Many carrier types embarked?

[JohnB]

The other day I saw a recent photo of a USN carrier.
What struck me was aside from a couple of E-2s and SH-60s, it was wall to wall F/A-18s. Must make things easier for the supply and maintenance guys aboard.

By looking at old photos or personal experience, can anyone saw what was the most types attached to a carrier and approximately when?

Back in Vietnam, I believe a carrier might have 3 attack types (A-1, 4, 6); two fighters (F-4, F-8), plus KA-3s, RA-5s and helicopters on any given cruise.

[Malo83]

Back when I was on the USS Ranger CV61 during Desert Storm we had HS-14 FLYING SH-3H Sea King helos, VA-145 flew A-6E Intruders, VA-155 flew A-6E Intruders, VAQ-131 flew EA-6B Prowlers, my squadron VAW-116 we flew E-2C Hawkeyes, VF-1 flew F-14A Tomcats, VF-2 flew F-14A Tomcats and finally VS-38 flew S-3A Vikings. VRC-30 had a Det. aboard with the C-2A Greyhound COD and VQ-1 also had a small Det flying the EA-3B Skywarrior
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12 ... late-1980s

[Clifford Bossie]

The other day I saw a recent photo of a USN carrier.
What struck me was aside from a couple of E-2s and SH-60s, it was wall to wall F/A-18s. Must make things easier for the supply and maintenance guys aboard.

By looking at old photos or personal experience, can anyone saw what was the most types attached to a carrier and approximately when?

Back in Vietnam, I believe a carrier might have 3 attack types (A-1, 4, 6); two fighters (F-4, F-8), plus KA-3s, RA-5s and helicopters on any given cruise.

In the Vietnam era the fighter mix was determined by carrier type. F-8s usually operated off of Essex boats and F-4s from Midway and Forrestal class carriers. F-8s could operate from the bigger carriers, but F-4s could not from the smaller ones. A Midway, or Forrestal boat might have RF-8s, but fighter types were not mixed aboard on a ship. Likewise ADs and A-6s were heavy attack, so if there were spADs, then there would not be A-6s. Scooters were replaced by A-7s, so light attack would normally be two squadrons of either A-4s, or A-7s,but not both. E-2s replaced E-1s so again there would not be mixed types in the VAW squadron (DET) aboard a carrier A-5s and A-3s were operated by the 60s' in only a DET,not a full squadron. Helos were also limited to one type aboard the same carrier. Good examples would be the USS Oriskany (1966) Two F-8 squadrons, two A-4 squadrons, one A-1, a det of A-3s, E-1s and RF-8s. The Kitty Hawk at the same time had 2X F-4, 2X A-4, 1x A-6, and a DET of RA-5, A-3 and E-2 aircraft. Once in awhile there would be an oddball VC squadron with mixed types, but not usually. Today the F-18 does the work of VF and VA units. As soon as someone figures out a way to add seats and a radar disc it will most likely become a COD and early warning as well

There are seldom absolutes, so there are most likely exceptions to the above. I also believe that A-6s were not operated from angled deck Essex carriers. A-1s did the heavy attack from them.

[sandiego89]

And part of it might be how you count certain types- if you consider the KA-6 detachment for example separate from the A-6 squadron for example, or 1950's Skyraider AEWs' separate from the attack A-1's etc. For this type of discussion I would consider them separate, and would include the small detachments as types in the count. There are perhaps 3 periods that would likely give you the most diversity, or types, on deck: 1) early 1960's when some old types were still on board like the Demon, and new types like the F-8 were coming on line, 2) Vietnam, and 3) the late 1980's early 1990's before the EA-3, A-7 and A-6 were retried. Here is a list of one wing, scroll down and you will see the types embarked over the years. Some interesting counts and types. other air wings were similar.

http://www.seaforces.org/usnair/CVW/Car ... Wing-3.htm

If you count sub types, detachments and the COD flight, think you could get up to 9-10 "types" on deck at a time!

Some examples from the link above:

March 1963: F-3, F-8, A-4, A-1, A-3, E-1, EA-1, RF-8, HUP, (plus COD? not listed) 9 or 10

1964 F-4, F-8, A-4, A-1, RA5C, E-1, A-3, UH-2 (plus COD) =9:

1987: F-14, A-7, A-6, KA-6, E-2, EA-6B, Sh-3, S-3, EA-3B (plus COD C2) = 10 (or 9 if you discount the KA-6)

And from an Air Wig 2 Vietnam deployment on the Ranger: http://www.seaforces.org/usnair/CVW/Car ... Wing-2.htm
1968: F-4, A-4, A-7, A-6, KA-3, RA5C, EKA-3, E-2, UH-2 (plus COD) = 10