ANAers!!!

First, my apologies to those who received more than one copy of the last BULLHORN, #49.  For reasons unexplained, my ISP decided to retransmit to a number of addressees.  This BULLHORN is being send using a new email methodology.  Hopefully it will not produce such multiple copies. 

Lots of news!  Squadron moves, another JSF rollout, P-8 rollout, a couple of great Rhumb Lines and lots, lots more.   

The first item is about an exciting television show featuring the Navy, starting (of course!) with Naval Aviation. 

ANA has enjoyed a close affiliation with the Tailhook Association for years.  For those who are interested, the coming Tailhook Reunion will be 9 – 12 September in Reno, NV.  ANA will again have a booth at the reunion; for those attending, Please Do Stop By and Say Hi!.  Complete Reunion details can be found at their web site http://tailhook.org/ 

Please try hard to get this to All Hands!! 

VR,

Dutch

Association of Naval Aviation, Inc.
http://www.anahq.org/
-----------------------

Dutch Rauch
Secretary/Treasurer
1446 Waggaman Circle
Mclean, VA 22101
svwindmills@erols.com

NEWS  -  NEWS  -- NEWS

From CHINFO:

Don’t Miss ‘At Sea’

Starts Sunday Aug. 9 On The Military Channel 

Schedule

Naval Aviation  -  Naval Aviation takes a top to bottom look at its command structure, their missions, and the arsenal of aircraft they posses to conduct military operations. (60 minutes) 

Sunday, Aug 09, 10:00 pm

Monday, Aug 10, 1:00 am

Wednesday, Aug 12, 8:00 pm 

Surface Warfare  -  takes a top to bottom look at its command structure, their missions, and the specialized fleet of ships called upon to support the sailors at sea.
 (60 minutes) 

Monday, Aug 10, 8:00 pm

Tuesday, Aug 11, 1:00 am

Wednesday, Aug 12, 9:00 pm 

Submarine Warfare  -  hour three of AT SEA explores Underwater Warfare. It's a top to bottom look at the command structure, the many dangerous missions they face under the sea and the arsenal of subsurface machinery they posses to conduct military operations around the world.

(60 minutes) 

Tuesday, Aug 11, 10:00 pm

Wednesday, Aug 12, 1:00 am

Wednesday, Aug 12, 5:00 am

Wednesday, Aug 12, 10:00 pm

      'Nomads' Navy Squadron Makes Its Latest Home In Jacksonville

After Several Relocations, Squadron Hopes To Stay Awhile

(FLORIDA TIMES UNION 26 JUL 09) ... Adam Aasen

Naval squadron VR-62 - which arrived in Jacksonville this summer - has gone through a lot of homes and a lot of nicknames.

When they were first stationed in Detroit in 1985, they called themselves "The Motowners."

That base closed and in 1994 they moved to South Weymouth, Mass., where they were nicknamed "Mass Transit."

After another base closure, they moved to Brunswick, Maine, where they were dubbed "The Nor'easters."

Now, the Brunswick base is scheduled to close in 2011 and the 85 active-duty sailors and their families are settling into sunny Northeast Florida.

Lt. Cmdr. James Lawson said this time they came up with a nickname that works no matter where they go.

"We thought, 'Hey, we should be The Nomads,' " he said. "Everywhere we go, the base closes. But we're pretty confident that NAS Jacksonville isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

Jacksonville Naval Air Station officials are excited because it means the base is getting its first-ever C-130T Hercules aircraft, a massive transport plane that can carry up to 175,000 pounds, including fuel.

The C-130 can fit a lot inside. It can carry 78 ground troops with cargo. It can carry six vehicles. It can carry armored Humvees, bulldozers or even a small tank.

The first C-130 landed at Jacksonville NAS on Saturday, and three more should be arriving in the coming months.

The plane that arrived Saturday left the same day for a logistics mission in South America. The squadron will also deploy on a three-month detachment to Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy later this summer.

There are C-130 squadrons stationed at five bases in the United States, but before the move to Jacksonville, the only one in the Southeast was in New Orleans.

About 65 of the squadron's 85 sailors have already moved to Jacksonville with the rest moving shortly. Most of the Naval reservists didn't make the move, so Cmdr. Chris Thomson said they are looking for about 80 reserve officers to join The Nomads.

Thomson said the squadron is excited to be in Florida, especially after living in much colder climates.

"It's a year-round playground here," he said. "They can do anything they want."

Petty Officer 2nd Class Nadia Neitenbach said she thinks Jacksonville will be full of opportunity for her because it's a great base to build a military career. Neitenbach, 23, said she hopes to get her college degree while in Jacksonville and enjoy the Florida weather.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Gillespie moved his family to Jacksonville early so his wife, Monica, could give birth to their daughter, Heidi, now 6 weeks old.

Their two other children, 7-year-old Ben and 4-year-old Josh, have been begging their parents to take them to Disney World ever since they moved down here.

A product of... Navy Office of Information www.navy.mil July 23, 2009

Florida Air Base To Host Joint JSF Training Wing

(NAVY TIMES 26 JUL 09) ... Andrew Tilgham

The first training pipeline for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter will open at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., this fall, creating a joint training wing that will feed pilots and maintainers into the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps over the next five years.

The training wing that stands up Oct. 1 will spawn the first fleet squadrons for all three services and create the first career paths for the largest fighter jet program in history.

"It's more than a PowerPoint slide now -- it's close, and it's coming fast," said Navy Capt. Michael Saunders, a former Top Gun instructor who was tapped to lead the Navy's transition.

