Commander Naval Air Forces wants more F/A-18s

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 14 Jun 2018, 01:24

Let us not forget that both USN & USAF desire Block 4 F-35s rather than lesser versions - both have said so in this thread?

A link to USN desire is in this thread to here: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=13143&p=390378&hilit=Conn#p390378

ADM Conn USN to HASC 07 Mar 2018: "......Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2) of Block 4 capability and weapons integration for the F-35C are critical to the success of the Future Carrier Air Wing....
&
...For the Carrier Air Wing of the future to pace a rapidly evolving threat, C2D2 must deliver Block 4 capabilities and weapons on schedule. It is not enough to just evolve the significant capabilities of the F-35C, but equally important to ensure those capabilities are integrated and interoperable with existing ships and Carrier Air Wing aircraft within the Carrier Strike Group. The Navy has aggressively pulled F-35C Link 16 (CMN-4) capability to the left to ensure that information is disseminated across ships and aircraft throughout the strike group. Several critical enablers to Naval Integrated Fire Control advanced kill chains exist in [b]Block 4 technologies, and the Navy’s ability to conduct integrated fires in the future is instrumental to how the future Carrier Strike Group will fight. Weapons integration, radar improvements, electronic warfare capabilities, interoperability, and real-time information dissemination must also continue to progress in order to guarantee mission success in the future high-end threat environment...."

Lieutenant General Jerry D. Harris Jr., USAF; Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements; Headquarters U.S. Air Force HASC 07 Mar 2018 viewtopic.php?f=58&t=52254&p=390340&hilit=block#p390340

"...Once Block 4 delivers near the end of the FYDP, we will examine the option of accelerating the F-35A program above the current procurement rate to meet the 5th Generation requirements necessary to balance the Air Force ability to fulfill national security objectives....

...The Air Force is placing great importance on the hardware upgrade planned as Technical Refresh 3. Technical Refresh 3 adds an improved integrated core processor, an improved panoramic cockpit display, and a more capable aircraft memory system...." http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/ ... 180307.pdf (100Kb)

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 28 Jun 2018, 10:04

Rah Rah Rah the Super Hornet Block III is terrific. BOING! get over yourselves. Four page PDF of article attached below.

Block three
July 2018 Lon Nordeen

"Lon Nordeen provides an overview of the Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet, a fighter destined to take its part in the future of US naval aviation...."

Source: AIR International Magazine July 2018 Vol.95 No.1

rheonomic · by **rheonomic** » 28 Jun 2018, 22:09

loke wrote:So to clarify my question: Is the Auto CGAS system on the F-35 a further development of the F-16 Auto GCAS? Or is the F-35 Auto CGAS a new one?

As far as I know same algorithms but there are aircraft specific customizations (obv. since each aircraft flies differently).

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 29 Jun 2018, 01:40

JUstWAIT for KuWAIT! Brudda can youse spare me a dime...

Boeing Awarded $1.5B Contract for 28 Kuwait Super Hornets
28 Jun 2018 Ben Werner

"Kuwait is buying 22 of the single-seat “E” variant and six of the two-seat “F” variant Super Hornet. The deal has been in the works since late 2016 when U.S. State Department notified Congress about Kuwait’s intent to purchase Super Hornets. On March 30, [ https://news.usni.org/2018/04/01/boeing ... er-program ] Boeing was awarded a $1.16 billion contract to research, development and testing for the Kuwait deal....

...The U.S. Navy has announced it plans to purchase 116 additional Super Hornets — bringing its fleet up to 480 aircraft. When the Navy orders are added to possible international sales, the St. Louis-based production line could remain running for more than a decade...."

Source: https://news.usni.org/2018/06/28/kuwait ... more-34694

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 21 Jul 2018, 13:27

A lot of Repetitive Stories about long running OXY problems of aircraft have not been posted, GOOD NEWs now though.

Cobham Gets Pentagon Contract to Develop Pilot Life Support System [long post - best read at source]
20 Jul 2018 Oriana Pawlyk

"FARNBOROUGH, England -- Cobham, whose breathing sensor system, VigilOX, has been helping monitor U.S. Navy pilots while in flight for months, has a contract to develop a new system to predict and respond to pilots' oxygen needs.

The company on Tuesday announced it was recently awarded a contract by the Pentagon's foreign comparative testing, or FCT, program to begin developing an autonomous pilot life support system called SmartFLO. Officials said the system -- believed to be the world's first sensor-driven breathing regulator -- will monitor and "automatically adjust oxygen dosed to the pilot" based on real-time pilot movements or conditions during flight.

"Cobham's SmartFLO electronic breathing regulator will autocorrect flow to proactively pre-empt the onset of hypoxia-like symptoms if unexpected changes in cabin pressure or excessive expired carbon dioxide levels in the pilot's breathing are detected to better protect the pilot," according to a release....

...Delivery of the regulator is anticipated in 2019, officials said....

