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

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 28 Sep 2017, 17:08

Text from the fillum at TAILHOOK 2017 about CAPT Joiner & others solving the PE for Shornet/Growlers and everyfing.

At Tailhook, leaders describe efforts to resolve physiological episodes [LONG POST BEST READ at SOURCE]
28 Sep 2017 NAVAIR Headquarters

"RENO, Nev. – At the 61st annual Tailhook Convention, Navy leaders and experts outlined the Naval Aviation Enterprise’s ongoing efforts to address challenges to readiness.

“Readiness is our No. 1 priority, and right behind that—our No. 1 safety priority—is solving the physiological episodes,” Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander, Naval Air Forces and the Air Boss, told his audience during the convention’s final panel discussion Sept. 9.

During the Safety Discussion Panel the previous day, moderator Rear Adm. Scott Dillon, commander, Naval Safety Center, said the center is supporting physiological episode (PE) mitigation efforts by more effectively and more quickly providing feedback to the fleet as individual episodes are investigated.

“We took a step in that direction in 2017 by participating in six physiological episode briefings across fleet concentration areas,” Dillon said. “And we have more plans in place for how we’re going to increase the feedback that we provide the fleet.”...

...In the meantime, his team is pursing Joyner’s goal of providing near-term solutions for pilots by improving the altimeter, expanding the emergency oxygen bottle in the seat and changing the way the aircraft responds to certain inputs. Ultimately, the long-term goal is to devise a system for the cockpit that will tell a pilot when something has gone awry with the cockpit’s airflow or pressurization and initiate an automatic backup system, Kindley said.

“I am committed to finding a solution, but our speed has to be tempered by a solution that doesn’t adversely impact the human and aviation system,” Joyner said. “We ask a lot of our aircrew, and the aircraft they fly are highly complex and highly capable. We need to make sure both the person and the machine have what they need to successfully complete the mission.”

Source: http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... ry&id=6649

VIDEO is repeated from previous page post this thread for those not seen it yet....

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 28 Sep 2017, 17:43

This is the problem with the Navy's love affair with F-18's. These "physiological episodes" have the potential to impact the whole fleet. And when you operate an all Hornet Navy...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 30 Sep 2017, 14:34

See post about new measures/devices for T-45C here: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=53485

Cockpit Episodes Continue After Navy T-45s Resume Training Flights
29 Sep 2017 Hope Hodge Seck

"After a series of mitigating measures implemented in August, Navy T-45 Goshawks are back on duty as fighter trainers officials said Friday. But a handful of physiological episodes in the cockpit since then — the very problem that forced the Navy to place stringent limits on T-45s in April — have leaders taking a closer look at the role subjective human factors play in the in-flight incidents....

...New episodes
Since those measures were implemented in August, however, about four additional cockpit episodes have been documented. These episodes, Joyner said, share a telling commonality: in the two-seater aircraft, one of the aircrew experienced problems, and the other did not. In addition, she said, measurement devices reported that oxygen and air pressure remained at normal levels.

“When we went through, we were able to really review and find human factors and also physiological responses when people are under stress and how they breathe. And we’re working right now to make sure we’re incorporating that training as well for the aviators,” Joyner said. “So I would say more of what we’ve seen to date has been physiologically based response, but the aircraft overall has seemed to be well supporting the human in the loop.”

In addition, she said, new measurement devices have yet to find any evidence of cockpit air contaminants that would present a concern for aircrew. With recent incidents, Joyner said, evidence points to the human rather than the machine as the source of the issue....

...‘No Fixing the Human’
For those on the Navy’s team to diagnose and fix physiological episodes, the determination that human factors are sometimes the source presents its own levels of complexity....

...Efforts continue to pinpoint the cause of the surge in cockpit episodes affecting the T-45, as well as causes of hypoxia-like episodes in the F/A-18 Hornet. But as officials probe both human and mechanical factors contributing to problems in the air, it appears one outcome of the Navy’s assessment may be a more cautious approach to entering the cockpit in the first place.

“Maybe there are times when they shouldn’t go in a jet and they can self-recognize before they take off the ground that this is not the day for them to go airborne,” Joyner said. “It’s sort of a dual approach.”

