active electronically scanned array (AESA)
radar provides ‘beyond the strike group’
coverage and is a key component of the
Navy Integrated Fire Control — Counter-
Air (NIFC-CA) concept.
In December 2017, 31 E-2Ds had been
delivered against the navy’s requirement
for 75 aircraft. Three squadrons have
already transitioned to the new model
and VAW-124 began its transition in March- The last E-2Cs will be retired by 2025.
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Super Hornet is the multi-role strike
ighter backbone of the carrier’s ofensive
and defensive capabilities. Although the
navy’s program of record included 584
Super Hornets, the service now plans
to continue procurement. In fact, the
future year defense plan (FYDP) that runs
from Fiscal 2019 to 2023 includes the
purchase of 110 Block III Super Hornets
and total procurement now totals 706
aircraft. The 2018 defense authorization
provided funding for 24 additional Super
Hornets and the navy’s FY2019 request
included 24 more.
Super Hornets now equip 32 of the
navy’s active-duty strike ighter squadrons
and just one unit continues to operate
the ‘classic’ Hornet. In fact, the navy is
accelerating its transition to the F/A-18E/F
and is making plans to divest itself of
nearly 140 older Hornets. Seen as a cost-
cutting move, the service believes that it
will recoup near $1 billion in maintenance
costs over ive years by retiring the older
aircraft. Under the plan, the service will
strike 136 F/A-18A, B, C and D Hornets
from its inventory between 2017 and- The move would provide the service
with an additional pool of spare parts
and allow it to transfer the best of the jets
to the US Marine Corps to help improve
readiness, as well as to reserve squadrons.
At the start of Fiscal Year 2018 the naval
aviation inventory included more than 40
F/A-18A/Bs and in excess of 200 F/A-18C/
Ds. The service had previously made the
decision to transition its last operational
F/A-18C strike ighter squadrons to the
Super Hornet by the end of 2019. The
‘legacy’ Hornet’s inal cruise concluded
on April 11, 2018 and VFA-34 will begin
its transition to the Super Hornet in
January 2019.
Meanwhile, Boeing has received a
$73-million contract to begin work on
a service life modiication (SLM) for the
F/A-18E/F leet that will increase the
Super Hornet’s life from 6,000 to 9,000-
plus hours. The program is a precursor
to a subsequent efort that will upgrade
existing Block II Super Hornets to the
Block III coniguration. The contractor will
initially upgrade four Super Hornets at its
St Louis, Missouri, facility but plans call
for a production line to be set up in San
Antonio, Texas in 2019.EA-18G Growler
The EA-18G provides full-spectrum
airborne electronic attack (AEA)
capabilities to the leet. Growlers are
assigned to a leet replacement squadron
and nine carrier-based VAQ squadrons.
Five units, including a single naval reserve
squadron, operate from land bases in
expeditionary roles and have USAF
personnel assigned. Plans call for the
establishment of a ifth expeditionary
squadron. Each of the squadrons is
equipped with ive Growlers. The navy’s
current objective for the EA-18G is 160
aircraft and Boeing delivered the 150th
example in December 2017. Procurement
ended in Fiscal 2016 when a inal batch of
10 EA-18Gs was funded.F-35C Lightning II
First lown on June 6, 2010, the carrier
variant (CV) of the Joint Strike Fighter is
assigned the designation F-35C. Transitionof the irst operational squadron began
in December 2017 when the VFA-147
started its conversion from the F/A-18E.
Training is being conducted by VFA-125 at
NAS Lemoore, California, and VFA-101 at
Eglin AFB, Florida. The F-35C will achieve
initial operational capability with Block
3F software as early as August 2018.
VFA-147 is expected to receive its safe for
light certiication in October 2018. The
‘Argonauts’ will make the irst Lightning II
deployment in 2021 when the squadron
is embarked aboard the USS Carl
Vinson (CVN 70).MH-60R
Operating both from aircraft carriers
and aviation-capable escort ships, the
multi-mission MH-60R achieved initial
operational capability with HSM-41
in December 2005, and began its irst
operational deployment with HSM-71
aboard the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
in January 2009. The helicopters are in
service with 15 operational squadrons,
one naval reserve squadron and two
leet replacement squadrons. MH-60R
procurement ended in FY 2016 when the
inal batch of 29 MH-60Rs was ordered.
The navy procured 280 examples, and in
early 2018 the leet included 270 aircraft.
Deliveries will be completed in FY 2018.
The helicopter’s primary missions
include anti-submarine warfare (ASW)
and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) including
fast attack craft/fast inshore attack craft
threat response. Its numerous secondary
missions include area surveillance, SAR,
vertical replenishment (VERTREP), naval
gunire support (NGFS), naval special
warfare, logistics support, personnel
transport, medical evacuation (medevac)
and communications relay.
Four external stores stations are
provided and enable the helicopter to
carry various combinations of Mk46
or Mk54 torpedoes, AGM-114 Hellire
missiles or external fuel tanks. It is capable
of deploying the Advanced Precision Kill
Weapon System II (APKWS) 2.75in (70mm)
laser-guided rockets using the LAU-61G/A
digital rocket launcher (DRL). Crew-served
0.50-caliber and 7.62mm machine guns
can also be carried.MH-60S
Like the MH-60R, the multi-mission
MH-60S was developed in support
of the US Navy’s helicopter master
plan. It provides surface and mine
countermeasure warfare capabilities,
as well as the capability to provide theLeft: A VFA-2
‘Bounty Hunters’
F/A-18F dashes
along at low
level during
deployment
training. Richard
VanderMeulenAbove: An EA-18G
Growler of
VAQ-137 ‘Rooks’
prepares to land
on the Nimitz-
class aircraft
carrier USS Harry
S. Truman (CVN
75). US Navy/
MCS2C Scott
Swofford40 October 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net