Carrier Strike Group Eleven

Carrier Strike Group Eleven, abbreviated CSG-11 or CARSTRKGRU 11, is one of five U.S. Navy carrier strike groups currently assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is the strike group's current flagship, and as of late 2010, other units assigned to Carrier Strike Group Eleven include Carrier Air Wing Eleven embarked on board the Nimitz, the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59), and Destroyer Squadron 23.

Historical background
On 1 September 1961, Rear Admiral Joseph C. Wylie became Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 9, aboard USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5). Admiral Wylie had arrived on board the Oklahoma City as Commander Cruiser Division 3 on 22 August 1961, and merely changed titles in September without shifting flagship. As of 1 July 1969, the Oklahoma City was part of Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 9 at San Diego. The primary mission of Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 9 during the Vietnam War era had been to ensure the effective employment of approximately 60 cruisers and destroyers in the United States Seventh Fleet. By January 1973, with the end of hostilities in Vietnam, the flotilla had expended nearly 80,000 rounds in naval gunfire support missions. This offshore firepower, and the equally important role of search and rescue coordination, were vital parts of the extensive naval presence in the South China Sea. In 1973, a major reorganization of the U.S. Navy's cruiser-destroyer force resulted in Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 9's re-designation as Cruiser Destroyer Group 5 (CDG-5).

Rear Admiral Gerald E. Thomas served as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 in 1974-76. Then Captain Leon A. Edney served as Chief of Staff to the Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 after 1976. In 1978 Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 consisted of Destroyer Squadron 9, Destroyer Squadron 21, Destroyer Squadron 31, and Destroyer Squadron 37 (Naval Reserve Force). The headquarters and the three active squadrons were at San Diego while Destroyer Squadron 37 was at Seattle, WA.

In the middle of 1992, the U.S. Navy instituted a concept which mandated greater task group integration of naval air and surface warfare assets into a more permanent carrier battle group structure. Instead of routinely changing the cruisers, destroyers, and frigates assigned to each carrier battle group, there was an attempt made to affiliate certain escorts more permanently with the carriers they escorted. Each of the Navy's 12 existing carrier battle groups was planned to consist of an aircraft carrier; an embarked carrier air wing; cruiser, destroyer, and frigate units; and two nuclear-powered attack submarines. For details regarding this re-alignments as it pertained to Cruiser-Destroyer Group Five, see the chart below.


 * Cruiser-Destroyer Group Five, late 1992

On Aug. 1, 1992, Kitty Hawk was appointed as Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific's "ready carrier." The ship embarked Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 17 and Carrier Air Wing 15 for three months of work-ups before deploying to the Western Pacific on November 3, 1992. While on deployment, Kitty Hawk spent nine days off the coast of Somalia supporting U.S. Marines and coalition forces involved in Operation Restore Hope. In response to increasing Iraqi violations of United Nations sanctions, the ship rushed to the Persian Gulf on December 27, 1992. Just 17 days later, Kitty Hawk led a joint, coalition offensive strike against designated targets in southern Iraq.

On 15 July 1998, Rear Admiral Daniel R. Bowler (and his relief RADM Peter W. Marzluff), Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5, assumed operational control of Nimitz. Kitty Hawk had left the group by shifting her homeport to Yokosuka, Japan, arriving there on 11 August 1998.

In July 2000, USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) was transferred to Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 (up to June 2000 it had been part of Carrier Group 5). From 21 September 2001 to 13 December 2001, following an overhaul, Nimitz sailed round Cape Horn to her new home port of NAS North Island. Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5 and CVWR-20, the latter comprising VFA-204, VAW-78, VS-22, VRC-30, HC-11 and HS-75, were aboard. Carrier Air Wing Eleven was reassigned to Cruiser-Destroyer Group Five and the Nimitz in January 2002. Then Rear Admiral Samuel J. Locklear took command of CCDG-5/Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in 2002, deploying to the Middle East in 2003.

On 1 October 2004, Cruiser Destroyer Group 5 was re-designated Carrier Strike Group 11.

Command structure
Commander Carrier Strike Group Eleven exercises oversight of unit-level training, integrated training, and readiness for assigned ships and units, as well as maintains administrative functions and material readiness tracking for ships and squadrons assigned to the strike group. The group's pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise comes under the operational control of the U.S. Third Fleet. When deployed, the group comes under command of the numbered fleet in whose area it is operating (Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh). When deployed in this fashion, the group utilizes a task group designator, for example, Task Group 50.1 in the Fifth Fleet area. Guided-missile cruisers such as Princeton provide air defence during deployments.

Group commanders since February 2004 have included:

2005 deployment
From 11–24 March 2005, the group conducted a pre-deployment Joint Task Force exercise off California. The group departed San Diego, California, on 7 May 2005 under the command of Rear Admiral Peter Daly.

On 21 July 2005 in the Persian Gulf, USS Princeton (pictured) responded to a radio call from the Iranian dhow Hamid which needed engineering assistance. A team was dispatched to the Hamid where it was determined that the engine problem was due to corroded batteries that were low on power. The batteries were removed and brought back to Princeton for maintenance, cleaning, and recharging. Princeton was able to restore the power on board Hamid, restart the engines, and then provided medical assistance and fresh water.

On 22 September 2005, Carrier Strike Group Eleven departed the Persian Gulf after completing nine weeks of operations with the U.S. Fifth Fleet. During this period, 4,500 sorties totaling over 11,000 flight hours were flown by Carrier Air Wing Eleven, including over 1,100 sorties and 6,000 flight hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Carrier Strike Group Eleven returned home on 8 November 2005.
 * 2005 deployment force composition
 * 2005 deployment exercises and port visits

2007 deployment
The group left San Diego on 2 April 2007 under the command of Rear Admiral John Blake. The group entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet area on 8 May 2007 and began conducting missions over Afghanistan three days later. The group joined Carrier Strike Group Three, led by the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), and relieved Carrier Strike Group Eight, led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), that was currently operating in the Persian Gulf. The arrival of the strike group ensured the maintenance of the then two-U.S. carrier presence in the region. Nimitz's escorts conducted maritime security operations. Higgins boarded ships of interest in the Persian Gulf, as well as informing three Iraqi dhows on coalition aims and objectives. The VBSS teams boarded three Iraqi tugs and four super-tankers, thereby safeguarding the merchants in the region by deterring piracy and smuggling. Higgins was the only ship in the strike group to conduct a boarding of a tanker suspected of oil smuggling. After a thorough six-hour boarding, the VBSS team was able to clear the tanker.

The guided-missile destroyer Pinckney participated in a Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise with the Republic of Singapore Navy and three other U.S. Navy ships. The ships conducted air defense, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and VBSS operations in the compressed waters of the South China Sea, validating current tactics, techniques and procedures and identifying areas for further development.

Carrier Strike Group Eleven joined Carrier Strike Group Five and Carrier Strike Group Three to participate in Exercise Valiant Shield 2007, a joint U.S. exercise held off Guam. Carrier Strike Group Eleven subsequently joined the Carrier Strike Group Five and India’s aircraft carrier INS Viraat (R22) in the Bay of Bengal for the multilateral Exercise Malabar 07-2 (pictured), an annual naval exercise involving India, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. The group arrived back at San Diego on 30 September 2007.
 * 2007 deployment force composition
 * 2007 deployment exercises and port visits

2008 deployment
Carrier Strike Group Eleven departed from San Diego on 24 January 2008. It was announced that the group would operate in the Western Pacific while the forward-based USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) of Carrier Strike Group Eight underwent scheduled maintenance in Yokosuka, Japan. The strike group entered the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of responsibility on 8 February 2008. On 9 February 2008, two Russian Tu-95 'Bear' bombers were detected by the strike group in the Western Pacific. Four F/A-18C Hornets intercepted the bombers 50 mi south of Nimitz. Two F/A-18s trailed one of the bombers, which buzzed the deck of the carrier twice, while the other two F/A-18s trailed another Tu-95 circling about 50 mi away from the carrier. Reportedly, there was no radio communication between the American and Russian aircraft. According to the Department of Defense, one of the two aircraft was said to have flown above Nimitz at an altitude of 2000 ft. The strike group returned to San Diego on 2 June 2008.
 * 2008 deployment force composition
 * 2008 deployment exercises and port visits

