This COMPTUEX features the third iteration of a NATO vignette, the term used to the period a CSG trains while operating under NATO command and control. The Strike Group’s units are trained on NATO procedures, communications, and policy in order to better prepare the ships, aircraft, and staff for their upcoming carrier deployment.
The activity serves as a final certification for deploying forces, where pre-deployment workups and readiness are conducted. This included preparing CSG-10 and the George H. W. Bush for the possibility of deployment under the authority of NATO.
The cooperation and cohesion displayed by working with forces from across the Atlantic exemplifies the NATO mission and assurance within the Alliance. The communication skills and technology used ensures that NATO nations are always ready and prepared.
The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bodie Estep)
The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron 26, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and its Information Warfare Commander.
STRIKFORNATO, headquartered in Oeiras, Portugal, is Supreme Allied Commander Europe's (SACEUR) rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters capable of planning and executing full spectrum joint maritime operations, primarily through the integration of U.S. naval and amphibious forces, in order to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defence for the Alliance.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 103, launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), June 9, 2022. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is underway completing a certification exercise to increase U.S. and allied interoperability and warfighting capability before a future deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Roberson)