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bobdina
09-14-2009, 01:53 PM
Future of tac-air integration unclear

By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 14, 2009 5:46:59 EDT

A pending Navy-Marine Corps study about whether to use the Marine Corps’ next-generation jump jet aboard aircraft carriers — in addition to planned usage aboard big-deck amphibs — may help resolve key questions about the Corps’ future in carrier aviation.

Experts say that adding the Corps’ F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to carrier decks would transform — and complicate — flight deck operations. Yet opting against using the jets on carriers and keeping them only on amphibious assault ships would threaten the current practice of integrating Navy and Marine tactical jets in carrier air wings.

That practice was formalized in 2002 under an agreement known as “tac-air integration” and involves Navy and Marine F/A-18 Hornets. It is unclear whether that model will continue into the age of the F-35.

The Corps is developing a short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version for amphibs, and the Navy plans a carrier variant that takes off and lands via catapults and arresting gear. Marines expect to operate F-35Bs by 2012, and the Navy plans to deploy the carrier version by 2015.

The Navy Department study of F-35Bs on carriers is underway with the goal of concluding next year, said Lt. Callie Ferrari, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon. No firm timeline for carrier-based testing has been set, she said.
New designs, new demands

As the F-35s replace Hornets on carriers, flying the STOVL and carrier variants from the same flight deck will create new challenges.

The variants demand different flight deck configurations: The Navy’s F-35C requires a traditional carrier runway; the Corps’ F-35Bs need less space for takeoff but produce intense heat and downdraft.

“It’s a tough operational question: Exactly how do you intermix the STOVL and non-STOVL aircraft?” said Navy Capt. Paul Mackley, who was the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 97 when it deployed with Marines as an expeditionary squadron in 2004 under the current tac-air agreement.

Despite the challenges, Mackley said he expects integration to continue, partly as a way to manage the “fighter gap,” the looming shortfall in fighter jets as the older F/A-18 Hornets retire faster than the F-35s will arrive to replace them.

“As the strike fighter gap occurs, and as the F/A-18Ds get older, the challenge for resources is going to drive the tactical solution,” said Mackley, operations and curriculum director for Tactical Training Group Pacific.

“We’re going to have to get a little more creative in how we fill out our air wings, in the short term at least,” Mackley said.

A Marine spokesman, Maj. Eric Dent, said the Corps supports the integration with F-35s.

“Our vision is to have F-35Bs forward-deployed on both carriers and amphibious ships, as well as with Marine units ashore,” Dent said in a written statement.

Some experts say the next-generation fighter jets will spell the end of the Navy-Marine Corps agreement.

“I think it’ll go away,” said Bob Dunn, a retired vice admiral who is now head of the Naval Aviation Association. He envisions a future with only F-35Cs on carriers.

Dunn pointed to the reduced range and payload of the STOVL variant compared with the F-35C.

“It makes a big difference in the way the carrier is operated and what it can do in the course of a day,” Dunn said.

Part of the motivation for formalizing integration in 2002 was to ensure that the Navy could fill out carrier air wings on 11 aircraft carriers, Dunn said.

If the Navy and Marine Corps opt against using the STOVL aircraft on carriers, that may affect the Navy’s total number of carriers, Dunn said.

“The Navy won’t have sufficient aircraft to man all of its carriers. The strike fighters are in short supply due to the insufficient procurement of the Super Hornets. Once the Marines get their full bag of F-35s, I think it’ll be very difficult,” Dunn said.

ghost
09-14-2009, 02:29 PM
Interesting article. But, why would they need to have the F-35Bs, on BOTH Carriers and Amphibious ships(LHDs and LHAs)? Why is this different now? Just a new concept that they want to try out?

Right now, the LHDs and LHAs are the naval platforms for Marine Corps aircraft(Harriers, Cobras, Ospreys...etc), and equipment. The Carriers(CVNs) are primarily used for naval aircraft. But there are still some Marine Corps aircrews on the ship(for F-18s and Prowlers). Why wouldn't they just leave it this way?

bobdina
09-14-2009, 03:53 PM
The Marines are getting rid of the Hornets when the Lightning II is in Corps service, except for maybe the Growler. The reason there are Marine aircraft on the carriers is the Navy does not have enough Strike fighter aircraft in their squadrons so the agreement was made to include the Corps Hornets on carriers, plus they get better air to air training in the fleet so it worked both way's. The Navy was worried if they could not fill out the strike fighter squadrons, congress would say why have all those carriers when you can't put enough planes on them.

ghost
09-14-2009, 05:38 PM
The Marines are getting rid of the Hornets when the Lightning II is in Corps service, except for maybe the Growler. The reason there are Marine aircraft on the carriers is the Navy does not have enough Strike fighter aircraft in their squadrons so the agreement was made to include the Corps Hornets on carriers, plus they get better air to air training in the fleet so it worked both way's. The Navy was worried if they could not fill out the strike fighter squadrons, congress would say why have all those carriers when you can't put enough planes on them.


Hmm. So is the Navy going to stop using the Hornets too? Because Hornets were designed as multi-role fighters, and so is the F-35C. Or does the Super Hornet have a better air-to-air capability than the original Hornet?

I understand that the Navy didn't have enough strike fighter aircraft in service. But that was back when they were still using the Tomcats, and those are out of service now. So their main air arm is the F-18.

bobdina
09-14-2009, 08:35 PM
They still don't have enough strike fighters to fill out the fleet, you have to remember as old as they are they have to go in for certain by hour maintenance and according to the Navy for the older hornets this is taking up to 6 months they are away from the fleet so there is still the shortage without Marine air.