2009-2010 deployment
Carrier Strike Group Eleven departed San Diego on 31 July 2009 on a regularly scheduled deployment commanded by Rear Admiral John W. Miller. In September 2009, it was announced that the carrier strike group deployment schedule would be changed to accommodate the delay in the return of USS Enterprise (CVN-65) from overhaul. This resulted in extending the deployment to eight months.

On 4 December 2009, the group began five months in the northern Arabian Sea, providing air support to coalition forces in Afghanistan. Carrier-based aircraft provided 30 percent of the combat air support for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) during the time that the group was in the northern Arabian Sea. VAW-117's E-2C Hawkeye aircraft used their radar and communication systems to synchronize and direct air crews over Afghanistan. Also, EA-6B Prowlers assigned to squadron VAQ-135 jammed electronic signals in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Effective 2 July 2009, ISAF air-ground combat support operations were ordered to take steps to minimize Afghan civilian casualties. In total, Carrier Air Wing 11 air crews flew more than 2,600 combat sorties supporting ISAF. The other strike group ships contributed to counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, the protection of critical Iraqi infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, and other maritime security operations. On 26 March 2010, the strike group returned to their homeport after an eight-month deployment.


 * 2009-2010 deployment force composition
 * 2009-2010 deployment exercises and port visits

2011-2013 operations
On 11 May 2011, the U.S. Navy announced a change in Permanent Duty Station for Carrier Strike Group Eleven from Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, to Naval Station Everett, Washington, in December 2011.

On 11 June 2012, Nimitz departed Everett and once Carrier Air Wing Eleven was embarked, departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, on 15 June 2012 for carrier qualifications. The Air Wing consisted of U.S. Navy strike fighter squadrons VFA-154, VFA-147, and VFA-146; U.S. Marine Corps fighter squadron VMFA-323; airborne early warning squadron VAW-117; electronic warfare squadron VAQ-142; helicopter squadrons HSC-6 and HSM-75; and Detachment 3 from squadron VRC-30.

On 2 July 2012, Nimitz pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for a four-day port call prior to participating in Exercise RIMPAC 2012 that was scheduled from 29 June to 3 August 2012. Nimitz and Carrier Air Wing Eleven were the only aircraft carrier and carrier air wing to participate in RIMPAC 2012 (pictured). Following RIMPAC 2012, Nimitz departed Pearl Harbor on 3 August 2012, arriving at North Island on 9 August 2012. The aircraft from Carrier Air Wing Eleven flew off Nimitz on 8 August 2012 to return to their home air stations. Nimitz returned to Naval Station Everett, Washington, on 20 August 2012, completing a 70-day underway period.

On 29 September 2012 Nimitz departed Naval Station Everett to begin its pre-deployment training cycle and certification exercises under the supervision of the Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific. Joining Nimitz were Carrier Air Wing Eleven, the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59), and the guided-missile destroyers USS Higgins (DDG-76), USS Shoup (DDG-86), USS Stockdale (DDG-106), and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110).

On 17 October 2012, the group began its 18-day pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise. On 13 November 2012, Nimitz pulled into Naval Air Station North Island, California, to disembark part of the air wing. On 21 November 2012, it was announced that the strike group's deployment would be delayed because a cooling pump aboard the Nimitz needed to be repaired. It was also announced that Nimitz would now deploy in summer 2013.

Following repairs, on 5 April 2013, the Nimitz and Carrier Air Wing Eleven departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, to begin their scheduled Sustainment Exercise (pictured) to re-certify Carrier Strike Group Eleven's readiness to deploy. They joined the guided-missile cruiser Princeton which had departed on 3 April 2013.

