BULLHORN #64 8FEB10

ANAers – There’s a whole lot happening – regardless of what part of the ‘community” you
consider….maritime patrol, helos, go-fasters, ships and, GOD BLESS THEM, Aviation Bos’n
Mates – somewhere in the mix of defense reviews and budget submissions, etc, you’ll find
them. Now is the time to read up, to truly find out what is happening – and where needed to
contact your leadership AND legislators and tell them what they need to do – what they need to
support – to keep Naval Aviation at the sharpest point of the spear – that force for victory and
peace.
Our informal survey about adding a web-based capability for membership renewals and
financial gift giving was overwhelmingly for adding that to our web site at
http://www.anahq.org/. We will get that done ASAP.
Another survey, done outside these pages, indicates that the frequwency of BULLHORNS is
about what membership wants. It also showed that the hyperlink feature that gives point and
click navigation from the INDEX listing is useful; we will continue that.
MEMBERSHIP, MEMBERSHIP!!!
Best regards and VR,
Dutch
Dutch  Rauch  
Secretary/Treasurer  
Association  of  Naval  Aviation,  Inc.  
A  501(C)(3)  not-­‐for-­‐profit  organization  
1446  Waggaman  Circle  
Mclean,  VA  22101  
svwindmills@erols.com  
http://www.anahq.org/  
PS – In response to many, please find that the font size has been increased – all for we more
mature folks ;-o))
INDEX    (hold  down  the  CTRL  key,  move  your  mouse  curser  over  the  title,  when  the  curser  
turns  to  a  pointing  finger,  click  your  mouse  to  go  to  the  article.    Click  on  RETURN  TO  
INDEX  to  get  back  here)  
US Navy Reserve in Action - Haiti
DEFENSE REVIEWS and BUDGET ACTIONS
Navy closes BNAS runways
2010 Quadrennial Defense Review
USS Carl Vinson Departs Haiti
Fiscal Year 2011 Department of the Navy Budget Submission
Mayport To Get Nuclear Aircraft Carrier
Carrier Bush Returned To Navy
Navy Copter Unit Gets New Leader Commander
Indian Navy To Induct MiG-29K Fighter Jets
Lockheed Strengthening Fuselage In Navy’s F-35 Model
Gates Fires Head of F-35 Fighter Jet Program
Navy Seeks Boost To Shipbuilding Fund, No Money For F/A-18E/F Multi-Year
Navy Requests Nine Ships, 206 Aircraft in FY-11; New Command Ship, EFV Delayed
Proposed Defense Budget Paves Way For Carrier Base In Florida
F-35 Issues
U.K. Backs BAE Carrier Project

Naval  Aviation  Reserves  

Our US Navy Reserve forces have been in the thick of Haiti relief ops from the first shake.
Especially of note have been the RV folks – including VR-56 at NAS Oceana - and individual
reservists deployed to Haiti. Please take a look at their message at
https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/Ready%20Now/Lists/Archive/Attachments/19/Ready%20Now%20F
ebruary%202010%20-%20On-Demand%20Expertise%20FINAL.pdf
contact Benjamin.Bownas@navy.mil for details

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DEFENSE  REVIEWS  and  BUDGET  ACTIONS  

A lot has been happening regarding defense reviews and budget submissions:
The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is a 7MB .pdf file that can be found at
http://www.defense.gov/qdr/QDR%20as%20of%2029JAN10%201600.pdf

The Ballistic Missile Defense review is a 3 MB file that can be found at

http://www.defense.gov/bmdr/BMDR%20as%20of%2026JAN10%200630_for%20web.
pdf

The DOD FY2011 Budget Request is a 7MB file that can be found at
http://comptroller.defense.gov/budget.html

Transcripts for:
 • the QDR and Missile defense review briefing can be found at
http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4550
• FY2011 Budget Request briefing can be found at
http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=4551
The presentation slides/etc are found at the hyperlink at the beginning of each
respective briefing.

The full 2011 Budget Submit is a 7MB file which I have and can send at your request.
 
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From atop the control tower, Brunswick Naval Air Station Air
Operations Officer David Ivezic points out all the runway lights
that will go dark tonight as the base shuts down its runways.
At 10 p.m. today, Brunswick Naval Air Station will hold a brief
ceremony to mark the end of Navy aviation at the base.

(Troy R. Bennett / The Times Record)

Navy  closes  BNAS  runways

By Seth Koenig, Times Record Staff
Published:
Friday, January 29, 2010 2:10 PM EST
BRUNSWICK — At 10 p.m. today, the lights at Brunswick Naval Air Station’s airfield
will be drawn up to their maximum brightness. Then, light by light, the airfield will go
black.

The silent display will signal the official end of more than a half century of military
airfield operations in Brunswick.

