US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Lockheed’s Skunk Works Demos Autonomy For Unmanned Loyal Wingman
Apr 11, 2017
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
| Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
  • Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
    Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

    haveraider2.jpg

    Have Raider II: Lockheed Martin

    Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
    Skunk Works has demonstrated autonomy for unmanned combat aircraft in a manned/unmanned teaming experiment supporting the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Loyal Wingman program.

    The two-week Have Raider II tests at Edwards AFB, California, involved the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and its
    Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
    Vista inflight simulator, operated by Calspan, which was used as a surrogate unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) for the demo.

    While the Have Raider I demo in 2015 focused on autonomy for advanced vehicle control, Have Raider II involved “autonomy from a battle management perspective. We wanted to put mission planning on the unmanned asset itself, instead of having that capability always being locked down onto a ground station,” says Shawn Whitcomb, Skunk Works Loyal Wingman program manager.

    Have Raider I “pushed autonomy from a vehicle standpoint, and command and control from the lead to the unmanned platform,” he says, to demonstrate autonomous formation flying, route following and rejoining, and collision avoidance using the Vista as a surrogate UCAV and an F-16 Block 50 as the lead aircraft in a manned/unmanned strike package.

    With Have Raider II in March “we demonstrated the ability for the Vista aircraft to automatically plan a ground-attack mission with itself as one of the players. It had to prioritize tasks based on priorities given by the operator and assets available to achieve the overall mission objectives,” Whitcomb says.

    “We also evaluated the system’s ability to dynamically replan. We were looking for adaptive mission execution capability,” he says. “When the vehicle saw a pop-up ground threat, it would automatically replan the mission to minimize exposure to the threat while still achieving the mission goals.”

    The tests look at contingencies such as the unmanned vehicle losing communications at a critical point in the mission. “How does mission contingency management take over, execute as planned and rejoin the network once comms are re-engaged?” Whitcomb says.

    The demo also looked at losing a particular weapon type, and how the system would replan the overall mission to achieve the objective, he says.

    For Have Raider I, the automatic vehicle control capabilities were integrated into the Vista. For Have Raider II, the Skunk Works used the Air Force Open Mission System (OMS) software standard to integrate an adjunct processor onto the Vista to host the autonomous battle management algorithms.

    “All the ability to adaptively execute the mission was on that processor,” he says. A communications gateway between the adjunct processor and the Vista’s flight control computer allowed it to work in conjunction with the advanced vehicle control capabilities added in Have Raider I.

    Instead of the Block F-16 used in the first series of tests, for the second series the Vista was connected to a virtual lead aircraft on the ground.

    Have Raider I experimented with different types of command and control, including giving the lead pilot direct control over the UCAV via the F-16’s upfront controls. The pilot could also select a preplanned mission. The UCAV would fly the mission, perform battle-damage assessment and rejoin the formation.

    “We also played with the idea of using non-verbal cues. Often when pilots go into radio silence they will use something like a wing flash [rolling 90 deg., then back] to indicate to their wingman to change stations,” he says. “We programmed that in so that, depending on mission phase, the UCAV would interpret that maneuver and execute accordingly, such as going from tactical to fighting-wing formation [from abreast to closer echelon formation],” Whitcomb says.

    Have Raider II integrated C2 from the lead aircraft with the OMS UCI (unmanned command-and-control initiative) protocol. “At the Skunk Works we are experimenting with a pilot-vehicle interface for fifth-generation cockpits that translates relatively simple pilot intent into UCI message structures that can go out to unmanned aircraft. We started to evaluate that in Have Raider II,” he says.

    “We are evaluating multiple different schemes,” ranging from touchscreens to voice recognition, says Renee Pasman, Skunk Works mission systems road maps director. “We are evaluating a number of schemes both for effectiveness in translating intent and also reducing pilot cognitive workload.”
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An explosion Tuesday at a sprawling ammunition plant near Kansas City, Missouri, killed one worker and injured four others, the U.S. Army said.

The blast at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, just east of Kansas City, occurred in a building where chemicals are mixed, Army officials. The building has been secured and rendered safe, they said, allowing investigators to begin looking into what caused the explosion.

Lt. Col. Eric B. Dennis, the plant's commander, offered his condolences to family members of the worker who died.

