of the F-35C Lightning II. ‘Training has
always been a priority throughout
naval aviation,’ explains Miller. ‘As threat
systems evolve, so must our training.
Live, virtual and constructive training
will continue to evolve, as will upgrades
to, and expansion of, our training ranges.
An example of this exists at the Air
Defense Strike Group Facility [ADSGF] at
NAWDC in Fallon. Here, surface warriors
and aviators re ne and perfect carrier
strike group tactics against high-end
threats in a single common simulation
training environment.
‘One of the exciting updates will be the
ability to connect multiple simulators
spread across the country in the new
Integrated Training Facility (ITF) being
constructed at Fallon. This will house
simulators for pretty much all of the
carrier strike group in one facility. The
aspiration is for aircraft that are ying
out on our range to be incorporated
into the ITF.’
Miller is no stranger to Fallon. ‘Certainly
some things have changed since the
last time I trained in Fallon, but the basic
concepts have not. The aircraft on both
sides of the training ght are newer and
more sophisticated, as are the threat
systems on the Fallon Range Training
Complex. The tactics, techniques and
procedures have also evolved. But what
hasn’t changed is the mindset of ‘trainlike you ght’ and ‘ ght like you train’.
The professionalism and dedication of
the men and women at NAWDC and
NAS Fallon remains one of the keys to
the longevity and quality of training that
leads to war ghting success.’Future focus
One of the oldest aircraft types
operating from aircraft carriers is
the C-2 Greyhound carrier on-board
delivery (COD) aircraft. This is nally
being replaced by a naval variant of the
Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey, dubbed
the CMV-22B. Procurement begins this
year and the rst CMV-22s are expected
in FY2020. ‘We expect to have them
fully operational and ready to deploy
on board USS Carl Vinson in 2021,’ says
Miller. On the land-based aircraft side of
the house, the P-8 Poseidon continues
to replace the older P-3 Orions and the
maritime patrol community is looking
forward to operating with the rst two
operational MQ-4C Triton high-altitude
surveillance drones over the Paci c
by the end of this year. ‘This aircraft
is very important to us,’ comments
Miller. ‘Triton builds on the BAMS-D
program and provides state-of-the-
art ISR [intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance] capability over a vast
area and persistence that manned
aircraft cannot. Combined with ourlethality of the carrier air wing and strike
group. Block III features include the
advanced cockpit, advanced network
infrastructure, low-observable signature
enhancements, conformal fuel tanks
[CFTs], and a 9,000-hour-plus airframe.
The CFTs should extend the Hornet’s
range by up to 120nm, which will be a
welcome increase when paired with the
new MQ-25 tanker.’
In April, the rst F/A-18F arrived
at Boeing’s new modi cation line in
Missouri to start the process of having
its service life extended to 9,000 hours
from the original 6,000. Boeing plans to
handle about 40 aircraft per year and it
will take about a year to complete the
work on each aircraft.The training demand
While new aircraft and advanced
technology are crucial, so too is training,
a factor not lost on VADM Miller. For the
Navy, NAS Fallon is a critical training
node, with NAWDC running pre-
deployment training for carrier air wings
and being home to TOPGUN, which has
provided advanced tactics training for
nearly 50 years.
NAWDC is undergoing a massive
modernization e ort to improve air
warfare training, and using live, virtual
and constructive (LVC) techniques,
which go hand-in-hand with the adventAbove:
Aircrewman
(Helicopter)
3rd Class Reed
Molander
prepares
for ight in
an MH-60R.
Training of
personnel
remains a critical
factor in naval
supremacy.
US Navy/MCSS
Zachary WicklineLEADERSHIP INTERVIEW^11US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
6-12 Leadership Interview_v2.indd 11 01/06/2018 10: