The year 2006 for naval aviation was one of welcome aboard for some and farewell to others. One community-fighter-went away, one-sea control-was being whittled away, and two others-strike-fighter and airborne electronic attack-saw first flights of their next-generation aircraft.
Aircraft
* F-14 Tomcat. After more than eight decades of faithful service, the Navy's pure fighter community is no more. The F-14D Tomcats of VF-213 and VF-31 that returned in March 2006 from duty in the Persian Gulf were the realization of a concept that began at NAVAIR in 1968. Outlasting many other aircraft programs, the Tomcat's longevity was the result of the transformation from a single-mission, air-to-air fighter developed to intercept fast Soviet bombers, to a combat-proven, precision strike/attack aircraft, and digital reconnaissance platform.
In late-September ceremonies, VF-31 and the U.S. Navy said goodbye to the F-14 at NAS Oceana. Virginia, with more than 3,000 Tomcat air crew, ground crew, and aviation enthusiasts in attendance. With VF-31 turning in the last of its F-14Ds for F/A-18E Super Hornets, the VF community passed into history, its place solely occupied by the VFA (strike fighter) community.
* S-3 Viking. Also on the wane in 2006 were the Navy's sea control squadrons. With the late-July deactivation of the West Coast Sea Control Wing and the Navy's S-3 Fleet Readiness Squadron VS-41 at NAS North Island. California, the days of the S-3 in military service are numbered. By year's end only four squadrons remained, all home-based at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. One of those squadrons, VS-24, was deactivated in March 2007.
Although the community is on the way out. the remaining squadrons continued to add new capabilities. The VS-32 Maulers on hoard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). were the lust Fleet S-3 squadron to mount the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night (LANTIRN) pod on the aircraft. LANTIRN provides the aircraft with Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR). live video feedback to the ship lor real-time use. and video recording for later intelligence debriefing.
Some retired S-3B airframes are finding a second life as research platforms. On 8 May 2006. NASA awarded Boeing a contract to modify an S-3B Viking for civilian research at the NASA Gienn Research Center in Cleveland. Ohio, becoming the first S-3 in civil registry.
* F-35 Lightning II. On the "welcome aboard" side of the ledger, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (airframe AA-1) made its first flight on 15 December 2006. The name echoes those of two fighters from the past-the World War II-eru Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the 1960-88 English Electric Lightning supersonic jet. The Lightning Il is a fifthgeneration, supersonic stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of aircraft, including the Marine Corps AV-XB, Air force A-10 and F-16, and Navy legacy F/A-18A/B/C/D along with United Kingdom Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier. The three U.S. services, along with the Royal Air Horce and Royal Navy, plan to acquire a total of 2,581 F-35s. Italy, the Netherlands. Turkey, Canada. Australia, Denmark, and Norway are partners in the program and are expected to add about 700 additional aircraft to the total.
Three versions of the F-35 are under development-CTOL, a conventional takeoff and landing variant for normal runways; STOVL. a short takeoff/vertical landing version for operating off small ships and near front-line combat /ones: and CV. a carrier-based model for catapult launches and arrested recoveries.
The F-35B STOVL's forced redesign for weight reasons led the first F-35 to be a unique airframe to validate design, manufacturing, assembly, and test processes. With the Air Force's conventional F-35A version flying first and the Marine Corps/ Royal Air Force STOVL flying by 2008, the Navy will have to wait until 2009 to see the first carrier-capable version fly. The Navy F-35C will supplement the Super Hornet in carrier-based service.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development-the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136. Each power plant produces 40,000 pounds of thrust, making the F-35 the most powerful single-engine fighter ever. Fifteen F-35s will undergo flight lest, seven will be used for static testing, and another will validate the aircraft's radar signature.
The Navy dedicated a $24 million facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, on 30 January 2006 for F-35B/C testing. Nine of the 15 flight-test aircraft will undergo evaluation at the Joint Strike Fighter Test and Support Facility there. Arrival of the first jet. an F-35B. is planned for early 2008 with the K-35C beginning tests in 2009. Both versions will he tested in land- and ship-based environments. Initial replacement pilot training for the type will he conducted by a unique joint organization based at Eglin AFB. Florida, under the Air Force's 33rd Fighter Wing.
* EA-18G Growler. Another new addition to the naval aviation fold was the Airborne [Electronic Attack (AEA) community's Boeing KA-ISG. making its rollout on 3 August 2006. and the first flight a nionlh ahead of schedule on 16 August at Boeing's St. Louis. Missouri, plant. The aircraft was derived from the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. It is scheduled to replace the KA-6B Prowler in Navy service and will use a version of the existing Northrop Grumman KA-6B ICAP (improved capability) III electronic warfare (F.W) system. The EA-18G employs the FA-6B's latest electronic attack suite of equipment including the ALQ-21S(V)2 Tactical Receiver. ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System Pods, and the Multi-Mission Advanced Tactical Terminal (MATT). It is projected that 84 two-seat Growlers will replace the roughly 100 four-seat, 35-year-old FA-6Bs currently in service. Growlers will phase out Prowlers from 2009 through 2013 and be based at NAS Whidbey Island. Washington. The training squadron. VAQ-129, is scheduled to receive its first EA-18G in the fall of 2008.
To test the new AEA equipment installed in the modified Super Hornet, the Navy first explored the aeromechanical characteristics of ALQ-218 wingtip pods on the Growler by modifying three aircraft-one single-scat F/A-18E. and two F/A-18Fs-for tests of flying qualities, flutter, and aeromechanical loading. The testing, conducted by test squadron VX-23, began in late March at Patuxent River.
The first Growler development test aircraft, EA-1, was delivered to the Navy at Patuxent River on 22 September, a month ahead of schedule. The aircraft then began extensive ground testing at Pax River's anechoic chamber to assess the on-board radars, receivers, and jammers. The second aircraft. EA 2, arrived in late November alter making its first flight on 10 November. It will be used primarily for avionics and AEA flight testing. EA-18G flight testing will also take place at the Navy's China Lake. California, test site through 2008.
* EA-6B Prowler. The deployment of two squadrons of EA-6Bs in 2006 with ICAP III capability to the war zone broadened AEA efforts beyond traditional search-and-destroy missions against enemy air defenses. The ICAP III Prowler demonstrated the capability to serve as a command-and-control node. This version is the latest of five generations of EA-6B airborne electronic-attack systems designed to identify, degrade, and destroy enemy radar-guided air defense and communication systems. The ICAP III became operational with VAQ-139 in 2005. VAQ-137 started operations in summer 2006 with the new Multifunction Information Distribution (MIUS) system. MIDS, which features the U.S. military's primary data-link system. Link 16, enables ICAP III Prowlers to become important nodes in the Navy's Sea Power 21 FORCEnet architecture. By year's end. the Navy was well on the way to equipping VAQ-138 with the new system.
* E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Northrop Grumman continued development of the E-2D it started in 2001 and will unveil the first test aircraft in spring 2007. The E-2 has been in the Navy's inventory since the mid-1960s. with the early E-2A and E-2B being replaced in the late 1970s and early 198Os by the E-2C with upgraded radar and engines. The E-2D will take upgraded engines, propellers, radar, and communications systems to become the key airborne node in the FORCEnet architecture. In July, Northrop Grumman mated the major subassemhlies of the first E-2D test aircraft into a single fuselage structure, an important step on the way to the scheduled first flight in the summer of 2007. There will be two test E-2D aircraft, with the second completed and flying four months after the first.
