ANAers!!

Lots of news articles, many being observations and reports of issues being raised in the budget process.  The following seventeen pages try to capture the content of the reports in a chronological manner.  As anyone who has watched the processes up close will tell, it’s interesting how some issues change with time, even in a short time. 

The plate is full and everything is being spoken about – helos, carriers, strike fighters, HAWKEYEs, everything seems to be on the table.  As you can see from the breadth of issues, all of Naval Aviation is being scrutinized.  

Now is the time to be sure our public – our fellow citizens – know of the criticality of naval Aviation and the paramount issues now being worked in the budget process.  AND now is the time for that public and each one of us to work toward being sure our elected legislators know of our understanding and support for all of our Naval Aviation issues – Naval Aviation is the tip of the spear throughout the world and we need to work hard to make sure it has all the resources it needs to maintain our national security in this terribly trouble world. 

AND – Commander, Naval Air Forces has issued their first newsletter about the 2011 100^th Anniversary of Naval Aviation!

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FROM THE CENTENNIAL OF NAVAL AVIATION STAFF

All, 

The United States Navy is pleased to announce that 2011 marks the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation.  We, the members of the Centennial of Naval Aviation Staff, are coordinating an exciting celebration with events throughout the year to educate the American public and honor a century of aviation achievements.  

Enclosed in this email you will find a .pdf newsletter "A Centennial of Naval Aviation".  This newsletter is the first in a series of Centennial newsletters to be published between now and the end of 2011.  Please distribute as you see fit. 

This important Anniversary marks 100 years of aircraft operations by the United States sea services.  We are planning a number of events throughout calendar year 2011 to mark this achievement. As that schedule comes together, we will keep you updated. 

Our staff is coordinating the planning and execution of the Centennial with a large number of regional representatives from the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and NASA.  In addition, we are liaising with the Centennial of Naval Aviation Foundation and a number of other organizations, museums, and individuals that are genuinely interested in helping us celebrate. We also look forward to your involvement. 

We take great pleasure forwarding our first issue of the Centennial newsletter.  

We're looking forward to a great Centennial year! 

Very Respectfully,

Centennial of Naval Aviation Staff

Commander, Naval Air Forces (N00CoNA)

PO Box 357051

NAS North Island

San Diego, CA 92135-7051

 

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HSL-51 In Elite Class With Good Safety Record

(STARS AND STRIPES 09 JUN 09)

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 51 flew its 110,000th consecutive flight hour without a Class A mishap on Monday.

The unit from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, is the third of 14 HSL or HSM squadrons worldwide to currently hold that distinction.

The Navy defines a Class A mishap as one that results in at least $1 million worth of damage, or injury leading to death or permanent total disability.

Three such incidents have occurred in the Navy so far this fiscal year, according to officials. Since its establishment in October 1991, HSL-51 has not had a Class A mishap, Navy officials said.

 Why A New Marine One?

No. 1 Need: Protect The Commander In Chief

(WASHINGTON TIMES 07 JUN 09) ... Lt. Col. Richard Eugene Peasley

"Semper Fidelis," the official motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, means "Always Faithful" - an expression of loyalty and commitment to our Marine comrades in arms. In the spirit of our motto, "Semper Fi," I am concerned over the current plan to terminate the VH-71 Marine One Presidential Helicopter program.

I had the privilege of flying the president of the United States during my time as commander of the Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). The Marine One helicopter is no more a typical VIP helicopter than Air Force One is a typical Boeing 747. Protecting the safety and security of the commander in chief is a tremendously important national-security obligation. It is a huge mistake to think of the Marine One helicopter as simply a presidential perk; it is a vital piece of sophisticated military hardware to serve the Office of the President, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.

The current aircraft serving the president are approaching their fifth decade of service, predating Sept. 11, 2001. Sadly, the world is different today than it was in the 1970s, when the aircraft entered service. Newer aircraft, such as the VH-71 offer modern safety features, such as the ability to fly away even if the aircraft loses an engine - a requirement that did not exist in the 1960s and '70s.

In addition to added safety and increased performance, the VH-71 offers modern security features that are appropriate for the current operational environment.

In this Marine's humble opinion, there is no place for politics when it comes to protecting the president, but unfortunately, the VH-71 is ensnarled in a political debate: How can the president fly in an expensive new helicopter in this economy when he is asking others to make sacrifices? Pentagon and congressional leaders should not allow the president to be in this position. It should not be his decision - he must be protected, and it is hard to put a price tag on that protection.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is right to raise issue with the growth in requirements and the escalating costs of the program. But the VH-71 is the helicopter the Navy and Pentagon purchased after an open and heated competition, and the American taxpayer already has invested more than $3 billion in the program. Multiple Defense Department and Navy program reviews have continued to identify the VH-71 as the correct helicopter for this mission. Nine helicopters have been built and flown and are in the final stages of testing, integration and evaluation. The VH-71 is an excellent helicopter and the right one for the job because it is both mature and modern - an important balance - offering the benefits of advanced technology, safety and security in a proven military platform.

Even when announcing the termination of the VH-71 program, Mr. Gates said the president needs a new helicopter and that the Pentagon would start a review of the requirements. It seems there is a reasonable approach that is being overlooked: Evaluate the requirements for future VH-71 purchases without canceling the existing program.

It is important to remember that the first phase of the VH-71, even before you get to the more robust increment, is significantly better than the current operational aircraft.

It is my hope that good ol' common sense will prevail in this debate and that Congress and the Pentagon will do the right thing from both national-security and fiscal-responsibility standpoints. We have an obligation to protect the safety and security of our president - period. While terminating the VH-71 might serve some use politically, it is an unwise decision when you consider the facts and potential implications. Semper Fi.

(Retired Lt. Col. Richard Eugene Peasley is a former commander of the Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1).)

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Admiral: ‘Intense’ Discussions Surround New Marine One Options

(INSIDE THE NAVY 15 JUN 09) ... Christopher J. Castelli

The Navy is engaged in “intense” discussions as it prepares options for the new presidential helicopter program for Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter, according to Rear Adm. Steven Eastburg, the program executive officer for air antisubmarine warfare, assault and special mission programs.

