UNITED STATES
NAVY AND
MARINE CORPS
AVIATION
A YEAR IN REVIEW
Combat Aircraft reviews the major news
stories around navy and marine aviation
from mid-2017 to the present.F-35C GOES FOR MOVING TARGETS
The F-35 Lightning II Integrated
Test Force (ITF) released a
specially built 500lb (227kg)
GBU-12 Paveway II guided bomb
from an F-35C at NAWS China
Lake, California, on March 29,- The bomb successfully
destroyed a moving target and
marked the rst weapon test
of a Lightning II equipped with
Block 3F software incorporating
new release logic to enhance
e ectiveness against moving
targets. The system calculates
the required release point for
the weapon by evaluating the
speed and direction of the
target against the altitude and
speed of the aircraft. For the
test, the GBU-12 was provided
with an inert warhead, and the
fuse was replaced by an inertial
measurement unit. The test
was intended to evaluate the
aircraft’s targeting system and
associated software, and the
results will be used to certify
this capability with a GBU-12 on
the F-35. The test was the rst
developmental test release of a
GBU-12 from the F-35C variant.
Also completed was airborne
gun re testing of the four-barrel
25mm GAU-22/A external gun
pod. This will be used by the
STOVL F-35B and F-35C, which
— unlike the F-35A — lack an
internal gun.F-35C BuNo 168735 of VX-9 ‘Vampires’ drops
a GBU-12 from Station 9 over the test ranges
at NAWS China Lake, California, on March 29.
Lockheed Martin/Darin RussellUS NAVY
PLANS UPGRADED
SUPER HORNET
As part of its budget request
for Fiscal Year 2018, the US
Navy revealed that it plans to
move forward with an upgrade
for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
eet to Boeing’s proposed
Block III con guration. In fact
the service plans to invest
$264.9 million in the project
through Fiscal 2022.
Upgrades will begin in
2019 and the Super Hornets
will receive a series of
modi cations designed to keep
the eet relevant and e ective
against advanced threats
through 2040.
The navy has also removed
funding for the Next-
Generation Air Dominance
(NGAD) ghter from its ve-
year defense plan. Although
the NGAD began as a joint
program, it is now being
funded solely by the USAF.
The Super Hornet upgrades
include advanced network
architecture cockpit that will
involve a large 10 x 19in high-
de nition display with touch-
screen and picture-in-picture,
a more powerful distributed
targeting processor network
(DTPN) computer, and a tactical
targeting network technology(TTNT) internet-protocol-
based, high-speed datalink
that will increase its ability to
transmit and receive data to
other platforms. The aircraft
will receive advanced signature
enhancements designed to
reduce its radar signature and
a new long-range infra-red
search and track (IRST) sensor
will be integrated. Additionally,
the Super Hornets will gain
conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) to
extend range by 100-120nm
(185-224km).
Boeing had already received
an $89-million contract
to incorporate the Block II
Lockheed Martin AN/ASG-
IRST system with the F/A-18E/F.
The e ort initially includes
design and development,
procurement of prototype
hardware, risk reduction and
other efforts.
The navy plans to purchase
at least 80 Super Hornets
across the Future Years Defense
Program (FYDP) over the next
ve years to address its ghter
shortfall. It included $1.
billion for 14 ghters in its
Fiscal 2018 request. They will
be followed by 23 in 2019, 14 in
2020 and 2021 and 15 in 2022.Advanced Super Hornet test ights were carried out as far
back as 2013. BoeingUS NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
(^14) AIR POWER REVIEW
14-19 Air power review C.indd 14 31/05/2018 15: