wrote:

Mike Weeks wrote:
wrote:

VIKING
Only one operational squadron reamins in PACFLT (in CVW-9), and
in
LANTFLT CVW-7 is going to lose their S-3Bs first.

As is CVW-17 (VS-30) - look for both VS-31 (CVW-7) & -30 to
deactivate
around the same period.

Negative. According to the officially released S-3B squadrons
deactivation plan - NANews Jul/Aug 2004
http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/back.../ja/viking.pdf :
VS-30 (now in CVW-17) is to be deactivated in 2005, but VS-31 (CVW-7)
not!

My comment was based on your comment! g "... in LANTFLT CVW-7 is
going to lose their S-3Bs first."

That's VS-31. VS-30 (CVW-17) has told the press they're "done" when
they returned just last Dec. in Kennedy and the schedule says they're
gone by Dec. 2005.

I assumed you'd found something which updated the deactivation list,
and that VS-31 (CVW-17) was going away much sooner.

Now, if you meant "LANTFLT CVW-17" above, then that's a whole other
issue, and it does appear to match what you state below.

I'd rather suppose that VS-31 switches from CVW-7 (going to have two
Super Hornet squadrons) to CVW-17 (with no F/A-18E unit until
FY2008).

As an added note, start looking for a HSL SH-60B outfit to be
assigned
to CVWs, as HSL-47 (NH70x) is currently w/ CVW-2; then it'll get
real
messy as the SH-60R/S enter and we see the merging of HSLs & HSs in
the
strike groups.

Yeah. And HSL-51 integrated with CVW-5, and same things expected in
LANTFLT...

What I wonder is if once everything is tried a few times (perhaps w/
HSL-47 & -51), then they'll do a straightaway merge of the HSL/HS per
CVW as the SH-60R/S inventory builds. But who really knows nowdays ...

Heck, I'm still trying to find actual paperwork that states VF-211
became VFA-211 back last 1 OCT 2004, but no luck.

MW