After an event-packed 2006, the naval aviation enterprise and the industry that supports it settled down to business and proceeded through a relatively quiet 2007. In the previous year, naval aviation saw the demise of one community, VF, the reduction of another, VS, two new aircraft making first flights, F-35 and EA-18G, plus several new aircraft programs getting their starts—P-8 and CH-53K, to name two. The calendar year 2007 saw naval aviation make progress in the new programs, and keep the press on in the older ones.
In the operational world, the S-3B Viking made its last West Coast deployment, as the NAS Jacksonville, Florida-based VS-31 "Topcats" deployed on board the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), returning home from a Western Pacific and Persian Gulf cruise in August. The legacy F/A-18 community (F/A-18A/B/C/D) was again under siege, battling the effects of aging airframes. The number of Navy F/A-18Cs reaching their maximum carrier-arrested landings limit is increasing, forcing some squadrons to reverse-transition into older F/A-18A+ aircraft. The deployed carriers were further stressed by having to compensate for the U.S. Air Force's temporary grounding of their F-15 fleet by flying more carrier-based strike missions into Afghanistan and Iraq. The aging airframe problem is not confined to the Hornets, however, as almost every community is facing the issue, and trying to make do on a limited budget to combat the problem.
Fixed-Wing Aircraft
- F-35 Lightning II. After making the first flight of a non-production prototype in late 2006, the F-35 continued on course. The Lightning II—the world's largest defense program—is in the system development and demonstration phase (SD&D). This segment will see the production of 21 test aircraft—15 F-35s will undergo flight testing and 6 will be used for static testing. In addition, a high-fidelity, full-scale model F-35 will be used to validate the aircraft's radar signature.
The prototype Lightning II, an aircraft most resembling the Air Force's F-35A, made its 20th flight on 7 December, at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility. Shortly afterward, another dedicated test-bed aircraft began final check-out flights for airborne testing of the Lightning II's communication-navigation-identification system.Also entering the flight test program was the Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATBird), a highly modified Boeing 737 airliner designed to test, integrate, and validate the full F-35 mission systems suite in an airborne environment before the system ever flies in an F-35 airframe. The F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL)—for the U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Navy and Air Force, and Italian Navy and Air Force—was rolled out of the Fort Worth factory on 18 December in anticipation of its first flight in mid-2008.
The heart of the F-35B is a STOVL propulsion system with the most powerful engine ever flown in a jet fighter, a shaft-driven counter-rotating lift fan situated behind the cockpit, a roll duct under each wing for lateral stability, and a swivel nozzle on the engine that vectors exhaust in the desired direction. The F-35B will be able to hover, land vertically, take off in a few hundred feet fully loaded, or take off vertically with a light load.
A Pratt & Whitney F135 engine will power the first series of F-35Bs. The F136, an interchangeable engine under development by the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team, will make its first F-35 flight in 2010.
The U.S. Navy's F-35C carrier variant passed its critical design review in June 2007 at the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth. The review is a prerequisite for the aircraft to move into low-rate initial production and a first flight in 2009. BAE Systems began cutting metal on the first F-35C at Samlesbury, England, on 18 October 2007. The initial manufacturing included the titanium and aluminum frames that form part of the aft fuselage. The aft fuselage and empennage (vertical and horizontal tails) are designed, engineered, and built by the British company.
- EA-18G Growler. The Navy's next-generation electronic attack (EA) aircraft completed the first phase of test and evaluation, and received hardware and a final build of software to make it the world's most capable EA airplane. The Growler program also finished an ambitious flight test regimen using the first two prototypes with Flight Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-23 at NAS Patuxent River along with VX-31 and VX-9 at NAWS China Lake, California. EA-1, which Boeing delivered to the Navy on 22 September 2006 at Patuxent River, Maryland, completed five months of chamber testing and EA-2, which arrived in late November, underwent range testing at China Lake.
The Growlers received their final software and hardware builds in July with the ALQ-218(v)2, a modified version of the Improved Capabilities III (ICAP III) system being used in combat operations by the EA-6B Prowler. Crews deploying the ICAP III suite have lauded it as a vast leap forward in electronic-warfare capabilities.The program has sought to maximize commonality across the F/A-18E, F, and EA-18G aircraft. This will allow maintenance on board an aircraft carrier to be easier and reduce total life-cycle costs. The Growler cockpit shares almost complete commonality with the Super Hornet. Four EA-18Gs were in production during 2007 and are slated for operational evaluation in the fall of 2008. Initial operational capability for the EA-18G is expected a year later at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, where the Navy's current EA-6B squadrons are based. The Navy has plans to purchase 85 Growlers and expects to fully transition its shipboard squadrons to the aircraft by 2013 while deactivating its Reserve Prowler squadron and the three expeditionary squadrons. The Marine Corps plans on operating the Prowler until at least 2018 or as late as 2020.
To support the EA-18G at Whidbey, construction began on the Growler Support Center, which will house representatives from the aircraft's four primary contractors. The first EA-18G simulator will be delivered to the base in spring 2008, in time to train a cadre of VAQ-129 instructors and members of the first squadrons to transition to the plane.
- EA-6B Prowler. Meanwhile, the aircraft that the Growler will replace, the EA-6B, began receiving upgrades to introduce more ICAP III aircraft into the Fleet. Four of the Fleet's older aircraft began their modifications with kits that include the new ALQ-218 receiver, a new crew-workstation display system, and other hardware and software items. This will add enough aircraft for another squadron to complement the three Navy squadrons already outfitted with the upgraded system. Once these four kits are installed, 15 operational ICAP III Prowlers will be in service with the Navy.
- P-8A Poseidon. The Navy's next-generation maritime patrol aircraft completed its critical design review on 15 June. The P-8A, a derivative of the Boeing 737-800, will perform long-range antisubmarine warfare, antisurface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. It is also a key part of the Navy's broad-area maritime surveillance program using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in conjunction with the Poseidon to provide continuous, worldwide maritime surveillance and communication relay capabilities. The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft that first entered service in the early 1960s.
Production of the first P-8A test aircraft began late in 2007 with the start of fuselage production at Spirit AeroSystems' Wichita, Kansas, facility. During a ceremony on 12 December, Spirit employees loaded the first fuselage components into a holding fixture on the factory floor. Poseidon fuselages will be built in Wichita and then transferred to Boeing's commercial division in Seattle where they will be fitted with wing and tail assemblies. The nearly complete aircraft will then move to the Boeing Integrated Defense System line for completion and delivery. This is the first time the Navy will use an existing production line integrating both commercial and Navy aircraft, providing both time and cost reduction by not constructing a Navy-specific line. Boeing's industrial team is performing the program's SD&D phase, which includes building five test vehicles: three flight- and two ground-test aircraft. Initial flight testing will be at NAS Patuxent River by VX-20 and VX-1 when the first test aircraft is delivered in 2009. Initial operational capability is slated for 2013.Other governments are also interested in the P-8 program to replace their aging Orions. The Australian government gave first pass approval on 20 July 2007, for AIR 7000 Phase 2—a $4 billion project for its Department of Defence to acquire a manned maritime patrol and response aircraft. The manned aircraft, in conjunction with the multi-mission unmanned aerial system being acquired by Defence under AIR 7000 Phase 1, will replace the capability currently provided by the AP-3C Orion, which is to be retired in 2018 after more than 30 years of service. The approval allows Australia to enter formal negotiations with the United States Navy to participate in the cooperative development of the P-8A. Through this participation, Australia will assist in providing opportunities for that nation's industry as well as gain an ability to positively influence development of the P-8 program.
- E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. The Navy's airborne early warning community received a boost on 3 August, as the first E-2D development aircraft, known as Delta One, completed its first flight from Northrop Grumman's St. Augustine, Florida, plant. While the external appearance of the new aircraft is similar to the E-2C, the systems are completely redesigned, and the capabilities are vastly expanded. At the heart of the plane is a new radar, the APY-9, which can detect smaller targets at a greater range and track more targets than the older system. The new rotodome contains an electronically scanned array that provides continuous 360-degree scanning with the capability of focusing the radar on select areas of interest.
