Commissioned in 1961, Naval Air Station Lemoore (NAS Lemoore) is the newest and largest Master Jet Base in the U.S. Navy of the three currently remaining operational (the other two are NAS Oceana, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the Atlantic coast of USA and NAS Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington, Pacific coast). Strike Fighter Wing Pacific, along with its associated squadrons, is home ported here. With the transfer of NAS Miramar to the United States Marine Corps, NAS Lemoore now hosts the Navy’s entire west coast fighter/attack capability.
Introduction and Naval Air Station overview
The U.S. Navy calls Master Jet Base those Naval Air Stations where the carrier-based tactical jet Squadrons (VFA) and Carrier Air Wings – along with their combat aircrafts – are permanently based. Furthermore, the Master Jet Base must be equipped with one – or more – landing fields with all the auxiliary landing equipment necessary to carry out the FCLP’s (field carrier landing practice) training.
An overview of the west ramp of NAS Lemoore, taken from the tower.
NAS Lemoore was built “from the ground up” as a Master Jet Base, so has several operational advantages. First of all is located in the ideal geographic location – with a favorable climate – in the midst of the rich agricultural area of San Joaquin Valley, California, surrounded by agricultural production fields.
Furthermore this area is sparsely populated: San Francisco is distant about 150 miles northwest and Los Angeles 200 miles south. The closest – and largest – cities (such as Fresno and Visalia) are about 40 minutes away by car, while the local community consists only of some small towns (Lemoore, Hanford, and some others). Moreover, the local population is friendly and very accommodating with Navy personnel. All key factors to reduce problems while carrying out intense daily flight activities.
NAS Lemoore has the majority of the installation that falls within Kings County, with a small portion of buildings located in the southwest portion of Fresno County, extended on total area of 19,225 acres (approximately 77,8 square kilometers).
This big Air Station consists of three primary developed areas, including the Operations (Ops) Side, Administration (Admin) Side, and Family Housing Area. Admin and Family Housing are immediately adjacent and located within the same fence line. These areas contain personnel and family support functions, as well as mission support activities that do not require a location on the flight line. Facilities includes one gym, one hospital and two schools, with approximately 1600 houses for a total of 13,600 residents.
The Ops Side is located approximately five miles to the north and within a separate perimeter fence and has two offset parallel runways 1,400 m apart. Each runway is 4,100 meters-long and both have concrete surfaced with direction of 14L/32R and 14R/32L respectively. Aircraft’s parking, soft shelters, maintenance hangars and the building with the control tower are located between the runways.
Others aircraft maintenance shops, supply, and other activities directly supporting the primary mission are also located at Ops, along with a limited number of personnel with support functions. The Munitions Area is located immediately to the east of the Ops Side.
Commands and Units
Home port of the Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific (COMSTRKFIGHTWINGPAC) along with its associated squadrons, NAS Lemoore is also home of the Fleet Readiness Center (FRC-WEST), Strike Fighter Weapons School Pacific, and of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Lemoore (CNATTU Lemoore).
NAS Lemoore hosts four Carrier Air Wings: Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11), and Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), while another one, the Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is deployed to NAS Atsugi, Japan, but under the control of Strike Fighter Wing Pacific.
Operations
Daily’s routine starts with the FOD (foreign object damage) walk down on the ramps, conducted by the flight crews and specialists, as it does on board the aircraft carriers. After this the flight’s operations begin.
Apron check
When not embarked aboard aircraft carriers, and not involved in overseas deployment or training exercises, one or more CVW with its respective VFAs are always present at NAS Lemoore, makes platforms filled by numerous fighter-bombers (the Air Station can host approximately 250 aircrafts at the same time). As a result, the flight activity, as well the maintenance on the aircrafts, is very intense throughout the week, reducing a little only on Friday, when some aircrews have the opportunity to get cross-country flight (a flight between two points using navigational techniques).
The crew goes to its assigned aircraft
The Navy’s pilots, as such, must be perfectly capable of doing what is considered the most hazardous routine activity in all of military aviation: landing on an aircraft carrier. In fact all the approach parameters still need to be perfect every time, in order to hit the – relatively small – landing deck perfectly!
Before the pilot goes aboard the ship, is essential to replicate carrier landing experience as much as possible at the Navy’s Master Jet Bases, conducting the specific flight training activity known as Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP), that provides paramount preparation and re-qualification to the naval aviators.
Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) at NAS Lemoore
As well as the others Master Jet Bases, also NAS Lemoore is equipped to carry out FCLP operations: has parallel runways — where is painted the landing deck, with the same dimensions of the aircraft carrier ones — as well as the optical landing system, along with the “LSO’s house”. Normally at NAS Lemoore the FCLPs are performed on runway 32L, where all the devices are placed.
