More F-35s, maybe

neptune · by **neptune** » 09 Nov 2017, 00:58

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... aa-443026/

Lawmakers add F-35s, keep JSTARS in proposed NDAA

08 November, 2017
BY: Leigh Giangreco

Washington DC
US lawmakers have proposed adding billions of dollars and dozens of combat aircraft to the Trump's Administration's request. The House and Senate armed services committees released details of a conference report on a $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that boosts the number of Lockheed Martin F-35s and maintains the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS recapitalization program. Like Trump’s proposed budget, Congress’ $640 billion NDAA still exceeds budget control act caps. The bill would also authorize another $60 billion in overseas contingency operations funding, which are not subject to the caps, adding to a total Defense Department budget of $700 billion. The authorization bill stop short of approving funding, which must come from a conference report that reconciles the House and Senate versions of the appropriations bill. While the armed services committees agreed on the report language this week, the two full chambers have not yet signed the deal.

The president’s initial budget requested 70 F-35s, but the NDAA conference authorizes the military to purchase 20 more if funding are approved by the appropriations committees. The House-Senate conference also authorized the Navy to buy 24 Boeing F/A-18E/F, or 10 more than requested by the White House last spring. The proposed NDAA also doubles the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey authorization to 12 tilt rotors and more than doubles the Boeing CH-47F Chinook request to 14 heavy-lift helicopters. The conference report also authorizes the Army to buy 71 Boeing AH-64E Apaches, or 11 higher than the White House requested. The army also would be authorized to buy 53 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks, or five more than the Pentagon requested. The House and Senate lawmakers agreed to keep an authorization for $417.2 million to begin replacing the 17-aircraft JSTARS fleet, despite a pending review by the USAF that could cancel the program.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 09 Nov 2017, 04:46

‘Extraordinary’ National Security Space Changes, 7-Year V-22 Multiyear In NDAA
08 Nov 2017 Colin Clark

" - It adds 20 additional F-35s — 10 A models, six C models and 4 B models — for a total of 90 planes...
&
... It adds 10 Super Hornets for the Navy, for a total of 24..."

Source: https://breakingdefense.com/2017/11/ext ... r-in-ndaa/

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 17 Nov 2017, 04:34

Congress sends Trump $700 billion military spending bill
17 Nov 2017 : Richard Lardner

"WASHINGTON — Congress on Thursday sent President Donald Trump a sweeping defense policy bill authorizing a $700 billion budget for the military...

...But there’s a catch. While the $700 billion military budget is a powerful political statement, the $700 billion plan remains notional until Congress can agree to roll back a 2011 law that set strict limits on federal budgets, including the Defense Department’s. The cap mandated by the law on national defense spending for the 2018 budget year is $549 billion.

Republicans and Democrats haven’t been able to strike a deal so far. Many Republicans favor easing the caps only for defense spending. But Democrats also want to increase the budgets for other government agencies. If they fail to reach an accord, Congress could be forced to again use stopgap spending bills....

...The defense bill provides money for 90 F-35 joint strike fighters, 20 more than Trump asked for, as well as 24 F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighters, 10 more than requested...."

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentag ... ding-bill/

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 17 Nov 2017, 08:43

spazsinbad wrote:
‘Extraordinary’ National Security Space Changes, 7-Year V-22 Multiyear In NDAA
08 Nov 2017 Colin Clark

" - It adds 20 additional F-35s — 10 A models, six C models and 4 B models — for a total of 90 planes...
&
... It adds 10 Super Hornets for the Navy, for a total of 24..."

Source: https://breakingdefense.com/2017/11/ext ... r-in-ndaa/

What was the F-35 split of the original 70 aircraft???

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 17 Nov 2017, 08:46

Why are we continuing to buy more Super Hornets when the F-35C 3F is ready??? :doh:

maus92 · by **maus92** » 17 Nov 2017, 14:34

Corsair1963 wrote:Why are we continuing to buy more Super Hornets when the F-35C 3F is ready???

Because the F-35C is not ready for deployment, nor are the carriers. There will be at least another 75 (probably closer to 100) Super Hornets acquired over the next few years until the fleet is ready to absorb more F-35Cs. Even then, the Super Hornet is a more versatile aircraft than a 3F or even Block 4.x F-35C. Block 5 at the end of the 2020's is when the F-35C begins to match the utility of the Super Hornet.

optimist · by **optimist** » 17 Nov 2017, 14:57

I might dispute the maritime updates, but in general, I hate it when I agree with you :mrgreen:

quicksilver · by **quicksilver** » 17 Nov 2017, 15:09

The ships are not ready because the aircraft are not ready because the ships are not ready because...

Another self-licking ice cream cone from our illustrious Navy.