A possible addition to the E-2s' capabilities will be inflight refueling. During flight tests in December 2005 and early January 2006, a VX-20 E-2C at NAS Patuxent River was fitted with a refueling test probe and successfully connected to a tanker aircraft, although no fuel was passed. The tests included a KC-130 and an F/A-18E with a buddy store. If the refueling modification is accepted, the E-2D will receive the probe as a retrofit following initial production.
* P-8A Poseidon. Design work on the Navy's replacement for the P-3 Orion long-range land-based patrol aircraft continued during 2006. The aircraft was initially called the Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) with a primary mission to conduct antisubmarine warfare (ASW), antisurface warfare (ASuW). and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. With Boeing's 737-800ERX derivative winning the competition in June 2004. the P-8A, now dubbed the Poseidon, officially entered its critical design phase on I February 2006. The program's Critical Design Review is scheduled for 2007.
The Boeing-led team, which includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman. Raytheon, and Smiths Aerospace, will produce five test aircraft during the program's System Development and Demonstration phase. The Navy plans to purchase up to 108 aircraft to replace its aging P-3 fleet.
* EP-3E. Using the same basic airframe. Boeing announced plans in January to develop a new 737 signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft for airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and also advanced network centric communications to replace the current EP-3.
In the world of SIGINT. it was announced in June 2006 that full-rate production approval for the EP-3E Joint Airborne Signals Intelligence Architecture Modernization Common Configuration Program spiral one aircraft. The EP-3, delivered by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, includes upgraded communications and intelligence gathering capabilities. The contract calls for six additional aircraft to be upgraded to the spiral one configuration. VQ-2 has possession of two spiral one-configured aircraft, one was used for test and the other was the first P-3C-to-EP-3E conversion. VQ-1 will soon get its first spiral one aircraft and work has already begun on building the next generation spiral two aircraft and designing spiral three systems.
* KC-130 Hercules. The Marine Corps took delivery of the 2,300th Lockheed Martin C-130 when they accepted a new KC-13OJ in October. The production line in Marietta. Georgia, is the longest continually operating military aircraft production line in history-more than 50 years. The Marines also received the first upgraded KC-130T aerial-refueling aircraft on 14 September. The upgrade standardizes the KC-130T's defensive systems and night vision lighting configuration.
* E-6B Mercury. The Boeing Company delivered the loth and final upgraded E-6B-a submarine communications-relay aircraft and strategic airborne command post-to the Navy on 1 December. Its upgrades include a modernized glass cockpit and an advanced communications package tor taster data processing, communications capabilities, and better crew situational awareness. The E-6Bs are derived from the commercial Boeing 707 and originally delivered between 1989-92.
Tiltrotor Aircraft
The first operational MV-22B Osprey squadron was activated at MCAS New River. North Carolina, on 3 March 2006, as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM 1-263 stood up. It was followed on 31 August by the activation of VMM-266, which had deactivated as a CH-46E squadron in December 2005. On 16 June, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMMl-162 stood down, transferred their CH-46Es and began the transition to the MV-22. They will reactivate in 2007 as VMM-162. the third operational Marine Osprey squadron.
The Marines plan to purchase 360 MV-22s for missions including amphibious assault and sustained operations ashore. The Navy is also slated to receive 48 MV-22s for Fleet logistic support and search and rescue.
Two Marine Tiltrotor Test Squadron (VMX)-22 MV-22Bs made history by completing the first tiltrotor trans-Atlantie flights in July from North Carolina to England and back. The flight covered more than 4,000 miles, much of it over the North Atlantic, in challenging weather conditions. The activities served as a self-deployment rehearsal for the OsprcN's initial operational deployment scheduled for 2007. Additionally, the Marine Corps used the evolution to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for long-range, over-water movements of MV-22s. While in England, the aircraft participated in the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford and the Farnborougli Air Show.
Infrastructure
The Navy is seeing the reach of the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) penetrating into all aspects of naval aviation, from operational squadrons to the repair and retrofit of aircraft. NAE is the Navy's program to provide readiness at a reduced cost. In March 2006, the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, was taken from the control of the Chief of Naval Education and Training and aligned under the San Diego-hased Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) as part of the enterprise.
