Nimitz carrier flight surge demonstration 1997

[Blast33]

I think this data is valueable for CMO itself and scenario makers/players

Source is a thread on Twitter (X) from: https://twitter.com/ThrustWR/status/1732494861415178248 6th dec.

In 1997, during JTFEX 97-2, the USS Nimitz and Carrier Air Wing 9 conducted the most intense surge demonstration ever carried out by an aircraft carrier. Over the course of 98 hours, the Nimitz's crews put up 975 fixed-wing sorties.

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The exercise scenario for JTFEX 97-2 centered around littoral strike support in a fictional called the "Gulf of Sabani crisis." It was conducted primarily along the southeastern coast of the US.
On the USN side were elements of the Nimitz CCG and CVW-9. The Nimitz was set to demonstrate the CSG's ability to conduct a high-intensity strike campaign. Starting on the 14th, the Nimitz kicked off six days of intense offensive and defensive operations.

Over the preceding six days, the CSG sent up 700 fixed-wing sorties, an average of about 116 fixed-wing sorties a day. This period was followed by an operational pause of 16 hours to prepare for a "surge" of an unprecedented scale.
During these 16 hours, the Nimitz conducted UNREP, and crews thoroughly prepared the carrier for what was to come. Extra crews were added as augmentees where planners thought extra manpower was needed.
On the 20th, the surge kicked off. The first day saw 248 sorties, followed by 218 on the second day, 230 on the third day, and 279 on the 4th day.

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According to the CNA, the sorties spiked on the 4th day because "operators knew when the Surge would be completed, they pushed themselves and their systems to the limit."
The CVW dropped 1,336 munitions during 771 strike sorties. The majority of these strike sorties happened within 0-100 nmi from the carrier. However, the maximum possible achievable reach of these strikes was around 200-300 nmi from the carrier.
During the surge, Nimitz's CVW demonstrated higher aircraft utilization rate than the Navy planning.

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Availability rates speak for themselves:

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More data and visuals via the source mentioned above and original report here: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA362472.pdf
It gives a interesting view on what you can do and what is realistic.

[blu3s]

This was discussed some time ago: https://command.matrixgames.com/?page_id=3262

[VF1Taco107]

As previously stated, the surge ops demonstrations are generally poor indicators of true sortie generation capacity. They tend to abstract lots of real-world problems, to allow them to achieve crazy high rates.

I do always laugh when that report gets passed around though. Poor VF-211, gets saddled with VF-24s broken old jets, then has to scramble to get their airframe inspections done as part of the Bulkhead affair, and in the middle of that crisi ends up having to engage in this whole song and dance. All of that just to end up near universally lampooned for the MC rate, give Brutus a break guys

[Blast33]

This was discussed some time ago: https://command.matrixgames.com/?page_id=3262

I was not aware of this piece, but an interesting read.
Searching on this forum is a bit of handfull but I will sneak around next time

[blu3s]

I was not aware of this piece, but an interesting read.
Searching on this forum is a bit of handfull but I will sneak around next time

No problem, so new users can see this interesting post about sorties

[thewood1]

There were lengthy debates about the "slow" turnaround times when CMNAO first introduced them. There were people that swore up and down that they were too long. This exact article was posted that showed that, if anything, CMO/CMNAO might be a little too generous.