2013 deployment
With the Nimitz undergoing repairs, Carrier Strike Group 11 deployed in two groups. The first group consisted of four destroyers operating initially as a surface action group until the Nimitz and the rest of the strike group deployed three months later.
 * 2013 deployment force composition

Surface action group
On 14 January 2013, the destroyers USS Higgins (DDG-76), USS Shoup (DDG-86), USS Stockdale (DDG-106), and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) departed Naval Base San Diego, California, for a deployment to the Middle East. These ships operated with the U.S. Fifth Fleet as a surface action group until the Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing Eleven, and the guided-missile cruiser Princeton deploy. This is the Lawrence's maiden deployment.

On 1 March 2013, the William P. Lawrence entered the Persian Gulf for operations with Carrier Strike Group Three. On 11 March 2013, the Lawrence rendered assistance to a burning vessel while operating in the Strait of Hormuz (pictured). In April 2012, on two separate occasions, the Lawrence joined the French frigate Montcalm in rendering assistance to civilian mariners in distress while operating in the Gulf of Oman as part of Combined Task Force 150. Starting 2 September 2013, William P. Lawrence began operating in the Red Sea as part of Carrier Strike Group Eleven.

Following bilateral mine countermeasure exercises in the Persian Gulf, the USS Higgins subsequently departed the U.S. Fifth Fleet's area of operations. After paying port-visits to Thailand, Japan, and Guam, the Higgins arrived at Naval Base San Diego, California, on 7 October 2013, completing a nine-month-long deployment.
 * 2013 deployment exercises and port visits

Nimitz strike group
On 19 April 2012, the Nimitz and Carrier Air Wing Eleven departed Naval Air Station North Island, California, joining the cruiser Princeton to begin their deployment. On 3 May 2013, the two ships joined the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Nimitz and Princeton exercised with the Republic of Korea Navy amid the ongoing 2013 Korean crisis over North Korean actions. The strike group's deployment to the Seventh Fleet coincided with the joint exercises of the China's three operational fleets in the South China Sea amid the ongoing Spratly Islands dispute between China and the Philippines.

Carrier Strike Group Eleven entered the U.S. Fifth Fleet's area of operations on 9 June 2013, relieving Carrier Strike Group Eight. On 13 June 2013 in the Gulf of Oman Carrier Air Wing Eleven aircraft launched their first combat sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (pictured). The British Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) also joined the group in the Gulf of Oman. The Royal Navy warship maintained anti-aircraft defenses, directed aircraft sorties, and provided assistance to returning planes landing on the Nimitz.

On 22 August 2013, USS Momsen returned to Naval Station Everett, Washington, after a four-month underway period of independent operations with the U.S. Seventh Fleet. During part of this period, Momsen operated with Carrier Strike Group led by the carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).

Carrier Strike Group Eleven was relieved by Carrier Strike Group Ten on 26 August 2013. At the time of this relief, Carrier Air Wing 11 had completed over 1,200 sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom for a total of 6,500 flight hours. Both U.S. Navy carrier strike groups initially remained in the north Arabian Sea area pending potential military action against Syria amid allegations that the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons during the ongoing Syrian civil war, including the gas attacks that occurred on 21 August 2013.

On 2 September 2013, Carrier Strike Group Eleven transited the Bab-el-Mandeb and moved northward into the Red Sea for potential combat operations against Syria. At the time of this redeployment, the strike group consisted of the carrier Nimitz with Carrier Air Wing 11 embarked, the cruiser Princeton, and the destroyers William P. Lawrence, Stockdale, and Shoup. On 12 September 2013, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that U.S. naval forces would remain in the region as Russian and American diplomats negotiate the turn-over of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons to the United Nations, with spokesman George E. Little noting: "We’re prepared for any potential military contingencies that might involve Syria."

On 20 October 2013, Carrier Strike Group Eleven departed the Red Sea, transited the Suez Canal (pictured), and joined the U.S. Sixth Fleet. This is the first time that the carrier Nimitz had operated in the Mediterranean Sea since 1998.
 * 2013 deployment exercises and port visits