"CNATRA's mission is to produce the world's finest coinhal aviators and aircrew on time, in the right number, and at the right cost," said Rear Admiral Don Quinn, chief of Naval Air Training. "This alignment will better synchronize Naval Aviator. Naval Flight Officer and Naval Aircrew production with Fleet aviation requirements and resource sponsorship." According to Captain Chuck Henry. CNAF assistant force readiness officer, the transition was transparent to almost everyone, as there are were no planned movements of assets, no base closures as a result of this alignment, and no personnel changes. One objective was to align aviator production with Fleet requirements, based on the Fleet Response Plan. The alignment also integrated flight-training budgets into the overall NAF budget.
Another fallout of NAE was the establishment of Fleet Readiness Centers, which united depot and intermediate levels of maintenance under one roof. On 10 October 2006, the Commander, Fleet Readiness Center and Commanding Officer, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest held a ceremony to stand-up the first Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) at Naval Base Coronado. The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) law calls for establishment of FRCs. which integrate Naval Air Depots and the Continental United States Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachments into a consolidated organi/ation for shore-based, off-flightline maintenance, reducing duplicative maintenance processes and improving service to the Fleet. The planned completion for the transition is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2009.
Simulators
The Navy is becoming smarter in its use of simulators to save time, money, and manpower. On 1 June 2006. the first use of aircraft flight simulators in virtual Fleet exercises took place when four Hornet simulators on the West Coast were linked to the second Fleet staff on the East Coast. In this event. Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint (FST-J) 06-1. West Coast Hornet pilots responded to staff assignments, were controlled by the Hawkeye Deployable Readiness Trainer, and were seen by up to eight participating ships that were connected to the network while they were tied up pier side.
While the Hawkeye trainer, the Aries II Mission Avionics System Trainer, and the Seahawk Mission Rehearsal Tactical Team Trainer are desktop simulators that have participated in previous virtual exercises, the Hornet simulators are the first high-fidelity naval aviation simulators to he fully integrated into an exercise of this kind.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
* Global Hawk. The U.S. Navy's first Global Hawk unmanned air system (UAS). N-1, an RO-4A, arrived 28 March 2006 at its new home at NAS Patuxent River. Originally manufactured for the Air Force by Northrop Grumman, the Global Hawk is 44-feet long, has a 116-foot wingspan, and weighs 25.600 pounds. Operating at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet, and remaining aloft for 30 hours, these aircraft and their associated ground control stations incorporate enhanced equipment and software that goes a step beyond their Air Force counterparts allowing worldwide, specialized Navy operations over open oceans. The vehicle is one of two RQ-4As the Navy acquired through the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) Program. The GHMD N-1 aircraft, operated by VX-20, with support from a Navy-contractor integrated product team, helped develop Navy concepts of operations and tactics of a Fleet unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform.
The RQ-4A first flew into Hawaiian skies when it participated in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in July. RIMPAC 2006 brought together military forces from Australia. Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For the GHMD participation in RIMPAC, the aircraft was based at Fdwards AFB, California. Operations in Hawaiian airspace demanded a flight of roughly 2,500 miles each way to reach the operating areas, a lask that fully exercised the range and endurance of both the aircraft and its crew. Flight crews from test squadron VX-20 were reinforced by personnel from the Air Force's 452nd Flight Test Squadron.
In four flights and nearly 100 hours of flight time, the GHMD provided more than 24 hours of maritime surveillance in a variety of scenarios to the Coalition Forces Maritime Component Commander located in Hawaii, as well as to the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Throughout RIMPAC, imagery and tracks from the UAV were transmitted to NAS Patuxent River where they were analyzed by a team from VX-20, VX-1, and Composite Squadron (VC)-6 and forwarded to exercise participants in Hawaii-a round trip of 10,000 miles, not including the distance involved in the satellite links.
