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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0136.PDF
Requirements for a higher wind-over-deck, shallower approach angle and limits on asym metric stores carriage ".. .restrict the comman der's room to manoeuvre", he says. "Those are burdensome restrictions in wartime." RETURNING WEAPONS The higher landing weight was introduced for F-18 patrols over Bosnia, enabling aircraft to be recovered widi weapons unused. At the unre stricted carrier-landing weight of 15,000kg, the typical Bosnian stores load of some 1,500kg would have reduced the fuel available to an unacceptably low 900kg, so the landing weight was raised to increase the "first-pass" fuel allowance to almost 1,400kg. This is still less than would normally be required for safe operations. The Navy says that carrier air wings usually set first-pass fuel at 1,800kg for day operations and almost 2,300kg for night operations. As pilots become more experienced, these allowances are reduced to 1,600kg day/2,000kg night. Dyer says that die F-18C/D's recovery pay- load of 2,500kg, at the unrestricted landing weight of 15,000kg, allows around 700kg of weapons and 1,800kg of fuel to be returned to the carrier. The F-18E/F, he says, can be recov ered with 1,800kg fuel and almost 2,300kg of weapons at its 19,500kg maximum carrier- landing weight—figures which do notyet ben efit from the fact that the F-18E/F is now some 450kg below its specification weight. The advent of precision-guided munitions has increased the importance of recovery pay- load, as the Navy does not want to have to drop valuable weapons just to get its aircraft back on to the carrier. Dyer points out that the Joint Direct Attack Munition and Joint Stand-Off Weapon, which will make up die bulk ofthe F- 18's future weapons load, are bodi 900kg stores. Dyer maintains diat F-18 weight growth as a result of adding capability to the aircraft has encroached on fuel and is forcing commanders to trade off safety against flexibility of opera tions. McGinn describes flexibility as a "core competency" of carrier-based aviation. He says: "We know die future is uncertain. The antidote to uncertainty is flexibility. The growth [avail- MDC has windtunnel-tested the F-18C2Wvariant able] in die F-18E/F gives us diat flexibility." Conceived as one half of a double act, the F-18E/F as sumed paramount importance for die Navy widi cancellation of the companion A/F-X strike fighter. In addition to replacing existing multi-role F-18s, die Navy now plans to replace air-defence F-14s widi the two-seat F-18F and is studying a command-and- control warfare (G'W) variant of die F to replace its EA-6Bs. The Navy is also interested in die F-18E/Fs potential as a tanker and as a precision- strike aircraft. These are all roles which would be difficult to perform with the F-18C/D because of range and endurance restrictions imposed by carrier operations. UNDER PRESSURE Emergence of the JSF programme has in creased pressure on die F-18E/F, widi die GAO comparing die projected $43.6 million flyaway cost of die F-18E/F unfavourably widi die esti mated $32.5 million flyaway cost of die Navy's JSF. "It's all a matter of timing," says McGinn. "The initial operating capability of the JSF is 2008 at die earliest. That is too long to wait for die capability and flexibility [needed] to increase die sphere of influence of die carrier battle group," he maintains. The Navy plans to buy relatively few JSFs— just 300 for use as "first-day-of-war" stealthy strike aircraft. In contrast, the service plans to buy at least 1,000 F-18E/Fs. The GAO has questioned diis number, noting diat die original 1,000-aircraft plan consisted of 660 for the Navy and 340 for the US Marine Corps, which has decided not to procure the F-18E/E Dyer says that the Navy's original 660-air- craft requirement did not reflect the decision to replace F-14s with F-18Fs. Also, the service has an unfunded requirement for as many as 150 F- 18G'Ws to replace its electronic-warfare EA-6Bs. The Navy's requirement for 1,000 air craft ".. .is very real", he says. The C:W is the first identified variant ofthe basic F-18E/F. MDC and F-18 principal subcontractor Northrop Grumman are spending dieir own money to explore the con cept, conducting windtunnel, simu lator and other testing, but are pushing for Navy funding to begin development in 1999. The team has chosen 2008 as the target in-service data for the F-18CW Flight International, 13-19 November, 1996, PI 7). Based on the two-seat F-18F, die C2W has wingtip pods (housing receiver antennas) and electronic- F-180Wrear cockpit has a larger tactical-situation display attack pods (housing the jamming system) which can be carried under the fuselage or wing. The rear cockpit is modified to enable the C2 Ws two crewmembers to perform die task of die EA-6B's four crew. Consideration ofthe F-18G'W, and a possi ble future precision-strike variant of die F-18F, is possible because ofthe greater carrier-based payload, range and endurance capability ofthe E/F. The airframe is 20% larger than that ofthe C/D, but internal fuel capacity is increased by one-diird and the E/F can carry larger external tanks. The GAO has questioned die E/Fs range capability, but McGinn says that early opera tional assessment (EOA) ofthe aircraft proved diat".. .die promises were true". "Statements of [E/F] range performance are reality; they have been demonstrated in flight," says Dyer. With die same external tanks, he says, die E/F has 40-50% more range dian does the C/D. The Navy's EOA involved flight tests of die first two F-18E/Fs to measure range perfor mance, and results "...were a little better than predicted", Dyer says. The E/F is now project ed to have a low-altitude interdiction-mission radius of action of 865km (465nm), compared widi die specified 720km, and die C/D's 565km. The Navy is also excited by the potential for use the F-18E/F as a "buddy" tanker. Off loading 2,900kg of fuel to anodier E/F at 610km would enable the refuelled aircraft to reach a radius of almost 1,600km. The new SLAM ER stand-off missile would extend the aircraft's reach to 1,850km, the Navy calculates. The "tanker" aircraft, meanwhile, could remain on combat air-patrol to defend the carrier. "The F-18C/D does not have enough endurance or fuel [to perform this mission]," die Navy argues. This contention will shortly be put to die test: the GAO has succeeded in persuading Con gress to direct die Navy to produce a report directly comparing the E/F widi die C/D. The report is to be submitted in March, before the Defense Acquisition Board meets to decide whedier or not low-rate initial production of die F-18E/F should proceed. • 30 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 January 1997
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