The department needs to identify what the road ahead will be and assemble an acquisition strategy that complies with the law and guidance from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the admiral told sister publication Inside the Pentagon June 8 in a brief interview.

“Those discussions are under way,” Eastburg said. “It’s very much a part of intense dialogue right now.” The Navy is reviving the VXX moniker for the program, eschewing the VH-71 name tied to the recently terminated effort by Lockheed Martin to develop a U.S. version of the European EH-101.

In addition to canceling both increments of the VH-71 program, a pithy May 15 acquisition decision memorandum signed by Carter includes 78 words about developing a successor to the program. ITP reviewed a copy of the internal document.

“Because there remains the need to replace the current fleet of Presidential Helicopters, I direct the Navy to present to me within 30 days, its plan to develop options for a Presidential Helicopter replacement program,” Carter writes. “As part of its plan, the Navy will describe the steps it will take to retain those technologies currently undergoing development and evaluation as part of the VH-71 Program that present potential benefit to other programs, and options for the disposition of program assets.”

Eastburg declined to comment on the memo. “Right now we’re following the very specific guidance that we’ve been given,” he said. Dates for decisions about the program are driven by the leadership of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the admiral added. Carter is going to give the Navy specific direction “in the weeks ahead,” which will help officials understand where the department is going with the program, Eastburg said.

On May 20, before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, Gates said one idea is the VH-71 might be succeeded by two different helicopters -- one to fly the president short distances and on regular U.S. trips, and another, more-robust “escape” aircraft “that could perhaps be a modified kind of helicopter that we use now in combat.” The Pentagon would look at “a lot of different ideas,” he added.

Asked if the Navy is mulling the dual-aircraft idea, Eastburg replied, “Well, we’re going to follow any guidance SECDEF has, and Dr. Carter and the chain of command.”

A team comprised of Lockheed, AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter Textron won the VH-71 competition in January 2005, beating Sikorsky, which submitted a bid based on its S-92 helicopter. The program was divided into two phases; the first increment included five helicopters and the second 18 to 23 helicopters. But the lack of communication between the White House, the Navy, Marines and industry doomed the program’s high-risk schedule, which also precluded standard engineering reviews, the Defense Science Board recently concluded. When cost estimates soared to as much as $13 billion, the Obama administration let fly its budget ax.

A June 5 Congressional Research Service report says one option officials are mulling for the new program would maintain competition between two contractors such as Lockheed and Sikorsky through the preliminary design review (PDR). This option would also include the purchase of 27 aircraft -- four test aircraft and 23 production aircraft. For this plan, the Navy estimates the production aircraft might achieve initial operational capability around fiscal year

2024, and full operational capability around FY-26, the report says.

The Navy estimates the acquisition cost of such a program at $10 billion to $17 billion, depending on the operational requirements that are established, and not including sunk costs of the VH-71 program of more than $3 billion, the report notes. This includes the cost of reviewing requirements, doing a new analysis of alternatives, and keeping two contractors through PDR, but not the cost of operating 19 old helicopters until replacements arrive.

Four other potential options include continuing with the VH-71 program in more or less the current form, restructuring the program to buy only 23 increment I aircraft, restructuring the program to buy only 19 increment I aircraft or shunning any new procurement in favor of simply upgrading existing helicopters, the report states.

Sikorsky-made VH-3D and VH-60 helicopters comprise the current presidential fleet. As ITP has previously reported, the Navy is striving to cut the weight of existing White House helicopters to ensure they remain light enough to do the job while also pressing ahead with plans to develop new rotor blades for the VH-3D.

“Well, obviously we’re very interested in what we can do to sustain the legacy fleet,” Eastburg said. “That’s something we need to do. The legacy fleet will be around for awhile. And we need to make sure that we continue to make investments like we do for all platforms, ensuring that remains a very safe and reliable platform for the president.”

Eastburg declined to comment on whether the V-22 Osprey might be considered for the VXX mission. There are “a lot of different opportunities” and “a lot of platforms that are available to us that would be part of this whole process,” he said.

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Presidental Helicopter May Not Be Dead

(CNN 15 JUN 09) ... Broadcast Clip

A new plan to build the Presidential Helicopter fleet in this country. A U.S. helicopter maker trying to revive its bid to build the helicopters.

 

CRS Report: New Presidential Helo Fleet Priced At $10 To $17 Billion

(INSIDE THE NAVY 08 JUN 09) ... Rebekah Gordon

A Successor presidential helicopter replacement program following the recent cancellation of the VH-71 effort could produce 23 new aircraft by 2026 and cost between $10 and $17 billion depending on requirements, according to a recent report provided to Congress.

The June 3 report -- titled “VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program: Background and Issues for Congress” and written by Ronald O’Rourke, a naval analyst for the Congressional Research Service -- states that a new program could maintain a competition through preliminary design review to procure 27 aircraft, four of which would be test aircraft that would not enter service. Under this approach, O’Rourke writes, the Navy estimates the program could achieve initial operational capability around fiscal year 2024 and full operational capability around FY-26.

“The production aircraft would presumably be intended to meet all of the operational requirements established for the new program, which might equate to something less than, equal to, or greater than the operational requirements in the VH-71,” O’Rourke writes.

According to the report, the Navy estimates the cost of the program to be between $10 and $17 billion, depending on operational requirements, and exclusive of any costs of extending the service lives of the current fleet in the meantime. The figure also would not include the $3.2 billion the service has already spent on the VH-71 program; House Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has called for the Navy to find a way to leverage those spent dollars. (See related story.)

The VH-71 program, meant to replace the VH-3D and VH-60N fleet of 19 aircraft built in the 1970s and late 1980s, respectively, has become a lightening rod, an example of a program over cost and behind schedule. Earlier this year, President Obama called the effort -- which doubled in price from $6.5 billion to about $13 billion -- acquisition “gone amok.” The Defense Department notified Congress that the cost growth triggered a Nunn-McCurdy breach in January, subjecting the program to review and cancellation unless certified for continuation by the defense secretary.