"Making ammunition is dangerous work and our employees risk their lives to protect the men and women in uniform," Dennis said. "This is the sacrifice they make to support our country and I am humbled by the ultimate sacrifice this employee made today."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will lead the investigation. Workplace safety experts with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration also will be looking into the blast.
 
...
F16's are on the phase out the last units will are scheduled for retirement in 2025. That number may change though ...
... as U.S. Air Force Authorizes Extended Service Life for F-16
New flight hour limit supports F-16 operational life to 2048 and beyond

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

News provided by

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Apr 12, 2017, 08:00 ET

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The U.S. Air Force authorized extending the service life of the Lockheed Martin (NYSE:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) F-16's designed service life to 12,000 Equivalent Flight Hours — far beyond the aircraft's original design service life of 8,000 hours.

Following F-16 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) structural modifications, the U.S. Air Force could safely operate Block 40-52 aircraft to 2048 and beyond. The Air Force and Lockheed Martin also reduced projected service life costs for the Block 40-52 fleet, paving the way for safe, cost-effective F-16 flight operations decades into the future.

"This accomplishment is the result of more than seven years of test, development, design, analysis and partnership between the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin," said Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 program. "Combined with F-16 avionics modernization programs like the F-16V, SLEP modifications demonstrate that the Fighting Falcon remains a highly capable and affordable 4th Generation option for the U.S. Air Force and international F-16 customers."

Validation of the extended flight hour limit directly supports the SLEP goal of extending the service life of up to 300 F-16C/D Block 40-52 aircraft. SLEP and related avionics upgrades to the Air Force's F-16C/D fleet can safely and effectively augment the current fighter force structure as U.S. and allied combat air fleets recapitalize with F-35 Lightning IIs.

A second phase, or Part II, of the F-16 SLEP airworthiness process continues with the request for Military Type Certificate (MTC), which will be submitted to the Air Force's Technical Airworthiness Authority in the coming months. Part II seeks to validate further extending the F-16's operational life based on final service life analysis from extended durability testing.

About the F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 continues to prove itself as the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft, having served with 28 customers around the world. The F-16V, the latest F-16 avionics upgrade configuration, includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security. The F-16 Block 70/72, the newest and most advanced F-16 production configuration, combines capability and structural upgrades into the most advanced F-16 production aircraft ever offered.
 
It's good to be an Air Force pilot right now! ...
... when Air Force Calls Stop-Loss 'Last Resort' to Deal with Pilot Shortage
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Faced with a growing crisis of losing more pilots to the civilian airline industry, the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
may have to use a stop-loss measure -- an involuntary extension of service -- to retain as many trained pilots as it can.

But it would do so only as a last resort, an official told Military.com on Tuesday.

"Every idea is on the table and worthy of discussion," said Col. Chris Karns, spokesman for Air Mobility Command.

His comments came after an article in CQ Roll Call quoted AMC's commander, Gen. Carlton Everhart II, saying, "I said to the industry … if we can’t meet the requirements, the chief could drop in a stop-loss -- and you need to understand that."

Karns reiterated what Everhart
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
that the industry needs to take the lead in providing options for sharing pilots.

"Pilot shortage is a problem set requiring the input of multiple stakeholders and the need to look at every available option," Karns said in an email. "While actions such as stop-loss are an absolute last resort, it is an action available to the Air Force."

Karns said it would be up to Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force headquarters staff to determine if stop-loss would be the best -- or only -- option should the airline industry not comply with more viable options.

"It is important that there is full understanding of the seriousness of this issue and the need for all parties to actively work together toward a solution," he said.

He continued, "Industry could serve as potential partners in a range of possible ideas to include sabbaticals, debt forgiveness, or possibly the establishment of simulator campuses to offset the number of flying hours required to be a commercial airline pilot. The meeting will help determine the realm of possible."

Everhart has discussed similar ideas, and hopes to bring them to the airline industry during a meeting with officials May 18 at
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
in Maryland.

Everhart said he plans to attend the meeting -- which is actually the third such get-together involving military and airline officials -- along with Goldfein, headquarters Air Force and operations personnel, airline industry representatives and regional airline officials, as well as colleagues from the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
,
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
and the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
.

