Free Republic

Boeing has announced that it has completed delivery of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the U.S. Navy. Each aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule and within the contract budget. The aircraft were delivered to the Navy from 2007 through 2011 under a multi-year procurement (MYP) contract awarded to Boeing on Dec. 29, 2003. The Navy purchased the aircraft during fiscal years 2005-2009. Multi-year procurement contracts provide a stable production environment that enables manufacturers and suppliers to reduce cost through bulk purchasing and productivity enhancements. "Super Hornets and Growlers provide unmatched, proven and...

UK considers Rafale and F-18 as 'interim aircraft' 26 January 2012 Ministry of Defence concerns over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have led to military chiefs looking at other fast jets for the UK's aircraft carrier, it has been reported. According to The Times, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, the current commander-in-chief fleet, said concerns were growing about rising costs and delays in the JSF programme, something now worsened by order cuts from the US. Soar, who was addressing defence companies at the ADS Maritime Interest Group, reportedly said the UK might not receive the $100m per piece F-35 jets until...

“I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 (Super) Hornet” an Aussie exchange pilot says December 5, 2011 “I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 Hornet”. This alleged Australian exchange pilot’s statement is one of the most interesting outcomes (and marketing slogans) of BERSAMA LIMA 11 an exercise marking the 40th Anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA) the only multilateral defence agreement in South East Asia with an operational element commitment undertaken by five nations (UK, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia) to consult in the event of an...

Boeing Touts 'Evolution' of Its Upgraded Fighters Dubai Air Show » November 13, 2011 by Chris Pocock Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA) has stepped up its campaign to sell more F-15 and F-18 fighters, and has issued a strong warning against overreliance on leading-edge platforms such as the F-35 Stealth Fighter (produced by competitor Lockheed Martin). “The evolutionary approach is best…it’s hard to manage a revolution,” said Rick McCrary, BMA international business director. McCrary advises customers to focus instead on tactics, techniques and procedures, and the effects that they wanted to create. The F-35 program was “going down the same path”...

Boeing says Japan could produce F-18 under license (Reuters) - U.S. planemaker Boeing said local defence contractors might build F/A 18 Super Hornets under licence if Japan chose to buy the next-generation fighter jet. The comment came after the U.S. aerospace giant, along with Lockheed Martin and a consortium of European countries, submitted bids to produce Japan's next mainstay combat aircraft in a deal that could be worth up to $8 billion. Japan, which is facing a resurgent China and its growing military as well as threats from North Korea, plans to decide this year how it will replace its...

We join the Libyan people in gratefulness as we hear of Col. Gaddafi’s defeat. The fall of a tyrant and sponsor of terrorism is a great day for freedom-loving people around the world. But the path to democracy in Libya is not complete, and we must make wise choices to ensure that our national interests are protected.

Marines Already Push F-18s Past 10,000 Hours; When Will They Begin to Fail? By Carlo Munoz Cherry Point, NC: The Marine Corps is pushing some of its fighter aircraft to the breaking point, as the service waits for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Marine Corps fighter squadrons in Afghanistan are racking up thousands of flight hours on their legacy F/A-18 Hornets, going well past the 9,000-hour cap set by Naval Air Command for these older F/A-18s. Some squadrons in Afghanistan are flying combat missions with Hornets that have 10,000 hours or more, Capt. Steward Whittel, a F/A-18 pilot with Marine...

The Navy says five Growler warplanes are returning Saturday to the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station after supporting coalition forces in Libya. The Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 132 Scorpions originally deployed in November to Iraq. After March the planes took part enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya against the forces of Moammar Gadhafi. The Navy says VAQ-132 was the first EA6B Prowler squadron to transition to the Boeing-built Growler planes, a Super Hornet variant. It was the first Growler squadron to deploy and the first to conduct an entire eight-month expedition from land. Most such squadrons operate from aircraft carriers....

Will Lockheed's Rival Crash and Burn? By Rich Smith Investors know the saying: "Bulls make money, bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered." If you stumble onto a "good thing," don't get greedy -- take a fair profit. France's Dassault would be wise to heed that lesson. Yesterday, DefenseNews.com reported that Dassault has run into trouble in negotiations to sell the United Arab Emirates a fleet of Rafale fighter jets. The UAE wanted to purchase several dozen of the jets to replace its 63 French Mirage fighters. But a deal that was supposed to cost somewhere between $2.5 billion and...

