JSF winner announced. (Airscoop).

On 26 October, the Pentagon announced that an international team led by Lockheed Martin won the competition to build the Joint Strike Fighter, above. This concluded a four-year concept demonstration program in which Lockheed Martin and Boeing designed and built experimental aircraft and demonstrated their designs' capabilities-including short takeoff/vertical landing, catapult and arrested landing, supersonic and stealth. The Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems team will initially produce 22 aircraft in the system design and development phase. The Joint Strike Fighter will be used by the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force as well as the United Kingdom Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

Award Recognizes Victims

On 27 September, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that military and civilian personnel killed or injured in the 11 September terrorist attacks will be recognized for their sacrifice. Service members will receive the traditional Purple Heart medal, while civilian employees and contractors will receive the new Secretary of Defense Defense of Freedom medal, right. Approximately 90 civilian employees qualify for the medal.

Lincoln Implements ISIS

Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is in the process of receiving the integrated ship's information system (ISIS), which will allow information about flight operations to be entered into a database and displayed instantaneously on monitors throughout the ship. From preflight to launch to recovery, each phase of flight ops will appear in the database so that the pilots, plane handlers, air bosses, operations department and commanding officer all have access to the same information accurately and simultaneously. The database will also include important data such as the current fuel state of each airborne plane and in-flight emergency situations.

Remains Returned

The remains of a Navy pilot missing in action for more than 36 years have been identified and returned to his family. On 29 August 1965, Lt. Edd D. Taylor was flying off Oriskany (CVA 34) on a search and rescue mission over North Vietnam when his A-1H Skyraider was struck by ground fire and crashed.

For the Record

The MH-60S multimission helicopter entered operational evaluation, expected to conclude in January 2002. The MH-60S, above, will initially be used for vertical replenishment, and later enhanced to perform airborne mine countermeasures and combat search and rescue missions.

The first production E-2C Hawkeye 2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft was delivered to the Navy. The aircraft includes a commercial off-the-shelf mission computer and new advanced control indicator set workstations, as well as the cooperative engagement system and an integrated satellite communications system. Initial operational capability is planned for 2004.

On 16 November 2001, the increased capability (ICAP) III EA-6B Prowler logged a successful first flight at Northrop Grumman facilities in Florida. On 21 November the Prowler arrived at NAS Patuxent River, Md., for ground and flight testing, below. A second prototype is expected to fly in early 2002. The ICAP Ill upgrade includes an enhanced radar jamming capability, integrated communications jamming system, support of the Link 16 data link and new displays and controls.

Combined developmental and operational testing of the automatic target acquisition capability of the Standoff Land Attack Missile--Expanded Response concluded in fall 2001 at the sea test range in China Lake, Calif. The testing phase also marked the first time the SLAM-ER was launched from an S-3 Viking.

Mishaps

On 23 October, the pilot of an F/A-18C Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron 105 operating at Nellis AFB, Nev., ejected safely following an engine fire.

A Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 UH-3H Sea King was damaged but the aircrew survived a crash in Norfolk, Va., on 29 October.

On 4 November on board John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operating off southern California, two F-14A Tomcats of Fighter Squadron 211 and an F/A-18C Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron 147 were damaged. One of the aircraft, which was under tow on deck, struck the other two unmanned chained aircraft during a deck roll.

One person was lost at sea during an attempted search and rescue hoist by a Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 14 HH-60H Seahawk in the Arabian Sea on 7 November.

The crew of an EA-6B Prowler of Electronic Attack Squadron 129 was rescued after their aircraft crashed in Washington state on 15 November.

The aircrew of a Marine Electronic Attack Squadron 1 EA-6B Prowler ejected safely in the Atlantic Ocean on 21 November.