E-2D operators will have new radar-system workstations, integrated satellite communication capabilities, and other cutting-edge tools to better manage the battlespace. An additional feature of the Advanced Hawkeye is the state-of-the-art glass cockpit. Also, an advancement introduced in this version allows for one of the two pilots to serve as an additional operator when necessary.
On 29 November the second development aircraft, Delta Two, completed its first flight and entered the flight test program.
Northrop Grumman was also awarded a pilot production contract in July 2007 to build three production E-2Ds. The keel for the first of these (AA3) was laid on 27 September. The Navy plans to procure at least 75 E-2Ds to be manufactured at the St. Augustine plant.
Tiltrotor Aircraft
The MV-22B Osprey made its first operational deployment in 2007 as the Thunder Chickens of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 moved to al Asad, Iraq, in late September. Instead of flying the aircraft across the Atlantic, they were loaded on board the USS Wasp (LHD-1), and the ship made a surge deployment to deliver the squadron's ten Ospreys into the war zone for a seven-month stay. The aircraft arrived on 4 October and immediately began flights in support of operations in al Anbar province.
As of the end of 2007, there were five operating V-22 squadrons, consisting of one test (VMX-22), one training (VMMT-204), and three tactical squadrons (VMM-263, VMM-162, and VMM-266). The Marines plan to transition two H-46 squadrons per year until the Sea Knights are retired in 2015.
Rotary Wing
- MH-60S/R Seahawks. Continued production of Sikorsky Seahawk helicopters was assured as a five-year, multi-service contract for 537 airframes was signed on 12 December 2007. The aircraft will be delivered to the Army as UH-60M Black Hawk and HH-60M MedeVac helicopters and to the Navy as MH-60S and MH-60R Sea-hawks. The deliveries are scheduled to be made from 2007 to 2012. The Army Black Hawks will incorporate the latest rotor, powerplant, and cockpit upgrades. The Navy's MH-60Ss and Rs will provide the service with state-of-the-art airframes for logistics, antisubmarine, search and rescue, and special warfare operations.
- VH-71. The first two VH-71 helicopters built to transport the President of the United States entered the flight test phase at NAS Patuxent River in November and December 2007. The first Navy-owned VH-71, designated TV-2, made its maiden flight at AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil, United Kingdom, on 3 July. In November, it was shipped from England to Patuxent River on board a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane. The second, TV-5, arrived in December. The test team will use the aircraft primarily for testing of structural and propulsion systems and for pilot training. TV-2 and -5 are the first of four test aircraft built for the initial phase of the VH-71 program.
Two additional helicopters, TV-3 and -4, will undergo additional assembly and equipment installation at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, New York, prior to being transferred to NAS Patuxent River for testing of the avionics and mission systems. The VH-71 is scheduled to become operational in October 2009. - H-46. As the V-22 begins its Marine Corps service, older models of the helicopter it is replacing are being phased out as MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina-based VMR-1 retired the last of the HH-46Ds in Marine Corps service in December 2007. The unit flies the Sea Knight as a search and rescue aircraft and has begun receiving HH-46Es to replace the older airframes, beginning in January 2006, finally completing the transition in 2007.
- Marine Corps. Three Marine helicopter programs also made quiet progress in 2007. The replacement heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-53K, forged ahead as Sikorsky selected subcontractors for major systems in the helo that's expected to enter the fleet in 2015. The latest versions of the venerable Huey and HueyCobra/SuperCobra, the UH-1Y and AH-1Z, continued with operational evaluation flights in anticipation of entering service in 2008 and 2011, respectively.
Simulators
The Boeing Company was awarded an $18 million contract in August to design, develop, and produce the Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) ground-based training system for Training Wing 6 at NAS Pensacola, Florida. The new system, using the T-45 Goshawk, will provide introductory training for naval flight officers, weapon system operators, and international military flight officers destined for service in aircraft including the F/A-18F Super Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, EA-18G Growler, E-2C Hawkeye, and the F-15E Strike Eagle.