Saunders will be deputy commander of 33rd Operations Group, the training unit that will oversee the training units for each service and their specific F-35 models.

"Every maintenance guy who turns a wrench or pilot who flies [the F-35] will come through here in the next five or six years," Saunders said.

The first simulators will begin arriving at Eglin next year, along with an initial batch of Air Force F-35As and Marine Corps F-35Bs, Saunders said. The Navy's F-35Cs should begin arriving in 2012, he said.

A total of 59 planes will equip the 33rd Operations Group — 24 Air Force models, 20 Marine Corps variants for short take-off and vertical landings, and 15 Navy carrier versions.

The Air Force's F-35A has completed initial flight tests. The first Marine Corps F-35B will test its vertical landing mechanism this fall. The first F-35C for the Navy was set to roll off its Lockheed Martin production line July 28.

Each service will start with a small cadre of test pilots and maintainers who will spend sever-al months getting familiar with the aircraft's new systems and technology. That group will in turn train others to fill out training units. Finally, those training units at Eglin will begin accepting fleet personnel who will man the first operational squadrons.

"What we eventually want to do is pollinate into the [fleet replacement squadron] and pollinate out into the fleet," Saunders said.

Navy and Marine Corps pilots will have to adjust to the F-35's cockpit controls, which have a side-stick and throttle more closely resembling the F-16 rather than the F/A-18, which uses a center stick.

Lockheed Martin officials said the aircraft's systems are more intuitive than prior control mechanisms and the test pilots using preliminary simulators adapt easily.

"We're able to get them up to speed in a couple of days," said Steve Weatherspoon, Lockheed Martin's F-35 deputy for test and verification.

"It's all presented as a clear display, and as a result, the pilot has much less workload in terms of

operating all these sensors," he said. "He just interprets the tactical picture, and puts the airplane where he wants it and executes the mission."

All F-35s will be single-seat fighters, and information overload may be the biggest challenge for pilots and their trainers.

"The catch is: Can a single pilot do all that?" Weatherspoon said. For the maintainers, the F-35 will be the first Navy and Marine Corps aircraft with stealth technology. Sailors will do repairs to the low-observability surface aboard ships, and flight deck crews may have to be more cautious when moving the aircraft. "There is probably going to be a little bit of a culture change on how we handle those airplanes," Saunders said.

Pilots and maintainers will be assigned to Eglin's training units during the next few years.

"We're looking to get some folks who are highly motivated and want to be a part of this," Saunders said.

For those who want to be among the first F-35 squadrons, he said: "Keep your ears open, check in with your detailer, stay attached to your mentors and talk to your leadership."

Lockheed Martin Unveils F-35C For Navy

(FORT WORTH BUSINESS PRESS 28 JUL 09) ... Elizabeth Bassett 

       Lockheed Martin held a roll-out ceremony July 28 for its latest aircraft that will become part of the Navy
       fleet, the carrier variant of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

The F-35C, which is made to work in conjunction with Navy aircraft carriers, was presented at the company’s Fort Worth facility and was called the “future of Navy aviation” by Tom Burbage, executive vice president and general manager of F-35 program integration.

The new aircraft links closely with Lockheed’s past. Ninety-one year ago, Allan and Malcolm Loughead, the two brothers that founded what is now known as Lockheed, sent their first aircraft to the United States Navy, according to Burbage.

The aircraft, which is expected to cost in the mid-$60 million range, was greeted by various representatives and workers from the company as well as from the military. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company President Ralph Health said it was the first time a jet with stealth and supersonic capabilities had been made for the sea and to call today a milestone would be an understatement.

“In fact, it would be like calling the Wright brothers just a couple of bike mechanics,” he said.

Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, said he appreciates the workers of Lockheed Martin making the aircraft as if their sons or daughters would be flying them, because since the jet is expected to serve the military for a long time, that may indeed happen. Additionally, increased demands on military personnel and aircraft is taking its toll on an aging Navy fleet—currently centered on the F/A-18 Hornet—and new technology is necessary to move into the future, he said.

“I do not believe the pace of operations is going to let up any time soon,” he said.

Daniel Crowley, executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 program, said he still expects production to ramp up to 20 aircraft a month by 2016 and for employees—currently about 3,500 in the F-35 program—to shift from design to production.

Despite recent cutbacks to the F-22 program by the United States Congress, Crowley said the F-35 program is still growing as planned and that new production contracts are even a bit better than initially projected.

“It’s very clear that all of the services are behind the program,” he said.

The F-35C joins the F-35A and the F-35B variants. The F-35A is for use by the United States Air Force, and the F-35B, which has the capability to do short take-off/vertical landings, is intended for the Marine Corps. Several other countries have also committed to buying variants of the F-35.  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Lockheed Moves Navy's JSF To Test Phase

(DEFENSE NEWS 28 JUL 09) ... Antonie Boessenkool

Fort Worth, Texas - Lockheed Martin rolled out the first Joint Strike Fighter for the Navy in a ceremony at its JSF facility here July 28, officially moving the plane from the production phase to the test phase.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said the high operational pace of the Navy in recent years makes getting the plane to the Navy on time and on budget crucial, saying there is "no time to lose" in Joint Strike Fighter production.

"They must, they absolutely must, enter the fleet on time and on budget," Roughead told reporters, military members and JSF production workers at the roll-out ceremony.

