Tag Archives: Commander Naval Air Forces

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

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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

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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 →

Naval Aviation Facing Unexpected Budget Shortfall; Options to Slow Spending Being Considered

Naval Aviation Facing Unexpected Budget Shortfall; Options to Slow Spending Being Considered

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Seaman Sakyra Baker stands aft lookout as an F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 lands on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on Feb. 21, 2019. US Navy Photo

The naval aviation community is facing a budget shortfall of at least $100 million for the current fiscal year and may have to cut back flight hours and other operations between now and the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, USNI News learned. Read More →

Panel: Navy Advancing Tactics, Adding New Weapons to Boost Combat Lethality

Panel: Navy Advancing Tactics, Adding New Weapons to Boost Combat Lethality

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Sailors load a Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile aboard the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Olympia (SSN 717) as part of the biannual Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise, July 3, 2018. US Navy photo.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Each Navy community is updating its tactics and weapons with lethality and a potential high-end distributed fight in mind, several admirals said last week. Read More →

Navy Creates New Flight Instructor Billet Outside of Traditional Career Path

Navy Creates New Flight Instructor Billet Outside of Traditional Career Path

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Marine Corps Capt. Chris Latimer, left, an instructor pilot for Training Squadron (VT) 31, and Ensign Marvin Smith, a student naval aviator, conduct pre-operation procedures before a training flight in a T-44C Pegasus aircraft on Jan. 12, 2012. US Navy photo.

The Navy is creating a Professional Flight Instructor (PFI) program that would allow pilots and naval flight officers to remain in the Navy later in their careers as flight instructors outside the normal sea/shore rotation. Read More →

New Air Boss Miller Pitches Warfighting Focus in First Visit with Aviators

New Air Boss Miller Pitches Warfighting Focus in First Visit with Aviators

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F/A-18s on the flight line at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev. USNI News Photo

This post has been updated to note that Vice Adm. Miller faced a TOPGUN A-4, not an A-7, in his early training experience at NAS Fallon.

NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON, Nev. – The Navy’s new Air Boss laid out his priorities for the job – with a special focus on lethality and readiness for a high-end fight – during his first site visit since taking over as the eighth Commander of Naval Air Forces last month. Read More →

Navy, Marines Step Up Training to Prepare for High-End Fight

Navy, Marines Step Up Training to Prepare for High-End Fight

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A U.S. Marine with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and Japan Ground Self Defense Soldier with the Western Army Infantry Regiment, clear hallways while conducting Urban Explosive Demolitions training during exercise Iron Fist 2018, Jan. 19. US Marine Corps Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Navy type commanders have boosted the quality of their training events to prepare for battle against a peer or near-peer competitor and continue to look for ways to make their training more complex and operationally relevant. Read More →

New Navy Budget Request Moves Money Toward Top Two Aviation Safety Priorities

New Navy Budget Request Moves Money Toward Top Two Aviation Safety Priorities

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Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Joshua White, assigned to the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4, sits in the gunner’s seat of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on July 21, 2016. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s top two aviation safety priorities could benefit from a half-billion-dollar bump in funding for aircraft modification kits if the service’s fiscal year 2019 budget request is approved. Read More →

Congress Frustrated at Progress of Fighter Physiological Episode Investigations While Navy Back to Full Pilot Production After T-45C Fixes

Congress Frustrated at Progress of Fighter Physiological Episode Investigations While Navy Back to Full Pilot Production After T-45C Fixes

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Pilots perform pre-flight procedures in T-45C Goshawks from Training Air Wing One (TRAWING) 1 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) on Dec. 10, 2016. US Navy photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy isn’t moving fast enough to fix the ongoing systemic physiological episodes that have plagued fighter pilots and flight students, members of the House Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday. Read More →

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