In conjunction with existing T-6 aircraft and its aircrew training devices, and the T-45C aircraft currently being augmented by Boeing with a virtual radar capability, the new system will replace aging T-2 and T-39 aircraft, courseware, and training devices.
UAVs
The Navy continued to refine its Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program by looking at three systems proposed by industry teams. Boeing put forth an "optionally manned" version of the Gulfstream 550 business jet. Northrop Grumman proposed a modified RQ-4N Global Hawk jet-powered UAV. And Lockheed Martin teamed with General Atomics to offer the turboprop Mariner, a version of the Predator B UAV. Contract award was originally to be made in October 2007, but the Navy pushed the announcement back into 2008 so that it can gather more information from the three teams vying for the contract.
The BAMS UAV program will expand the Navy's capability to conduct maritime surveillance and complement the transition from the Navy's current P-3 to the next-generation P-8A. Acting as a node in the operational intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) environment, the BAMS UAV would be an information hub in missions that include ISR queuing, strike support, signal-intelligence collection, and communication relay. The UAV is designed to operate independently or in direct control of battle groups and large-deck amphibious ships or with other manned, unmanned, and space-based platforms.
- RQ-7B Shadow. In the operational world, Fleet Composite Squadron 6 Detachment Patuxent River (VC-6 Det Pax) located at Webster Field and operating the RQ-7B made deployments to Iraq in 2007. The Shadow is used primarily to provide tactical-level reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and battle damage assessment and is comprised of four air vehicles with electro-optic/infrared modular mission payloads, two ground-control stations, launch and recovery equipment, and communications material. The Pax River detachment sent two platoons to Iraq in 2007 to serve in support of Army units. The det's parent squadron, VC-6, is based in Norfolk, where it provides air and surface targets for the fleet. VC-6 is scheduled to be deactivated in 2008 and its mission will be given to civilian contractors.
- MQ-8B Fire Scout. Development of a ship-based rotary-winged unmanned aircraft continued as Northrop Grumman Corporation initiated the next phase of the vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) MQ-8B Fire Scout program. The flight tests used a sheltered version of the exact consoles and other equipment being integrated into littoral combat ships for operational use of the new UAV.
The first MQ-8B flight using this production control segment took place on 15 December at the Webster Field annex of NAS Patuxent River. It consisted of operations with the new control segment and land-based shipboard recovery system testing using UCARS (UAV Common Automatic Recovery System) in preparation for sea trials later in 2008.Besides flight test, the shipboard control segment underwent system network integration testing at the U.S. Navy's Dahlgren facility. Additionally, the first shipboard control segment was installed on board the Navy's new littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS-2).
- Wasp III. The Marine Corps continues to experiment with small UAVs for use by ground troops. In November, they announced a contract with AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) for BATMAV (Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle) systems, each consisting of two Wasp III micro air vehicles, AV's advanced battery charger, spares and support services. The order followed a successful Marine Corps evaluation of Wasp systems provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
The Marine Corps will procure the systems through the Air Force BATMAV contract, which was awarded to AV in December 2006. The Marine Corps plans to issue Wasp III systems to a battalion for deployment at the platoon level, representing a basis of issue that is lower in the force structure than that of AV's Raven small unmanned aircraft system. With a wingspan of 29 inches and weighing only one pound, the Wasp III carries one infrared and two color cameras that transmit streaming video directly to the hand-held ground controller for display on an integrated monitor. - ScanEagle. On 31 July, the Boeing Company was awarded a contract to provide additional ScanEagle intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support services to the Marine Corps. Boeing, in partnership with Insitu, Inc., developers of the UAV, make up Team ScanEagle.
The long-endurance, fully autonomous unmanned aircraft has been used by the Marines since July 2004, the Navy since September 2005, and the Australian Defense Forces since November 2006.