* Predator. A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B UAS, referred to as Mariner Demonstrator II. configured for maritime surveillance participated in the Navy Experiment Trident Warrior 2006 (TW06) off the coast of Southern California in June. Featuring live play of operational ships and aircraft, TW06 was the Navy's primary FORCEnet sea trial experiment series.
* Fire Seoul. Northrop Grumman and the Navy completed the first series of flights of the enhanced version of the MQ-XB Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle (VTUAV) in December at NAS Patuxent River. The MQ-8B offers a significant capability increase over the first generation RQ-8A with the addition of a fourth rotor blade, along with other enhancements. The MQ-8B also has greater payload carrying capacity-up to 600 pounds for future sensors, equipment pods, and weapons. The Fire Scout's endurance has also been increased to more than eight hours resulting in an on-stalion time of six hours at 110 miles from the launch site. The Navy plans to use Fire Scout on board the littoral combat ship, where Sailors will operate both manned and unmanned helicopters to obtain real-time video imagery, intelligence gathering, communications-relay capability, precision targeting, and battle damage assessment. The program is on schedule for Fleet introduction in FY 08, with full-rate production in FY 09 following operational evaluation.
Aircraft Carriers
The U.S. Fleel Forces Hand caught the mood of the christening of the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) on 7 October 2006, when it played Richard Rodger's music from the World War II documentary Victory at Sea. Former President Bush's daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, smashed a champagne-filled bottle to officially name the 90,000-ton aircraft carrier, the tenth and final Nimitz-class ship. The ship's namesake and 41st President of the United States attended the ceremony and became the first president in the shipyard's 120-year history to partieipate in the christening of a ship with his name. The former president began his government career as a naval aviator in 1442 and flew missions against the Japanese during World War II.
The next aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford (CVN-78), will be the first in a new class of super carriers. The certification of the ship's specifications that form the basis of the technical data package used to prepare the construction contract was held on 5 September. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009. with the ship operational in 2015. Enhancements incorporated in the CVN-78-class carriers include flight deck changes to facilitate increased sortie rates and improved weapons movement, a redesigned island structure, a new nuclear power plant, and increased electrical power generation capacity. The carrier will also have allowances for future technologies with subsequent reduced workload tor the embarked Sailors, translating to a smaller crew size. Construction of the second Ford-class ship, the as-yet unnamed CVN-79, is slated to begin in 2012 with delivery to the Navy in 2019.
Rotary Wing
* MH-60 Seahawk. The Navy's next-gcnenition antisubmarine and surface-attack helicopter, the MH-60R was approved for full-rate production by the Navy on 31 March. The same day. Lockheed Martin delivered the first new-production MH-60R to the Pacific Fleet Helicopter Maritime Strike Winy. The MH-60R uses the same Lockheed Martin Common Cockpit avionics suite as the MH-60S, which has been in Fleet service since 2002. As the Navy's next-generation submarine hunter and surface-attack helicopter, the MH-60R will replace the Fleet's legacy SH-60B and SH-60F. Secondary missions include search and rescue, vertical replenishment, naval surface-fire support, logistics support, personnel transport, medical evacuation, and communications and data relay. The Navy is expected to order as many as 254 ni the helos through 2015. with production as high as 30 aircraft per year. The term "new-production" refers to the all-new manufactured MH-60R airframes. Seven MH-60R aircraft, including four delivered to the Pacific Fleet's training squadron, HSM-41. in December 2005, were reniaiuifactured SH-60Bs.
Avionics upgrades over earlier model H-60 Seahawks include a glass cockpit, low-frequency dipping sonar, electronic support measures with expanded frequency coverage and location capability, multi-mode long-range search radar (to include Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar and periscope detection capability), upgraded acoustics processor, integrated self-defense, and a mission planning system. The MH-60R, along with the MH-60S, will enable the Navy to reduce the number of unique helicopter platforms in service from six to two by 2015.