Source: https://www.defensetech.org/2017/09/29/ ... g-flights/

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 06 Oct 2017, 03:41

Some progress on these poxy issues under pressure for the Hornets & T-45Cs - good one - nice work y'all y'all. BZ

Valve may lead to cabin pressure problems in Super Hornets, Growlers
05 Oct 2017 Jeff Schogol

"The Navy has identified a valve that may be causing problematic pressure changes in F/A-18E and F Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers during flight, said a Navy officer who is spearheading the service’s efforts to stop the glaring trend of failures in critical aircraft systems. “We’re not declaring victory, but we are declaring that we found something to fix and we’re fixing it,” said Capt. Sara Joyner, who has been selected for advancement to rear admiral.

Meanwhile, the Navy has determined that problems that led to the grounding of T-45 training jets earlier this year stem from the aircraft’s small engine not producing enough oxygen flow for the pilots, said Joyner....

...Starting in 2018, the Navy will add a heater blanket to the valve so it won’t freeze, she said. Navy officials will also test other aircraft components to systematically eliminate any possible problematic factors.

With the T-45s, Navy officials found that, at certain points, the oxygen levels for pilots were dipping too low, such as when training jets decelerate or descend, Joyner said. That’s because the oxygen system uses bleed air generated by the aircraft’s relatively small engine.

“It has always been a system where it has had just enough flow, but not a huge margin over the flow that it needed,” Joyner said. “So, any leak — or maybe the engine is tuned a little bit lower for the RPM it’s providing — any of these changes in the aircraft cumulatively could begin to decrease that flow amount.”

The T-45’s engines are also powering an increasing number of systems that are meant to prevent pilots from breathing contaminants, and “that also dropped our flow a little bit,” she said...."

Source: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-nav ... -growlers/

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 18 Oct 2017, 23:06

Some body mention upgrades to F-35s? Lordy Lordy Lordy - here are some 'possible unknown upgrades' to Super Hornets.

Boeing Examining High-Use Super Hornets to Validate Life-Extension Plans; Already Buying Material, Setting Up Facility
18 Oct 2017 Megan Eckstein

"...Finally, the company is still in talks with the Navy about incorporating capability improvements into the life-extension program. “The Navy has said SLM is not your traditional SLEP program, it’s their comprehensive service life [modification] program. So to focus solely on getting the structure to survive but not focusing on capabilities is, I think, shortsighted, is what they’ve said,” Sears said.

Boeing believes its Block 2 aircraft – the majority of Super Hornets flying today, and the configuration coming off the production line today – are the best candidates for the Block 3 capability upgrade. The Navy is in talks with the company about introducing a package of upgrades into the new production line in late 2020, Sears said, with planning and engineering taking place between now and then. Retrofitting the upgrades into the planes going through the SLM process could piggyback off that planning and start a few years after being inserted into the production line.

“It’s a great opportunity to insert capability like the Block 3 in a method that is least impactful to the fleet, so that when an aircraft is returned with an extended life it’s also got the right capabilities for the next decade,” Sears said."

Source: https://news.usni.org/2017/10/18/boeing ... g-facility

neptune · by **neptune** » 19 Oct 2017, 01:27

spazsinbad wrote:......“It’s a great opportunity to insert capability like the Block 3 in a method that is least impactful to the fleet, so that when an aircraft is returned with an extended life it’s also got the right capabilities for the next decade,” Sears said."..

....so this is like adding GPS to my Super Cub or my 57 Chevy!

...is this yet another upgrade for AMC Type 4? (more great ideas from the F-35C)

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 19 Oct 2017, 10:53

BOING! are so cute about NOT FOCUSING ON LO because they can't - end of story - but they are so kind NOT TO FOCUS.

Stealthy Super Hornet In Cards As Boeing Plans Major Overhaul
18 Oct 2017 Lara Seligman

"...The work primarily will focus on structural upgrades to the airframe and certain subsystems, but also could include capability enhancements to bring the older aircraft up to the newest Block III standard, Sears said.

One option is a new low-observable (LO) coating and radar-absorbent material (RAM) improvements in certain locations on the aircraft to increase its stealth, Sears said. “There are various degrees of LO enhancement,” Sears said of the upgrade. “We’ve played within that spectrum, but there’s certainly an LO piece of Block III.”

It is not clear just how stealthy the newest Block III Super Hornets that roll off the production line in 2020 will be compared to the fleet’s primary stealth fighters, Lockheed Martin’s F-22 and F-35. The Navy funded “advanced signature enhancements” in its fiscal 2018 budget request, but Boeing has said the Block III upgrade is not primarily focused on LO.

“At some point we drew a line that would allow us to be stealthy enough in a balanced survivable way to be effective, and that is what we think we have,” said Dan Gillian, Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 program manager. “The F-35 is a stealthier airplane, but we have a balanced approach to survivability, including electronic warfare and self-protection.”...

...On a given day, just 52% of all in-reporting Navy F/A-18s can fly, including 44% of legacy Hornets and a slightly higher portion of the newer Super Hornets, 54%. These numbers reflect just how hard the Navy has flown the aircraft over the last 15 years, according to Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations.

In the short-term, inducting Super Hornets into the SLM will reduce the number of aircraft the Navy has available for operations. But without the SLM, those aircraft are headed for the boneyard soon anyway, Sears argued. “SLM gives them the opportunity to go back to the fleet,” he said....

...Over the course of the SLM, which is slated to run through fiscal 2028, Boeing and the Navy plan to overhaul more than 400 Super Hornets, a Boeing spokesman said...."

Source: http://aviationweek.com/defense/stealth ... r-overhaul

popcorn · by **popcorn** » 19 Oct 2017, 11:04

https://defensesystems.com/articles/2017/10/17/ew.aspx

Navy to enhance electronic warfare receivers on board the EA-18G aircraft

The U.S. Navy is working with Northrop Grumman to enhance the airborne electronic attack system for the AN/ALQ-218(V) 2 receiver on the EA-18G aircraft so that forces can more quickly detect enemy signals.

These updates to are designed to provide Navy warfighters with the latest generation of airborne electronic attack capabilities. While in the field, these aircraft can be operated from the ground or the air. They are used primarily to jam, or suppress, radars and communications to protect from, and disable, hostile signals or electronic attacks.

The AN/ALQ-218(V) 2 receiver allows the EA-18G aircraft to surpass other Navy aircraft, such as the F/A-18F, in electronic warfare capability. This system is a radar warning receiver system that provides advanced electronic support measures and an electronic intelligence sensor system. The system enhances the Navy's ability to recognize immediate threats and provides data for longer term operational planning.

In the battlefield the AN/ALQ-218 is the first system able to detect, identify, and locate enemy sources by analyzing sources of radio frequency emissions, according to Northrop Grumman officials. This technology allows warfighters to make quicker and more intelligent decisions, which provides maximum protection to friendly forces, according to the company.

More...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 19 Oct 2017, 22:48

Boeing pitches souped-up Super Hornets during upcoming life extension
19 Oct 2017 Valerie Insinna

"...“What SLM allows is, while we have the aircraft open to do the life extension mod, we can go ahead and apply the provisionings for the conformal fuel tanks, the advanced cockpit station and also the advanced networking [system],” he said. The company could also apply low observable coating to the aircraft to help reduce the aircraft’s signature.

Sears couldn’t provide a specific price tag for inserting the Block 3 mods into SLM, but acknowledged that there would be an additional cost to develop retrofit kits as well as “a few million” dollars more per plane to make the relevant changes.

While the Navy plans to invest $267.9 million over the next five years to develop Block III technologies, which would roll off the line as new Block III Super Hornet jets as early as 2020, it currently has not sought out money to bring its older F/A-18E/Fs to the more advanced configuration. However, Navy budget documents note that the service intends to transition “Block II Fleet aircraft (lots 26 and up)” to Block III during SLM.

“We haven’t necessarily seen the funding for the retrofit piece of it yet, but I think it is in their plan to do Block II to Block III conversions,” Sears said....