During that time, Scan Eagles have flown more than 4,600 sorties and 50,000 flight hours, including 34,000 hours with Maine Expeditionary Forces. The initial agreement calls for several system upgrades, including the new ScanEagle Block D air vehicle, Rover III forward display system compatibility, an enhanced infrared payload, and a mode C transponder.A ScanEagle air vehicle carries inertially stabilized electro-optical and infrared cameras and is capable of flying above 16,000 feet. The gimbaled cameras allow the operator to track both stationary and moving targets.
- Marine Corps RQ-7B Shadow. The Corps also began training personnel to fly and maintain Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system in preparation for the service's transition in 2007 to the RQ-7B surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence-gathering system. The Marines decided to retire the Pioneer unmanned aircraft system, which supported ground forces for more than 20 years, including significant action in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The two Marine Corps units scheduled to receive the Shadow systems are the VMU-1 "Watchdogs" based at Twentynine Palms, California, and the VMU-2 "Night Owls" at Cherry Point.
Aircraft Carriers
Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced on 16 January the selection of Gerald R. Ford as the name of CVN-78, the first of the next generation of U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The selection honors the 38th President of the United States and pays tribute to his lifetime of service in the Navy, in the U.S. government, and to the nation. During World War II he attained the rank of lieutenant commander and served in the aircraft carrier USS Monterey (CVL-26). Gerald R. Ford and subsequent Ford-class carriers will provide improved warfighting capability, quality of life improvements for Sailors, and reduced acquisition and life-cycle costs.
One of the revolutionary elements of the new class will be the use of electromagnetic force to launch and recover aircraft. General Atomics completed the final critical design review for the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on 16 November. The company began manufacturing system linear motor components in its Tupelo, Mississippi, facility early in 2007 where it will also manufacture subsystems. EMALS is slated to replace the current generation of steam catapults used on board U.S. aircraft carriers since the mid-1950s. This switch to an electromagnetic system will lower operating costs, require fewer people to operate, improve catapult performance and expand the range of manned and unmanned aircraft that can be launched from carriers.
A full-size system is scheduled to be installed in the recently completed test facilities at NAES Lakehurst, New Jersey. The work is scheduled to begin in mid-2008, with testing starting in early 2009. The first system components will be shipped in 2011 for installation in CVN-78, which is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2015.
In the future, aircraft will be launched from an aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic system, and then recovered on board using these same forces to stop the aircraft. General Atomics is developing the advanced arresting gear system which will provide better safety and efficiency. The system is scheduled to be back-fitted onto existing Nimitz-class carriers and forward-fitted onto Ford-class and future carriers. The "turboelectric" system is based on the proven water-turbine systems used in land-based arresting gear, adding a lighter synthetic cable system and an electromagnetic motor. The motor will actively reduce cable tension peaks during the dynamic phase of the arrestment, and will accurately control both the hook load during arrestment and the final stopping position of the aircraft.
Weapon Systems
- LANTIRN ER. NAVAIR's S-3B Viking program, working with Lockheed Martin Missile Systems, delivered an enhanced targeting system using advanced infrared sensors, electro-optics and lasers in early October for an in-theater operational demonstration. Different from the original Navy LANTIRN system first introduced on the F-14 Tomcat and subsequently integrated onto the Viking in early 2007, LANTIRN ER is an extended-range upgrade that provides an improved picture of the battle space. The new pods were added to the S-3B without having to modify the airframe or electronic equipment. The VS-31 "Topcats," based at NAS Jacksonville, was the first unit to install the ER version, successfully completing the necessary aircraft operational checks in four days. The VS-32 Maulers then demonstrated the pods' extended-range capability in the operational environment while deployed on board the USS Enterprise (CVN-65).
- Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System. The capability of the dual-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was increased on 9 October, as the Boeing Company delivered the first factory-installed joint helmet-mounted cueing system (JHMCS) providing significant improvements to in-flight crew coordination. The system permits a flight crewman to rapidly acquire and designate a target simply by looking at it. The two-seat variant places a JHMCS helmet on both crew members, giving each the capability to aim weapons and sensors as well as provide a visual indication of where each crew member is looking. The enhanced aircraft—the first of 77 of the two-seat JHMCS-equipped aircraft for the Navy over the next three years—was delivered to the VX-9 Vampires of NAWS China Lake. The inclusion of the system in the aft seat of two-seat aircraft gives the weapon systems officer the same weapon management capabilities as the pilot. The system vastly reduces the amount of required verbal discussion and improves the ability to react rapidly to targets and/or threats that are visually detected by either crewmember.