The program, which was developed after the Sept. 11 attacks, was to be divided into two phases; five helicopters in the first increment, which had an initial operational capability of April 2011, and a second, more expensive and advanced increment of up to 23 helicopters with an initial operational capability of 2017.

The Navy’s FY-10 budget request includes $85.2 million for terminating the program and to fund the early steps of development of a new program. In addition to the $3.2 billion already spent, the Navy stated in February it would cost $555 million overall to terminate the VH-71 program including $405 million for Increment 1 and $150 million for Increment 2.

The report notes that instead of pursuing a new program, the Navy could consider producing 23 Increment 1 aircraft, the five that have already been produced as well as 18 more. Doing so, O’Rourke notes, would meet some, but not all, of the operational requirements of VH-71.

The estimates for building 23 Increment 1 aircraft are about $9.4 billion, “including Increment 2 termination costs and sunk costs on the VH-71 program of more than $3 billion, leaving a potential net cost going forward of less than $6.4 billion,” he writes. The figure does not include the costs for keeping the current fleet of 19 in service until these can be delivered.

A similar alternative would procure 19 Increment 1 aircraft, with the five already produced as well as 14 more, creating a new fleet identical in size to its predecessor. During hearings and interviews last week, several members of

Congress advocated for this option.

The report also outlines a cost figure of $4.4 billion associated with a service life extension program for the 19 current helicopters. The VH-60Ns would have their service lives extended from 10,000 flight hours to 12,000 flight hours, and the VH-3Ds would have their service lives extended from 14,000 hours to 16,000 hours, both providing a little less than seven more years of operation, according to the report.

The Navy estimates the cost of this SLEP at $4.4 billion, “including VH-71 program termination costs and sunk costs on the VH-71 program pf more than $3 billion, leaving a net cost going forward of less than $1.4 billion.”

The $4.4 billion figure became its own subject of controversy in hearings last week, with lawmakers citing it as evidence that it would add significant additional cost to cancel the program and extend the service life of the current fleet rather than continue with Increment 1 of the program.

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Murtha To Navy: Find Way To Leverage $3.2b Already Spent On VH-71

(INSIDE THE NAVY 08 JUN 09) ... Rebekah Gordon

The Navy must figure out a way to leverage the $3.2 billion it has already spent in research and development of the canceled VH-71 presidential helicopter, the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee said last week, calling it “unacceptable” to do otherwise.

His concerns over the true cost of canceling the program were echoed by several lawmakers last week, who are pushing to continue with a first increment of the program.

“We’re still trying to figure out if there’s not a way we can use some of this money that we’ve already spent on research and get some benefit out of this research,” Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) said at June 3 subcommittee hearing on the Navy’s fiscal year 2010 budget request. “This is unacceptable that we would spend so much money and get nothing out of it.”

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, who testified before the House panel, told reporters following the hearing that it was too soon to know if or how the Navy might put the already-spent money to use.

“This happened two days ago,” Roughead said, referring to the notification given by the Navy to prime contractor Lockheed Martin on June 1 that officially terminated the program. “We have the money there to study the way ahead and we’ll have to take a look to see what the right way forward will be.”

The Navy’s FY-10 budget request includes $85.2 million for terminating the program and to fund the early steps of development of a new presidential helicopter program.

The VH-71 program, meant to replace the VH-3D and VH-60N fleet of 19 aircraft built in the 1970s and late 1980s, respectively, has become a lightening rod, an example of a program over cost and behind schedule. Earlier this year, President Obama called the effort -- which doubled in price from $6.5 billion to about $13 billion -- acquisition “gone amok.” In January, the Defense Department notified Congress that the cost growth triggered a Nunn-McCurdy breach, subjecting the program to review and cancellation unless certified for continuation by the defense secretary.

The program, which was developed after the Sept. 11 attacks, was to be divided into two phases; five helicopters in the first increment, which had an initial operational capability of April 2011, and a second, more expensive and advanced increment of up to 23 helicopters with an initial operational capability of 2017.

According to a June 3 Congressional Research Service report titled “VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program: Background and Issues for Congress,” in addition to the $3.2 billion already spent, the Navy stated in February it would cost $555 million overall to terminate the VH-71 program including $405 million for Increment 1 and $150 million for Increment 2. The report also outlines a cost figure of $4.4 billion associated with a service life extension program for the 19 current helicopters. (See related story.)

In a bid to avoid an all-out cancellation of the program and capitalize on the $3.2 billion spent, Lockheed indicated in March that it could deliver a fleet 19 of VH-71s based solely on Increment 1 -- the five production aircraft already built and 14 more -- by 2107 for $6.8 billion.

But in announcing the FY-10 budget request in April, Gates dismissed suggestions to build only the first increment of the new helicopters and cancel the second.

“I believe this is neither advisable nor affordable,” he said at the time.

Lockheed had since stated that it is complying with the termination request.

However, some lawmakers are intent on pursuing the 19 aircraft suggestion, including Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), who is likely to become the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee if Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) is confirmed as Army secretary.

In a June 4 conference call with reporters organized by the Lexington Institute, a think tank that advocates for the private sector, Bartlett said he was in favor of producing the 19 Increment 1 aircraft to “capitalize on the tremendous investment that’s already been made.

Bartlett had strong words for the cancellation move, stating that Gates “acted outside of his prerogative in simply canceling this program with no consultation to the Congress,” adding that he wasn’t sure if the cancellation move was “morally or legally” what the Navy should have done.

“This really is going to cost a whole lot more money, and for quite a long while the president will be flying around in an inadequate helicopter,” Bartlett said.

He added that he had been “assured” by subcontractor AgustaWestland, who had a subcontract with Lockheed Martin for building the VH-71 airframe, could “do their part of it well within the $6.8 billion original forecast” for a 19-aircraft Increment 1 program at a firm fixed price.