The pilot who flying FCLPs, practices a series of touch-and-goes in the simulated landing areas of the runway, getting his aircraft to land on and take-off from a simulated carrier landing deck. The FCLP consists of about 8 to 12 touch-and-goes and lasts about 45 minutes, although the number of landings and touch-and-goes required are based on the experience and the needs of individual pilot. In any case it is mandatory for any naval aviator, no matter how senior, to complete several FCLP periods at the field. Usually, two to four aircrafts fly at the same time during FCLP.
FCLP and Landing Signal Officer (LSO)
FCLPs are under the visual control of the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) — which is a qualified and experienced fighter jet pilot himself – who ensure that approaching aircraft are properly configured, monitoring the aircraft glide path angle, altitude, speed and lineup.
In addition, the LSO grades, critiques and evaluates every landing and touch and go, whether it is carried out at the Naval Air Station, or if it is carried on board the aircraft carrier. In the latter case both during the normal training activity of carrier qualifications and during the operational deployments.
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
Actually the primary aircraft based at NAS Lemoore is the multirole Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with around 175 home-based here, operating from one Fleet Replacement (training) Squadron and fifteen Fleet (operational) Squadrons.
In July 1998, NAS Lemoore was selected as the West Coast site for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of Super Hornets, the first of which was delivered in November 1999. The Strike Fighter Squadron 115 (VFA-115) was chosen to be the first Navy squadron to start transition to the Super Hornet with the achievement of the initial operating capability (IOC) during September 2001.
Taken from the tower of NAS Lemoore
At the beginning of the nineties, the cancellation of the advanced stealth strike aircraft McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II due cost overruns and delays caused by numerous design problems, forced the U.S. Navy to find a replacement for some of its obsolete combat aircraft types urgently. The end of the Cold War and its consequently military budget cuts convinced the U.S. Navy to develop the new fighter aircraft starting from an existing project.
The McDonnell Douglas (later merged with Boeing in 1997) project, based on “low-risk” derivative redesign of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D Hornet was chosen. After a relatively quick development, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet made its first flew on 29 November 1995.
Although the Legacy Hornet provided the baseline design, the Super Hornet’s evolutionary airframe has larger dimensions, new larger rectangular air intakes, heavier empty and maximum weight, can carry 33% more internal fuel than the original Hornet, with great benefit in terms of mission range and endurance. Its airframe design incorporates some radar-signature reduction features, especially in frontal radar cross-section (RCS).
Other differences include, more powerful General Electric F414-GE-400 engines (based on Legacy Hornet’s GE F404), two extra wing hardpoints, heavier payload and an upgraded avionics suite.
The initial production models (known as Super Hornet Block I) shared most of the avionics systems (like the AN/APG-73 radar) with the F/A-18C/D’s, but the latest Super Hornet Block II received the improved AN/APG-79 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar, new cockpit with larger displays, the JHMCS (joint helmet mounted cuing system), and several other avionics replacements.
Three versions of this twin-engine carrier-capable multi-role fighter aircraft have been developed. The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F are both used as air-superiority fighter and, in a different configuration, in the strike roles alongside the original F/A-18A/B/C/D Legacy Hornets, The electronic warfare variant, EA-18G Growler has put in service too, replacing the U.S. Navy EA-6B Prowler’s fleet (all the Navy’s EA-18G Growlers are currently based at NAS Whidbey Island).
Since the replacement of the latest F-14s Tomcat (which was finally retired from service during 2006) until the recent introduction of the JSF F-35C Lightning II, all the Navy’s combat jets were Hornet variants. Currently all the Pacific Fleet’s CAWs have their Strike-Fighter Squadron equipped with the two variant of Super Hornet.
Beside their frontline fighters roles the Super Hornets took also the place of the Lockheed S-3 Vikings and Grumman KA-6Ds in the air tanker roles onboard the aircraft carriers.
Due the huge number of Super Hornets based at NAS Lemoore, and the aim to guarantee their operational availability the U.S. Navy made an agreement with the manufacturers of this aircraft – Boeing, General Electric and Raytheon – which sent a permanently-based team, that support the Navy’s personnel during the maintenance and provides specific training for the specialists.
The U.S. Navy is satisfied by the Super Hornet and, according with the U.S. Navy plans the earlier production aircrafts were to be retrofitted to the Block II standard, and likely, further improvements to the aircraft’s avionics suite and weapons capability will be made in the near future, with the aim of keeping the airplane constantly at the “state of the art”.
Actually is the primary aircraft based at NAS Lemoore and over 175 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet are home-based here, operating from one Fleet Replacement (training) Squadron and fifteen Fleet (operational) Squadrons.