Academic institutions such as Embry Riddle University, an aeronautical university specializing in aviation and aerospace, and civil reserve airfleet institutions such as FedEx or UPS may also attend, Everhart said. RAND Corp., a nonprofit institution that provides research and analysis studies on public policy, will also sit in for research purposes, he said.

"The nation cannot afford to gap or compromise national defense, Karns said. The military is a feeder system for the airlines and industry.

"It is important that people understand that secondary and tertiary effects of any decision will be looked at hard," he said.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Sea trials for MQ-8C

The US Navy has just completed a series of sea trials of the MQ-8C Fire Scout rotary-wing drone aboard the LCS-8 corvette "USS Motgomery". In seven days more than 37 deckhouses were built.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout is a rotary-wing drone developed by Northrop Grumman from a Bell 407 helicopter cell. This vehicle uses the systems developed for the MQ-8B a smaller rotary wing drone that has already been Deployed on a mission by the US Navy. Compared to the MQ-8B, the MQ-8C has a longer range (Approx. 8 hours of flight according to the US Navy), a wider range (150 nautical) and a carrying capacity Higher payload (317 kg). This vehicle is not intended to replace the US Navy's MH-60 helicopters, but to complete them. However, US vessels have been deployed with only one MQ-8B drone on board.

These tests focused on the take-off and landing phases of the MQ-8C on the Montgomery helicopter platform. The tests also assessed the interoperability of the stand-alone helicopter with the building systems. The NAVAIR, the organization responsible for the conduct of US Naval Aviation programs, explains that these tests have made it possible to define the flight envelope of the aircraft from an LCS: limits of use of the aircraft according to the roll , Pitching, strength and direction of the wind on the bridge. The electromagnetic interference of the Fire Scout control and data link system with the "Montgomery" sensors was also evaluated.

In early April 2017, the US Navy validated milestone C (Milestone) of the MQ-8C program, thus enabling the launch of the initial operational tests in the 2017 autonomy.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
... as U.S. Air Force Authorizes Extended Service Life for F-16
New flight hour limit supports F-16 operational life to 2048 and beyond

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

News provided by

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Apr 12, 2017, 08:00 ET

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
"Validation of the extended flight hour limit directly supports the SLEP goal of extending the service life of up to 300 F-16C/D Block 40-52 aircraft. SLEP and related avionics upgrades to the Air Force's F-16C/D fleet can safely and effectively augment the current fighter force structure as U.S. and allied combat air fleets recapitalize with F-35 Lightning II"
300 F16C/D Block 40-52 Aircraft... They should call them Spartan Vipers. which is down from the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
out of about 960 units in US service at their height. So down below a Third of there current force will be operational out to 2048.
Of those 300 a number will be reserve birds, a number will likely be used by the 18th, 64th Aggressor squadron and United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program AKA Top Gun. that would easily eat up 42 SLEP F16, figure on the USAF Thunderbirds for 56 out of that 300 units going to non combat missions leaving maybe 200 operational combat Vipers.
The USAF has about 1770 F35 units intended for it's future force with the Production line likely to be open past 2050.
 
Last edited:

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Navy Hopes to Stay in Front of Russian & Chinese Submarine Advances
1ce18e0.jpg

KRIS OSBORN
04/04/2017

Navy analysis now says the service can increase the pace of construction for new Virginia-class attack submarines to better keep pace with Russian and Chinese undersea advances.

The Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries have completed initial Sea Trials for the newest Virginia-class submarine as part of a broader plan to bring new submarine technology to the fleet and accelerate attack submarine acquisition to address an anticipated shortfall.

“The ship and its crew performed exceptionally well,” Matt Needy, Newport News’ vice president of submarines and fleet support said in a written statement.

All systems, components and compartments of the new Washington (SSN 787) were tested during the trials.

"The submarine submerged for the first time and operated at high speeds on the surface and underwater. Washington will undergo a round of acceptance trials before delivery to the Navy by Newport News," a Newport News shipbuilding statement said.

Virginia-Class Attack Submarine Acceleration

News of developments with the Washington comes as Navy leaders now say it will be possible to build more Virginia-class attack submarines at a faster pace than currently planned as part of an aggressive move to address and counter Russian and Chinese submarine expansion.