“We know exactly what it’s going to cost to make that helicopter,” Dan Hill, an AgustaWestland spokesperson, confirmed. “And we know we can deliver our portion for that cost.”

Assembled at Lockheed’s facility in Owego, NY, the VH-71cancellation plan has also been met with resistance from New York state’s lawmakers, particularly subcommittee member Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) whose district includes Owego. Job cuts are expected at the facility; Hinchey is also aiming to keep Increment 1 in place.

In a statement issued June 2, Hinchey noted that the decision on the program rests with Congress and that “the administration is ignoring the fact that it would be far more costly to cancel the program and rebid it than it would be to continue the construction of the helicopters currently being produced by Lockheed Martin.”

Connecticut lawmakers, meanwhile, who represent the home state for Sikorksy Aircraft, the maker of the existing fleet, have voiced their hope for a competition for a new replacement program.

Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Murtha expressed his support to hanging onto Increment 1 as well.

“If I had my way, we’re going to figure out a way to spend some of that $3.2 billion to build the one version that’s

 But the chief appropriator’s wishes were doused with a touch of fiscal restraint.

New Ops Nickname For EA-18G

(NAVY TIMES 09 JUN 09) ... Andrew Tilghman

   The Navy’s EA-18G Growler has a new name — at least on the radio.

The new electronic attack aircraft that joined the fleet last year will be known as a “Grizzly” on carrier decks worldwide.

The nickname “Growler” sounds too much like the EA-6B “Prowler,” its electronic attack predecessor, and the Navy wanted to avoid any confusion on flight decks.

“The names ‘Growler’ and ‘Prowler’ were too close to be safe,” said Kim Martin, a Navy spokeswoman at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

“ ‘Grizzly’ is a name that doesn’t sound like any other name,” she said.

The Boeing-made aircraft will continue on with Growler as its primary nickname. It will be known as a Grizzly only in operational situations.

The usage will be similar to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets’ operational moniker, the “Rhino.”

The formal operational name comes just a few months after the Growler began conducting its first carrier-based operations on the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan.

The first Growler squadron, Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 132, may be ready for deployment later this year, Martin said.

Grizzly is a common name in military circles. NATO refers to a Russian-made surface-to-air weapons system as the SA-17 Grizzly, and the military contractor Blackwater manufactures a 22-ton urban assault vehicle known as the Grizzly APC, or armored personnel carrier.

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One P-3 Squadron Comes Home, While Another Joins The Flock

(FLORIDA TIMES-UNION 11 JUN 09) ... Timothy J. Gibbons

The pirate flag high atop the big reconnaissance plane snapped in the breeze as the P-3 pulled to a stop in front of the newest hangar at Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

The flag was an appropriate symbol: The plane and its squadron — a group known as the Fighting Tigers — has just returned from a six-month deployment that included fighting pirates off the coast of Africa.

The most high-profile moment of the deployment came when one of the Djibouti-based aircraft was the first to reach the Maersk Alabama, the hijacked American vehicle held for four days before Navy SEALS killed the pirates who seized it.

“It was very rewarding,” the squadron’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Sean Liedman,  said about the mission, noting that the unit’s actions usually occur outside the spotlight.

The spotlight was on the Fighting Tigers again Wednesday as the squadron not only returned from its deployment but officially moved into its new home, with control of the unit transferred to Jacksonville-based Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11.

The Tigers moved to Jacksonville from Wing 5 in Brunswick, Maine, as part of that base being shuttered.

For Capt. Jim Hoke,  commodore of Wing 5, Wednesday was a bit bittersweet.

“It was a phenomenal display and it’s great to see them come home,” he said. But the Tigers’ transfer presages the beginning of the end in Maine: Three more squadrons will be transferring to Jacksonville in the coming months, and the Brunswick station is already beginning to look a bit empty.

It was an action-packed day for Wing 11. Earlier, the wing welcomed home the Wild Foxes, a squadron returning from six months split between Japan and El Salvador.

The detachment based in El Salvador had its own headline-grabbing moment last week when it helped in the search for wreckage for survivors from the Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

“It’s our role to support our friends and allies,” said Cmdr. Wes Naylor,  the squadron’s commanding officer. “Search-and-rescue is a core mission of the P-3.”

Two crews worked 10 to 11 hour days for three days, Lt. Cmdr. Andy Barlow  said, clearing more than 25,000 square miles of ocean.

With the two squadrons back home, Jacksonville is well on its way to becoming the P-3 capital of the East Coast, a situation that Capt. Kyle Cozad,  commodore of Wing 11, sees as a good thing for Jacksonville.

Officials Explain Growth In Fighter Gap Totals  (also see a subsequent article dated 13JUN – Dutch)

(NAVY TIMES 10 JUN 09) ... Andrew Tilghman The aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornets is in worse shape than Navy experts previously thought, two admirals told Congress on Tuesday.

The analysis comes after dozens of fighter jets have begun to reach their 8,000th flight hour and gone into the depot for a “high flight-hour” inspection.

Some 38 Hornets have started that inspection process. So far, nine have finished and been approved to fly an additional 600 hours to reach a total of 8,600 total lifetime flight hours, said Rear Adm. Allen Myers, the Navy’s director of warfare integration.

Inspectors have found about 60 new “hot spots” — or areas of concern that need close inspection — in addition to the 159 they had originally planned for, Myers told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Air-Land subcommittee.

Those inspections are taking much longer than expected, Myers said.

Initially estimated to take less than six months, the inspections are taking upwards of 11 months. And instead of the anticipated 1,100 man-hours per aircraft, they need closer to 2,400 man-hours for the complete inspection process, Myers said.

That helps explain why the Navy has revised estimates of the “fighter gap,” which refers the Navy’s projected shortfall as the older F/A-18 Hornets wear out faster than new, next-generation F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters will start arriving to replace them in 2015.

The Navy’s estimate last year put the shortfall at about 125 Navy and Marine Corps fighters — or about 10 percent of the fighter fleet — peaking around 2017. Now Navy officials suggest that gap could reach 243 — or more than 20 percent of the fleet – and come several years earlier.

