The year 2001 was momentous for naval aviation. The new administration installed in January embarked on sweeping reviews of defense needs and priorities that lasted through the summer. Tensions mounted as the services and industry wondered which transformations lay ahead. The Navy already was facing the vexing challenge of balancing support to overly committed forces while responding to the demands of modernization. Defense planners carefully examined the missions and composition of carriers and naval aviation and their ability to sustain the national security strategy. Naval aviation was in limbo over how many carrier battle groups (CVBGs) would be endorsed ultimately by the Department of Defense (DoD).
As the delayed program review for fiscal year (FY) 2003 proceeded into late summer, the Navy surmised that at least one CVBG would have to be forfeited. But that changed on 11 September. The terrorist attacks on the United States brought naval aviation to the forefront, both in defense of the nation and in direct operations against enemy forces in Afghanistan.
Organizational Matters
Rear Admiral Michael McCabe, Director of Naval Aviation Warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav), has the lead in building and defending the naval aviation plan for Navy and Marine Corps aviation. (Marine aviation is funded by Navy "blue dollars," except for air defense and air command and control, which are funded by "green dollars" in the Corps' accounts.) The Marine aviation plan is generated by the staff of Lieutenant General William Nyland, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Aviation, and coordinated with Admiral McCabe.
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Vernon Clark instituted an "advocate" for current readiness on his staff by assigning this vital area to the Director of Fleet Readiness, Rear Admiral Kenneth Heimgartner. Admiral Clark has taken a personal interest in meeting the needs of the fleet and has been involved directly in reviewing the critical flying hour program that determines the flight hours allocated to the fleet. At the same time, he took steps to align OpNav and the fleet, which included designating Vice Admiral John Nathman, Commander, Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet, as Commander, Fleet Air Forces, and assigning him responsibility for requirements of both the Pacific and Atlantic naval air forces. Admiral Nathman reinvigorated the aviation warfighting forum and other processes used for gathering issues from the fleet and responding to requirements.
Under an operating agreement, the Commander of Naval Air Systems Command, Vice Admiral Joseph Dyer, works with aviation-related program executive officers to provide the management expertise and services to meet the needs of naval aviation and determine acquisition solutions for fleet requirements. He has established a warfighter focus group to maintain open dialogue with the fleet. Thus, the concept of "transformation" was being applied to naval aviation requirements and acquisitions before the attacks on 11 September.
The exploits of naval aviation during the ongoing campaign in Afghanistan have been documented thoroughly. Suffice to say, the ability to operate readily from the sea—with organic, U.S. Air Force, and coalition tanking—was demonstrated, and criticisms of aircraft carrier usefulness have faded for the moment. What are less well known are some of the background events:
- High-tempo operations in Afghanistan led to depletion of precision-guided munitions stocks. The Air Force transferred a large number of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits to the Navy when Navy stocks began to dwindle. The Naval Air Systems Command planners worked feverishly to gear up industry for additional precision-guided weapons. Industry responded appropriately—as demonstrated by Boeing, which put the popular JDAM in 24-hour production status.
- In addition, Naval Air Systems Command proved to be especially creative and responsive in tracking and supporting the material readiness of deployed aircraft.
- The first production F-14A was flown by VF-41 over Afghanistan and was transferred to war reserve status after accumulating 3,950 hours and 500 arrested landings since its acceptance into service in May 1972.
Major Programs
Looking back over 2001, naval aviation marked many key events outside the combat operations later in the year. The most anticipated event was announcement of the outcome of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition following a lengthy and intense source-selection process. On 26 October, Lockheed Martin was designated as the winner of the aggressive $20-billion development program.