"If we don't get this airplane on time, we're going to realize a gap in the number of airplanes we take to sea," Roughead said. "So that's why this airplane is so important. But the environments that it will operate in are also becoming a lot more challenging. And that's why the stealth, the range and the payload is so important.

"I do not believe that the pace of operations is likely to let up anytime in the near future," he added. "Our carriers and the air power that they project are all too useful in a world where sometimes the sovereign sensitivities and interests of countries around the world will preclude the basing of tactical aviation ashore. And that is where this airplane will play its role."

Roughead also said the F-18s the Navy has relied on as the backbone of its fighter force may be "extended" as the Navy waits for its F-35s.

"We have been looking at the numbers of airplanes that we have and how we fill out the carrier decks with those airplanes. We are working through the Quadrennial Defense Review with the Air Force, with the Marine Corps, to take a look at tactical aviation writ large," Roughead said. "But this airplane has to come in on time. We're looking at the possibility of extending those F-18s that we can, and we can only extend about half of the F-18 A through Ds. But that's a matter of discussion that we're currently engaged in."

Nimitz Strike Group Set To Deploy

(NAVY.MIL 28 JUL 09)

SAN DIEGO-- Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG), including the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and units assigned to CSG 11, departs July 31 with more than 7,000 Sailors for a scheduled Western Pacific deployment.

During the past few months, Nimitz CSG has conducted several training exercises off the coast of Southern California including composite unit training and joint task force training. They also completed fleet synthetic training as part of the deployment training cycle and are fully prepared and ready to deploy in support of contingency and humanitarian missions.

Last year, Nimitz CSG supported the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the Pacific region during a four-month deployment. Nimitz CSG supported the maritime strategy by expanding cooperative relationships with the Republic of Korea (ROK) by participating in Operation Key Resolve/Foal Eagle 2008.

Aircraft carriers continue to be one of our nation's primary on-call assets in times of need, and they enable the Navy to execute the six core capabilities of the maritime strategy – forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster response.

EA-6B squadron returning to NAS Whidbey

The Associated Press
Tuesday Jul 28, 2009 16:15:06 EDT     OAK HARBOR, Wash. — The Navy says four EA-6B Prowlers and the support staff of Attack Squadron 140 return home Tuesday after six months supporting combat troops in Afghanistan.

The squadron, known as the Patriots, operated from the aircraft carrier Eisenhower.

Heinz Raps Pratt On F-35 Engine Manufacturing Practices

(DEFENSE DAILY 29 JUL 09) ... Marina Malenic

FORT WORTH, Texas--The Pentagon's program manager for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter yesterday criticized the airplane's primary engine manufacturer, Pratt and Whitney, for quality control deficiencies that he says have led to cost growth.

"Pratt can do better, and I am pushing very hard for Pratt to do better in the war on cost," Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Heinz told reporters following a rollout ceremony here for a Navy variant of the fighter.

United Technologies Corp. [UTX], Pratt's parent company, has increased the cost for the F135 engine from $6.7 million to $8.3 million apiece in its latest estimate.

Heinz said he was particularly dissatisfied with yield rates for certain machined components of the engine.

"There are portions of articles that I am building today that I throw away one for every one I build because the scrap and rework rate has not come up to a lean manufacturing process," he explained. "We are improving those processes every day, but I am not satisfied with the rates that I am getting in yield."

He said a 50 percent yield is unacceptable.

"I believe, even at this point, that [the yield] should be eighty percent--where I'm scrapping one in five [parts] as opposed to one of every two," he said.

Pratt spokeswoman Erin Dick said the company has a plan to improve its production yield.

"Our leaned out production cost and process will improve on the F135 just as it did on the F119 engine powering the F-22 Raptor, whose cost was reduced 30 percent by the time the production was leaned out," she said. "We have that same cost reduction and improvement opportunity with the F135 engine."

Heinz said he is not concerned about the cost impact for the F-35 program as a whole "from a standpoint that I have enough budget today to accommodate this program." According to Heinz, the budget for the F-35 program has been adjusted in the current fiscal year to reflect the engine cost increase.

Speaking at the same event, Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, warned that the F-35Cs "must--absolutely must--be delivered on time and on budget."

The F-35C is the carrier variant of the aircraft. The B is a short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the Marine Corps, while the A is a conventional take-off and landing variant for the Air Force.

Roughead noted that the Navy's current strike fighters, the F/A-18 Super Hornets, are being flown at significantly higher rates than planned. Some lawmakers are pushing for additional F/A-18 purchases to replace worn out planes, but the Navy has insisted that it is committed to the F-35 as its next-generation fighter.

Heinz's criticism comes at a critical moment in the debate over an alternate engine for the F-35 program. The Senate agreed last week to an amendment eliminating funding for the effort from the 2010 defense authorization bill. However, the House version of the bill still contains just over $600 million for the second engine.

President Barack Obama earlier this year singled out the alternate engine--the F136 being developed by being developed by General Electric [GE] and subcontractor Rolls Royce--as a prime example of wasteful government spending.

Navy Backs Single Engine As F-35C Rolls Out

(AVIATION WEEK 29 JUL 09) ... Graham Warwick

FT. WORTH, Texas — The U.S. Navy has strongly endorsed a single engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, citing lack of space on its aircraft carriers to support an alternate powerplant.

“I’m in the one engine camp,” said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, speaking July 28 at the rollout of the first Pratt & Whitney F135-powered F-35C carrier variant here. “On a carrier, space matters.”