- Helmet-Mounted Displays. Work on the next-generation helmet-mounted displays (HMD) for the F-35 Lightning II proceeded with the first demonstration of a 9g-stable system by Vision Systems International in a series of flight tests at the RAF's Centre for Aviation Medicine. Test pilots employed the F-35 HMD while flying two specially modified BAE Hawk T Mk1 aircraft. Pilots from the RAF, U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems took the helmet from -2 to +9 Gs in flights designed to simulate air combat while verifying comfort, fit, and stability under high-g conditions.
Weapons
- BLU-126/B. A Naval Air Systems Command program delivered to the Fleet a bomb that can strike urban targets with lower risk of unwanted collateral damage. The Navy's Precision Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-201) at NAS Patuxent River led the low collateral damage bomb (LCDB) acquisition effort using technical expertise from the NAWC-Weapons Division, China Lake. The program office delivered the BLU-126/B in less than 17 months to fulfill a need for a weapon that is both combat effective and adheres to U.S. Central Command's Collateral Damage Rules of Engagement.
The BLU-126/B is externally identical to the 500-pound BLU-111, but contains less explosive mass producing a reduced fragmentation pattern and blast radius. The program developed the weapon for use in situations where friendly forces or civilians are close to the target. The weapon is used with the same guidance kits as the BLU-111, including those for laser-guided bomb and joint direct-attack munitions.The new bomb was first dropped in anger on 27 July after insurgents were identified setting up an improvised explosive device along a convoy route. A forward air controller (FAC) observing the insurgents directed an F/A-18D assigned to VMFA(AW)-121 to the successful strike. A second drop occurred on 12 August when a FAC observed two vehicles in known terrorist-held territory making a weapon transfer. Two Hornets from the same squadron vectored to the targets and destroyed a van with an AGM-65E Maverick and a sedan parked in a vacant lot off the road using a GBU-51/B with low collateral damage explosive. Examination after the July and August attacks showed the bombs had detonated while effectively limiting damage beyond the intended target.
- Spike. Demonstration of missile technology continued at NAWC-Weapons Division China Lake with launches of the world's smallest fire-and-forget precision-guided missile. A Spike missile was fired at a 30 mph crossing target at a range of 750 meters. The missile successfully tracked and hit a remotely controlled panel van. Spike—at 25 inches long, 2.25 inch diameter, and 5.3 pounds—is also the only missile using an electro-optical imaging strapped-down seeker. This demonstration verified the missile's ability to acquire, track, and hit a moving target, all primary capabilities required before proceeding with the remaining technology needed to arm a small UAV. A follow-up Spike technology demonstration in the fall simulated a UAV launch at altitude at a target traveling 60 mph.
The ultimate unit cost goal is $5,000, which would make Spike the lowest cost guided missile in existence. Its extremely low weight could make it the weapon-of-choice for small, tactical UAVs because of their limited payload capabilities. Spike's potential applications, however, go beyond UAV weaponization. The same missile could be shoulder-launched in ground combat or used as a force-protection weapon to defend surface ships from small-boat swarms and light aircraft. - AGM-88E. The Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) program made its first developmental firing on 25 May 2007. The supersonic, air-launched tactical missile will be integrated on the F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G and Italian Tornado IDS/ECR aircraft. It is also being designed to be compatible with the EA-6B and U.S. and allied F-16 aircraft. The missile is the successor to the Navy AGM-88 HARM system and is a U.S. and Italian international cooperative program.
Alliant Techsystems, the U.S. Navy team of PMA-242, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division China Lake, and the Italian Air Force were involved in the successful firing from an F/A-18 at the China Lake test range. Low-rate initial production is expected to begin in Fiscal Year 2008. When fielded in FY09, it will be the only extended-range tactical supersonic strike weapon in U.S. and Italian inventory.