The JSF119 engine is produced by Pratt & Whitney and was selected by both JSF competitors to power their demonstrators. Pratt & Whitney and General Electric Aircraft Engines announced in June that they would cooperate in producing functionally interchangeable engines for all JSF variants. The government plans to put the engine contract in competition in 2011. General Electric has offered a JSF engine based on its F120 engine developed for the F-22. The innovative Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce lift/fan JSF engine configuration-using a derivative of the F-22 F119 engine integrated with a clutch assembly for the STOVL variant-won the Collier award for 2001, which recognizes the most significant U.S. aerospace achievement that advances performance, safety, and reliability.
The first flight of a production JSF is scheduled in 2005 and a low-rate production decision will follow soon thereafter. Twenty-two aircraft will be produced during the engineering and manufacturing development phase (7 non-flying and 15 flying examples). Full-rate production is planned for 2008. As it stands now, STOVL versions will be the first deliveries.
The other major development program, the MV-22 Osprey, came under heavy scrutiny following two fatal mishaps and concerns over squadron maintenance data reporting (see pp. 87-88). Modifications of plans and milestones resulted from the findings of panels commissioned to assess the program's status and provide recommendations regarding renewed testing and changes in configuration and production rate. The MV-22's acquisition category was changed, and milestone decision authority was reassigned from the Navy Department to the DoD acquisition executive, Edward "Pete" Aldridge, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.
Undersecretary Aldridge announced in December that, starting in April 2002, the MV-22 will undergo a two-year flight test program to study vortex ring state, which was attributed to the first mishap that resulted in the death of 19 Marines. Pending identification of corrective measures, production will be reduced to the minimum sustaining rate; fielded MV-22s and new-production aircraft will be stored. Flight tests will include:
- Further examination of shipboard compatibility—particularly during hover flight in which one rotor is over the flight deck and the other is over the side of the ship
- Various flight conditions, such as low-speed hovering and landing when the propellers stir up dust, debris, snow, and other obscuring elements
- Combat maneuverability, formation flying, and refueling conditions
Tactical Aircraft and Weapons
The F/A-18E/F program came out of the initial development phase and entered service with the fleet. In June, Admiral Nathman lauded Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA)-115, the first operational E/F squadron, when it formally received its "safe for flight" designation. It will be the first F/A-18E squadron to deploy this year.
In preparation for that deployment, Raytheon's Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) was put under contract in March 2001 to produce 14 pods in the low-rate initial production. The pods will be used for developmental and operational testing and to equip VFA- 115 for its initial deployment in mid-2002. One pod will be used for integration on the F/A-18C/D.
In concert with DoD spiral development, F/A-18E/F deployments receive progressively more systems and capability—as opposed to waiting longer periods for all the integration work to be completed. The first deployment features include the Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), 2,000-pound JDAM, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AIM-120C-Ss), ATFLIR, and five fueling stations. Developmental testing of additional capabilities is ongoing.
In April, the F/A-18E/F flew with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS). This joint program-led by the Air Force-will produce a common JHMCS for the F/A-18C/D/E/F, F-15C, F-I 6C, and F-22. The JHMCS completed operational evaluation in 2001 on the F/A18E/F and F-15C and was awaiting results of the final report as this issue went to press. Although initiated principally for use with the AIM-9X missile, the JHMCS constitutes a quantum leap in situational awareness and, together with the ATFLIR, will enhance air-to-ground capabilities considerably.
Additions to the second E/F deployment of VFA-14 (F-18E) and VFA-41 (F-18F) will include the JHMCS, GBU24 laser-guided bombs, and the Multifunctional Information Distribution System. Paradoxically, the AIM-9X is scheduled to deploy in the same carrier air wing (CVW-11) with JHMCS-equipped F/A-18E/F aircraft, but it will be integrated only on the F/A-18C squadrons, which will not have JHMCS integration for that deployment. Although both types of aircraft have flown with integrated JHMCS and AIM-9X in developmental tests, final flight clearance and availability of sufficient equipment for the C and E/F models are still ahead.