The closure of the base airport — which consists of twin 8,000-foot runways and a
control tower built in 2006, among other things — is another step in the incremental
shutdown of the 3,200-acre base property. By May 2011, the entire base is scheduled
to be closed as an active duty military installation.

“This is probably, up to this point, the most visible symbol of our closing”,Capt.
William Fitzgerald, commanding officer of Brunswick Naval Air Station, told The Times
Record on Thursday. “Even the squadrons coming and going, that was always
happening. Even recently, we still had some planes taking off and landing here. But
when you finally shut down the light and put the Xs on the runways, it’s a big
milestone. There will be no more planes.”

Cmdr. David Ivezic is the head of the base’s air operations department, and also a
pilot.

“I’ve been to the airports in Wiscasset and Bowdoinham, and I’ve talked to a lot of
pilots in the community. I’m getting the sense that, ‘Wow, this is going to be a big
loss’, Ivezic said. “This is going to leave a big hole in the aviation community.”

Ivezic said that while final decisions haven’t been made, the most junior member of
his air operations staff will likely turn the lights off for the last time, while the most
senior member of the crew will broadcast the airfield’s last transmission. Both jobs will
be performed from the top of the 130-foot-tall control tower, which overlooks the
runways from the western edge of the base property.

“It’s kind of a ceremonial thing,…; Ivezic said. “We’ll bring it up to the max lights —
get the place lit up like a big Christmas tree — and then shut them down.”

What will the last transmission sound like? Air Controlman 1st Class Keith Piccirello,
who was one of two sailors manning the control tower Wednesday morning, said that
will be determined by whoever is ultimately chosen to give the transmission.

“It’ll be up to him what he wants to say,…; said Piccirello. “(Maybe he will say,) ‘This
is the last transmission from Naval Air Station Brunswick.’ Then he’ll have to hand
over control of the air space to Portland.

Ivezic said the Federal Aviation Administration will maintain the Brunswick control
tower after the Navy ceases use of its aviation facilities, but said air traffic control
duties would be performed remotely using the equipment at Portland International
Jetport.

Fitzgerald said the process of shutting down the base airfield began more than 10
months ago.

“It will no longer be NAS Brunswick air space, and all that has to be accounted for,…;
he said. “Memorandums of agreement for different air space areas had to be canceled
out. ... It may seem easy at the end to just turn off the lights, but an awful lot of stuff
had to happen to get us there.”

With the airfield shut down, Ivezic’s crews will spend their time packing up aviation-
related equipment and shipping it to other military bases or federal organizations for
use. Some of the equipment, he said, will stay in Brunswick to be used by civilians
hoping to take over airport operations in the coming months.

In the case of a permanent closure, Ivezic said, the numbers and markings on the
 runways are generally gouged out of the asphalt. However, anticipating a transfer of
the airfield property to civilian redevelopers, he said the Navy will place temporary
yellow X marks instead. The X marks are about 10-feet-by-60-feet, and are light
material that will be weighed down by cinder blocks or other heavy objects.

“We are not going to damage the runways or their numbers in any way”, he said.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, the organization in charge of guiding

the civilian reuse of the base, expects to assume control of 850 acres associated with
the airfield by late August or early September to open a civilian airport there. The new
airport will focus on housing private airplanes and aircraft maintenance, repair and
overhaul businesses, not passenger or freight service.

But that will be after as many as nine months of darkness at the airfield and decades
of very different uses.

“In 1943, the base was initially established, and from training Canadian and British
pilots for World War II, to all the things this base has meant to the Cold War and
protecting the Northeast Corridor, Fitzgerald said, “it’s quite a legacy this base has
had.”

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2010  Quadrennial  Defense  Review  

