Commander Naval Air Forces wants more F/A-18s

I wasn't aware of the CVN-78 being able to deploy the F-35C by 2022 or its first deployment whenever that occurs. Is there any information to that end (in the public domain)? Most of the information that I've seen points to it receiving upgrades after some of the other carriers in the class and not in time for the first deployment. How long are these upgrades expected to take and will it delay its first deployment?

QUOTE:


In September 2019, it was announced the Warhawks have been selected as the next squadron to transition to the F-35C Lightning II receiving the aircraft in early 2020.

At some point prior to 2020, the Warhawks were reassigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 and the USS Gerald R. Ford, opening a slot in CVW-9.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VFA-97#cite_note-6

There is a lot of pressure from Congress for CVNs to be upgraded to FULLY OPERATE F-35Cs otherwise they can all host the F-35C, even without the UPgrades to JBDs (for long, sequential F-35C launches), secure briefing spaces, comms etc.

The upgrade to FORD has been slated for an earlier time by Congress. However all these plans are and have been subject to various changes for various reasons and throw in the COVID-19 with long deployments for some CVNs and we all guess.

So, we should see three Carrier Air Wings with the F-35C in the next couple of years from my count.....

VFA-147 the "Argonauts" with CVW-2 (USS Carl Vinson)

VMFA-314 the "Black Knights" with CVW-9 (USS Abraham Lincoln)

VFA-97 the "Warhawks" with CVW-8 (USS Gerald R. Ford)


I believe that is correct..........

I really hope CVN-78 can deploy the F-35C's on her first cruise in a couple of years. I don't know if this will be possible given all the other stuff that needs to be done to that ship (between all the testing) but that would certainly be great news. I believe Congress has demanded that CVN-79 have F-35 integration accelerated..but haven't read anything around increased funding for accelerated CVN-78 mods.

So, we should see three Carrier Air Wings with the F-35C in the next couple of years from my count.....

VFA-147 the "Argonauts" with CVW-2 (USS Carl Vinson)

VMFA-314 the "Black Knights" with CVW-9 (USS Abraham Lincoln)

VFA-97 the "Warhawks" with CVW-8 (USS Gerald R. Ford)

Have things changed since this November 2019 report?

Next through the classrooms of VFA-125 will be VFA-97 ‘Warhawks’, which should become operational with Lot 13 standard F-35Cs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 before moving to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, in FY 2024 to join CVW-5 which, by then, will have been reunited with USS George Washington (CVN 73).

viewtopic.php?p=427807#p427807

So, we should see three Carrier Air Wings with the F-35C in the next couple of years from my count.....

VFA-147 the "Argonauts" with CVW-2 (USS Carl Vinson)

VMFA-314 the "Black Knights" with CVW-9 (USS Abraham Lincoln)

VFA-97 the "Warhawks" with CVW-8 (USS Gerald R. Ford)

Have things changed since this November 2019 report?

Next through the classrooms of VFA-125 will be VFA-97 ‘Warhawks’, which should become operational with Lot 13 standard F-35Cs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 before moving to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, in FY 2024 to join CVW-5 which, by then, will have been reunited with USS George Washington (CVN 73).

viewtopic.php?p=427807#p427807

As of March 25, 2020 VFA-97 was assigned to CVW-8 and the USS Gerald R. Ford.


http://www.gonavy.jp/AIRLANTf.html

So, we should see three Carrier Air Wings with the F-35C in the next couple of years from my count.....

VFA-147 the "Argonauts" with CVW-2 (USS Carl Vinson)

VMFA-314 the "Black Knights" with CVW-9 (USS Abraham Lincoln)

VFA-97 the "Warhawks" with CVW-8 (USS Gerald R. Ford)

Have things changed since this November 2019 report?

Next through the classrooms of VFA-125 will be VFA-97 ‘Warhawks’, which should become operational with Lot 13 standard F-35Cs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 before moving to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, in FY 2024 to join CVW-5 which, by then, will have been reunited with USS George Washington (CVN 73).

viewtopic.php?p=427807#p427807

As of March 25, 2020 VFA-97 was assigned to CVW-8 and the USS Gerald R. Ford.


http://www.gonavy.jp/AIRLANTf.html

I have no problem believing that is accurate. Where though is the convincing evidence that “In September 2019, it was announced the Warhawks have been selected as the next squadron to transition to the F-35C Lightning II receiving the aircraft in early 2020.”

