Fighter Jets In Formation - John C. Air Force One during a demonstration in the Atlantic Ocean on May 14, 2019. The aircraft flies over Stennis. (MC3 Grant G. Grady/US Navy)
SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Navy has a carefully balanced plan to tackle the problem of war and stop another in the 2030s — but many of the pieces have yet to come together as planned.
Fighter Jets In Formation
The plan includes adding another 4,000 flight hours to the existing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, improving the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter and developing the next-generation Air Dominance F/A-XX fighter — and all other schedules. is to do
Fighter Jets Flypast Editorial Photography. Image Of Flypast
Vice Admiral of the Navy, Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, told Defense News in an interview on February 15 that the Navy is making progress in adding new fighters to its inventory and that it will completely eliminate the shortfall of 49 aircraft by 2025.
But in 2030 or 2035, the F/A-XX should be improved in its performance; Otherwise, Whitesell said, the Navy will begin losing aircraft from storage without bringing in replacements, creating a shortage of new fighters.
First Hornet Service is a life-changing program. The SLM program will take the Block II aircraft at the end of their expected 6,000-hour operational life and add another 4,000 hours of flight time, as well as upgrade the Block III capability through various airframe repairs and retrofits. A beautiful box.
Whitesell acknowledged the early challenges in SLM but said the Navy and Boeing are working together to ensure the aircraft's success during the upgrade.
Modern Armed Military Fighter Jet Flys In Formation Through The Sky Stock Image
When Boeing opened the first few planes to join the program, he said, "They found hotter and more prone to damage on the platform than we thought."
This resulted in aircraft landings in the program taking longer than expected due to wear issues, and aircraft landings waiting to be added to SLM instead had to wait until space became available at Boeing's St. Louis, Missouri campus. , and San Antonio, Texas, facilities.
The F/A-18 Lifetime Modification Program extends the life of existing Super Hornets from 6,000 to 10,000. In 2023 the program will begin converting the aircraft to the new Block III model. (Photo by Boeing)
"The Boston Consulting Group went to Boeing and advised them on how to improve the performance of the SLM line," Whitesell said. But "we realized that it couldn't be done by industry alone. So we went in and started two projects, we did work before SLM based on what Boeing saw.
Fighter Jets Execute Two Plane Formation Flight (2)
In one program, Navy personnel at service centers perform rust repair work on aircraft at 6,000 hourly intervals and send the aircraft to Boeing for SLM - thus removing the rust work from Boeing's plate and allowing the contractor to handle it. Primary program. The Navy has completed this process on 19 aircraft so far, Whitesell said.
In the second program, the Navy performed a "maintenance reset" on about 40 aircraft based on information provided by Boeing and returned the aircraft to the fleet to continue flying. These aircraft are ultimately destined to reach the SLM stage at Boeing's well-established facilities, which will again allow the company to scale up the initial work and release the aircraft on time. Boeing reported that its first planes took 18 months, which the company plans to reduce to 12 months.
"If all goes well, by 2025," Whitesell said, "we won't have a problem with counter-insurgency fighters." ". do maintenance work.
Whitesell said 15 aircraft were donated by SLM. Those planes would still have 4,000 hours of Navy flight time, but the question is how many years.
Aerial Acrobatics Jets Spotted In Tight Formation Above Leicester
Navy models fly between 210 and 230 hours per year on the airframe, Whitesell said. Since the Super Hornets are the flagship of the fleet, the Navy has now increased to 300 hours a year. Assuming the new standards are correct, each airman has 13 years left before retirement.
That means that by 2031-2032, the Super Hornets will begin to leave the inventory and should be ready to join the F/A-XX fleet.
SLM is "building space" for the next Air Dominance program with the F/A-XX, but "no one is kicking the ball." If the next aircraft is not ready by the early 2030s, the Navy will be in trouble.
It may not affect the inventory in the 2030-2035 period, but there is still a long inventory for the fighter, and the F-35C is burning fast in flight hours. The Navy initially reduced the number of F-35Cs it uses in the air wing from two squadrons of 10 aircraft to one, only to replace one squadron with 14 aircraft.
Pinpointing Consumption \
Now, because the United States sees China as a serious threat and aims to put its best equipment in the Asia-Pacific region, the Navy decides to return 20 aircraft in the air - one large group or two of the first 10- aircraft.
On February 24, an F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the "Black Knight" of Naval Airlift Wing (VMFA) 314, took off from the airfield of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. (CVN 72) on February 24. , 2022. (MC3 Javier Reyes/US Navy)
Whitesell was careful to note that the program still had 14 aircraft in one squadron. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group recently returned from a deployment with 10 aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron 147, and the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed with 10 Marine Corps F-35Cs from squadrons A total of 314 Marines. The transition to the F-35C will consist of 14 aircraft, with the 97th Strike Fighter Squadron next in line for the transition and deployed later.
"The primary driver today is getting the maximum capability with the fifth generation going to the western Pacific. So, VFA-97 - the Navy's transition group - is the 14 JSF aircraft group [jointly with 'fighters]. we talked about our fighter jet program... As Lockheed Martin continues to build, there is a full capacity to go to 20 JSF. Now we have to decide if it will be one squadron or two squadrons. Or if [the next Air Dominance Program] will come soon, how will we build JSF", Whitesell.
File:a Four Aircraft Box Formation Flown By Mig 21 Fl During A Rehearsal Ahead Of The Phasing Out Of The Iconic Fighter Jets.jpg
"But we're going to decide [based on] the repair capacity, the equipment, the personnel -- is it more likely to have a squadron of 14 aircraft? A squadron of 20 aircraft? Or can we go to two squadrons of 10 aircraft?"
Whitesell said a number of factors need to be considered in any approach to the 20 F-35Cs in the air force. The obvious benefit is to prioritize the feeling of competence and the ability to fight in the most difficult rooms. But that means eating up more flight time than planned for the F-35 program, which could cause problems later.
Whitesell said F-35 maker Lockheed Martin has delayed delivery of the "C" to the Navy because of concerns over the coronavirus, but said the company has plans to get back on track. Faster deliveries now make it easier to decide to use more aircraft — and the positive news about the F/A-XX's development raises less concern about the back end of the F-35C program, now that the costs of use are being considered.
In addition, Whitecell has recently sought support for aircraft carriers, maintenance, equipment etc. despite a tight budget. He pointed out that the Navy has provided funding for the naval aviation budget, but it is not yet clear whether the service can pay twice as much for F-35C contributions to the air force as compared to the first two JSF deployments. .
Fighter Jet Air Force Formation Flight Editorial Stock Photo
Although Whitesell said, there is a question of whether there is physical room to have a JSF 20 for the aircraft carriers.
Army News visited the carrier Carl Vinson, which returned to San Diego, California, from its deployment to the Indo-Pacific region in February, and several crew members discussed "overcrowding," or the large number of aircraft and aircraft. the auxiliary equipment was complete. . For airport and hangar bay space on board.
Commander Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, Rear Adm. Dan Martin acknowledged the challenges of adding more aircraft to the future air force wing, but told Defense News that the Navy "needs to create an air wing that is relevant to the threat." . "
Whitesell said he is considering Martin's request to add nine farmers.
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