Operation Enduring Freedom saw the last deployment of several F-14 squadrons before their transition to the F/A-18E/F. VFA-115 was joined by VFA-14 and VFA-41 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, California, in October, after the latter two Tomcat squadrons returned to NAS Oceana, Virginia, from deployments and moved west to be redesignated. VFA-14 and VFA-41 will transition to the F/A-18E and F/A-18F, respectively, as part of CVW-11. VF-102 turned in its F-14Bs on its return from deployment in March. The squadron started its transition to the F/A-18F and has been redesignated as VFA-102. VF- 11 returned from deployment to transition to the F/A- 18F and will be the third F/A-18F squadron to deploy. Transition of the Tomcat community to the F/A-18E/F is planned to continue with two to three squadrons transitioning each year until 2006 or 2007, unless the final year of the venerable F-14's service—still under discussion—is moved to as early as 2005.
Tomcat performance in Afghanistan validated the need for a two-man crew for difficult target prosecution and the usefulness of the F-14's tactical targeting and imagery capabilities, which permit the aircraft to send and receive Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) images. In this role, Tomcats could locate, designate, and pass coordinates to other aircraft for weapon delivery. This is especially important in the case of fleeting targets and when using weapons such as the JDAM and JSOW. Although the Predator and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provided surveillance over a wide swath of Afghanistan, Tomcat crews used their LANTIRN targeting systems to target their own weapons and those of other CVW and coalition aircraft. This capability will be expanded in the ATFLIR-equipped F/A-18E/F.
In the developmental realm, Tomcats continued flight tests of the JDAM and made spectacular hits. The first F-14 JDAM delivery occurred in February 2001, when two VF-11 aircrews dropped 2,000-pound JDAMs. VF-143 also participated in the live-fire exercise at Naval Air Weapons Center China Lake, California, under the auspices of testing by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron-9. The first combat drops occurred over Afghanistan in February 2002, when VF-102 F-14s supported Operation Anaconda.
While the JSF STOVL variant is years away from its initial operational capability, the Marine Corps' AV-8B Harrier program—led by program manager Colonel Tom White—is enjoying a renaissance akin to that of the Tomcat. The Harrier II Plus remanufacture program with Spain and Italy is nearing completion; it will provide Harriers with new airframes for all practical purposes. On 11 December, Naval Aircraft Depot Cherry Point, North Carolina, took in the last of 74 day-attack AV-8B Harriers to begin their transformation to a radar-equipped, night-attack Harrier II Plus configurations. The remanufacturing consists of:
- New fuselages and more powerful Rolls-Royce Pegasus engines
- Reconditioned APG-65 multimode radars (Radar integration takes advantage of APG-65 assets made available by the F/A-18 radar upgrade from the APG-65 to the APG-73.)
- Night vision device (NVD)-compatible cockpits
- MilStd-1760 wiring to weapon stations (needed for weapons such as the JDAM and AMRAAM)
- FLIR incorporation and digital moving maps
- Upward-firing expendables
- Integration of self-protection jammers, Litening II FLIR targeting pods, and JDAMs
The Harrier program marked two important integration efforts in 2001-the Litening II targeting pod and AIM-120C missile-that will improve the AV-8B's ability to accomplish precision-attack and all-weather air defense missions. The first of 47 Litening pods was delivered in November, almost a year ahead of schedule.
Future growth for the Harrier is ensured with the Open Systems Core Avionics Requirements program, which serves as a pilot program for other software-intensive aircraft. The program is scheduled to progress to operational tests in 2002.
