Article

2017-02-18 Government

Trump hints at 'big order' of F/A-18 Super Hornets instead of some F-35s

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Posted by Steve White 2017-02-18 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 ...Not entirely sure how this is gonna go - what makes sense is if the USN buy is throttled back and refilled with SuperDuper Hornets. There are actually some benefits there - we get a mature, proven airframe on deck in bigger numbers and a combat-capable airframe a lot sooner. We also get away from the potential horror show of all of Naval Aviation's combat airframes being the same damned airplane. Downside - the cost for the rest of the Killer Turkey program goes up. Interesting times...

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2017-02-18 17:17|| 2017-02-18 17:17|| Front Page Top

#2 Yep, and except for the stealth gizmos and gadgets on the Superduper Hornets, the maintenance crews on carriers can repair a Hornet with their eyes closed they are that familiar with the bird...yep and not so much transition training for the jet jockeys...

Makes sense to me.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2017-02-18 18:44|| 2017-02-18 18:44|| Front Page Top

#3 "How would the F-35 do against the XT? 15 to 1 kill ratio?"

The other way around is most likely!

Posted by Seeking cure for ignorance 2017-02-18 19:44|| 2017-02-18 19:44|| Front Page Top

#4 Wrong question. The real questions have to do with capabilities against near-peer and rapidly emerging peer adversaries.

Posted by Hupimp Shomogum1573 2017-02-18 20:16|| 2017-02-18 20:16|| Front Page Top

#5 To expand, China has stolen and also developed stealth, advanced radar and comms capabilities. Without what the F-35 is intended to be, and is a lot of the time, our military is only ready to face 2nd rate opponents. China is rapidly threatening to be more than that and other adversaries will arise as well.

Don't make the mistake of fighting the last war, which was against an incompetant middle eastern junkyard.

Posted by Hupimp Shomogum1573 2017-02-18 20:20|| 2017-02-18 20:20|| Front Page Top

#6 Competition is good. Make those LockMartin bastards sweat. Boeing is no better, but letting them fight for the business, will give the sailor and aviator options that they would not have if we sole source the future to the F-35.

Even if we never buy another F-18 we will have mixed fleets of aircraft for a long time. Buying a few more F-18s would just extend that time, and give us, the people, leverage on the contractors.

Posted by rammer 2017-02-18 22:56|| 2017-02-18 22:56|| Front Page Top

23:12 gorb
22:56 rammer
22:44 Alaska Paul
22:24 JohnQC
22:21 JohnQC
22:15 james
22:15 Alaska Paul
21:58 gorb
20:21 Chantry
20:20 Hupimp Shomogum1573
20:16 Hupimp Shomogum1573
20:05 Seeking cure for ignorance
20:00 Rex Mundi
19:44 Seeking cure for ignorance
19:18 james
19:12 james
19:04 magpie
18:57 SteveS
18:46 Crusader
18:45 Crusader
18:44 Sock Puppet of Doom
18:42 Crusader
18:39 Sock Puppet of Doom
18:29 DarthVader