Meanwhile, Block 3i F-35s will be enablers for all those hood ornaments steaming around in the SOJ.

playloud · by **playloud** » 17 Nov 2017, 15:30

maus92 wrote:
Corsair1963 wrote:Why are we continuing to buy more Super Hornets when the F-35C 3F is ready???

Because the F-35C is not ready for deployment, nor are the carriers. There will be at least another 75 (probably closer to 100) Super Hornets acquired over the next few years until the fleet is ready to absorb more F-35Cs. Even then, the Super Hornet is a more versatile aircraft than a 3F or even Block 4.x F-35C. Block 5 at the end of the 2020's is when the F-35C begins to match the utility of the Super Hornet.

Aside from buddy tanking, what utility does the Rhino have that a Block 3F or 4 would not?

mk82 · by **mk82** » 17 Nov 2017, 15:31

maus92 wrote:
Corsair1963 wrote:Why are we continuing to buy more Super Hornets when the F-35C 3F is ready???

Because the F-35C is not ready for deployment, nor are the carriers. There will be at least another 75 (probably closer to 100) Super Hornets acquired over the next few years until the fleet is ready to absorb more F-35Cs. Even then, the Super Hornet is a more versatile aircraft than a 3F or even Block 4.x F-35C. Block 5 at the end of the 2020's is when the F-35C begins to match the utility of the Super Hornet.

Dream on Maus! I doubt the US Navy will purchasing 100 let alone 75 Superbugs in the next few years (extrapolating from current acquisition numbers (those wish list extra Superbugs are not guaranteed either)......what planet are you on!?). 2018 is close by and F35C production (and the number of F35Cs entering the operational fleet) is ramping up year after year from 2018 onwards.

Oh yeah, sure, the Superbug is more versatile than the F35C until it starts eating S300s/S400s/HQ10s from a proper peer level IADS.....its more versatile in being shot down then! Better get that Alpha Strike going.......but hang on.....once USN aviation tasted the tremendous advantage VLO + networked sensor fusion + EA/EW (aka F35C) gives them operationally......you can kiss the idea of increased buys of the Superbug goodbye (so long Alpha Strike!). The Superbug is relatively subpar in comparison to the F35C in terms of networked NTISR, networked sensor fusion, command and control, EW/EA (especially cooperative EW/EA).......so much for versatility! The F35C can drop PGMs just as well as the Superbug.....fancy that! And stop FUDing.......Block 5 software will be released into operational service quite a while before the end of the 2020s.

XanderCrews · by **XanderCrews** » 17 Nov 2017, 15:52

maus92 wrote:
Corsair1963 wrote:Why are we continuing to buy more Super Hornets when the F-35C 3F is ready???

Because the F-35C is not ready for deployment, nor are the carriers. There will be at least another 75 (probably closer to 100) Super Hornets acquired over the next few years until the fleet is ready to absorb more F-35Cs. Even then, the Super Hornet is a more versatile aircraft than a 3F or even Block 4.x F-35C. Block 5 at the end of the 2020's is when the F-35C begins to match the utility of the Super Hornet.

Not really, but Maus

More poor performance from the blueberry camo crew overall these days. The navy is a mess but that's not news

white_lightning35 · by **white_lightning35** » 17 Nov 2017, 16:04

Can someone tell me a single thing that the SH will do better than a 3F f-35, let alone a block 4? What is this "versatility" advantage that the SH has? By block 4 the f-35 will have far more weapons integrated, will it not?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 17 Nov 2017, 16:50

maus92 wrote:Because the C is not ready for deployment, nor are the carriers.

Newsflash: Any F-35C (or Superhornet for that matter) bought as part of the FY2018 budget will not be delivered till 2020. Actually, the F-35C will arrive 8 months before the F-18 can be delivered (Mar2020 vs Nov2020). By that time the F-35C will have declared IOC and will be deployed to carriers.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 17 Nov 2017, 17:04

white_lightning35 wrote:Can someone tell me a single thing that the SH will do better than a 3F

It keeps Boeing money flowing into Congress.

XanderCrews · by **XanderCrews** » 17 Nov 2017, 21:58

white_lightning35 wrote:Can someone tell me a single thing that the SH will do better than a 3F f-35, let alone a block 4? What is this "versatility" advantage that the SH has? By block 4 the f-35 will have far more weapons integrated, will it not?

It depends on the definition of "versatility" super hornets will be able to do more roles ok. F-35C will be vastly better at certain roles but may not do everything a super hornet does.

Best description is super hornet will have lots of scope but not as much depth

F-35c will have greater depth but not as much scope initially.

So whichever of those is more versatile in your book. The F-35 will be able to do things in contested environments where a super hornet can't hope to survive.

To me that's more versatile. To maus everything that's wrong with the navy is the F-35s fault.

So there's that.