Wikipedia has a footnote for this pointing to this September 2019 article:
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/vfa-97- ... the-f-35c/

This Aviation Geek article in turn gives the source as Scramble Magazine’s Facebook page:

Scramble Magazine
29 August 2019 ·
Changes within the Strike Fighter Squadrons and... will VFA-97 become the second squadron equipped with the F-35C?
Our regular correspondent Coert van Breda visited NAS Fallon (NV) early August and watched elements of Carrier Air Wing 3 that is assigned to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), sporting tailcode AC.
With the sighting of a Strike Fighter squadron (VFA) 83 "Rampagers" ('AC-2xx') F/A-18E, it is now confirmed that VFA-86 "Sidewinders" left the wing. The Sidewinders are now assigned to CVW-7 and the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as 'AG-3xx'.
Strikingly, we received information that all F/A-18E Super Hornets of VFA-97 "Warhawks" (last known as 'NG-3xx' with CVW-9) left the squadron and are now classified to VFA-137 "Kestrels" ('NA-3xx') within CVW-17 on board the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The Kestrels themselves are former NE-2xx of CVW-2.
As VFA-147 "Argonauts" ('NE-4xx') is now operational on the F-35C, the US Navy reported that a second squadron will be re-equipped, without mentioning which VFA this will be. A careful estimated guess from Scramble is that VFA-97 could be a realistic candidate in accepting the Lightning II. Anyone a thought?
Photo credit: VFA-83 F/A-18E by Coert van Breda, VFA-97 F/A-18E by VFA-97, and VFA-137 F/A-18E by VFA-137

I find the information from Combat Aircraft that VFA-97 will get F-35Cs for deployment on USS George Washington more convincing than this “careful estimated guess” that this squadron will operate this plane on the Ford. This is mainly because there is no indication that the Ford will be modified for F-35C prior to its first deployment.

Ford Prepares to Integrate Carrier Air Wing [CVW-8]
21 May 2020 Richard R. Burgess

"ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier is progressing through its post-shakedown workload and is preparing to integrate its assigned air wing, Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8). Although the Ford has conducted more than 3,000 catapult launches and arrested landings, those have been performed by test units, training squadrons, fleet replacement squadrons and other fleet squadrons. When CVW-8 comes aboard in early June, the ship and its air wing will be integrated as a warfighting team for the first time.

The Navy and its industry partners have been working to ready the Ford to embark the 1,200 personnel and prepare for flight operations with CVW-8. James. F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said in a May 20 teleconference with reporters that “the next thing with [Ford] will be embarking the air wing and going to cyclic ops.” On May 18, the carrier completed 167 launches and arrested landings — far greater than the ship’s previous record of 135, Geurts said....

...Capt. Joshua Sager Sager assumed command of CVW-8 on March 5. He has accumulated more than 3,600 flight hours and has completed more than 900 carrier arrested landings....

...CVW-8 consists of seven aircraft squadrons flying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeyes, and MH-60S/R Seahawks. A squadron of EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft is expected to join the wing later."

Source: https://seapowermagazine.org/ford-prepa ... -air-wing/

I find it awful interesting Congress seems to be pushing harder than the Navy to get F-35C's on its carriers. Maybe I mis-read or mis interpreted something, but that's what I got from reading some of these excerpts.

Makes you wonder why..

Sorry if this has been posted already I just wanted to confirm that the intake is different.

Boeing’s F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet Takes First Flight

The first F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet test jet took its first flight at Boeing's factory in St. Louis, Missouri, the company announced today...



https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... st-flight/

Illusion. Look more closely...

F-18 BLOCK III Super Hornet First Flight June 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRDq4OX2yBw

Rise of the Rhino Article 6 pages Combat Aircraft Journal July 2020 Volume 21 Number 7 PDF six pages attached (grfx).

Are speedbrakes back for the BLOCK III Super Hornet or are the big slabs something else? Note the INTAKES Y'ALL censored?

https://www.boeing.com/defense/fa-18-su ... /#/gallery

And how do they operate when conformals are in place?

Could those “speed brakes” be LEX spoilers? If so they appear to have always been a feature of the F/A-18E/F:
https://m.facebook.com/TheChickenWorks/ ... 0063274404

Also this 1999 article:
https://www.flightglobal.com/f/a-18e/f- ... 84.article

The spoilers are multifunction surfaces. Located on the upper surface of each LEX, the spoiler acts primarily as a speedbrake. To reduce weight, the E/F lacks the C/D's upper-fuselage airbrake. Instead, the flight control system has a speedbrake function that deflects the spoilers up, ailerons up, trailing-edge flaps down and rudders out.