A product of... Navy Office of Information www.navy.mil February 1, 2010

2010 Quadrennial Defense Review

 “The QDR is consistent with where our Navy is today, and where we are heading in
the future. It confirms our resource priorities, core tenants, and reaffirms the strategic
imperatives of our Maritime Strategy.”
– Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations
This year’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), DoD’s core strategic planning document,
affirms the security environment and strategic imperatives described in the Maritime Strategy
emphasizing winning our nation’s wars and preventing and containing conflict. Previous analyses
determined that 313 ships is the floor for the Navy’s force structure. That number will be refined
to account for QDR direction and its requirement for ballistic missile defense (BMD), irregular
warfare support, distributed operations and intra-theater lift. The defense objectives identified in
the QDR are to prevail in today’s wars, prevent and deter conflict, prepare to succeed in a wide
range of contingencies and preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force.
Prevail in today’s wars
• Approximately 12,000 Sailors are on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan serving in provincial
reconstruction teams, explosive ordnance disposal and counter-improvised explosive device
squads and support units; with 12,000 more at sea intercepting insurgents and their supplies and
providing close air support and reconnaissance to Soldiers and Marines.
• The QDR supports Navy capabilities for littoral operations and electronic warfare that are
essential to success in today’s wars.
Prevent and deter conflict
• The Navy provides forward-deployed, credible military power to deter conflict and respond
to crises.
• The nation depends on naval forces to operate in and assure U.S. access to the air, space,
maritime and cyberspace commons; these commons are essential to the stability of global systems
of trade and information.
• The QDR supports Navy capabilities for ballistic missile defense, surveillance and strike from
submarines and long-range unmanned aircraft that show adversaries the U.S. can deny their
objectives and respond.
Prepare to succeed in a wide range of contingencies
• The Navy can address a wide range of contingencies without infringing on sovereignty and
can overcome political, geographical and military challenges to access by using the freedom to
maneuver offered by the sea and capabilities to defeat threats such as submarines and cruise or
ballistic missiles.
• The QDR and the Maritime Strategy highlight the expanding role partners will play in
addressing regional threats. Partnerships will also continue to be important to overcoming
growing challenges to access.
• To mitigate the risk of a terrorist attack, accident or natural disaster, the U.S. Navy will
homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, Fla.
Preserving and enhancing the all-volunteer force
• The Navy achieved overall officer and enlisted recruiting goals for the second straight year in
fiscal year 2009.
• The Navy is enhancing career flexibility and mobility, while investing in leaders at all levels.
• Navy Sailors and civilians have done a tremendous job sustaining global responsibilities and
fighting two wars.
 Key Messages Facts & Figures

The QDR emphasizes the forces needed for

today’s wars, while supporting the capabilities needed
to deter conflict and prepare for future contingencies.
Previous analyses determined that 313 ships is the
floor for the Navy’s force structure. That number will
be refined to account for QDR direction and its
requirement for BMD, irregular warfare support,
distributed operations and intra-theater lift.
• The 2010 QDR is posted at
http://www.defense.gov/defensereviews/.
DoD conducted the 2010 QDR
from February 2009 through January
2010.
• QDRs happen every four years; this
is the fourth QDR and the second the
DoD has had while at war.

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100123-N-4774B-009 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Jan. 23, 2010) The Nimitz-class

aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) maneuvers off the coast of Haiti while
launching aircraft delivering humanitarian supplies. Carl Vinson and Carrier Wing (CVW)
17 are supporting Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused
severe damage in Haiti Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist
2nd Class Daniel Barker/Released)
USS  Carl  Vinson  Departs  Haiti  
Carrier Rendered Critical First Response
Story Number: NNS100201-10
2/1/2010

From U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

USS CARL VINSON, At Sea (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) departed the waters
near Port-au-Prince, Haiti Feb. 1 after rendering humanitarian assistance to the victims of a massive 7.0 earthquake
that struck the Caribbean nation Jan. 12.

Arriving on station less than 72 hours after the quake, Carl Vinson immediately rendered assistance. Over two weeks,
Vinson and its embarked 19 helicopters flew more than 2,200 sorties, delivering more than 166 tons of food, 89,000
gallons of water and 38,700 lbs. of medical supplies to earthquake victims.

Additionally, Vinson's helicopters conducted 476 medical evacuations (MEDEVACs) and the ship's doctors and
corpsmen treated 60 patients in its medical ward.

"I think our Navy team did some great work here for the people of Haiti," Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group
Commander Rear. Adm. Ted Branch said.

Carl Vinson's primary role in the humanitarian mission was as a first responder, providing critical airlift and command
and control capabilities as the flagship of Task Force 41, the Navy's sea base supporting Joint Task Force (JTF) Haiti.

Prior to departure, the Vinson left behind much of its airlift capability, transferring 10 helicopters to other units in JTF-
Haiti. Additionally, the improvement of the relief distribution effort on the ground, in partnership with the Haiti
government, the United Nations, the international community, and supporting organizations have reduced the need of
the ship's first responder role.

With the departure of Carl Vinson, Rear Adm. Dave Thomas assumes command of Task Force 41 (CTF 41), the U.S.
Navy's sea-based element supporting JTF-Haiti. Thomas is embarked aboard the task force's flagship, the amphibious
assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5).

The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, with elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), are specially
configured for sustained humanitarian assistance missions, including air and sealift capabilities, medical and
engineering support and water purification.

While in support of Operation Unified Response, Vinson Sailors saw firsthand the results of their work in support of the
Haitian people.

"Every one of my Sailors wanted to go ashore to help," said Carl Vinson Commanding Officer Capt. Bruce Lindsey. "It
was inspiring to see such an outpouring of volunteerism. America should be very proud of the Sailors that they have
serving--their country and others."

Vinson Sailors said they were proud of their efforts in support of the numerous humanitarian aid and disaster relief
missions in which they were involved.