...the company will not have the Block III retrofit kit ready until the early 2020s, which mean that the first SLM jets would get those upgrades at a later date. The Super Hornet SLM effort is set to take about 10 years, with as many as 50 aircraft going through the process modifications per year starting in 2023, according to the company...."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017/10 ... extension/

talkitron · by **talkitron** » 19 Oct 2017, 23:39

Sounds like there is a lot of budget negotiation to happen in the 2020s about funding Block III upgrades. The Navy has a lot of budget priorities, including pressure to increase the number of total ships, so we will see what happens.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 20 Oct 2017, 05:06

Lockheed Martin to Upgrade IRST21 Sensor System for U.S. Navy Fighter Aircraft
19 Oct 2017 LM PR

"ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently received two contracts to upgrade its IRST21 sensor system for use on the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F fleet. Lockheed Martin’s IRST21 sensor system is mounted in the nose of the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F’s centerline fuel tank and uses infrared search and track technology to detect and track airborne threats.

Awarded by aircraft prime contractor Boeing, the Block II contracts provide up to $100 million for developing advanced software, performing hardware upgrades and delivering prototypes. These efforts will further enhance IRST21's proven detection, tracking and ranging capabilities in radar-denied environments.

"The U.S. Navy's strategic block upgrade program enables us to continue advancing our technology and rapidly deliver it to the warfighter," said Paul Lemmo, vice president of Fire Control/Special Operations Forces Contractor Logistics Support Services at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We are excited to implement the Block II upgrades and enhance IRST21's performance."..."

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/586346 ... Oct_17.jpg

Source: http://news.lockheedmartin.com/2017-10- ... assets_117

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 21 Oct 2017, 09:47

IRSTwhile initial BLOCK 1 IRSTs will perhaps only be used for training - heaven forfend - bring out the TROLLS - UNITED!

US Navy upgrades IRST for Super Hornet fleet
20 Oct 2017 Leigh Giangreco

"The US Navy is upgrading its Boeing F/A-18E/F fighters with an improved Lockheed Martin IRST21 sensor system, allowing the Super Hornet fleet to see and detect farther....

...An older version of IRST, a passive air-to-air radar system that detects airborne threats in radar denied environments, exists on the US Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F fleet and international F-15 aircraft. While some international customers mount their IRST systems on top of an aircraft, the US Navy install their long-range, thermal sensor inside the Super Hornet’s centerline fuel tank.

“It’s really a configuration of the aircraft itself, it can be mounted anywhere on the aircraft there’s no real rationale as to performance where you put it on the aircraft,” David Starr, senior programme manager at Lockheed, tells FlightGlobal....

...Starr says. The navy’s long term plan is to field 170 Block 2 sensors across its Super Hornet fleet.

The Block 2 upgrades are part of the navy’s ongoing IRST programme. As part of the technical development phase, Lockheed will deliver low rate initial production lots 1 and 2 to the service in 2019. Those lots will be used for testing, training and tactics development, and include 18 legacy sensors embedded in fuel tanks Starr says. In 2022, Lockheed will deliver Block 2 engineering, development and manufacturing assets.

“Block 1...could be fielded, right now they’re explicitly for test,” he says. “But right now the navy is debating whether they would like to field those going forward in the future.”"

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... et-442388/

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 21 Oct 2017, 17:08

the US Navy install their long-range, thermal sensor inside the Super Hornet’s centerline fuel tank.

Is the tank still jettisonable? :shock:

edit: "Hey you back there, RIO lad, our radar's acting flaky, get me something on the IRST."

"But sir, you jettisoned that prior to the merge."

mixelflick · by **mixelflick** » 23 Oct 2017, 14:25

outlaw162 wrote:
the US Navy install their long-range, thermal sensor inside the Super Hornet’s centerline fuel tank.

Is the tank still jettisonable?

edit: "Hey you back there, RIO lad, our radar's acting flaky, get me something on the IRST."

"But sir, you jettisoned that prior to the merge."

Good question! Why put it on a fuel tank in the first place? Why not on one of the fuselage stations??

About the dismal availability rate for both legacy and Super Hornets, I thought the F-18 was a breeze to maintain? All those years they kept saying the F-14 was a hangar queen...

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 23 Oct 2017, 16:01

Putting it on one of the fuselage stations would severely limit its FOV to the other side.