The much-anticipated airborne electronic attack analysis of alternatives reported out in late 2001. The analysis examines replacement of the EA-613 Prowler in Navy and Marine Corps missions and support of Air Force requirements. Some of the alternatives were:
Boeing's proposal of an EA-18 based on the F/A-18E/F airframe
Northrop Grumman's new construction of EA-6C aircraft
UAV participation in the mission
An EB-52 variant for the Air Force The Navy leased the first F/A-18F back to Boeing, which began flight testing it on 15 November as a company-funded demonstrator of its EA-18 concept. Nicknamed the "Growler," it flew with three ALQ-99 jamming pods (primary mission carriage of the Prowler), two AMRAAMs, two drop tanks, and two AIM-9s. Concurrently, the first Northrop Grumman EA-6B Improved Capability (ICAP)-III aircraft arrived at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, in November to be greeted by Captain John Scheffler, the EA-613 program manager. The ICAP III system features an updated receiver (ALQ-218) that permits selected reactive jamming. With integration of new low- and high-band jammers and the Universal Exciter Transmitter, the Prowler will remain an effective electronic warfare aircraft for the foreseeable future.
The E-2C Hawkeye demonstrated the NP2000 propeller in April 2001 at NAS Patuxent River. It is a high-performance, digitally controlled eight-bladed propeller with advanced blades. It will replace the E-2C and C-2 steel spar four-bladed propellers, which have proved to be hard to maintain. The E-2C was a key player during a three-week operational test evaluation of the cooperative engagement capability (CEC) in May and June that was conducted along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean.
The first Hawkeye 2000 formally rolled out on 23 October at Northrop Grumman in St. Augustine, Florida. The Hawkeye 2000 incorporates CEC modifications and improved displays. It is noteworthy that the lead speaker was Rear Admiral Phillip Balisle, OpNav Director of Surface Warfare, who is a principal supporter and contributor of funding for CEC capabilities (see pp. 60-62).
The Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) program was established to find replacements for the P-3C and EP-3. Studies started in 2001 led to a request for proposals announcement in March 2002. Industry teams have proposed commercial aircraft-based replacements, adaptation of the British Nimrod MR4 aircraft now in production, and a P-3-based design. As with the airborne electronic attack program, the use of UAVs to supplement or supplant manned aircraft will be factored into the development program.
The Marine Corps received its first KC-130J Hercules in 2001, while flight tests continued at NAS Patuxent River. It will replace aging KC-130F models that have average service lives of more than 39 years—and rapidly mounting operating costs. The Corps took delivery of its first KC-130J tanker in August at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, when it was accepted by Aerial Refueler-Transport Training Squadron (VMGRT)-253. Four of the eight KC-130Js delivered in 2001 will be based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River for a seven-month mission suitability evaluation and a two-month operational evaluation. The KC-130Js have Rolls-Royce engines mounting composite six-blade Dowty Aerospace propellers that generate 29% more thrust and increase fuel efficiency by 15%, as well as state-of-the-art digital avionics and displays, mission computers, and night vision-compatible cockpits.
The Corps' KC-130F/Rs were tasked heavily in Enduring Freedom. A deployed Marine expeditionary unit (special operations capable) [MEU(SOC)] typically has two supporting KC-130s in theater. Detachments from the VMGR-352 Raiders were deployed to Afghanistan and on the ground at Camp Rhino the first night of its establishment as a forward-operating base. Regularly thereafter, the aircraft transported personnel, vehicles, supplies, and fuel throughout the theater, flying principally from Jacobabad, Pakistan. A request from the 13th MEU (SOC) for additional support generated the rapid deployment of a KC-130 detachment from the Ft. Worth, Texas-based VMGR-234 Rangers. The heavy tasking of the KC-130s-and the tragic night mishap in Pakistan that resulted in the loss of a Hercules and its crew (see p. 85) reinforced the need to equip aircrews with NVDs, NVD-compatible cockpits, and intensive training.
The AIM-9X Sidewinder missile program had its 19th test firing in December—the first live warhead shot, which destroyed an F-4 drone. The program has marked 18 successes out of the 19 firings to date and received two awards from the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office for its pioneering work in simulation-based acquisition. This technique reduces the total number of firings by using detailed high-fidelity simulations that are mapped and compared against live firings. Captain D.J. Venlet, head of the Air-to-Air Missile Program Office, accepted the award for the Navy-Air Force team.
