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Home Front: WoT
Marines Push F-18s To The Limit
2011-09-15
A few weeks old so just a summary: the Marine air wings are pushing their F/A-18s to the 9,000 total flight hour cap, a limit established as to when the aircraft should be retired. The Marines were hoping to hang in with the Lawn Darts until the F-35s arrived, but the ops tempo for Afghanistan is such that the planes are getting close to their limits.
Posted by:Steve White

#14  This is why I'm proud to have been on subs!
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839   2011-09-15 17:39  

#13  @ cooment #5 Steve S. LOL.. you made me remember the (in)famous Troikaschlep the Germans used in WWII. Some things never change!
Posted by: Mikey Hunt   2011-09-15 15:02  

#12  In my opinion the F-35 as it stands now is useless and a rip off.

Stealth and networked warfare is the future. The F-35C has longer range than the F-14, the main complaint against the F-18 (all models).
Posted by: Eohippus Phater7165   2011-09-15 13:33  

#11  I seem to remember Russia testing and winning carrier group air space control post F-14.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-09-15 13:08  

#10  as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.'

That also is a great description of the F-35. Another factor in the F-35's story is the "Let's save money by removing capability and add it in later" theory of project management.

In my opinion the F-35 as it stands now is useless and a rip off. DOD should have kept the F-23 and cancelled the F-35.

Al
Posted by: Frozen Al   2011-09-15 11:11  

#9  But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.

I was very fond of the A-7 Corsair II. Great light-attack bomber, but a bitch to work on.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man (New Delhi)   2011-09-15 10:18  

#8  But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.

Angelina Jolie (it is the only current actress I have heard about) is still sexier than an F18 so I guess they should be replaced with AJ19s.
Posted by: JFM   2011-09-15 09:45  

#7  Richard, that's exactly the plan according to the article. Right now the Marines have Harriers in Afghanistan (rotated in to replace the Hornet squadrons that were there), and the Harrier ain't exactly new.

I don't think they'll buy any F/A-18A's, though more E/F/G's may be in the offing if the F-35 is delayed again (oh, what are the odds of THAT?).

I recall when the F-35 first hit the public and the word was that it, like the F-16, would be the 'cheap fighter', while the F-22, like the F-15, would be the 'pricey fighter'. Ha.
Posted by: Steve White   2011-09-15 08:57  

#6  Don't know what kind of flying is presumed in the 9000 hours. But I've heard that the current ops include stooging around at low power settings, trying to stay awake until somebody needs a smart bomb. Yank and bank, turn and burn, not so much. And if the jarheads have actual airfields, the launches and traps are not as tough on the aircraft. So maybe a few more years can be wrung out of these things.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey   2011-09-15 08:14  

#5  as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.'

Yeah, the Super Hornet was a stretch (literally!), and once they started down that road... But if two African swallows can carry a coconut suspended between them on a bit of creeper, I don't see why two Hornets can't carry a fuel bladder suspended between them and make a kinda sorta halfway-acceptable tanker.

I've always been a fanboi for funky looking, but lethal airplanes - Warthogs, Aardvarks, Intruders, those scary-ass Russian helos and such. Personally, I never forgave those bastiges for deep-sixing the Intruders.
Posted by: SteveS   2011-09-15 04:52  

#4  Steve S: I heard that!
and the word out here in Puget Sound is that Boeing is jumping for joy with the word that the USN may buy more of YOUR beloved Lawn Darts to bridge the JSF introduction date, and to use as leverage to decrease the total F-35 buy. Why, it almost looks like the sequel to A-12 Avenger II, or why the Flying Dorito never made it past a few scattered parts.
DARPA is taking some F-16s, F-18s and F-22s and putting current UAV flight control computers and associated software in them and fly them as surrogate UAVs to gain the needed confidence in their autonomous flight laws.
on a serious note, the F-18, as originally conceived was a great airplane, but the 'one size fits all mentality forced compromise after compromise on it; now it does many jobs 'OK,' instead of one or two 'great.' it was to be a replacement for the LTV A-7 light attack aircraft; look at what we got. No medium carrier based attack, no fighters with any sort of legs, and marginal EW ( due to wing loading and flight restrictions with the pods on the 'Growler.')
But it is sexier to look at than a Prowler or Intruder, have to admit that.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2011-09-15 01:15  

#3   Lawn Dart = F-16?

An affectionate name for the F-18 Hornet, used by people who don't buy into the All Hornets, All the Time philosophy.

(Rumor has it that just whispering the words makes USN,Ret. overheat)
Posted by: SteveS   2011-09-15 00:54  

#2  Lawn Dart = F-16?
Posted by: gromky   2011-09-15 00:41  

#1  But the NAVY repor wants to switch from F-35's to UAVS ASAP ATAP AMAP???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-09-15 00:30  

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