The last of three JSF variants to be designed, the Navy F-35C has a number of significant differences from the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A and short takeoff and landing F-35B, including a larger wing and tail to minimize approach speed, beefed-up landing gear, arrestor hook and wing fold.

The first F-35C, aircraft CF-1, has been rolled off the final-assembly line and transferred to flight-test. An extensive first-of-type ground test campaign is planned, with the aircraft not scheduled to make its first flight until late December.

Initial operational capability for the F-35C is scheduled for fiscal 2015. The Navy plans to buy 680 F-35s, but the mix between Cs and STOVL Bs for the U.S. Marine Corps will be determined by the Quadrennial Defense Review now under way, Roughead says. “The mix of Bs and Cs is part of the ongoing discussion.”

While the fleet mix may still be in flux, Roughead says “the aircraft must come in on time.” Even assuming F-35C deliveries begin on schedule, the Navy is looking at extending the life of about half of its Boeing F/A-18A-D fleet to minimize an expected fighter shortfall.

A product of... Navy Office of Information www.navy.mil July 30, 2009

 “Multi-mission capability in carrier-based aircraft is an essential fact of life. There is simply not enough room on the flight deck for single mission aircraft. Today's carrier air wings represent the most lethal, flexible, reliable and capable tools in the nation's warfighting toolbox. The Hornet's combat-proven, multi-mission capability of increased lethality, range, payload, bring-back, and survivability - coupled with aerial refueling and digital reconnaissance - make it Naval Aviation's most capable combat aircraft.”

– Rear Adm. Mark Fox, Commander, Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center

The Navy’s F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, with inherent flexibility as multi-mission aircraft, enable carrier strike groups to execute the full range of core capabilities defined in the Maritime Strategy. F/A-18s can be configured quickly to perform either fighter or attack roles or both, and are interoperable not only with other aircraft and ships in the strike group, but also with our joint forces and those of our allies, at sea and ashore. Deployed squadrons of Hornets and Super Hornets are key components of the carrier air wing’s ability to reassure allies, deter potential adversaries, project power and support troops on the ground when called. Hornets and Super Hornets provide unique agility in employing tactical aircraft in a rapidly changing battle scenario.

Seapower, Security and Stability in action

• F/A-18s from the Navy’s carrier air wings were among the first aircraft to fly strike missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, and they continue to fly missions in support of troops on the ground in Afghanistan today.

• Navy strike fighter squadrons play a key role in building partnerships and increasing interoperability among allied maritime forces, from pilot exchange programs and bi-lateral training events to multi-national exercises with partners.

Unmatched tactical versatility

30-Jul-09

Super Hornet cleared to fly at higher altitudes, reducing fuel costs

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - The Navy has certified the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to fly higher, between flight levels 29,000 and 41,000 feet.

These altitudes were usually reserved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for commercial airliners in airspace called Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace. This certification culminates a three-year process involving numerous agencies; military, federal and private industry.

The certification process reached its conclusion during a certification ceremony held Nov. 4 when Capt. Ralph Portnoy, Air Combat Electronics program manager here, signed the document certifying that all Super Hornets produced from Lot 22 and beyond, approximately 340 aircraft, are RVSM qualified. The authorization to file and fly RVSM was delayed until July 9 to ensure training and Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) manuals were appropriately updated.

“It’s great seeing all of the hard work done by the 209/265 Government/Industry Team get implemented. This effort will directly support our warfighters by addressing a clear operational need. RVSM certification saves precious fuel and reduces Fleet operating costs which is exactly the direction we all need to be heading,” said Capt. Ralph Portnoy, Air Combat Electronics program manager, PMA-209.

The Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) estimates that this certification to fly at these altitudes could save the Navy approximately $250,000 per year per squadron in fuel costs.

RVSM qualification efforts for the entire F/A-18 community continue. The team, lead by Mr. Dave Staso, PMA-209 Communication, Navigation Systems/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Integrated Program Team Lead and by PMA-209's Navigation and Sensor Deputy Program Manager, Mr. Walt Gillette, is currently working the certification for the EA-18G Growler and the F/A-18C/D Hornet. Plans are also in place to certify the F/A-18A+.

The RVSM technical requirements are defined in a Functional Requirements Document (FRD) authored and published by the CNS/ATM Integrated Program Team in Air Combat Electronics.

The first step in the certification process involved a Boeing Company evaluation of the Super Hornet to satisfy the rigors required by the FRD. Their analysis was published in late 2006 acknowledging the precision of the altimetry system. The successful completion of the analysis led to step two in the process, the development of Air Frame Bulletin (AFB) 637.

AFB 637 was used to validate and verify the configuration of the Super Hornets that were required to complete step three of the process, FAA-monitored flights that verified the accuracy of the altimetry system.

CNAF designated the aircraft to be inspected and monitored and operational squadrons flew the missions. Unfortunately, operational commitments precluded an adequate number of monitoring flights. At this point, the Hornet/Super Hornet program office (PMA-265) and Air Combat Electronics (PMA-209) visited the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), St. Louis, Mo., to request their help in order to complete the necessary monitoring flights.

Of the 29 required flights, DCMA flew the final three during Super Hornet delivery flights. The FAA evaluated every monitoring flight, thereby confirming the Boeing analysis and verifying the accurate altimetry system of the Super Hornet.

In 2005, the FAA reduced the separation between aircraft flying in opposing directions from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet at altitudes between 29,000 and 41,000 feet. Based on FAA regulation, aircraft flying in this reduced separation airspace require dual altimetry systems, a rule that nearly eliminated all military fighter aircraft.