Production of the AIM-9X was so successful that delivery to F/A-18C and F-15C squadrons will occur this summer. The AIM-9 will celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year.
Rotary-Wing Aircraft
Sharing deck space on amphibious ships with the Harriers are the AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters and UH-IN Huey utility helicopters. Under the H-I Upgrade program, both will have a common engine, transmission, four-bladed rotor, and avionics, which will increase performance significantly and lower maintenance costs. The UH-IY is an upgrade of the UH-IN that shares a common transmission and rotor system with the AH-IZ, which rolled out in 2000 and preceded the UH-IY in flight tests at NAS Patuxent River in 2001. The UH-IY took to the air in 2001, when Bell Helicopter Textron delivered the first of 100 "Y" models on 13 December. Current plans call for 180 AH-/IZs (the first five start production in 2004) and 100 UH-IYs (the first four start production also in 2004).
As the last naval aviator received his wings in the CH-46D syllabus, the Sea Knight's replacement, the MH-605 Knighthawk, began operational tests and evaluation. On 11 October, Lieutenant Peter Heidelberger of Helicopter Training Squadron-18 received the original wings of the commander of Helicopter Tactical Wing Atlantic, Captain Charles Deitchman. The first of three MH-60Ss were delivered in April and began operational evaluation in mid-October, with underway testing on board the Wasp (LHD-1) in November followed by cross decking to the George Washington (CVN-73) in December. After a successful evaluation, the CNO was on hand at the fleet introduction ceremony on 8 February 2002 at NAS North Island, California. The MH-60S will perform logistics, search-and-rescue (SAR), and plane guard missions, moving eventually to combat SAR and naval special warfare roles. Modular kits are being developed to allow it to perform the additional missions.
The MH-60S and MH-60R have compatible airframes and common cockpits. The MH-60R replaces the SH-60B in antisubmarine warfare and air-to-surface warfare roles. The prototype MH-60Ra remanufactured SH-6013-first flew in July 2001 at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's production facility in Stratford, Connecticut. Although the original plan called for remanufacturing SH-60B airframes into MH-60R variants, analysis revealed that new production would be more economical. Nine remanufactured airframes will be used in the development program before new-production airframes are produced under the revised plan, which calls for production funding in 2003. As of mid-April 2002, three MH-60Rs were in flight testing at NAS Patuxent River and three were at Lockheed Martin's Oswego, New York, facility for installation and contractor testing of the full mission system. The new mission system includes multimode radar, FLIR, advanced low-frequency dipping sonar (AQS-22), upgraded electronic support measures, and integrated self-defense suite. The first full-mission system-equipped MH-60R flew at Oswego on 4 April 2002.
Other Aviation Developments
The T-45 Training System (T-45TS) became operational at NAS Meridian, Mississippi, with the arrival of 14 T-45C digital versions of the system. To date, the Navy has ordered 179 T-45s against the stated requirement of 234, which will replace the remaining T-2C aircraft. (The TA-4 already has been replaced.) The Chief of Naval Air Training 21 Training Modernization Plan contains a roadmap to continue to procure T-45Cs and upgrade the current T-45As to T-45Cs with glass cockpit features. The T-45 was intended to replace both the T-2C intermediate and TA-4 advanced training aircraft, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
The basic trainer, the T-34C, is scheduled to be replaced by the T-6A Texan Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, which received a full-rate production decision in December. The ultimate procurement plan for 782 T-6As includes 328 for the Navy. Because it believes the T-34C can continue in service for several more years, the Navy has slipped its plans to bring on the T-6A until later in the production schedule. The Air Force intends to complete its procurement by 2008, at which time production will start for the Navy.
The first C-40A Clipper was delivered to NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The C-40A is based on the Boeing 737 and will replace the aging C-9 Skytrains in the Naval Air Reserve.