STUTTGART, Germany — Following President Barack Obama’s comments during a Wednesday news conference, in which he said the U.S. is no longer carrying the bulk of NATO’s military load in Libya, there has been much back and forth about what exactly the U.S. role is in Operation Unified Protector. Set against a debate about the constitutionality of the mission, the White House has defended American engagement in the campaign. The Obama administration says the scope of the U.S. engagement is limited in nature with a special focus on providing logistical support to allies, as well has suppressing Libyan air defenses...

UPDATE 1-Boeing cites increased interest in Super Hornet * Lockheed's F-35 facing criticism over cost * Asia-Pacific, Middle East customers looking at Hornet * Boeing shares up 0.8 pct ATLANTA, May 31 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) has seen increased interest in its Super Hornet fighter jet from potential international customers as Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has faced development and cost challenges, a Boeing executive said on Tuesday. "We have definitely gotten a lot more interest," Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, told reporters. Chadwick said customers in Asia-Pacific have expressed interest in the F/A-18E/F Super...

India has told the United States that it will not be buying American for its $10-billion fighter aircraft deal. This more or less leaves the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Rafale as the only remaining contenders for the deal. The two US contenders, Boeing and Lockheed, received formal letters fr om the Indian Ministry of Defence as to why their respective aircraft, the F/A-18 Superhornet and the F-16 Superviper, did not fulfil the technical requirements of Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft contract, said US and Indian sources. Defence Minister AK Antony has been signaling privately for weeks that the Indian Air...

FRESNO, Calif. -- Naval Air Station Lemoore officials confirmed to Action News a plane has gone down near the base. Naval Air Station Lemoore officials confirmed to Action News a plane has gone down near the base. Officials said an F/A-18 aircraft crashed in a field near Naval Air Station Lemoore at approximately 12:08 p.m. Officials have not said if anyone was injured in the incident

Ten sailors were injured Wednesday when an F/A-18C Hornet suffered a catastrophic engine failure and caught fire as a pilot was preparing to take off from the carrier John C. Stennis about 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, the Navy said. None of the injuries is life-threatening... The pilot, who is with a squadron from Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, was alone in the jet. He was unhurt... The injured sailors were working on the flight deck when the incident occurred about 2:50 p.m. Pilots were training for takeoffs and landings at the time. The sailors who were...

Ten sailors were injured yesterday when a jet fighter's engine exploded as it prepared to take off from an aircraft carrier. The F/A-18C Hornet was starting a training exercise when the accident occurred on the flight deck of the USS John C. Stennis, in waters off California. Four sailors were flown to Naval Medical Center San Diego where they were in stable condition.

UNITED NATIONS — Canada is expected to take part in a UN-sanctioned mission to ground the Libyan air force and prevent it from attacking civilians as forces loyal to dictator Moammar Gadhafi continue to press rebel soldiers in the east of the strife-torn African nation.

Boeing has unveiled a series of advanced options for international customers of the F-18 E/F Super Hornet, including conformal fuel tanks, a pod for the internal carriage of weapons, an internally-mounted infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, and enhanced engine performance. The new options could be available for Super Hornets delivered from 2015 onwards, though the options can be retrofitted to Block II versions of the aircraft, says Boeing. The options are currently in the "concept definition phase."

US Defence major Boeing will unveil an advanced version of its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft here at the biennial Aero India show starting Thursday. "We are going to display a mock up of the Super Hornet international roadmap aircraft at the air show," Boeing Defence, Space and Security India head Vivek Lall told PTI here. The International Super Hornet Roadmap features futuristic enhancements made in the aircraft for international customers and would also allow them to specify their requirements to be equipped in their fighters. The Super Hornet is in the race for supplying 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA)...

A mocked up version of Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet will be among the many metal birds to debut at the upcoming Aero India 2011 Boeing, which is one of the contenders for the $10 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract, will unveil a stealthier version of the F/A-18 at the air show to be held at the Air Force Station Yelahanka between February 9 and 13. Boeing’s vice-president for defence, space and security, Vivek Lall, said that one of the two F/A-18s which will be performing at the bi-annual show will be configured with conformal fuel tanks, enhanced performance...

While the U.S. Navy has continued to make improvements to its F/A-18 electronic attack variant — the EA-18G Growler — the service has yet to prove the aircraft is suitable for operations, says a recent report by the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E). At the same time, DOT&E notes another Navy electronic warfare aircraft, the EA-6B Prowler, is suitable, despite testing limitations faced by the program. DOT&E notes “suitability problems” that were identified during Growler testing in 2008. The Navy conducted Verification of Correction of Deficiencies (VCD) testing on the EA-18G from September 2009 to January 2010...