In these days the Carrier Air Wings are composed:
Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) “For Liberty We Fight”, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)
-VFA-2 Bounty Hunters (F/A-18F)
-VFA-137 Kestrels (F/A-18E/F)
-VFA-192 Golden Dragons (F/A-18E)
Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5), forward deployed to NAF Atsugi, Japan; assigned to: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)
-VFA-27 Royal Maces (F/A-18E)
-VFA-102 Diamondbacks (F/A-18F)
-VFA-115 Eagles (F/A-18E)
-VFA-195 Dambusters (F/A-18E)
Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9) “Team Shogun”, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
-VFA-41 Black Aces (F/A-18F)
-VFA-14 Tophatters (F/A-18E)
-VFA-97 Warhawks (F/A-18E)
-VFA-151 Vigilantes (F/A-18E)
Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) “Speed and Violence”, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
-VFA-146 Blue Diamonds (F/A-18E)
-VFA-147 Argonauts (F/A-18E)
-VFA-154 Black Knights (F/A-18F)
Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) “Team Quicksand”, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
-VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks (F/A-18F)
-VFA-113 Stingers (F/A-18E)
-VFA-94 Mighty Shrikes (F/A-18F)
There is also the VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet (F/A-18E) that recently served for the CVW-7 and the VFA-122 Flying Eagles, a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS).
Each VFA has approximately 250 officers and enlisted personnel and operates with 10/12 aircrafts, while the VFA-122 “Flying Eagles” has double size with more than 500 personnel and around 60 aircrafts.
VFA-122 Flying Eagles
The history of VFA-122 can be found on 1950, inside the VC-35 squadron, composed by A-1 Skyraider and based at NAS San Diego. Its role was All-Weather attack since June 1959 when a part of the squadron was designated as Fleet Replacement Training and re-named Attack Squadron 122 (VA-122). Its role was to train pilots and maintenance technicians to support Fleet squadrons flying the A-1 Skyraider. In 1963 the squadron moved to the newly built NAS Lemoore. In 1966 began the A-7 Corsair era and the VA-122 become to be called Flying Eagles since 1971. VA-122 continued its role of training pilots and maintainers until May of 1991, when he was deactivated.
In January 1999 was reactivated as VFA-122, it was the first squadron to operate the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The squadron’s mission is Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), to train replacement aircrew, Pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs), and maintenance personnel for Navy, to support fleet commitments of Super Hornet personnel.
The VFA-122 besides its role of FRS, carries out also the mission of “demo team” at the airshows and during its Tactical Demonstration (Tac Demo) shows the edge of the envelope of F/A-18E/F.
Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II
A new era started when, in 2014, the Department of the Navy has selected NAS Lemoore as West Coast home base for the new F-35 Lightning II.
25 January 2017, NAS Lemoore saw the arrivals of the first four exemplars of the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35C Lightning II, the aircraft carrier-capable variant of the Lockheed-Martin’s 5th Generation stealth fighter, which joined VFA-125 “Rough Raiders”, marking the first time the new strike-fighter has been deployed to a West-coast based squadron.
The VFA-125 “Rough Raiders” were established on 13 November 1980 at NAS Lemoore, becoming the Navy’s first F/A-18 squadron and later a Fleet Replacement Squadron for “legacy” F/A-18s Hornet. Deactivated on 1 October 2010, with the squadron’s aircraft and personnel were absorbed into VFA-122, the VFA-125 was re-activated six years later at NAS Lemoore, with the aim to serve as F-35s Fleet Replacement Squadron on the West Coast.
Currently VFA-125 is the first and only squadron equipped with the F-35C at NAS Lemoore, although the number of F-35Cs will increase soon (with 7 strike squadrons and the FRS), with the VFA-97 “Warhawks” would be the next Squadron to receive the F-35C, during early 2018 according with the U.S. Navy plans.
These four jets flew from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where they were part of the VFA-101 “Grim Reapers”, the Navy’s first F-35C Fleet Replacement Squadron, since its reactivation of on 1 May 2012. Although currently based at Eglin AFB joining 33d Fighter Wing (33 FW), the VFA-101 is a subordinate unit of the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Search and Rescue “The Wranglers”
In addition to home-ported Super Hornets and Lightning II, NAS Lemoore is also home to a limited number of Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk helicopters, flown by the Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit “The Wranglers”. Previously NAS Lemoore had a SAR unit from 1963 until 2004, when it was decommissioned due budgetary restrictions.
The new SAR Unit, activated in October 2012, provides SAR coverage for the squadrons based in Lemoore, covering inland training ranges from the Central Coast to the Sierra Mountains. In case of needs this unit assists federal, state and local agencies with SAR operations.
The author would thanks the U.S. Navy, the P.A.O. and the personnel of NAS Lemoore for taking us in the best places to take photos and to discover the activities and the flight operations of the base.