The MH-60S also underwent tests at Patuxent River in development of the Armed Helo mission kit with first-time AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missile firings from the aircraft. The testing, which started in March 2006. included launching missiles from both sides of the aircraft, a first for the H-60. All other Navy Hawk helos have only one weapon station on the left side of the aircraft. A right-side weapon station doubles the aircraft's weapon capability from four to eight missiles.
During Armed Helo developmental testing, HX-21 also tested the GAU-21 .50-caliber and M240 7.62-mm machine guns. Other major systems integrated with the MH-60S include a digital map system, a multi-spectral targeting system, and both electronic and infrared eountermeasures systems. Approximately 270 MH-60S Seahawks are expected to be delivered by 2015. By the end of 2006, 77 MH-60S helos had been received by nine Fleet squadrons.
* UH-1Y Huey. This light-utility helicopter, part of the Marine Corps' H-1 Upgrades program, was approved in 2005 to be built as new helicopters rather than be remanufactured from UH-1Ns currently in use. New-build UH-1Ys will be delivered to the Marine Corps starting in 2008 as part of the third lot of low-rate initial production aircraft. Program officials estimate production costs for building new helicopters adds approximately $100,000 per aircraft.
Although the H-1 Upgrades program originally planned to remaniifacturc ISO AH-1W Super Cobras and 100 UH-1N Hueys into the 84-percent identical AH-1Z and IH-1Y configuration, the UH-1N fleet has subsequently experienced a surge in operational tempo that is not expected to abate in the near term. Coupled with the average age and attrition rate of the aircraft, as well as the marginal cost difference between a remanufactured UH-1Y and a new-build UH-1Y, the program concluded-and DOD acquisition leadership agreed-that building new UH-1Ys better supports the Marines' needs.
With the current size and availability of the UH-1N Meet, having a number of them out of service for two years to accommodate the remanufacture process severely and adversely impacts the Corps' ability to perform its mission. Program officials are currently studying the feasibility and cost of also building new AH-1Zs. By 2014. the Marine Corps hopes to procure 100 UH-1Ys and 180 AH-1Zs. The UH-1Y is scheduled for operation late in FY 08, while the AH-1Z will become operational in 2011.
* CH-53K Super Stallion. The Navy signed a contract on 5 April 2006 with Sikorsky to develop the Marines' next-generation heavy lifter, the CH-53K. The helicopter's System Development and Demonstration phase provides for four test aircraft and one uround-tcst vehicle as well as aircraft development, systems integration, test article production, and test and evaluation activities. Fleet Marines should start receiving the first of 156 CH-53Ks in 2015.
Although aging and lucking major upgrades over its lifespan, the current CH-53E Super Stallion continues to provide the Marines a heavy-lift mission in combat and humanitarian-relief operations worldwide. Because of heavy use, it is anticipated that the current fleet will start reaching this fatigue-life limit in FY 11 at a rate of up to 15 aircraft per year, resulting in a shortfall in Marine Corps heavy-lift capability.
The CH-53K will maintain virtually the same footprint as the CH-53E, but will nearly double the payload to 27,000 pounds over 110 nautical miles under high/hot ambient conditions. The CH-53K's maximum gross weight will increase to 84,700 pounds versus 73.000 pounds for the CH-53E. Upgrades include a glass cockpit, fly-by-wire flight controls, high-efficiency rotor blades, low-maintenance rotorhead, gross weight expansion, upgraded engines, cargo rail locking system, external cargo handling improvements, and reduced operational costs. The General Electric GE38-1B engine planned for the CH-53K is a derivative of the CFE738 commercial lurbofan engine and the Navy T407 turboprop engine. The CH-53K contract and subsequent planned production program could lead to the manufacture of 156 aircraft to replace roughly an equal number of CH-53Es in the Marine inventory. The CH-53K is scheduled to make its first flight in FY 11 and Fleet Marines should start receiving the new heavy lifter in 2015.
