Tag Archives: F-35B

Navy’s Planned 80 Super Hornet Buy Could Grow After New Pentagon Strategy Review

Navy’s Planned 80 Super Hornet Buy Could Grow After New Pentagon Strategy Review

An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launches from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on June 9, 2017. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The total of 80 Super Hornets the Navy is set to buy over the next five years could grow based on the findings of the Pentagon’s ongoing and overarching national defense strategy review, acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told USNI News on Thursday following a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Read More

Aviation Leaders Still Unsure Why Marines Not Facing Same Hypoxia Issues as Navy, Air Force

Aviation Leaders Still Unsure Why Marines Not Facing Same Hypoxia Issues as Navy, Air Force

F-35A Lightning II aircraft receive aerial refuelings from a Travis KC-10 Extender July 13, 2016 on the flight from England to the United States. US Air Force photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The armed services are still unsure why Navy and Air Force pilots are struggling with their Onboard Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) while the Marine Corps – which uses the exact same systems – has had no problems, the Marines’ top aviator told reporters. Read More

Navy Wants to Buy 80 More Super Hornets for $7.1B Over the Next Five Years

Navy Wants to Buy 80 More Super Hornets for $7.1B Over the Next Five Years

Airman Michael Nywair signals that an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Argonauts of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 is ready aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on June 7, 2017. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Navy intends to buy at least 80 more Boeing F/A-18E-F Super Hornets over the next five years to address its fighter shortfall, a change from its previous on-the-books plan to zero out the aircraft program beginning next year, service officials said in congressional testimony today. Read More

Omnibus Spending Bill Gives Navy $21B for Shipbuilding, $16B for Aircraft; Additional Aviation Maintenance Spending

Omnibus Spending Bill Gives Navy $21B for Shipbuilding, $16B for Aircraft; Additional Aviation Maintenance Spending

USS Arlington (LPD-24) under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Huntington Ingalls Industries Photo

House and Senate appropriators reached an agreement to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year that includes a $593-billion defense spending package to allow the Navy and Marine Corps to continue with planned ship and aircraft procurement and readiness increases. Read More

Marines: Ground, Aviation Readiness Depends On Increased Funding for Spares; Pilot Program Aimed at Keeping Hornets Available to Pilots

Marines: Ground, Aviation Readiness Depends On Increased Funding for Spares; Pilot Program Aimed at Keeping Hornets Available to Pilots

Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 “Death Rattlers” inspect an F/A-18C Hornet at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev., on Feb. 15 2017. Marine Corps Photo

Marine Corps leadership told the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee that it needs a Fiscal Year 2017 budget and the supplemental spending request to not only address aviation and ground equipment readiness challenges but also to keep global operational requirements on track. Read More

Marines Would Save $1B If F-35 Entered Service Faster; F-18 Hornets Struggling To Stay Mission-Ready

Marines Would Save $1B If F-35 Entered Service Faster; F-18 Hornets Struggling To Stay Mission-Ready

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232 “Red Devils” departs the runway at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, March 24, 2017. US Marine Corps photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marine Corps could save about a billion dollars, reduce risk for pilots seeing too few flight hours each month and bring additional high-end capability to the fleet if the service were able to buy its F-35B and C Joint Strike Fighters at a faster pace, the deputy commandant for aviation said on Tuesday. Read More

Industry Advocates Fully Funding F-35 Spares Accounts Despite 'Broken Budget Process'

Industry Advocates Fully Funding F-35 Spares Accounts Despite ‘Broken Budget Process’

Two Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, transit the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 9, 2017. US Marine Corps Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. — Lockheed Martin is working closely with the military services to keep new and old airplane types alike in good material condition, but a broken budgeting process and difficulty in fully funding spare parts have made that a challenge, the company’s vice president of sustainment operations said. Read More

Lockheed Martin: F-35/NIFC-CA Live Fire Test In 2018; LRASM Flight Tests This Year

Lockheed Martin: F-35/NIFC-CA Live Fire Test In 2018; LRASM Flight Tests This Year

The Navy conducts its first live fire demonstration to successfully test the integration of F-35 with existing Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air architecture, Sept. 12, 2016. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. — Lockheed Martin plans to conduct a live-fire test of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter directing an Aegis Combat System engagement next year, as well as the first flight of the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare missile at the end of this year, both to bolster the Navy’s distributed lethality concept. Read More