Weapon and Avionics Integration
The P-3C Antisurface Warfare Improvement Program (AIP) showed progress in Afghanistan, when a P-3 launched a Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) in combat for the first time. In addition, the P-3 supported ground forces effectively during Operation Anaconda by down linking imagery from its sensor suite to units engaged with the enemy.
The S-3B Maverick Plus System (MPS) leveraged technology from the P-3C AIP program and provides the S-313 Viking with the ability to launch air-to-surface weapons. The MPS completed developmental testing in the fall of 2001 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The system enables the S-313 to carry, target, and launch AGM-65E Laser Maverick and AGM-65F Infrared Maverick air-to-surface missiles and the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER. The Viking will be able to execute post-launch SLAM-ER control using the AWW-13 Weapon Data Link pod for either autonomous or cooperative employment scenarios. The Laser Maverick live-fire test scored a direct hit on a small boat with a SH-60B helicopter "buddy-lasing" a simulated mobile missile launcher. The SLAM-ER was launched 85 nautical miles from the target, with terminal control at 110 nautical miles. An autonomous employment scenario was executed, with SLAM-ER launch and control conducted by an S-313 and back-up controller duties performed by an F/A-18. The MPS installations are going at a rate of two Vikings per month per coast.
The Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Low Volume Terminal (LVT) went into production in 2001 and into operational use by the Air Force. This is the long-awaited, next-generation Link-16 terminal that is being integrated into the F/A-18 Hornet and 25 other platforms worldwide. Development started in 1994 as a cooperative effort of the U.S. Navy and the governments of France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Three fully interoperable variants were developed: LVT for a wide variety of aircraft and shipboard applications; LVT (2) for the U.S. Army air defense systems; and Fighter Data Link (FDL) for the Air Force F-15. The FDL-a slightly scaled-down version of LVT, with a low-power transmitter and without voice or tactical aircraft navigation capability-entered production in 1999 and is fully operational in the U.S. Air Force.
Production contracts for LVT were awarded in 2000 to Data Link Solutions, ViaSat, and EuroMids. In November 2001, DLS delivered its first production LVT with more than 15 units delivered by year's end to support integration and testing on the F/A-18, F-16, and other U.S. platforms. The other vendors are expected to complete qualification testing and begin production deliveries in 2002. Captain John Kohut at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command is the program manager of the MIDS program and also is responsible for managing development of Link-16 and its successor, Link-22.
On 23 April 2001, a Strike Aircraft Test Squadron F/A-18C made the first Joint Precision Approach Landing System landing in testing on board the Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Testing continues; production is scheduled for 2007, with fleet introduction in 2009.
The Navy announced it will begin to integrate the Air Force-led Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) on the F/A-18E/F late in the production schedule. The Air Force-led Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) program was accelerated in late 2001, and DoD asked the Navy to study the SDB's feasibility as a naval weapon. The High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) program has enjoyed success with the Quick Bolt upgrade, which is being developed to provide HARM with in-flight updates on threat and target location from external sources.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
Successful UAV operations in Afghanistan by Central Intelligence Agency and Air Force Predators and the Global Hawk caused to Navy to reevaluate UAV requirements. Resource sponsorship moved to a new staff headed by Rear Admiral (select) Thomas Kilcline.
In the first half of 2001, Northrop Grumman received a contract for low-rate initial production for its UAV competition winner, the Fire Scout, only to face DoD hesitation later in the year. As of mid-April, the Navy was opting to forego the Fire Scout in favor of buying the Global Hawk, which also is made by Northrop Grumman. The Global Hawk falls under the mission of broad area maritime surveillance and may contribute to multimission maritime aircraft tasks in a complementary fashion.
Work on concept development of carrier and ship-borne UAVs persisted at industry sites that still are awaiting determination of the Navy's UAV roadmap. New emphasis has been placed on the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle-Navy, with the focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support rather than attack missions as envisioned originally. The Marine Corps continued to develop Dragon Eye and Dragon Warrior UAV concepts under the DoD-sponsored Advanced Concept Technology Development program.