Myers said the gap will materialize sooner — possibly as early as 2013 — because the Hornets will have to spend more time in the depot for the 8,000th flight hour inspection.

The numbers that underpin the fighter gap are hotly contested. A report from the Congressional Research Service said the Navy is currently facing a small shortfall in fighter jets, which will grow to about 50 planes by next year and peak at 243 about 2018.

The Navy received its first F/A-18A model in 1978. The Boeing-made Hornets were initially designed to have a life span of 6,000 flight hours.

Last year’s lower fighter gap estimates assumed that about 95 percent of the Hornets would be able to reach 10,000 flight hours, said Vice Adm. David Architzel, the Navy’s principal military deputy for research development and acquisition, who also testified at the hearing.

The higher estimates assume that none of the Hornets will be able to reach 10,000 flight hours, Myers said.

A new Navy plan aims to extend slightly more than half of the Hornets — or 295 aircraft — out to 10,000 flight hours, Myers said. That will require a rehabilitation program after the planes reach 8,600 flight hours; the Navy has not budgeted for that process, known as a service life extension program.

If the Navy can extend those 295 Hornets to 10,000 flight hours, the fighter gap will be reduced to a manageable size, Myers said

Some lawmakers, including Sen. Clair McCaskill, D-Mo., are pushing the Navy to buy more Boeing-made Super Hornets rather than wait for the F-35, which is made by Lockheed Martin.

“We know we’re going to have a shortfall. We know we’re going to have to fill in. Why not do it in the most cost-effective way?” McCaskill asked. She has urged the Navy to enter into a new multi-year contract with Boeing, which could reduce the cost for each aircraft.

McCaskill pointed out that if Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet production line goes inactive, the United States will have only one domestic fighter jet manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.

Myers agreed that having that “hot line” at Boeing “is important to us.”

“We have to do everything we can to mitigate the risk” of the Navy’s transition to the F-35C, Myers told the legislators.

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P8I Aircraft To Give Indian Navy Maritime Patrol Edge

(THE TIMES OF INDIA 14 JUN 09)

In the coming ten years, 400 new aircraft would be inducted into the Indian navy fleet, including the advanced Boeing P8I maritime patrol aircraft  manufactured by the US aerospace major, according to Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai.

Pillai was speaking on Saturday at a passing out parade that marked the graduation ceremony of the 72nd Helicopter Conversion Course at the naval air station Rajali.

Pillai pointed out that India would be the first country to acquire the Boeing P8I maritime patrol aircraft in a $2.2 billion deal. Not only would the aircraft provide the navy an edge in the Indian Ocean region, it would also for the first time enable the Indian navy to operate a platform almost simultaneously with the US navy.

Pillai stressed the need for greater cooperation between the coast guard and the navy and commended their efforts in patrolling the high seas.

Referring to future challenges in store for the graduates listening to him, he assured them that a new fillip would be given to quality training.

Three Indian Navy and four coast guard pilots were awarded wings' by Pillai. The pilots were rigorously trained for 24 weeks in flying and aviation subjects at the Helicopter Training School, which has trained nearly 500 pilots for the Indian navy and coast guard. Pillai presented the Governor of Kerala trophy for the best all-round trainee pilot to A K Agarwal; the flag officer commanding-in-chief, Eastern Naval Command rolling trophy for the trainee pilot standing first in order of merit in flying to Kunal C Naik; and the book prize for standing first in ground subjects to Sunil Dutt.

The new pilots will join operations in Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam while the coast guard pilots will be based at the navy's premier air station in Daman.

 Sikorsky Offers To Join Lockheed In Bid To Revive Helicopter Pact

 (WALL STREET JOURNAL 15 JUN 09) ... AUGUST COLE

Helicopter maker Sikorsky is willing to partner with former rival Lockheed Martin Corp. to resuscitate a recently canceled contract to supply high-tech helicopters to the White House.

The presidential-helicopter program -- which had been held by Lockheed using a design from Finmeccanica SpA's AgustaWestland -- was nixed earlier this month for being too costly and too problematic.

Sikorsky President Jeff Pino said Sunday he wrote to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates early this month expressing interest in supplying Lockheed with helicopters as an option that could help save costs. Mr. Pino's comments were in response to a question about a possible alliance with Lockheed.

Lockheed doesn't manufacture its own helicopters and beat Sikorsky in the 2005 competition using a design from AgustaWestland that it would pack with Air Force One-like communications and safety features.

Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies Corp., would team with Lockheed "in a heartbeat," Mr. Pino said in an interview in Paris on the eve of the Paris Air Show, where he described the letter sent to Mr. Gates. "I just wanted to get on the record very quickly," he said of the letter to the defense secretary.

The overture underscores the troubled program's high profile in the aerospace industry and its value as a potential booster of sales for the maker of the White House fleet. If successful, Sikorsky would have an unmatched showcase for its S-92, which is used for everything from search-and-rescue missions to ferrying oil-rig workers and transporting VIPs.

Politically, using a U.S.-made helicopter design instead of a foreign model might help engender stronger support for the program than it currently has in Washington, where senior lawmakers such as Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona have singled it out for being an example of wasteful military spending.

Citing expected costs that were set to more than double to more than $13 billion for 28 helicopters, Mr. Gates said in April he would cancel the program, and on June 1 the Defense Department formally terminated the contract with Lockheed. The contract went awry as the already-complex tasks taken on by Lockheed and its partners were made more difficult by shifting government specifications.

Mr. Pino said he was pretty sure Sikorsky could help Lockheed lower the costs and might even be able to help the government avoid the termination liability it incurs from ending the contract early if some kind of arrangement took shape.

Mr. Pino said Lockheed has a copy of the letter he sent to Mr. Gates, and he has meetings planned with Lockheed executives at the air show. "It should be clear to them we would work with them, but I have not had any specific conversations," he said. The Pentagon also acknowledged receiving his letter, he said.

Lockheed said in a statement it is complying with the government's termination plans and supports the Pentagon's "directions on next steps for the program," noting that its AgustaWestland agreement remains in place.