The Department of Defense, realizing a drastic increase in fuel consumption for the fighter community, negotiated certification authority for aircraft with single altimetry systems provided that stringent technical requirements are satisfied. Based on FAA permission, the Navy began the certification process to prove the Super Hornet did indeed meet the technical requirements.

RVSM certification is just one of many civil requirements affecting naval aircraft that need the capability to fly in civil airspace throughout the world.

“F/A-18E Super Hornet.”

Click here for High Resolution Photo

Photo 2: “F/A-18F Super Hornet.”
Click here for High Resolution Photo

Subject: AIR-1.0 assistant commander wins 2009 National Women of Color Managerial Leadership award

Date: 30-Jul-09

News Release Number: EAIR10200907301

News Release Copy: NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The assistant commander for acquisition, AIR-1.0, here is the winner of the 2009 National Women of Color Managerial Leadership award.

Steffanie Easter will be presented the award at the National Women of Color’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Awards Conference in Dallas Oct. 31.

“Never before in the 14-year history of Women in Color, has the judging been so difficult,” said Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO & Publisher, Women of Color magazine. “This year’s class of nominees was the largest and strongest we have seen yet. Close to half of the 2009 awardees are managers, directors or vice presidents of major organizations.”

Easter was nominated for the award by James Lackey, the AIR 1.0 deputy and Capt. Steve Smith, former AIR 1.0 chief of staff.

“We decided to nominate her because she plays a key leadership role at the Naval Air Systems Command,” said Lackey. “In my view, this is in perfect alignment in terms of requirements for recognition and what she brings to the table as a most viable candidate. She exemplifies all of the great qualities one would like to see in a leader. Personally, she's one of the best bosses I've ever worked for in my career.”

Easter provides leadership to more than 1,100 people across NAVAIR and is responsible for more than 100 Navy and Marine Corps programs with an annual budget of $2.5 billion.

She said she was surprised and honored by the nomination and award.

“When I heard that I’d won, I felt excitement, I was humbled, and I couldn’t believe this was happening to me,” said Easter, who has worked for NAVAIR since 1985 and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in Dec. 2002. “This was a complete surprise, but the fact that they thought to even nominate me for this award was just as important to me as winning.”

“Mrs. Easter always displays exceptional character that distinguishes her as an outstanding leader, coach, role model and mentor,” said Smith. “Her dedication and passion serve as a role model for others in the organization. She is a well respected leader and has gained support for diversity from NAVAIR’s leadership and is known across the region as a leading expert on matters of diversity and inclusion, she is truly an asset to our organization.”

Easter was a quest speaker at last year’s WOC conference.

“I had the opportunity to speak at last year’s event, and I was so impressed by the women there, their accomplishments and their achievements,” said Easter. “I never imaged that I’d be where they were, winning an award in this distinguished field of candidates. I’m excited and my goal is to represent the Navy well and hopefully pave the way for future Navy winners.”

Easter’s leadership style has had a lasting impression on many people, on-base and off. She is a participant in the African-American Senior Executive Service (SES) Ad-Hoc Committee established by the Under Secretary of the Navy.

“Mrs. Easter is a role model not only for women of color, but for all women, as the first African American female member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) at NAVAIR,” said Margelyn Massey, chapter president, Federally Employed Women here. “She is most deserving of the recognition as a Woman of Color who has shown great leadership and gone well beyond the traditional roles held by women.”

According to some she has mentored, they have learned a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to be a leader from her.

“She taught me that effective leadership includes having clear goals, a foundation of preparation for leadership, and sharing what you know,” said Paula Richardson, one of Easter’s mentees.

“This award is not just for me, but for everyone I have worked with and for,” said Easter. “They all have contributed to who I am today, and I am thankful for their support and guidance. I am truly honored.”

Easter is a 1985 graduate of North Carolina State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the Catholic University of America and is a graduate of both the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) and the NAVAIR Senior Executive Management Development Program.

Before her assignment as AIR 1.0, she was the Deputy Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO-T) from Dec. 2002 through Jan. 2007. In this capacity, she was responsible for providing acquisition, engineering and technical services to the Navy for the F/A-18, EA-6B, EA-18G, E-2, C-2, Aircraft Protection Systems, Air Traffic Control Systems and Combat Identification.

Strategypage.com

USN Can't Get Enough 737s

June 23, 2009: The U.S. Navy has increased its order for its new P-8A maritime reconnaissance aircraft, from 114 to 123. The navy has found more uses for the new aircraft, which will replace 161 elderly P-3Cs. The first two P-8 development aircraft recently flew for the first time. A third development P-8 will fly before the end of the year.

The U.S. Navy is using a militarized version of the Boeing 737 airliner as the P-8A. The B-737 has been used successfully since the 1960s as an airliner. It first flew in 1965, and over 5,000 have been built.

Thus the P-8A is a modified Boeing 737-700C commercial aircraft. Earlier, in 2001, the navy began using the 737 as a cargo/passenger transport (the C-40A), and 19 have been built, eleven for the navy (the rest for the air force). The 78 ton aircraft can carry 121 passengers, or eight cargo pallets (or a combination of both, usually three pallets and 70 passengers.) Max range is 5,600 kilometers. It normally carries a crew of five (two pilots, one crew chief, one loadmaster and one transport safety specialist, which is what the navy calls a flight attendant). The air force got four V-40Bs, which are basically executive transports, that can also operate as airborne headquarters. The other six air force aircraft are C-40Cs, which is basically the same as the C-40A. The C-40A is operated by navy reservists, and is mainly used to rush needed parts or personnel to where the fleet needs them. The C-40A replaced the C-137 (a military version of the 148 ton B-707.)

