1971-Continued

5 April Modernization of the Naval Air Reserve con-

tinued when the first A-7 Corsair IIs were received by

VA-303 at NAS Alameda, Calif. The first reserve

squadron to operate the modern jet, VA-303 received

its full complement of 12 aircraft by the end of June.

Less than four months later, VA-303 made the initial

reserve A-7 squadron deployment, marking the first

extended deployment of a reserve squadron on other

than annual active duty training.

16 April The A-4M Sky hawk entered squadron ser-

vice with VMA-324 and VMA-331 at MCAS Beaufort,

S.c. The most advanced in the A-4 series, the aircraft

featured a new self-contained starter, carried twice as

much 20mm ammunition, and had 20 percent more

thrust (11,200 pounds). The new model Sky hawk, the

seventh major version, was developed specifically for

the Marine Corps and was capable of delivering all air-

to-ground weapons in the naval inventory.

16 April VMA-513 at MCAS Beaufort, S.c., took

delivery of three AV-8A Harrier aircraft, thereby

becoming the first operational high performance

V/STOL squadron in the United States.

30 April In Vietnam during the month, three carriers

assigned to TF-77-Ranger, Kitty Hawk, and

Hancock-provided a constant two carrier posture on

Yankee Station. Hours of employment remained

unchanged with one carrier on daylight hours and one

on the noon to midnight schedule. Strike emphasis was

placed on the interdiction of major Laotian entry corri-

dors to South Vietnam (SVN). Strike sorties delivering

ordnance totalled 3,648. Fifteen strike sorties were

flown into North Vietnam (NVN) during the month.

1 May A board to study and make recommendations

on Aeronautical Engineering Duty personnel policies,

which had been appointed the preceding 14

December with Rear Admiral Daniel K. Weitzenfeld as

senior member, submitted its report. The board report-

ed that the AED community was at full strength and

had an excellent base of aspirants from which to

select new applicants. A number of recommendations

were made to further the careers of Aeronautical

Engineering Duty Officers (AEDO) and their use by

the Navy. The more significant recommendations

included achieving "a limited joining with the AMD

(152) group in recognition of a common purpose in

support of Naval Aviation," and identifying billets

which could be filled by either Aeronautical

Engineering Duty or Aeronautical Maintenance Duty

Officers.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

285

18 May In Vietnam, Midway, after relieving

Hancock on 10 May, commenced single carrier opera-

tions on Yankee Station until the end of the month.

This had not been in effect since January, when Kitty

Hawk served a two-week "on station" tour alone.

During the one-carrier operations, Ranger and Kitty

Hawk were away for upkeep periods in Japan.

21 May Technical evaluation of a new fire control

system with a helmet-mounted sight was begun at the

Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md.

28 May The Secretary of Defense announced mea-

sures to strengthen the Sixth Fleet. He said that fleet

readiness was to be improved by the almost continu-

ous presence of a helicopter carrier, and by a substan-

tial increase in the hours flown by maritime air patrols

and the ship-operating days of sea patrols. This fol-

lowed an earlier announcement by the Pentagon on

24 May that the Sixth Fleet would be strengthened in

response to the growing Soviet naval power.

31 May As in previous months in Vietnam, strike

emphasis was placed on the interdiction of Laotian

entry and throughout corridors to SVN. Southern

Laotian routes leading to Cambodia also received

increased emphasis during the month. Although

weather cancellations remained at a comparatively low

level, conservation of strike sorties was still accom-

plished by limiting carrier sorties to 60-70 per day,

resulting in a total of 2,645 sorties that delivered ord-

nance. Two protective reaction strikes were carried

out in NVN during the month. NVN surface-to-air mis-

sile (SAM) coverage south of 20° N continued at a

high level. The increased SAM threat required addi-

tional aircraft in support of strike and reconnaissance

flights.

28 June A proposal by the Naval Training Command

Board to consolidate all naval training was approved.

The board had convened under the direction of the

CNO on 8 February. Training had been under review

since World War II by official study groups and

boards, the first being the Hopwood Board in 1955

which recommended that training be divorced from

the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Major recommenda-

tions of the Naval Training Command Board estab-

lished a single training command, Chief of Naval

Training, with headquarters at Pensacola, Fla. Chief of

Naval Technical Training was established at Memphis,

Tenn. Education and programs which had been under

the Chief of Naval Personnel were placed under the

new command of Director of Naval Education and

Training. Three former air training staffs were consoli-

dated into a single staff with eight training wings to be