More Marine Aerial Antics

War is Boring

More Marine Aerial Antics
Tuesday April 03rd 2007, 5:32 am
Filed under: Up in the Air

Finding itself cornered by a vicious confluence of policy and
circumstance, the Marine Corps tactical air force is struggling to
transform from today's diverse but depleted fighter fleet - flying
three models of Boeing F/A-18 Hornet plus Boeing AV-8B Harrier jump
jets - to tomorrow's flying just one
type: the forthcoming Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, formerly
Joint Strike Fighter. And questions persist about the Lightning's
suitability to replace all the older designs.

The F-35B is designed to land vertically like the Harrier by way of a
heavy lift-fan. That plus its single seat mean it's perhaps less than
ideal for replacing both two-seat Hornets, which are optimized to
support ground forces, and the nimbler single-seat Hornets that make
Marine aviators some of the most feared dogfighters in the world.

The Marines want to buy around 300 F-35Bs beginning with six in 2008,
but lawmakers have threatened to delay the purchase in order to save
money and to make more time for development. Lieutenant General John
Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, says the 2008 purchase is
"very important" if the Corps is going to field the first F-35B
squadron by 2012. He said delays would result in a massive fighter
shortage in five years.

But the shortages, exacerbated by wear and tear from relentless
operations in Iraq, are a problem now. The Marines are shuttering
several fighter squadrons and even borrowing Hornets from the Navy in
a desperate attempt to keep its remaining squadrons fully equipped
with airplanes.

Read more in the current issue of Defense Technology International.
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aw/d...p?startpage=14

"Mike" wrote in message
ups.com...
War is Boring

More Marine Aerial Antics
Tuesday April 03rd 2007, 5:32 am
Filed under: Up in the Air

Finding itself cornered by a vicious confluence of policy and
circumstance, the Marine Corps tactical air force is struggling to
transform from today's diverse but depleted fighter fleet - flying
three models of Boeing F/A-18 Hornet plus Boeing AV-8B Harrier jump
jets - to tomorrow's flying just one
type: the forthcoming Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, formerly
Joint Strike Fighter. And questions persist about the Lightning's
suitability to replace all the older designs.

Of course, part of their problem is leadership's diversion of procurement
funds to put lipstick on the pig that is the V-22. The Corps abandoned the
F-18E/F and is in a crunch waiting for the F-35 (which will make the AV-8
maintenance nightmare appear like a fond dream). The ultimate cost of the
grunt's affection for high speed vertical envelopement might be the loss of
Marine TACAIR.

The F-35B is designed to land vertically like the Harrier by way of a
heavy lift-fan. That plus its single seat mean it's perhaps less than
ideal for replacing both two-seat Hornets, which are optimized to
support ground forces, and the nimbler single-seat Hornets that make
Marine aviators some of the most feared dogfighters in the world.

I love that last line. Obviously originated in the USMC PR department where
they have no clue as to what the current op tempo is doing to training. If
you're not deployed to the cutting edge, proficiency and training hours are
at a minimum. And in most MAW's, the perversity is to shortchange the JO's
on flight time and training in favor of the field grade O's.

The Marines want to buy around 300 F-35Bs beginning with six in 2008,
but lawmakers have threatened to delay the purchase in order to save
money and to make more time for development. Lieutenant General John
Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, says the 2008 purchase is
"very important" if the Corps is going to field the first F-35B
squadron by 2012. He said delays would result in a massive fighter
shortage in five years.

But the shortages, exacerbated by wear and tear from relentless
operations in Iraq, are a problem now. The Marines are shuttering
several fighter squadrons and even borrowing Hornets from the Navy in
a desperate attempt to keep its remaining squadrons fully equipped
with airplanes.

Yep, you can pay now or later. All services face a similar problem. Tempo
of operations has been high ever since we "won" the cold war. We had a
procurement holiday to celebrate that peace dividend and now find ourselves
in an extended low-grade war which gnaws away at our material and manpower
assets.

R / John

Marines should get RATO boosted A-10s. They could launch them with
catapaults or roll them off aircraft carriers with engines and RATO
with reduced loads if need be, and use full loads on land strips. They
would have to be Navalised, but modern innovations could save weight,
like some panels being carbon fiber instead of metal. As long as they
kept the tweaks practical and didn't go into contractor overload, they
could get a nice plane pretty quick. They could mix them in with
faster movers for fighting planes if they have to do so. They could
also rig an AMRAAM option if they felt they needed it, along with the
existing AIM-9 and Stinger options. A modernized A-10 would do a lot
for air to ground assets, and the USMC were strong advocates for
keeping the Warthogs around in the late 1980s, and it was good that
they did. The plane's still around and is still useful.

In article . com, "David
E. Powell" wrote:

Marines should get RATO boosted A-10s. They could launch them with
catapaults or roll them off aircraft carriers with engines and RATO
with reduced loads if need be, and use full loads on land strips. They
would have to be Navalised, but modern innovations could save weight,
like some panels being carbon fiber instead of metal. As long as they
kept the tweaks practical and didn't go into contractor overload, they
could get a nice plane pretty quick. They could mix them in with
faster movers for fighting planes if they have to do so. They could
also rig an AMRAAM option if they felt they needed it, along with the
existing AIM-9 and Stinger options. A modernized A-10 would do a lot
for air to ground assets, and the USMC were strong advocates for
keeping the Warthogs around in the late 1980s, and it was good that
they did. The plane's still around and is still useful.

YGBSM....

--
Harry Andreas
Engineering raconteur

the forthcoming Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, formerly
Joint Strike Fighter.

A bean counters wet dream.
Compromise on everything and get a plane that does nothing well.

Harry Andreas wrote:
In article . com, "David
E. Powell" wrote:

Marines should get RATO boosted A-10s. They could launch them with
catapaults or roll them off aircraft carriers with engines and RATO
with reduced loads if need be, and use full loads on land strips. They
would have to be Navalised, but modern innovations could save weight,
like some panels being carbon fiber instead of metal. As long as they
kept the tweaks practical and didn't go into contractor overload, they
could get a nice plane pretty quick. They could mix them in with
faster movers for fighting planes if they have to do so. They could
also rig an AMRAAM option if they felt they needed it, along with the
existing AIM-9 and Stinger options. A modernized A-10 would do a lot
for air to ground assets, and the USMC were strong advocates for
keeping the Warthogs around in the late 1980s, and it was good that
they did. The plane's still around and is still useful.

YGBSM....

You have to admit, for a half thought out idea, it's amusing.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, returned

Just another proof that USMC decision to ignore F/A-18E/F and EA-18G
might have been too short-sighted. Some day they may end up with only
2 or 3 F/A-18D squadrons for FAC(A) and recce missions, and be forced
to buy F/A-18F...

By the way, what does it mean that F-35 may "lose political
supoport"?;-)


On 6 Kwi, 23:32, "Graverobber" wrote:
the forthcoming Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, formerly

Joint Strike Fighter.

A bean counters wet dream.
Compromise on everything and get a plane that does nothing well.