The P-8 version of the B-737 has a cruise speed for the 737 to 910 kilometers an hour and a crew of 10-11 pilots and equipment operators. The P-8A has hard points on the wings for torpedoes or missiles. The P-8A will be the first 737 designed with a bomb bay and four wing racks for weapons. The P-8 costs about $275 million each. The navy also plans to order another seven C-40As.

Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead

Remarks as Delivered at the F-35C Lightning II Roll Out

Fort Worth, Texas    July 28, 2009 

Thank you very much and it really is great to be here. The hardest part about this morning is having my back to this beautiful machine. But I have been looking out at some of my flag officers and seeing in their eyes the desire to be 30 years younger. Gentlemen, you’re not going to have that chance. [Dr.] Brendan [Nelson]- great to see you again. I think the last time was in Sydney harbor. Great memories from that time.  It’s also a great time to also see some great mentors from the past.  [Ret. Adm.] Stan Arthur- so great to see you.  [Ret. Adm] Willy Moore. Thank you for all that you have done.  You have continued to carry the torch for naval aviation and provided the insight and guidance to a couple of black shoes from time to time.  I really appreciate that.  

This really is an exciting step for Lockheed- for the tremendous folks from Lockheed- but also for our Navy. To be able to be here and roll out what is truly the future of naval aviation. It’s an honor, it’s a privilege, and it is just a great day.  

There aren’t many CNOs that get an opportunity to do this, and I just can’t say how pleased I am to be a part of it all.  The Joint Strike Fighter that you will assemble here, that you will make here, that you will put your heart and soul into, is so important to our Navy and to the future of all our Armed Forces Strike Fighter fleets.   

The men and women of Lockheed will build these airplanes as if your sons and daughters will fly them because quite frankly, that is exactly what you are doing.  The sons and daughters of America for decades to come will fly these airplanes in peace and war, in harms way, and how you build them, the care that you take, will make all the difference in the world. I thank you for what you do everyday and I thank you for what you will do in the future. 

Today we are using our Navy hard. It is out and about in every ocean on every continent in the world and the backbone of that ability to project power by your Navy is naval aviation. It comes from the decks of our carriers who are constantly underway and employed and deployed. In fact, as we speak, three aircraft carriers are deployed and one more is soon to go. The backbone for it all, for us, has been the F/A-18 a great airplane that we have used hard but it is aging out and that’s the way it is.  

But I am so pleased that to relieve that airplane, is the joint strike fighter- a fifth generation fighter that once again will show the world that our Sailors will never be in a fair fight, because this airplane will top anything that comes its way. It will give our Sailors and pilots the tactical and technical advantage in the skies and it will relieve our aircraft as they age out.  

Today, as I’ve said, our Sailors, Soldiers, Airman and Marines are working harder than ever and I will submit that the pace of today’s operations has not been easy on them or the ships and the aircrafts that they use to do their work. I do not believe the pace of operations is likely to let up anytime in the near future.  

The carriers and the air power that they project are all too useful in a world where sometimes the sovereign sensitivities and interests of countries around the world will preclude the basing of tactical aviation ashore. And that is where this airplane will play its role. It’s not just a JSF, it’s the new aircraft carrier- the CVN 21 that is coming into being and the decision that we have made to outfit that aircraft carrier with the electromagnetic aircraft launching system. This combination will only further improve our ability to use sovereign, and I say our again - our sovereign, floating, air bases to project power by increasing our sortie generation rate, improving system reliability, reducing launch restrictions and also reducing manpower on our ships.  

I will tell you that there is absolutely no time to lose in the delivery of this airplane and the delivery of those other capabilities because as much as we would like it to happen; the world will not slow down. It will only continue to accelerate as we transition to this next step in carrier aviation.   

The F-35 is essential to addressing the Navy’s, and more importantly, the Nation’s strike fighter needs. They must, they absolutely must, enter the fleet on time and on budget. Our people deserve nothing less.  And I know that the great men and women of Lockheed will deliver on that promise.  

Chief of Naval Operations    Admiral Gary Roughead

P-8A Poseidon Rollout Ceremony      July 30, 2009

Thank you very much. Governor [Honorable Christine Gregoire], it’s great to be here with you today. Thank you for your leadership and support that enables the type of innovation and productivity that we are witnessing today. Thank you. 

To the many leaders at Boeing: thank you for your commitment to this program and to the United States Navy. Distinguished guests, especially our friends from Australia and India, partners in many things, but also partners in a shared vision of how important the world’s oceans are to our safety, our security and our prosperity. I look forward to meeting with your Navy chiefs in Indonesia next month and I think we’ll probably spend a little bit of time talking about the P-8A while we’re together.  

But most of all, to the Sailors who are here: you are our future and you are looking at our future in a few short moments. And I would not want this moment to go by without thanking the men and women of Boeing, and especially the men and women who will be making the P-8A for the United States Navy. You are building this airplane magnificently. Most importantly, you are building it in a way that reflects the fact that you are building it for your sons and daughters because that’s exactly what you are doing. You are building it for the sons and daughters of America that will fly it, man it and operate it for decades to come.  

