The Spanish aircraft carrier L-61 also received a visit of US aircraft

The deployment of Spanish Harrier IIs on the American amphibious assault ship USS Wasp

Esp 6·18·2024 · 21:24 0

NATO's Baltops 24 exercise, which takes place in the Baltic Sea, is leaving rare images of the Spanish Harrier IIs.

The US shows the night operations of the Spanish Harrier II in the Baltic Sea
The flight of Spanish EF-18 and Harrier II fighters with a B-52 bomber over the Baltic

One of the ships that have been deployed to that area for this exercise is the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) of the United States Navy, which on June 12 it arrived at the Danish port of Skagen, the northernmost town of the Jutland peninsula and a strategic point at the access from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. In that port, the USS Wasp received a delegation from the Royal Danish Navy on board. Here we see the Danish sailors next to an AV-8B(R) Harrier II Plus fighter of VMM-365 "Blue Knights" of the US Marines, 166288 (55), at a photo published by the US Navy.

A few days later, the USS Wasp had a visit from Spanish Harrier II fighters. Today, Tokkotai has published this video in which we see one of the EAV fighters -8B+ Harrier II Plus of the 9th Squadron of the Spanish Navy, the VA.1B-38 (01-926), taking off from the flight deck of the American ship, some images recorded this Monday:

The US Navy has published a series of photos from this Spanish visit, taken on June 15 by specialist Darren M. Moore. In this first image we see the approach of one of the Spanish Harrier IIs to the USS Wasp. The approach is made diagonally from the port side of the flight deck, as on the Spanish aircraft carrier "Juan Carlos I" L-61.

Below these lines, one of the Spanish Harrrier IIs, the VA.1B-35 (01-923), parked on the flight deck of the USS Wasp with chocks and lashings during a refueling. On the right we see a US sailor with a purple vest, one of the members of the deck staff known as "Grapes", those in charge of supplying fuel to the aircraft. Next to him is another sailor with a brown vest, an aircraft master, in charge of checking and preparing the aircraft for flight and checking them when they return to the ship. Here you can read more information about the meanings of the different colors of these vests used by US Navy flight deck personnel.

Next, another of the Spanish Harrier IIs, the VA.1B-38 (01-926), on the flight deck of the Wasp. In front of the plane is one of the aircraft movement directors (his role is indicated by his yellow vest).

An impressive image of the takeoff of a Spanish Harrier II on the USS Wasp. To the right, on the starboard side of the flight deck, we see a few aircraft from this ship's air wing parked, specifically < strong>seven MV-22B Osprey converter planes, one UH-1Y Venom transport helicopter and five AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, all of them belonging to the Marines.

The Spanish Harrier II ascending after takeoff from the USS Wasp, still with the landing gear deployed. On the right we see four aircraft movement directors, wearing yellow vests.

A Spanish sailor on the flight deck of the USS Wasp taking images with his mobile phone. On his right arm he wears the patch of the Dédalo Expeditionary Combat Group, the flotilla of the Spanish Navy deployed in the Baltic Sea for this exercise.

The Spanish sailor in the previous photo taking photos of two Spanish Harrier IIs parked on the flight deck of the USS Wasp. In the background we see the island of the USS Wasp, where the ship's command bridge and flight deck control are located. A large sign warns deck personnel: "Beware of jet blast and rotors."

The photos published by the US Navy have such good resolution that I was able to enlarge what the Spanish sailor was seeing with his cell phone. Next to the first Spanish Harrier II we see a movement director (with a yellow vest), two aircraft masters (with a brown vest) and four "Grapes" in charge of fuel supply (purple vest).

In addition to the visit of the two Spanish Harrier IIs to the USS Wasp, the Spanish aircraft carrier "Juan Carlos I" L-61 has also received a visit from American aircraft on the occasion of this NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea. This morning, Rubén Tejedor has published this video, in which we see a Marine AV-8B(R) Harrier II Plus landing on the Spanish aircraft carrier, specifically 164554 (51), one of the VMM-365 aircraft embarked on the USS Wasp.

Finally, yesterday the General Staff of Defense (EMAD) of Spain published this video in which we see MV-22B Osprey converter planes of the US Marines operating on the Spanish aircraft carrier. These are VMM-365 aircraft also embarked on the USS Wasp:

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Main photo: U.S. Navy / Chief Mass Communication Specialist Darren M. Moore.

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