Trainers
* T-44C Pegasus. The Navy's primary multi-engine trainer, the Beechcraft T-44A, began receiving an avionics upgrade to replace obsolescent equipment with a commercial-off-the-shelf integrated digital cockpit. As the existing 54 aircraft are transformed from T-44A to T-44C. the new designation given to upgraded aircraft, they will provide student aviators with state-of-the-art pilot training to ensure a seamless transition to fleet aircraft already equipped with glass cockpits.
The first nine aircraft underwent conversion in 2006 with the remaining 45 scheduled to receive the upgrade from FY 07 through FY 10. The Navy's T-44A has been used to train Navy. Marine Corps, Air Force. Coast Guard, and foreign military aviation students to fly multi-engine turbo-prop aircraft for more than 29 years.
Weapon Systems
With its final mechanically scanned APG-73 radar system for the F/A-18E/F delivered to the Navy, Raytheon Company is now in full production of the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system.
Boeing also demonstrated the capability of an F/A-18E/F to provide targeting coordinates to other aircraft using the APG-79. During the test at NAWC China Lake, an AHSA-equipped F/A-18F created a long-range, high-resolution synthetic-aperture radar map and designated four closely spaced stationary targets. The aircraft then data-linked two target designations to non-AKSA equipped Super Hornets, which delivered four 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). The targeting Super Hornet then used the AESA to provide detailed bomb damage assessments. The radar is in Fleet service with VFA-213 flying the two-seat FVA-18F.
Weapons
* LlTENING. Northrop Grumman completed the integration of new target detection, acquisition and tracking capabilities into the 189 existing LlTENING pods. The system enables aircrews to detect, acquire, track, and identify ground targets for accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. The upgrade is part of a major initiative to provide state-of-the-art FLIR and imageprocessing capabilities to AV-8B and F/A-18 aircraft. The company's latest production standard is known as LITENING Advanced Targeting (AT). There is also an ongoing program to provide integration of the AT version on Marine EA-6Bs.
* Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). Raytheon's JSOW Block II flew its first test flight 12 October at China Lake on an F/A-18. Block II continues to maintain the weapon's low radar cross section and infrared signature, key steallh features that ensure a high probability of its survival en route to defended targets. Raytheon funded the development of a new payload option for the JSOW A that is also part of the Block II program. This new version, designated AGM-154A-1. uses a 500-pound BLU-111 (Mk 82).
* Standoff Land-Attack Missile Expanded Response ISLAM-ER). This missile continues to evolve with greater capabilities. In a June test at the China Lake land range, a direct hit was made on a moving simulated Shahab-3 surface-tosurface missile launcher. The controlling pilot used the weapon system's man-inthe-loop capability and provided pinpoint guidance to take out the target, which traveled at approximately 30 m ph.
* Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB). Lockheed Martin tested a Paveway II DMLGB from an AV-8B in October. The bomb allows aircrew to use more than one guidance option in weapons delivery. The weapon was tested at China Lake where it exercised its full dual-mode capability. The bomb separated from the aircraft and initiated Global Positioning System-aided/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance to a preprogrammed target until acquiring the laser-targeting beam. Once the weapon acquired the laser, it transitioned to laser guidance and guided to the designated target located more than a halfmile from the preprogrammed target. GPS/INS guided flight was also demonstrated using both pre-programmed target coordinates and coordinates obtained by using the aircraft's targeting pod. Test results demonstrated multiple DMLGB weapons released against one target and the capability to simultaneously track a second target using laser designation. The pilot also demonstrated the ability to retarget the bomb by reprogramming the coordinates in the weapon prior to release.
Commander Jacobs, a 1973 Topgun graduate, is managing editor of The Hook. He is a former radar intercept officer with 1,400 hours in F-4s and 350 in F- 14s.