This has been a great week for me as the Chief of Naval Operations. You have to go back a long way in history just to have had someone in my position roll out two airplanes in one week. The day before yesterday in Texas, we rolled out the Navy variant of the Joint Strike Fighter and today we roll out our future maritime patrol aircraft.  So if anyone doubts that the Navy is not stepping into the future, just look at what happened this week.  

But Governor, I also have to admit, that when I got in the airplane in Dallas at two o’clock in the afternoon, the day before yesterday, then arrived in Seattle, it was cooler in Dallas than when I arrived in Seattle.  

But as pleased as I may be, I know that the young men and women wearing this uniform in the audience are even more pleased because they will be the ones to fly, to operate this airplane around the globe. I’m sure that all of you are hoping that I get off this stage very quickly so we can light this airplane up and you can see your future. And we have to get there quickly because frankly, getting this airplane into the fleet, we have no time to lose. It must be delivered on time and on budget because we are literally, as many of you know, flying the wings off the P-3 airplane. An airplane that has been so successful in hunting submarines, and uncovering improvised explosive devices targeted at our Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airman on the ground, collecting intelligence and even recently chasing down our old foe, the pirates who still prowl the oceans.  

The P-8A will take up those missions. It will become the premier anti-warfare submarine, it will become the premier anti-surface weapon that we will use in the vast ocean areas.  And it will collect the intelligence, it will surveil and recon in many, many missions in the future. But it will do it with a renewed vigor and increased technology that will make it even more successful than anything that has come before.  

We the operators must learn how to use this airplane. It is not a P-3. It is a step into the future. And for the young men and women out here, let your creative juices run wild. This airplane expects nothing less from you. You must take it beyond what even the great engineers at Boeing thought it could ever do.  

I had the opportunity to visit Boeing a couple of months ago and saw the airplane coming together.  And it’s great to see the progress that has been made by this impressive team that is here. The relationship between industry and the Navy throughout this process and throughout the life of the P-8A has been precedent setting. Leveraging off Boeing’s commercial experience and success, using open architecture, and paving the way for integration of the unmanned aircraft are some of the aspects of this program that we must continue to emulate, that we must continue to take forward and we must look at ways to put them into other programs and other aspects of how our Navy operates.  

Thanks to Skipper John Fry, San Diego for this bit of nostalgia:

 EA-18G Given High Marks In OPEVAL, Boeing Says

(DEFENSE DAILY 04 AUG 09) ... Geoff Fein

The Department of Defense (DoD) last month finished initial operational test and evaluation for Boeing's [BA] EA-18G, finding the new electronic attack aircraft operationally effective, operationally suitable and ready for fleet introduction.

"The evaluation of Navy's testing community, under the Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Forces, determined that the EA-18G is able to effectively perform the intended operational mission and is also found to be suitable. The suitability evaluation focuses on maintainability, reliability and many support aspects with the intention of validating that the system under test will be available when needed," according to a statement from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

The DoD's findings were released July 29.

"This is a major major milestone for the program," Boeing 's Rick Martin, EA-18G program manager told reporters during a media briefing yesterday.

"It's the highest rating the program could receive," he said. "It's not only critically important, but a major milestone for the fleet."

According to Martin, the Navy's operational evaluation test team were very thorough, spending approximately 396 flight hours putting the Growler through its paces, between September '08 and May.

The success of the Growler can be attributed to the integrated product team's relationship as well as the ability of the program to hit every major milestone on or ahead of schedule, Martin noted.

"Right now, we are two months ahead of schedule," he added. "We are under budget at this point."

The program of record is 88 Growlers. Boeing is under contract for 34. To date the company has delivered 12 aircraft to the Navy. Full rate production will result in an additional 54 aircraft, Martin said.

He noted there has been talk of potentially adding additional Growlers for a land-based electronic attack requirement.

"We consider the EA-18G program to be a 'model' in terms of executing better than planned," Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 & EA-18G program manager, said last week. "A critical reason why the Growler remained on cost and on schedule while exceeding the performance required was the aggressive management of risk and requirements."

Combining the latest capabilities of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with modern Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) systems and weapons, the next generation in airborne electronic attack, EA-18G Growler, continues to be delivered on cost and ahead of schedule, NAVAIR said.

"The Navy's acquisition strategy of integrating the already proven EA-6B Improved Capability III (ICAP III) AEA suite with the Block 2 F/A-18F Super Hornet means the EA-18G was able to demonstrate the inherent reliability and maintainability that the fleet currently enjoys with the Super Hornet and the exceptional operational capability of the ICAP III AEA System," Darrah said. "This robust integration of these two mature weapon systems will ensure that the U.S. Navy will continue to provide world class tactical AEA capability well into the future."

Software anomalies were discovered during the IOT&E process, and the Integrated Product Team is actively engaged in developing a software update release that will be used for verification of and correction of deficiencies (VCD) development period, which is currently scheduled to start later this year.

Martin said that in most cases testers were able to identify solutions and test those on aircraft. They will be made available in the next software load.

"The software with updates will be made to support that testing," he added.

The anomalies, he added, had more to do with the maturity of the systems--integrating the various jamming pods with the rest of the electronic attack suite.

"It was not so much on the receive or jam side, but more to do with the general integration of the system," Martin said.

Navy Fixes Six P-3 Orions, Hopes To Dig Out Of Hole As Early As 2011

(INSIDE THE NAVY 03 AUG 09) ... Dan Taylor

The Navy has returned to service six of the 39 P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft that were grounded in 2007 due to wing fatigue issues, and hopes to climb out of the hole created by the mass grounding in late 2011 to early 2012, the program manager said last week.