Lockheed and Sikorsky are already partners on a Navy contract to provide special versions of the Black Hawk workhorse helicopter. The work is done at the same facility in New York state where Lockheed is developing and integrating much of the special electronics systems that were to be packed into the next presidential helicopter.

Va. Congressmen Work To Block Carrier Move

(NORFOLK VIRGINIAN-PILOT 13 JUN 09) ... Kate Wiltrout

NORFOLK--Virginia's congressional delegation continues to look for ways to torpedo Navy plans to shift an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Jacksonville, Fla.

Earlier this week, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., sent a letter to the deputy secretary of defense insisting the Navy's decision "is not a sound investment."

Friday, three Virginia representatives won an Armed Services subcommittee's approval to remove $46.3 million allocated to dredge the harbor at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville.

The work would help prepare the Jacksonville port to host a nuclear carrier.

The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act was paired with another that would require the Government Accountability Office to study how the Navy made the carrier-basing decision and whether it did so properly. Both were written by Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk, and co-sponsored by Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, and Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake.

"We see an expansion of port facilities as a luxury right now," Nye said.

The amendment puts the dredging money into a military construction fund to be used for Navy and Marine Corps Reserve projects. It passed unanimously and will come before the full Armed Services committee next week.

Nye foresees the measures passing, saying both make sense.

The Navy has agreed to wait until the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review is complete to make a final decision on carrier homeports. It doesn't make sense to spend money, incrementally, preparing for something that might not happen, he argued.

"I think we have the power of logic on our side here, that the decision ought to be made as part of a larger process and not in a piecemeal manner," Nye said.

In his letter, Webb noted that the Navy is short $28 billion to modernize and repair shore facilities, including $450 million for Norfolk alone. Why spend $1 billion to make Mayport nuclear-ready? Webb asked.

Navy brass and Florida politicians say it's a strategic risk to have the entire East Coast carrier fleet in one place, vulnerable to a terrorist attack or hurricane.

Mayport lost its only carrier when the conventionallypowered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy was decommissioned in 2007.

With shrinking defense budgets and the prospect of losing more than 5,000 sailors and their families, Virginia politicians have lobbied hard to change the Navy's mind.

Wittman said Friday that the budget isn't a place to make policy decisions.

Bill Would Create Catapult Czar For New Carrier

(DEFENSE NEWS 15 JUN 09)

  The seapower panel of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee called June 12 for a single officer to be assigned to guarantee that new electromagnetic aircraft catapults get to the Navy's next aircraft carrier.

  Subcommittee chairman Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., dubbed that officer "the $7 billion man," and said his or her job would be to al-lay the fears of Taylor, ranking member Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., and others that the carrier's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS) won't be ready by the time the ship is to be commissioned in 2015.

  Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, "says he thinks this is the way future [carriers] should launch planes. I agree, but we are

casing a $7 billion bet on that assessment," Taylor said. "If this fails to be ready on time, it could

have us go down to nine or fewer carriers, and take what should be a $7 billion carrier and turn it into a $7 billion helicopter carrier."

  The language calling for Taylor's EMALS czar was included in his subcommittee's markup of this year's defense authorization bill, which will next be considered by the full House Armed Services Committee.

  Taylor's $44 billion markup included funding for eight ships, sup-port for buying more new F/A-18E and F Super Hornet strike fighters; support for F-35B and C-model Lightning II strike fighters; and long-lead funding for seven ships. It would grant the Navy authority to pursue multiyear procurement deals for more Super Hornets and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

  Taylor said he supports buying new Super Hornets instead of spending money to extend the lives of the Navy's existing fleet, which commanders say will wear out before their replacement F-35s are ready. But the Navy didn't include a request for what Taylor considered enough fighters in its budget submission.

  "This mark recognizes, even if the secretary of defense does not, that the Navy is facing an acute shortage of strike fighters to fill the air wings of our carriers in the coming decade," Taylor said. He said it was a better idea to add new jets than to upgrade the Navy's existing ones.

  "It makes absolutely no sense to me that the department would pay $26 million to extend the flying life of an older plane by just 1,500 hours, when for $50 million they could buy a brand new, more capable plane that is good for 8,000 hours," he said.

  The bill would also include what Taylor called a "take it or leave it" provision for the Navy's littoral combat ships: If lead contractors Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics concluded they couldn't build their versions of LCS within the congressionally imposed $460 million cost cap, the Navy could compile the technical data for the ships and use it to recompete them to other contractors. The Navy plans a fleet of 55 LCSs.

  "No more games on this program, no more promises. Build ships for a fair price or not, that is the deal on the table," Taylor said.

  The subcommittee markup also would provide funding for a second engine for the F-35; research and development for future maritime prepositioning ships; and require the Defense Department to study its decision to build aircraft carriers every five years, as opposed to the four and 4 1/2 year schedule it has kept thus far.

  The total markup would authorize $44 billion for procurement accounts, $57 million more than the Navy's request, and authorize $18.9 billion for research and development, $405 million more than the Navy's request.

The eight ships funded by Taylor's markup are:

    - One Virginia-class submarine.

    - Three littoral combat ships.

    - Two Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ships.

    - One joint high-speed vessel.

    - One Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

  It also completes funding for:

     - The third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer, the as-yet unnamed DDG 1002.

     - The 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, as-yet unnamed LPD 26.

Hornets Wearing Out Faster Than Navy Expected

(NAVY TIMES 22 JUN 09)

 The aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornets is in worse shape than Navy experts previously thought, two admirals told Congress on June 9.

  The analysis comes after dozens of fighter jets reached their 8,000th flight hour and went into the depot for a "high flight-hour" inspection.

  Some 38 Hornets have begun that inspection process. So far, nine were finished and approved to fly 600 more hours to reach 8,600 total lifetime flight hours, said Rear Adm. Allen Myers, the Navy's director of warfare integration.

  Inspectors have found 60 new areas of concern that need close inspection in addition to the 159 they had planned for, Myers told the Senate Armed Services Committee's air-land panel. Therefore, inspections are taking longer than expected, he said.