Senior Navy officials and industrial partners say there is an ability to build 2 Virginia-class submarines per year once production of the Ohio Replacement Program nuclear-armed submarines begins in the 2020s.

The current status-quo effort to build two Virginia-Class boat per year, however, will drop to one as construction of the new Columbia-class nuclear armed ballistic missile submarines begins in the early 2020s.

Last year, the Navy completed a special analysis of strategic imperatives and industrial base capacity on the issue; service leaders said the analytic underpinning now exists to support the possibility of building two Virginia attack-class submarines once construction of the Columbia-class submarines begins.

Navy developers explain that Congressional budget approvals and additional developments will need to happen in order for this plan to formally go forward, but that the ability to accomplish this was there. The acquisition success of the Virgina-class submarine program, Navy leaders say, isone of the key reasons why the ability to build more would be possible.


His comments are of particular value and significance as many have previously raised the question as to whether the submarine-building industrial base would have the capacity to accomplish this.
Navy leaders have consistently talked about an expected submarine shortfall in the mid 2020s and that more attack submarines were needed to strengthen the fleet and keep stay in front of near-peer rivals such as Russia and China. Building two Virginia-class submarines in the 2020s would address at least 30-percent of this expected shortfall.

Addressing the US Navy submarine shortage is now of critical or growing importance given China's growing ability to hit the United States with a nuclear-armed missile. The Navy, naturally, seeks to maintain its considerable technological advantage in the undersea domain, something which could increasingly be challenged in coming years. In particular, Navy leaders have consistently expressed concerns that China now has the maritime ability to strike directly at the US homeland.

Virginia-class technology, including quieting abilities, Large Aperture Bow sonar and increased Tomahawk firepower with the upcoming integration of Virginia Payload Modules -- can likely help Navy submarines challenge or overcome anti-access/area-denial challenges posed by potential adversaries.

The Navy is still working on its 2018 five-year spending plan called a Program Objective Memorandum, or POM. Navy officials tell Scout Warrior the POM deliberations will be "open" until the President formally submits next year's service budget proposal.

US_Navy_111028-N-XK202-069_Sailors_assigned_to_the_Virginia-class_attack_submarine_Pre-Commissioning_Unit_California_%28SSN_781%29_board_the_boat_as_t.jpg




The Virginia-Class Submarines are built by a cooperative arrangement between the Navy and Electric Boat, a subsidiary of General Dynamics and Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Each industry partner constructs portions or “modules” of the submarines which are then melded together to make a complete vessel, industry and Navy officials explained.

Various sub-building industry executives have indicated that this might be possible. One industry source told Scout Warrior that the submarine building community would support whatever the Navy and Congress call for.

“We’ll support Navy programs,” the source said.

Navy Leaders Want More Attack Submarines

The prospect of an acceleration comes as Navy commanders tell Congress they would like to see the fast arrival of more Virginia-Class attack submarines added to the Pacific Fleet.

Pacific Commander Harry Harris told Congress last year that he would like to see more submarines in his area of operations.

“The Pacific is the principle space where submarines are the most important warfighting capability we have. As far as Virginia-Class submarines, it is the best thing we have,” Harris told lawmakers in 2016. “As I mentioned before, we have a shortage in submarines. My submarine requirement is not met in PACOM (Pacific Command).”

maxresdefault%20%283%29.jpg


With their technological edge and next-generation sonar, the platform can successfully perform crucially important intelligence and surveillance mission in high-risk areas inaccessible to surface ships. For this reason, Virginia-Class attack submarines are considered indispensable to the ongoing Pentagon effort to overcome what’s talked about in terms of Anti-Access/Area-Denial wherein potential adversaries use high-tech weaponry and sensors to prevent U.S. forces from operating in certain strategically vital areas.

TBC
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Virginia-Class Attack Submarine Technology

Virginia-Class subs are fast-attack submarines armed with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes and other weapons able to perform a range of missions; these include anti-submarine warfare, strike warfare, covert mine warfare, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), anti-surface/ship warfare and naval special warfare, something described as having the ability to carry and insert Special Operations Forces, Navy program managers have said.

Compared to prior Navy attack subs like the Los Angeles-Class, the Virginia-Class submarines are engineered to bring vastly improved littoral warfare, surveillance and open ocean capabilities, service officials said.

