Oceana pilot reprimanded for passing over Venezuela (US Navy)

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Virginian-Pilot

Oceana pilot reprimanded for passing over Venezuela

By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 18, 2008

A Navy captain based at Oceana Naval Air Station has been reprimanded for allowing his aircraft to pass into Venezuelan airspace in May, the Navy announced.

The incident prompted protests from Venezuelan officials. At the time, a U.S. defense official said the pilot mistakenly strayed into Venezuelan territory after the plane experienced navigational problems, according to The Associated Press.

Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the head of Fleet Forces Command, issued a punitive letter of reprimand Friday to Capt. James Paulsen, commander of Carrier Air Wing One. Paulsen remains in command of the air wing.

Greenert issued the letter after reviewing an investigation into the May 17 incident. Paulsen was flying an S-3B Viking, which the Navy once described as its premier surveillance and precision-targeting aircraft. The Viking was part of Sea Control Squadron 32 - a Jacksonville, Fla., unit that was decommissioned in September.



Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/oceana-pilot-reprimanded-passing-over-venezuela

[Xipe Totec]

1. Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia...

My irony meter is going off the scale.

[Cirque du So-What]

4. I see you caught that too

First thing that popped into my mind when I saw that headline.

In a similarly Orwellian fashion, I suspect this intrusion into Venezuelan airspace was authorized at higher levels than this 'bad apple' Navy captain was authorized to divulge.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Just "happened" to be a "surveillance and precision-targeting aircraft"

.
.
.

"mistakenly strayed into Venezuelan territory"

yeah, right . . .

[hack89]

3. Sea surveillance - not land

there is a reason the Navy got rid of them - their reason for existing has gone away.

[ronnie624]

6. The S-3A Viking,

designed for anti-submarine warfare, entered service in 1975. Between 1987 and 1994, all US Navy S-3A aircraft were converted to S-3B with new mission and weapon systems for the anti-surface warfare and other roles. The S-3B has combat proven precision targeting and over the horizon precision targeting capability.

With the change in roles brought about by the end of the Cold War and the reduced submarine threat, the S-3 is undergoing a major avionics and weapon systems upgrade program and the crew is being reduced from four to three - pilot, copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) and tactical coordinator (TACCO).

In March 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, an S-3B Viking aircraft from Sea Control Squadron (VS) 38, the "Red Griffins", became the first S-3B to attack an overland target with a laser-guided AGM-65E Maverick missile in combat. The aircraft was part of Carrier Wing 2 onboard USS Constellation.

<http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/s-3b/>

[BlueCollar]

7. P-3 Orions

originally designed for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare are now reported to be flying routine surveillance missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Orion is a great platform, but worryingly vulnerable...

[hack89]

9. Anti-surface equals anti-shipping

If they had a significant over land surveillance capability the Navy would have kept them - the military is screaming for airborne C4ISR assets. They are not spy planes - the guy simply screwed up.

[RedCloud]

5. Will he fork over the dough for jet fuel?

He essentially kidnapped a jet and tried to provoke a conflict. This is treason.

[petronius]

8. Cut him some slack - he was just being a maverick

;)

In this case the "navigational problems" were the pilot navigating to somewhere he wasn't supposed to be...