I just got finished writing how if you see a guy with glasses, a fake nose and a wig at the Pentagon, it’s probably Pete Hegseth trying to sneak out. Now I would bet money on that supposition. CNN is reporting that a second U.S. Navy jet has gone off the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman and into the sea. This is the second time in one week that a $60M aircraft has gone overboard from the same aircraft carrier. So if you see the Secretary of Defense anywhere, ask him to call his office.
It is not entirely clear what happened yet, as the investigation is ongoing, but two of the people said there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue helicopter and are both alive, but they suffered minor injuries, one of the people said.
The jet crashed into the sea and has not been recovered, two of the people familiar with the incident said.
Separately, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group “took a shot” at the Truman on Tuesday, the four sources said, despite President Donald Trump announcing an apparent ceasefire with the group hours earlier. It is not clear whether the two incidents are related.
Let’s slow down just a second here. Trump negotiated a cease fire with the Houthis but they possibly ignored it? What we’ve read seems to be susceptible of that interpretation. And then there’s some form of arrestment failure on an aircraft at or about the same time? On the same day, certainly. Arrestment, in this context, refers to a cable which helps secure the aircraft and keep it from going off the aircraft carrier. Sometimes these cables break. Is that what happened today? Or, is that what happened last week? There are more questions than there are answers about this particular aircraft carrier and the aircraft on it. So what did Secretary Hegseth tell the nice news organization when it made inquiry?
The Office of the Secretary of Defense referred all questions about the incidents to the Navy and US Central Command. CNN has reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM for comment.
Looks like Pete doesn’t want to be bothered. Go ask the Navy. Not his job, mon. Except it is his job. And you bloody well know that if this happened on Lloyd Austin’s watch or on the watch of any competent former SECDEF that that person would not be referring calls elsewhere. The buck would stop with him. But it doesn’t stop with Pete Hegseth. Only the makeup sponge does. And the booze bottle.
What a ship of fools is in office now, both literally and figuratively. MAGA stands for Morons Are Governing America. Or, maybe there is a giant cat on the carrier that keeps pushing aircraft over the side. You stop that now, kitty.
🙀🫡
There are four arresting wires rigged on a U.S. carrier deck during “Recovery and Arrest” Ops. Those wires don’t show the real heart of the arresting gear hidden below the flight deck. On the one hand an arresting machine is simple but it’s equally complex in how it operates. As for the arresting wire’s themselves yes, they can break. That’s why aircraft ramp up to full power the instant the wheels touch the deck – to give it a chance at a successful “bolter” as in enough speed to get airborne again if the gear fails, the tailhook breaks etc.
In addition to figuring out if an arresting wire snapped (and why) or whether something failed in the arresting machine it was attached to will be carefully investigated and answers learned. Another question will be why the aircraft wasn’t able to successfully Bolter and get airborne again for another attempt at landing. Every launch and recovery is recorded and those PLAT tapes are a lot better quality than they were decades ago. So IF an proper investigation is allowed answers will as I said be gotten. Whether we’ll hear about them is another story.
NATOPS, Naval Aviation Training, Operations and Procedures Standards is a multi-volume set. There are NATOPS manuals for all manner of things and every detail of operations is covered including a manual for each type of aircraft. The lessons contained are written in blood and the most devout Christians don’t know their bibles the way carrier types know the NATOPS manuals they need to master.
This could get interesting if to avoid embarrassment Hegseth tries to interfere with or prevent a proper investigation. Two lost aircraft in hostile waters in a week means at the very least the CO and CAG will be relieved of duty and replaced. More importantly though is that Naval Aviators will demand answers. If “high domes” try to fuck with the investiation it will NOT go over well and word will get out. Keep an eye on this.