  That helps explain why the Navy revised estimates of the "fighter gap," which refers to the projected fighter shortfall as older Hornets wear out faster than next-generation F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters can replace them.

  The Navy's 2008 estimate put the shortfall at about 125 Navy and Marine Corps fighters — about 10 percent of the fighter fleet — peaking around 2017. Now, officials suggest the gap could reach 243 — more than 20 percent of the fleet — and come several years earlier.

  Last year's fighter gap estimates assumed that about 95 percent of the Hornets would be able to reach 10,000 flight hours, said Vice Adm. David Architzel, the Navy's principal military deputy for research development and acquisition, who also testified at the hearing.

  A new Navy plan aims to extend about half of the Hornets to 10,000 flight hours, Myers said. That will require a rehabilitation program after the planes reach 8,600 flight hours; the Navy has not budgeted for that process.

  The Boeing-made Hornets initially were designed to have a life span of 6,000 flight hours.

  On June 12, lawmakers set the gears in motion to buy more Super Hornets when the House Armed Services seapower subcommittee inserted a clause known as a "mark" into this year's defense authorization bill that would let the Navy enter into a new multiyear procurement contract with Boeing.

  "The mark recognizes, even if the secretary of defense does not, that the Navy is facing an acute shortage of strike fighters to fill air wings of our carriers in the coming decade," subcommittee chairman Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., said.

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Capitol Hill Opens Door For Super Hornets

(NAVY TIMES 13 JUN 09) ... Andrew Tilghman

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill might force the Navy to buy more Boeing-made F/A-18 Super Hornets, a move that would override the Defense Department’s formal budget request in an effort to fill the Navy’s so-called “fighter gap.”

As the annual defense authorization bill begins to make its way through Congress, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) on Friday inserted into the bill a clause — known as a “mark” — that gives the Navy permission to enter into a new multi-year contract with Boeing.

“The mark recognizes, even if the secretary of defense does not, that the Navy is facing an acute shortage of strike fighters to fill air wings of our carriers in the coming decade,” Taylor said at a meeting of the seapower subcommittee.

“This mark clearly indicates that the Navy should build more of these planes instead of trying to extend the life of the older and less capable F/A18A thru D Hornets. It makes absolutely no sense to me that the department would pay $26 million to extend the flying life of an older plane by just 1,500 hours, when for $50 million they could buy a brand new, more capable plane that is good for 8,000 hours,” Taylor said in a statement.

The Navy is facing a projected shortfall in fighter jets as the older F/A-18 Hornets wear out faster than the new F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter is arriving to replace them.

The Defense Department formally requested to lower the number of Super Hornets purchased in fiscal year 2010, and Navy officials have officially voiced strong support for the F-35C, which is scheduled to join the fleet in 2015.

A Navy spokesman on Friday declined to comment on the move, which could significantly reshape the fighter fleet over the next decade.

The Navy’s estimate last year put the fighter jet shortfall at about 125 planes — or about 10 percent of the fighter fleet — around 2017. But this year Navy estimates suggest that gap could reach 243 — or more than 20 percent of the fleet — and come several years earlier.

Some 38 F/A-18 Hornets have begun the 8,000th flight hour inspection. So far nine have completed it and been approved to fly an additional 600 flight hours, or to reach a total of about 8,600 total lifetime flight hours, said Rear Adm. Allen Myers, the Navy’s director of warfare integration.

Inspectors have found about 60 new “hot spots” — or areas of concern that need close inspection — in addition to the 159 they had originally planned for, Myers told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Air-Land subcommittee.

As a result, those inspections are taking much longer than expected, Myers said.

Initially estimated to take less than six months, the inspections are now expected to take upwards of 11 months. And instead of the projected 1,100 man hours, the inspections need closer to 2,400 man hours to be completed, Myers said.

Boeing is eager to secure one more Super Hornet contract because it would allow the company to keep its fighter jet production line open for several more years.

“Everybody is debating how the size of the shortfall — is the shortfall 70 aircraft or 250? But nobody is talking about not having a shortfall,” Bob Gower, Boeing’s vice president of F/A-18 programs.

“We believe Congress understands the gravity of the situation,” Gower said in an interview. “We really believe that the Navy will eventually come forward and say, ‘We need more aircraft.’ And because of that the logical way to do that is through a multi-year contract.”

 

===================

 

Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center dedicates Ault Auditorium

Story and Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Christopher Shimana, Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center Public Affairs.

FALLON, Nev. ( June 12, 2009) - The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center
(NSAWC) officially dedicated the Ault auditorium during a ceremony held in the Fleet Training building on board Naval Air Station Fallon, June 12 to honor the man responsible for the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) program, commonly known as TOPGUN. The dedication was attended by more than 100 guests including members of the Ault family and two of TOPGUN's founding instructors.

The 1,677 square-foot Ault auditorium bears the name of Capt. Frank "Whip"
Ault" in honor of his significant contributions in improving military air-to-air combat performance during the early years of the Vietnam War.

In 1967, the Chief of Naval Operations selected Ault to conduct an air weapons study. Ault's experience as an aircraft carrier commanding officer on board USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), naval aviator and weapons specialist led the "Ault report" in 1968.

The Ault report was a sweeping review of fighter system performance covering logistics, training and operations and is credited with raising the air combat kill ratio from 2.1 to more than 12.1. As a result, the Navy established a graduate level school designed to train fleet fighter pilots in combat tactics and commissioned TOP GUN as a command in 1972.

 

"The Ault report took the whole training continuum, the hardware, the training piece and what we needed to do to get better and be successful in combat" said Rear Adm. Emerson "that report is alive and well and is required reading for TOPGUN instructors, his memory will never go away because of that."

"The Ault auditorium will be used for tactical instruction at TOPGUN, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons and the Seahawk Weapons and Tactics Instructor Weapons schools at NSAWC. Each school teaches the instructors that teach the fleet tactics." said TOPGUN Commander Cmdr. Dan "Undra"

Cheever. "The legacy of Capt. Ault is captured by naming a tactical training auditorium after him."