...Over the next few years, teams will update the system with an underlying algorithm called the Auto Response Guided Oxygen System, or ARGOS. Officials said the system "will have the ability to control the entire pilot oxygen system from air source to mask" through the algorithm, which is continuously communicating, synching and connecting with the pilot....

..."...a regulator is a regulator is a regulator," Schaeffer said, hinting at the progress SmartFLO and ARGOS will make.

Cobham will expand VigilOX under a joint FCT program with Elbit Systems, which will help define a better performance picture when constructing ARGOS. VigilOX and Elbit Systems' Canary, a real-time pilot health monitoring system, will better capture data about a pilot's blood flow, the release said.

"The combined data will paint a more complete picture of what is happening to the pilot during extreme flight conditions," it said. "Cobham will develop an algorithm to drive the regulator to increase or decrease oxygen dose based on sensor inputs.""

Source: https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/2018/0 ... ystem.html

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 23 Jul 2018, 14:43

When the original F-18 was designed and built, the stated objective was to replace the F-4 and A-7. Done

Then it replaced the F-14 (absurd, but done). Then it picked up the slack for the cancelled Avenger. Done. Then the EA-6B got long in the tooth, the Navy opted to replace it with.... another F-18 (EA-18G). Along the way the A-6 and S-3 disappeared, and I suspect the Navy has a Hornet ASW model flying somewhere (only half joking). You just know the E-2D can't last forever, so the Hawkeye Hornet is undoubtedly next. And now that the Navy has a genuine stealth game changer at its fingertips (F-35C), it...... wants more F/A-18's. So we're buying "Block III" Super Dupers.

Can someone explain to me how and why the Navy is so infatuated with this plane? How is Boeing able to keep hoodwinking Congress, the Navy and the President to keep buying more? I have to believe the Boeing reps are laughing all the way to the bank, as even a small commission on a near $100 million airframe has to be pretty substantial.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 23 Jul 2018, 16:13

Ca$h.. Lot$ and lot$ of ca$h.

popcorn · by **popcorn** » 23 Jul 2018, 16:16

F-18 Mafia.

marsavian · by **marsavian** » 23 Jul 2018, 18:08

The political force is strong and deep with Boeing, Cheney, Rumsfeld and now Trump. As it happens Boeing is delivering better Hornets each time but they will need a genuinely stealthy one next time once F-35C is in full production to not ask serious questions from the bulk of Congress.

element1loop · by **element1loop** » 24 Jul 2018, 05:31

mixelflick wrote: ... Can someone explain to me how and why the Navy is so infatuated with this plane? How is Boeing able to keep hoodwinking Congress, the Navy and the President to keep buying more? ...

Because 14, 15 and 16 are lower than 18, while 22 is much better, so 35 seems a bit too much.

But seriously, watch to movie "Independence Day", it explains everything.

talkitron · by **talkitron** » 24 Jul 2018, 14:58

I’ve posted several times (probably in this long thread) that the Navy is buying a small number of F-35C’s so it can keep the F/A-XX program (or whatever it is called) alive as the true Super Hornet replacement. Because we have little idea what F/A-XX will look like, it is hard to speculate whether this is a good or bad decision.

The related issue on new purchases of Block III Super Hornets also relates to the inadequacy of Navy depots.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 24 Jul 2018, 16:10

The F-35C was never meant to replace the SH so they had nothing to worry about. The F-35C is to replace the Classic Hornets. Well, apart from the F-35C embarrassing the SH every time they went up to play together that is. :roll:

talkitron · by **talkitron** » 24 Jul 2018, 22:28

SpudmanWP wrote:The F-35C was never meant to replace the SH so they had nothing to worry about. The F-35C is to replace the Classic Hornets. Well, apart from the F-35C embarrassing the SH every time they went up to play together that is.

Most carrier air wings have only Super Hornets by now, so the F-35C will replace Super Hornets in those air wings. As of June 2018, a recent magazine lists two Navy and two Marine legacy Hornet squadrons assigned to carrier air wings, for a total of four legacy Hornet squadrons. For comparison, a quick count shows 35 Super Hornet squadrons assigned to carrier air wings. The two Navy legacy Hornet carrier squadrons should be converted in to the E model in 2019.

So I would say half of squadron Super Hornets are being replaced by F-35Cs, as the future air wing will have two Super Hornet block III squadrons and two F-35C squadrons.

The Marines will have four F-35C squadrons at some point, I believe.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 24 Jul 2018, 22:32

The USMC legacy Hornet Squadrons will be in Carrier Air Wings until replaced by USMC F-35Cs also. The USMC legacy Hornets will be 'replaced/upgraded/improved' with whatever better ex-USN legacy Hornets are available in due course.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 24 Jul 2018, 22:39

No SH wing is being replaced by an F-35C wing. The USN decided to prematurely retire their Classic Hornets (and not to upgrade Blk1 SH) which is forcing them to put more SH wings on a carrier that was planned. This of course creates an artificial shortage of fighters in the USN which is why the USN is buying more SH than planned. If they had ramped up F-35C production at Block 3i like the USAF did then they would not be in the predicament they are in now. Using the SH for IFR does not help either.