VX-6 from 1952 into the 1980s. The DC-3S was a Douglas venture to add capability and life to the post-war fleet of surplus DC-3s, C-47s and R4Ds. It was an remanufactured aircraft with a stretched fuselage, new taller and wider tail group, new square tip outer wings, larger engines and fully enclosed main gear housings. It did not find favor with the airlines which instead turned to Convairs and Martins, but found a home in the Navy and Marines. 96 aircraft were eventually re-manufactured as R4D-8s and 4 as R4D-8Zs.




Yom Kippur


Book Description

It is 25 years since the end of the Cold War, now a generation old. It began over 75 years ago, in 1944long before the last shots of the Second World War had echoed across the wastelands of Eastern Europewith the brutal Greek Civil War. The battle lines are no longer drawn, but they linger on, unwittingly or not, in conflict zones such as Iraq, Somalia and Ukraine. In an era of mass-produced AK-47s and ICBMs, one such flashpoint was the Middle East On the afternoon of 6 October, 1973, the colossus of the Israeli Defence Forces was awakened by a wave of airstrikes, followed by an artillery bombardment along the Suez Canal that preceded a meticulously planned Egyptian invasion of the Israeli-held Sinai. Simultaneously, a massive Syrian armored assault bore down on Israeli positions on the Golan Heights. The day was Yom Kippur, the most holy day on the Jewish religious calendar, and the commencement of a war that would bring the young state of Israel to the very brink of defeat. In the aftermath of the Six-Day War of 1967, a stunning Arab reversal at the hands of the untested Israeli Defence Forces, Israel occupied and held Arab territory on the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. These were for the most part territorial buffer zones, retained to protect Israel against an inevitable future war, but their ongoing occupation remained an open diplomatic wound. In the meanwhile, a mood of complacency came to affect the Israeli military machine, in the belief that air and armored dominance of the battlefield would, as had been the case in 1967, guarantee a quick victory in any future war.The Yom Kippur War proved the fallacy of this belief, revealing critical weaknesses in Israeli intelligence capability and battlefield strategy. The ferocity and effectiveness of the combined invasion pushed the much-storied Israeli armed forces almost to the point of collapse. Only the rapid resupply of arms and equipment by the United States, and a display of extraordinary reliance and determination by the fighting forces of Israel, rescued the young state from annihilation. The story of the Yom Kippur War is an object lesson in the dynamism of military thinking, the evolution of battlefield technology and the uneasy alliance of east and west during the Cold War era of dtente. Yom Kippur was both a military and political maneuver that adjusted the balance of power in the Middle East, and set the tone for the ideological standoff that continues in the region to this day




Modern Israeli Air Power


Book Description

Israel remains the cornerstone of Middle East conflicts and tensions, and the spearhead of Israeli military might remain the Air Corps (Kheil Ha'Avir) of the Israeli Defense Forces. Renowned for its continuous efforts to maintain dominance in every dimension of air warfare, improve its capabilities, and outsmart its opponents, the Israeli Air Force has recently been moving away from preparations for interstate wars towards improving its potential to wage asymmetric conflicts, counterinsurgency campaigns and special operations. It has become smaller and leaner, but also much more efficient, and is foremost a force with much improved quick-reaction capabilities. Nowadays the IAF employs cutting-edge domestic and imported technology for gathering intelligence, in its command and communication systems, and in its flying units, with the aim of obtaining real-time targeting information, making it prepared for every eventuality, no matter when or where. This book provides a compact yet comprehensive, up-to-date, and in-depth analysis and directory of modern Israeli air power, detailing flying units and relevant infrastructure, its aircraft and the armament they use. Using text and superb illustrations, the title covers every flying unit and every base, every aircraft type flown and every weapons system, offering a unique insight into what Israel considers its 'best defense'.