Off Pula, Croatia, 2002 — An F-14 Tomcat fighter assigned to the Jolly Rogers of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) leads a formation comprised of F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters from the Blue Blasters of VFA-34, the Sunliners of VFA-81, and the Rampagers of VFA-83:
U.S. Navy photograph 021029-N-1955P-020 by CAPT Dana Potts. (RELEASED)
More on the photo:
“U.S. aircraft belong to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17), currently embarked on board. Two Croat MiG-21 Fishbed fighter-interceptors flank the each side of the formation. U.S. Navy aviation squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) have sent a detachment to Croatia in order to participate in Joint Wings 2002. Joint Wings is a multinational exercise between the U.S. and the Croat Air Force designed to practice intelligence gathering. George Washington is homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is nearing the end of a scheduled six month deployment after completing combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch.”