THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 24, 1996 TAG: 9602240307
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Navy jets, responding to an unexplained alert, took off early Friday from the carrier George Washington but returned without incident 90 minutes later.
The 5,000-member, Norfolk-based ship was jarred awake at 3 a.m. (9 p.m. Thursday EST) by the sounds of catapults launching an A-6 Intruder medium-attack bomber and two F/A-18 Hornet fighter attack planes.
The launch was conducted at the request of the Combined Air Operations Center in Vincenza, Italy, according to officials aboard the George Washington.
There was no explanation ofwhat triggered the alert.
The aircraft were one A-6 from Attack Squadron 34, from Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, two F/A-18s from Fighter/Attack Squadron 131 of Cecil Field, Fla., and one SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from Anti-Submarine Squadron 5, based in Jacksonville, Fla.
The aircraft were armed, officials said, and returned without dropping any ordnance. The flight lasted about 1 1/2 hours.
The George Washington and its 80-plane airwing were in the Adriatic Sea, less than 200 miles from the coast of the former Yugoslavian Republic, at the time.
Although it has been conducting daily reconnaissance flights to help enforce peacekeeping operations, the George Washington has not had to respond to a call for help until now. The carrier has been in the Adriatic since Feb. 13.
``We're prepared for this sort of thing, and can launch within 5 minutes if we are called to,'' said Capt. William L. McKee, the carrier's executive officer. ``There are a variety of alert statuses that we maintain, requiring our pilots and air crews to be ready around the clock.''
The George Washington is scheduled for its first port visit on Monday in Trieste, Italy, at the northern end of the Adriatic. Sailors are looking forward to their first break since leaving Norfolk Jan. 26. by CNB