USN Photo of the Day: BUFF Intercepted by "Don't Mess With The Navy" Hornets During Rigging Maneuver

ChamorroBible.org ^ | 1st week in May 2008 | United States Navy

[EnjoyingLife]

1st week in May 2008, Western Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Guam, USA -- Two USN F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets intercept the low flying USAF B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber as it performs a rigging maneuver to identify the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Large, medium, and the above smaller photo via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20050822.htm (photo 5).

The Story
Navy, Air Force train together to showcase capabilities
By Staff Sgt. Stephen Teel, 36th Wing Public Affairs, Andersen AFB, Guam, USA
http://www.GuamPDN.com/guampublishing/pacificedge/data/EkEkEFulppeoOcKtLi.htm

[EnjoyingLife]

Two more photos of the USAF B-52 Stratofortress: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022008/posts

[blam]

What are ‘rigging’ maneuvers?

[TexanToTheCore]

It looks like something to do wiht flying so low over a ship that you rip off the rigging with your landing gear.

[contemplator]

It’s when you fly low enough to see the antennas, masts etc.. Each ship has a unique combination of such things and is used to identify a vessel.

[2banana]

“Goose - it is time to buzz the tower!”

“With a B-52!!!”

[2banana]

It’s when you fly low enough to see the antennas, masts etc.. Each ship has a unique combination of such things and is used to identify a vessel.

You mean that is easier than the big "68" number painted on the tower...?

[Francis McClobber]

To “rig a ship” is to identify a ship by its features. Most all ships in the world can be identified by hull features, superstructure, stack position and markings and what type of cranes, etc they have on board.

Ship driver types love to do this kind of stuff.

[ken5050]

“No, dude, you can’t land....”

[vietvet67]

Great pics. Thanks..

[Hacklehead]

I don’t get it. Why did the B52 need to visually identify the Nimitz? Why would you use a B52 for such a task? Is this just an anacronistic exercise that is part of navy tradition?

[Grut]

LOL! What’s really going on here is the Air Force is trying to prove it has a sea control function and the Navy is trying to prove it doesn’t. This picture is about slicing up the defense budget pie.

[Joe 6-pack]

"What are ‘rigging’ maneuvers?"

Democrat ballot box tactics.

[Jonah Hex]

"Dude, Final Countdown was just a movie!"

[contemplator]

I would assume they are practicing the maneuver, probably because they are required to every so often. You can’t necessarily see the big “68” when flying overhead, and numbers are easily forged. My question is why would a B-52 be doing this, it seems like a waste to use something that big when they could use something a lot smaller and faster.

[oh8eleven]

LOL - that was tooooo easy!

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[Gondring]

My buddy was a BUFF pilot in the Gulf War and told me about flying 50’ off the deck to go under the radar... but he didn’t mean a carrier deck! :-)

[EnjoyingLife]

USAF photo of a B-52H Stratofortress during a maritime intercept training mission: http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=50204

[Thrownatbirth]

Is this just an anacronistic exercise that is part of navy tradition?

I'm sure some hard-charger turned it into an ELINT exercise just to take the fun out of it.

[manapua]

I don’t know if this is the reason, but I know that having a B-52 buzz you can give you the Hershey shakes.