For instance, the ships can be driven primarily through software code and electronics, thus freeing up time and energy for an operator who does not need to manually control each small maneuver. This allows submarine commanders additional flexibility, meaning that can be in shallow water or periscope depth for longer periods of time without being detected, Navy developers said.

The Virginia-Class submarine are engineered with this “Fly-by-Wire” capability which allows the ship to quietly linger in shallow waters without having to surface or have each small move controlled by a human operator. Developers explain that, while a person is always in the loop, software is used to control the rudder to maintain a certain course or depth.

Also, unlike their predecessor-subs, Virginia-Class subs are engineered with what’s called a “Lock Out Trunk” – a compartment in the sub which allows special operations forces to submerge beneath the water and deploy without requiring the ship to surface, service officials explained.

The Block III Virginia-Class submarines also have what’s called a Large Aperture Bow conformal array sonar system – designed to send out an acoustic ping, analyze the return signal, and provide the location and possible contours of enemy ships, submarines and other threats.

Unlike their “SSBN” Ohio-Class counterparts armed with nuclear weapons, the Virginia-Class “SSN” ships are purely for conventional attack, Navy officials said.
Thus far, more than ten Virginia-Class subs have been delivered to the Navy. Like other programs, the Virginia-Class submarines are broken up into procurement “Blocks.”

Blocks I and II totaling ten ships, have already been delivered.

The program has also delivered its first Block III Virginia-Class Submarine, the USS North Dakota.

The Block III subs are being built with new so-called Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase capability.
Instead of building what most existing Virginia-Class submarines have -- 12 individual 21-inch in diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk missiles – the Block III submarines are being built with two larger 87-inch in diameter tubes able to house six Tomahawk missiles each.

The idea with this plan is to allow the missile tubes to accommodate any new weapons, other than Tomahawk, which may emerge.

Although the new tubes were conceived and designed as part of what the Navy calls its “Design for Affordability” strategy to lower costs, the move also brings strategic advantages to the platform, service officials say.

Also, for Block V construction, the Navy is planning to insert a new 97-foot long section designed to house additional missile capability. In fact, the Navy has already finished its Capabilities Development Document, or CDD, for what’s called the “Virginia Payload Modules.”

The Block V Virginia Payload Modules, or VPM, will add a new “module” or section of the submarine, increasing its Tomahawk missile firing capability from 12 to 40.

The idea is to have additional Tomahawk or other missile capability increased by 2026, when the “SSGN” Ohio-Class Guided Missile Submarines start retiring in larger numbers, Navy planners say.

Navy engineers have been working on requirements and early designs for a new, 70-foot module for the Virginia-class submarines engineered to house an additional 28 Tomahawk missiles.

While designed primarily to hold Tomahawks, the VPM missile tubes are engineered such that they could accommodate a new payload, new missile or even a large unmanned underwater vehicle, Navy officials said.

The reason for the Virginia Payload Modules is clear; beginning in the 2020s, the Navy will start retiring four large Ohio-class guided-missile submarines able to fire up to 154 Tomahawk missiles each. This will result in the Navy losing as much as 60-percent of undersea fire power capability.

From 2002 to 2008 the U.S. Navy modified four of its oldest nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarines by turning them into ships armed with only conventional missiles -- the USS Ohio, USS Michigan, USS Florida and USS Georgia. They are called SSGNs, with the “G” designation for “guided missile.”

Shipbuilders currently working on Block III boats at Newport News Shipyard, Va., say Block V will involve a substantial addition to the subs.

Block V will take another cylindrical section and insert it in the middle of the submarine so it will actually lengthen the submarine a little and provide some additional payload capability, Huntington Ingalls Industries executives said.

The first Block V submarine is slated to begin construction in fiscal year 2019, Navy officials said.
Early prototyping work on the Virginia Payload Modules is already underway and several senior Navy leaders, over the years, have indicated a desire to accelerate production and delivery of this technology – which will massively increase fire-power on the submarines.

Virginia-Class Acquisition Success
The official baseline for production of Virginia-Class submarines calls for construction of 30 boats, Navy officials told Scout Warrior. However, over the years, many Navy officials have said this number could very well increase, given the pace of construction called for by the Navy’s official 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan.
The submarines are being built under a Dec. 22, 2008, the Navy awarded a contract for eight Virginia Class submarines. The third contract for the Virginia Class, or Block III, covering hulls numbered 784 through 791 -- is a $14 billion Multi-Year Procurement, Navy officials said.

