Tag Archives: Lt. Gen. Jon Davis

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

Marines Seek to Arm MV-22 Osprey, Improve Harvest Hawk System

Marines Seek to Arm MV-22 Osprey, Improve Harvest Hawk System

An MV-22B Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365), lands on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) on Oct. 26, 2017. US Navy Photo

An MV-22B Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365), lands on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) on Oct. 26, 2017. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps continues to pursue lethality upgrades to its new aircraft, even as the service is still in the midst of recapitalizing its tactical aviation platforms, the deputy commandant for aviation told reporters on Wednesday. Read More

Marine Aviation Going After Small Maintenance Issues that Create Big Readiness Problems

Marine Aviation Going After Small Maintenance Issues that Create Big Readiness Problems

U.S. Marine Sgt. Ryan Boele (left), a MV-22 flight line mechanic chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. David Bath (right), a MV-22 flight line mechanic with VMM-163, 11th MEU, adjust cables on an engine of an MV-22 Osprey within the hanger bay of the USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Dec. 27. US Marine Corps photo.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Ryan Boele (left), a MV-22 flight line mechanic chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Lance Cpl. David Bath (right), a MV-22 flight line mechanic with VMM-163, 11th MEU, adjust cables on an engine of an MV-22 Osprey within the hanger bay of the USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Dec. 27. US Marine Corps photo.

THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps is tackling the little problems that combine to create major burdens on the aviation maintenance community, the deputy commandant for aviation told reporters today. Read More

Marine Aviation Head Lists High-end Wants for MUX Program

Marine Aviation Head Lists High-end Wants for MUX Program

The Bell V-247 tiltrotor is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that will combine the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft, and would provide long-endurance persistent expeditionary and surveillance and fires capabilities. Bell rendering.

The Bell V-247 tiltrotor is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that will combine the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft, and would provide long-endurance persistent expeditionary and surveillance and fires capabilities. Bell rendering.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The head of Marine Corps aviation has big plans for the service’s planned large unmanned aerial vehicle set to enter the service in the next decade. Read More

Marine Aviation Takes 24-Hour Pause To Assess After Recent Hornet Crashes

Marine Aviation Takes 24-Hour Pause To Assess After Recent Hornet Crashes

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing fly F/A-18C Hornet airplanes during deployment for training on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., May 13, 2013. US Marine Corps photo.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing fly F/A-18C Hornet airplanes during deployment for training on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., May 13, 2013. US Marine Corps photo.

The Marine Corps ordered a mandatory 24-hour operational pause for all non-deployed units to focus on safety and readiness issues following three F/A-18C Hornet crashes this summer, two of which were fatal. Read More

F-35B Tactics Evolving As Pilots' Understanding Of Technology Matures

F-35B Tactics Evolving As Pilots’ Understanding Of Technology Matures

An F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 takes off during exercise Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 20. This is the first time that the fifth generation fighter has participated in the multiservice air-to-air combat training exercise. US Marine Corps photo.

An F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 takes off during exercise Red Flag 16-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., July 20. This is the first time that the fifth generation fighter has participated in the multiservice air-to-air combat training exercise. US Marine Corps photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marine Corps’ top aviator said the F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter pilots have matured in their understanding of the new platform in the year since the service declared initial operational capability (IOC), pushing themselves to push past planned tactics and create a new way of using the fifth-generation technology. Read More

Navy to Industry: ‘If You’re Not Open Architecture, You’re Not Relevant’

Navy to Industry: ‘If You’re Not Open Architecture, You’re Not Relevant’

Artist's rendering of open architecture systems on a Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) guided missile destroyer. AOC Incorporated Image

Artist’s rendering of open architecture systems on an Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) guided missile destroyer. AOC Incorporated Image

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — The director of the Navy staff told industry “if you’re not open architecture, you’re not relevant” when having to fight in a contested environment so offer the sea services systems that meet that requirement and can be used in a variety of ways. Read More