Tag Archives: aviation readiness

Navy Looking to Buy Aircraft Engines as Civilian Demand Dwindles

Navy Looking to Buy Aircraft Engines as Civilian Demand Dwindles

By:

Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Caleb Fisher, left, and Aviation Machinist Mate 1st Class Ricky Souza, both assigned to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4, install a spinner cone to the CFM56-7B engine of a squadron P-8A Poseidon aircraft as a part of a scheduled maintenance inspection on Feb. 4, 2020. US Navy photo.

The Navy is moving forward with its plans to take advantage of a commercial aviation slowdown by accelerating new orders, buying spare parts and conducting depot maintenance – all in conjunction with the other services, to get the maximum benefit of what the industry has to offer even while combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More →

Mission Capable: How More Ready Jets Is Helping the Navy Create Deadlier Pilots

Mission Capable: How More Ready Jets Is Helping the Navy Create Deadlier Pilots

By:

Sailors inspect an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the ‘Blue Diamonds’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on March 23, 2020. US Navy Photo

This post is the second in a two-part series on the naval aviation community’s effort to build better readiness and how that is changing the future of naval aviation.

“It was, quite frankly, a little scary.”

In 2015, Rear Adm. Rich Brophy was a captain who had just taken command of Carrier Air Wing 9 and was trying to usher the unit through pre-deployment training, while sitting at the bottom of a bathtub in naval aviation readiness. Read More →

Mission Capable: How the Navy Harnessed Its Data to Achieve 80% Fighter Readiness

Mission Capable: How the Navy Harnessed Its Data to Achieve 80% Fighter Readiness

By:

Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller III, commander of Naval Air Forces, addresses T-34C Turbo Mentor aircraft maintainers and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) before taking a flight with Lt. Jason “JB” Ely of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) on Aug. 6, 2019. US Navy photo.

This post is the first in a two-part series on the naval aviation community’s effort to build better readiness and how that is changing the future of naval aviation.

This post has been updated to note that the readiness push resulted in 90 more mission capable Super Hornets in March and 340 more aircraft overall compared to the same time last year.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – “I love data, it’s just awesome.”

When Commander of Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Vice Adm. DeWolfe Miller took command in January 2018, years of tight budgets had robbed the naval aviation community of maintenance and spare parts funds, leaving some squadrons with just enough flyable aircraft to keep their pilots qualified but not enough to do any kind of sophisticated training. Read More →

Navy Surpasses 80% Aircraft Readiness Goal, Reaches Stretch Goal of 341 Up Fighters

Navy Surpasses 80% Aircraft Readiness Goal, Reaches Stretch Goal of 341 Up Fighters

By:

Sailors perform maintenance on an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Top Hatters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 USS John C. Stennis’ (CVN 74) hangar bay on Jan. 22, 2016. US Navy photo.

The Navy has exceeded the Defense Department’s requirement of having 80 percent of operational Super Hornets and Growlers mission capable and has met the stretch goal it set for itself, the service announced on Wednesday. Read More →

Next Chief of Naval Operations Will Lead a Navy Facing Readiness, Personnel, Technology Challenges

Next Chief of Naval Operations Will Lead a Navy Facing Readiness, Personnel, Technology Challenges

By:

Adm. Bill Moran, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, speaks with sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). US Navy Photo

When Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson took charge of the Navy in 2015, the service was still largely a support element for the larger U.S. effort in the Middle East. When Richardson leaves this summer, his successor will be at the helm of a service that is being grown and reshaped into a key role for the U.S. military’s drive toward high-end warfare in a new era of great power competition. Read More →

New Defense Strategy, Commitment to Readiness Drove Major Shifts in Navy Budget

New Defense Strategy, Commitment to Readiness Drove Major Shifts in Navy Budget

By:

Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group participates in a strait exercise in the Atlantic Ocean on April 7, 2019. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON – The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget request includes tectonic shifts in how the Navy does business – swapping a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier for unmanned surface vehicles and other technologies – and it comes even as the service is reevaluating what sized fleet and what mix of ships the Navy needs to meet future challenges. Read More →

Marines' 2020 Budget Will Prioritize Near-Term Readiness, Upgrades for High-End Fight

Marines’ 2020 Budget Will Prioritize Near-Term Readiness, Upgrades for High-End Fight

By:

Lance Cpl. Nicholas Zachary (left) and Lance Cpl. Luis Saldana both assigned to Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 214, conduct routine maintenance on an AV-8B Harrier on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on May 8, 2017. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marine Corps wants to spend nearly a third of its Fiscal Year 2020 money on modernizing its equipment and nearly another third on rebuilding readiness, a top officer said. Read More →

Top Stories 2018: U.S. Navy Operations

Top Stories 2018: U.S. Navy Operations

By:

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) as the ship transits the Strait of Gibraltar on Dec. 4, 2018. US Navy Photo

USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2018. This story is part of a series; please also see U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps Operations.

If 2018 made anything clear, it’s that the U.S. Navy noticed the increased Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic and won’t let it go unaddressed.

Read More →

Naval Safety Center Standing Up Data Analytics Office Amid Surface, Aviation Mishap Increases

Naval Safety Center Standing Up Data Analytics Office Amid Surface, Aviation Mishap Increases

By:

An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 flies over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) in the Persian Gulf. US Navy Photo

CAPITOL HILL — The Naval Safety Center is standing up a new Knowledge Management and Safety Promotion directorate, which will use data analytics to help get ahead of potential future mishaps. Read More →

HASC's 2019 Bill Boosts Navy Spending, With Focus on Readiness and Pacific Operations

HASC’s 2019 Bill Boosts Navy Spending, With Focus on Readiness and Pacific Operations

By:

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group cruises in formation with the Indian navy Talwar-class frigate INS Tarkash (F50) on March 25, 2018. Theodore Roosevelt is underway for a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. US Navy photo.

The House Armed Services Committee’s Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act today focuses on building readiness – especially in aviation – and on optimizing for operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Read More →

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2