Lockheed Martin has been manufacturing outer wing assembly kits to fix fatigue problems on P-3 wings that caused the December 2007 grounding of 39 of the Navy’s 161 P-3s. As it stands today, the Navy has returned six P-

3s to service and has placed 42 aircraft in depot for repairs, Capt. Mike Moran, P-3 and P-8A Poseidon program manager, said July 30 during a teleconference call with reporters for the P-8A roll-out ceremony in Renton, WA. Another 11 aircraft are currently grounded and have not yet entered the depot, he said.

There are more than 39 aircraft involved because more aging P-3s have run across fatigue issues since the 2007 grounding and need to receive the wing kits as well. The P-3 fleet today stands at 153 aircraft, the captain said.

“We are in the process of returning those aircraft to service,” Moran said. “We project ourselves to climb out of what we call the ‘red-stripe hole’ . . . in the late 2011, early 2012 time frame.

“We’re working very close with [Rear Adm. William Moran, patrol and reconnaissance group commander] and his staff to make sure we’re managing those airplanes very, very closely, almost by bureau number, quite frankly, to ensure they have the airplanes to go on deployment and do their mission sets,” he added.

The House Appropriations Committee allocated $428 million for P-3 repairs in the fiscal year 2010 defense spending bill, a $56.8 million reduction from the Pentagon’s request due to “outer wing replacement kits cost growth,” according to the committee’s July 27 report accompanying its version of the bill. The House passed the bill last week.

The P-3 fleet, primarily meant for anti-submarine warfare missions, has been heavily used in ground support missions in Iraq and Afghanistan due to the need for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, according to Rear Adm. Moran, who also participated in the teleconference.

“Frankly, there aren’t enough ISR assets out there,” he said. “The ground commanders value having that voice in the sky that’s looking at where they are, where they’re positioning their troops, what the threat looks like, and we have just been able to adapt our sensors on the P-3 very well to accomplish the mission. It was just pure necessity and lack of capacity defense-wide.”

About 60 to 70 percent of P-3 missions are ground support, which Rear Adm. Moran said was not likely to change in the near future.

“We’ll be there for a while,” he said.

When asked whether the follow-on P-8A Poseidon, which will reach initial operational capability in 2013, would also fill that role, Rear Adm. Moran said it “depends on the world situation at the time we start rolling out P-8 squadrons,” but “if the world looks like it does today, absolutely it will be employed in much the same as the P-3 is right now.”

The P-8 will begin flight testing this fall in Washington state before officials move the aircraft to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD.

The Navy awarded a $334.7 million contract to Boeing July 30 for one P-8A stage II test aircraft and tasks in support of three test aircraft “to make them production-representative assets,” according to the Pentagon announcement.

 Greene: Navy, Air Force Eying Options For Light-Attack Plane Teaming

(INSIDE THE NAVY 03 AUG 09) ... Christopher J. Castelli

The Navy and the Air Force are still working out the details of a joint effort to develop light-attack aircraft, according to Rear Adm. Philip Greene, director of the Navy’s irregular warfare office.

In a July 28 interview with sister publication Inside the Pentagon, Greene noted his office works on enabling improved capability quickly in response to warfighter needs for a very high return on investment. He said because he is not in the standard requirements lane he has more leeway for innovation and rapid delivery of these capabilities.

The Navy’s Imminent Fury endeavor grew from such efforts.

“The idea behind that was a persistent [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] platform that could deliver precision-guided munitions, close to the fight, working with our joint special operations forces,” he said. “And the Navy has done some, I think, very good work to develop not necessarily the plane that carries it but the avionics and capability that’s associated with it.”

For the classified effort, the Navy modified a leased Embraer Super Tucano with high-tech intelligence sensors.

Air Force interest in a similar capability called OA-X has led to talk of partnership. ITP first reported Feb. 19 that Air Force officials were looking to leverage funding from Imminent Fury.

“The conversation has evolved where we’re working with the Air Force to share our lessons learned, to share how far we’ve come with the development of that program,” Greene said.

Healthy, substantive discussions are ongoing, Greene said, noting officials are mulling different ways to collaborate.

“Could be a teaming effort. Could be a combat validation. Could be, you know, passing along the lessons learned and then they take the ball and apply those lessons learned to their own program,” he said.

A decision has not been made on that so it would be premature to speculate on what the answer will be, he noted.

But Greene expressed enthusiasm for collaboration, noting this is the kind of opportunity for efficiency advocated by Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

“It’s exciting to look at the prospect of a teaming effort between the Navy and the Air Force on this particular program,” Greene said.

In the report accompanying their fiscal year 2010 defense-spending bill, House appropriators noted the Navy and Air Force are negotiating a memorandum of agreement to jointly conduct a demonstration program designed to provide information on the benefits of a light attack aircraft to the warfighter. The report notes the services plan to reprogram FY-10 money for the project.

Greene declined to comment on how the project might be funded.

Counseling the services that this will constitute a new start, the legislation directs them to use the prior-approval reprogramming procedures for the new start notification and the source of funding. House appropriators also urge the Pentagon to conduct a full and open competition for the lease of the aircraft that would be used in the demonstration.

Hawker Beechcraft’s first AT-6B light-attack plane made its inaugural, 50-minute flight Monday at the company’s Wichita, KS, production facility, InsideDefense.com reported. Air Force officials plan to use the findings from the congressionally-directed AT-6B demonstration for the OA-X light-attack plane effort.