In addition to supporting tactical instruction, the Ault auditorium serves as venue supporting communication. "It will introduce civilians and military alike to TOPGUN and what goes on at NSAWC." said Cheever.

"Every
year we conduct a re-blue which is a conference of tactical aviators where the truth of the weapons systems and tactics is discussed. There is no more fitting place to have Capt. Ault's name than a place where tactical excellence and the truth prevail. "

Cmdr. Jon "Litnin" Ault (retired) was accompanied to the dedication by his brothers Jan, Jerry and his daughter Caroline. "My dad was involved in many pioneering and groundbreaking aspects of the United States Navy"

said Jon. "He was a bomb commander of the Navy's 1st nuclear delivery squadron after World War II, he wrote the Navy's 1st space program in 1957, which one of the results you see daily is it gave us GPS, but he was never prouder of anything he did in the Navy than the establishment of TOPGUN and the results that it achieved."

Following the dedication, a graduation ceremony for TOPGUN class 03-09 was held marking the 216th class graduation since TOPGUN's inception. In his remarks to the graduates, Rear Adm. Emerson said "you need to maintain the high level of standards that TOPGUN set 40yrs ago when this institution was stood up, that is your charter."

"To this day we study his lessons learned to make sure that we are continuing to ask the hard questions and identify areas that need attention "said Cheever. "Ault's contributions in air-to-air combat will always be relevant."

NSAWC is the consolidation of Naval Strike Warfare Center (Strike "U"), TOPGUN and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (TOPDOME) into a single command. The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center is the center of excellence for naval training and tactics development and provides service to aircrews, squadrons and air wings throughout the United States Navy through flight training, academic instructional classes and direct operational and intelligence support.

During the early years of the Vietnam War, the Chief of Naval Operations directed Ault's father, Capt. Frank "Whip" Ault to conduct a sweeping review of fighter system performance covering logistics, training and operations chain. The results was the Ault report of 1968, which led to the establishment of a graduate level school designed to train fleet fighter pilots in combat tactics led to the commission of TOP GUN in 1972. The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center is the Navy's center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Myers: Navy Strike Fighter Shortfall Now Expected To Peak In 2015

(INSIDE THE NAVY 15 JUN 09) ... Dan Taylor

The Navy’s strike fighter shortfall is now expected to peak in 2015 -- two years earlier than originally predicted -- due to a doubling of man-hours required to extend the lives of legacy F/A-18A-D Hornets, Rear Adm. Allen  Myers, director of naval warfare integration, told the Senate Armed Services airland subcommittee last week.

“What we found is there are an additional 60 hot spots on those 38 aircraft” that have undergone inspections to extend the lives of the aircraft to 8,600 hours, Myers said.

“It’s increased the time to get to that depot from 1,100 man-hours to about 2,400 [man-hours], so we’re already starting to see that it’s going to be a lot of work to get these aircraft at least to 8,600 hours,” the admiral said. Getting beyond that to the goal of 10,000 hours will be even more difficult, he added.

If the Navy is successful in reaching 10,000 hours with half its legacy Hornet fleet, the service would see the shortfall peak at 70 Navy aircraft in 2015, with the shortfall starting to manifest itself in 2013, Myers said.

“What we’re discovering by looking at these aircraft is the high flight-hour inspections are not passing as quickly, so we’re going to have a shortfall a little bit earlier,” he added.

Senators spent much of the hearing discussing the strike fighter shortfall, which may now reach as high as 243 Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in the latter half of the next decade. Navy leadership has repeatedly faced questions as to why they opted to cut F/A-18E/F Super Hornet buys from 18 to nine in the fiscal year 2010 president’s budget request. The Navy says it is buying enough aircraft to keep the production line open, and will make a more informed decision on the issue following the Quadrennial Defense Review due later this year.

At 8,000 hours, legacy Hornets come in for what are known as “high flight-hour inspections” to extend their lives to 8,600 hours. The Navy estimates that only 5 percent of Hornets would flunk the six-month, $474,000 inspection, Vice Adm. David Architzel, principle deputy for research, development and acquisition for the office of the assistant secretary of the Navy, told the panel.

However, getting to 10,000 hours will be much trickier, the admiral noted.

“We learn more about the legacy airplanes, we learn more about production rates, we learn more about the model and the model gets adjusted and reworked,” Architzel said. “We believe the dropout rate to 10,000 hours for the inspection is not five percent, it would be much higher -- more like 95 percent. In other words, we won’t get those airplanes to 10,000 hours just by inspection. We’re going to have to do some serious-level depot work to get them there.”

Overall, the Navy hopes to extend the lives of half the legacy Hornet fleet -- about 300 aircraft -- to 10,000 hours by spending the money to do the depot work.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) asked the witnesses if long-range bombers could perhaps take over some strike fighter duties.

“Long-range bombers appear to share important attributes with carrier air wings, including not requiring in theater basing and thereby offering the potential for prompt strikes in a crisis,” Thune said.

However, Myers said bombers can’t replace a carrier air wing.

“The effects that you’re talking about from a long-range bomber are limited to kinetic, and the effects that our carrier air wings today are delivering in Afghanistan and [Operation Enduring Freedom] range from airborne early surveillance to electronic attack to close air support and then also include kinetic effects,” he said. “So that would be only one piece of what a strike fighter carrier air wing would deliver in the course of supporting troops on the ground.”

Lawmakers have been pressuring the Navy to look at a multiyear buy of Super Hornets to close the gap. On June 12, the House Armed Services sea power and expeditionary forces subcommittee added funding for Super Hornet and Growler multiyear procurement in the FY-10 defense authorization bill.

Bob Gower, Boeing’s vice-president for F/A-18 programs, told reporters last week that he had “high hopes” that the support was there for a multiyear Super Hornet deal.

 

E-2D Spy Plane Suffers Nunn-McCurdy Breach, Gets Approved For LRIP

(DEFENSE DAILY 16 JUN 09) ... Emelie Rutherford and Geoff Fein