Plane guard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The plane guard is a warship (commonly a destroyer or frigate) or helicopter tasked to recover the aircrew of planes or helicopters which ditch or crash in the water during aircraft carrier flight operations. Ships performing this task are commonly referred to as the rescue destroyer or RESDES.
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[edit] Ships
For ships, the plane guard is positioned at least 1,000 yards behind the carrier and either to port and clear of the carrier, or at a point intersecting the carrier's final approach line. Ships in the latter position provide the advantage of providing an additional point of reference to approaching aircraft. One of the ship's boats is prepared for launch and swung over the side, but not placed in the water. If an aircraft ditches or crashes, either while approaching the carrier to land or in the event of a failed landing, the ship proceeds to the approximate position of the aircraft, and the prepared boat is deployed to rescue the aircrew.
The plane guard role is dangerous for ships, as aircraft carriers must often change speed and direction to preserve optimum flying conditions for their aircraft, and a lack of awareness or any incorrect manoeuvres on the part of either ship can place a plane guard ship under the bows of a carrier travelling full speed. Both HMAS Voyager and USS Frank E. Evans were lost in collisions with Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne while incorrectly manoeuvering during plane guard duties.[1]
[edit] Helicopters
After World War II, amphibious aircraft were experimented with for plane guard duties and search-and-rescue roles. However, helicopters were discovered to be more efficient and effective in both roles.[2] As helicopters came into more common usage, they supplemented and sometimes replaced plane guard ships, as they could retrieve crashed aircrew faster and safer than the ships.
[edit] References
- ^ HMAS Melbourne (II). HMA Ship Histories. Sea Power Centre. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ Australia's Museum of Flight (2008-02-11). Supermarine Sea Otter, (Cockpit only - JN200). Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
[edit] External links
- University of California, Berkeley. Navigation & Naval Operations II (NS 12B) - Lessons. Retrieved on 2008-03-02. - Lesson 07 (Formations - Microsoft PowerPoint document) contains information on the duties and manoeuvering rules for modern plane guard ships (Slides 64 to 71)
- StrategyPage discussion about the relative position of a plane guard ship to a carrier