USS_North_Dakota_%28SSN-784%29_at_sea_in_August_2014.JPG

Multi-year deals are designed to decrease cost and production time by, in part, allowing industry to shore up supplies in advance and stabilize production activities over a number of years.

The first several Block IV Virginia-Class submarines are under construction as well -- the USS Vermont and the USS Oregon. The Navy awarded General Dynamics' Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding a $17.6 billion deal to build 10 Block IV subs with the final boat procured in 2023.
Also, design changes to the ship, including a change in the materials used for the submarines' propulsor, will enable Block IV boats to serve for as long as 96-months between depots visits or scheduled maintenance availabilities, service and industry officials have said.

As a result, the operations and maintenance costs of Block IV Virginia-Class submarines will be much lower and the ships will be able to complete an additional deployment throughout their service live. This will bring the number of operational deployments for Virginia-class submarines from 14 up to 15, Navy submarine programmers have explained.

Overall, the Virginia-Class Submarine effort has made substantive progress in reducing construction time, lowering costs, and delivering boats ahead of schedule, Navy leaders say.

At least six Virginia Class Submarines have been delivered ahead of schedule, Navy officials said.

The program’s current two-boats per year production schedule, for $4 billion dollars, can be traced back to a 2005 challenge issued by then Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen. As mentioned, deliberations are already underway to consider stepping up this production schedule.

Mullen challenged the program to reduce production costs by 20-percent, saying that would allow the Navy to build two VCS-per year. This amounted to lowering the per-boat price of the submarines by as much as $400 million dollars each.

This was accomplished through a number of efforts, including an effort called “capital” investments wherein the Navy partnered with industry to invest in ship-building methods and technologies aimed at lowering production costs.

Other cost-reducing factors were multi-year contract awards, efforts to streamline production and work to reduce operations and sustainment, or O&S costs, Navy officials explained.

The U.S. Navy is working to adjust the documentation paperwork regarding the size of its fleet of Virginia Class Submarines, changing the ultimate fleet size from 30 to about 51 ships, service officials have said.
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
300 F16C/D Block 40-52 Aircraft... They should call them Spartan Vipers. which is down from the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
out of about 960 units in US service at their height. So down below a Third of there current force will be operational out to 2048.
Of those 300 a number will be reserve birds, a number will likely be used by the 18th, 64th Aggressor squadron and United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program AKA Top Gun. that would easily eat up 42 SLEP F16, figure on the USAF Thunderbirds for 56 out of that 300 units going to non combat missions leaving maybe 200 operational combat Vipers.
The USAF has about 1770 F35 units intended for it's future force with the Production line likely to be open past 2050.

Some yet mention long service life of F-16 to 12000 h can influence eventual nothing sure i precise ANG F-15 retirement, 140 in 6 Sqns on 260, USAF Almanach/mag may 2016 268 in service but 10 sold to Israel new Mag with number soon :p
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
page 35

Active get 120 F-15C/D especialy in 3 combatt. sqns, ANG have 340 S-16 in 15 Sqns, AF Reserve 57 in 3, Active which have also all in stock have 560 in 13 combatt. sqns in more Agressor Sqn can be used.

Not for 2020 minimum but i hope if eventualy i hope not ANG retire these 140 F-15C/Ds they replace by new or stocked F-16 ... in addition they get for this date 72 retired in 3 Sqns replaced by F-35A but don' t make sense etired F-15 yet about half have received new AESA radars :rolleyes:

But in this case coz range F-15 get a clearly more long range necessary for cover airspave have more units, bases by ex for cover the Western Coast area actualy 3 F-15 units necessary have 4 of F-16.
It is clear now USAF can't reasonnably decrease the size of her fighter Fleet of 6 Sqns ! ... after many cuts initialy logic but much more doubtfull after in addition depite rattached to a Guar many thinks reserve units but they are used in fact almost as active units often overseas déployer a US peculiarity in all other country reserve units have a low readiness and outdated Equipment so these in fact 5 sqns less OCU are completely overseas deployable for Rfts in war time.
 
Last edited:
Top