"I had a chance to talk to some of the Haitians," said Machinist's Mate Fireman Evangelina Abarca. "It hurt a lot to
know that many of them had lost family members, but I've never been more proud to say that I am a member of the
United States Navy."

USS Carl Vinson will now continue on its original mission, performing Theater Security Cooperation (TSC)
engagements with key Latin American partners while transiting to its homeport of San Diego.

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Fiscal  Year  2011  Department  of  the  Navy  Budget  Submission  

February 1, 2010
A product of... Navy Office of Information www.navy.mil

Fiscal Year 2011 Department of the Navy Budget Submission

The fiscal year (FY) 2011 baseline budget submission of $160.6 billion for the
Department of the Navy (DoN) is consistent with the 2010 Quadrennial Defense
Review, the basic tenets of the National Defense Strategy and the Maritime Strategy.
Navy and Marine Corps resources have been prioritized to prevail in today’s wars,
prevent and deter conflict in all domains, prepare for a wide range of contingencies
and preserve the force.
Additionally, the FY 2011 request for overseas contingency operations (OCO) of
$18.5 billion integrates sustained support for the warfighter. It includes incremental
costs to sustain operations, manpower, equipment and infrastructure repair, as well
as equipment replacement to support the focus on increasing threats.
Highlights
• Deployable battle forces of 284 ships in FY 2011, including 11 aircraft carriers
and 29 large amphibious ships.
• Investment platforms and systems reflect a shift to support irregular warfare and
include funds for:
o Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
o Expeditionary E/A-18G aircraft supporting national electronic warfare
requirements
o P-8 Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft supporting increased emphasis
on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and a variety of unmanned aerial
vehicles
• Ship procurement funds nine new construction ships in FY 2011 and 50 ships
across the Future Years Defense Plan (FY 2011 through FY 2015). FYDP highlights
include:
o Two Virginia-class submarines per year, 17 Littoral Combat Ships, eight DDG-51
class to continue the DDG-51 program restart, three new Mobile Landing Platforms,
the first LHA(R) and the second Ford-class aircraft carrier.
• Aircraft procurement funds 206 airframes in FY 2011 and 1,006 airframes across
the FYDP.
• Navy Operation and Maintenance (O&M) resources are increased to tightly focus
on meeting increased combatant commander operational tempo requirements,
properly sustaining and resetting ships and aircraft to reach expected service lives,
restoring base budget enduring flight hour requirements previously funded with OCO
funding, and funding price increases, most notably in fuel.
• Military and civilian basic pay is increased by 1.4 percent.
• Commitment to our investments in science and technology, cyberspace
capabilities, facilities sustainment, base closure and family housing is maintained.

Key Messages Facts & Figures

The budget has been shaped by the The FY 2011 baseline budget is
 results of the Quadrennial Defense Review a $4.6 billion (3%) increase over the
(QDR). FY2010 level. It provides:
• Previous analyses determined that 313 o $45.1 billion for Military
ships is the floor for the Navy’s force structure. Personnel
That number will be refined to account for QDR o $46.2 billion for Operation and
direction and its requirement for ballistic Maintenance
missile defense, irregular warfare support, o $46.6 billion for Procurement
distributed operations and intra-theater lift. o $17.7 billion for Research and
• Navy O&M increases focus on: Development
o Meeting increased combatant commander o $5 billion for Infrastructure
operational tempo requirements; o 324,300 Active Navy End
o Sustaining and resetting ships and aircraft Strength
to reach expected service lives; o 202,100 Active Marine Corps
o Restoring base budget flight hour End Strength
requirements previously funded with OCO o 205,966 Civilian Full Time
funding; Equivalents
o Funding price increases, notably fuel. For DoN FY 2011 Budget
information visit:
http://www.finance.hq.navy.mil/fmb/
11pres/books.htm

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Mayport  To  Get  Nuclear  Aircraft  Carrier  

US Department Of Defense Announced Decision Friday
(WJXT-TV JACKSONVILLE (FL) 29 JAN 10)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A major review of the United States military forces released late Friday
by the Department of Defense said the U.S. Navy will homeport a nuclear aircraft carrier in
Mayport.
The DoD said the decision will protect the fleet against a potential terror attack, accident or
natural disaster, since currently all East Coast aircraft carriers are based at Norfolk Naval
Station.
The Quadrennial Defense Review Report will be submitted to Congress on Monday and
additional funding will have to be approved, but preliminary work on the Mayport basin was
funded late last year and is under way.
Mayport has been without a carrier since the USS John F. Kennedy was decommissioned in
2007. Since then, there's been a push by Jacksonville and Florida lawmakers to bring a state-of-
the-art nuclear carrier to Mayport. But the move was opposed at ever step of the way by elected
officials in Virginia.
“While I believe the Navy was right on the money when they made the decision to homeport a
nuclear aircraft carrier at Mayport last January, I am glad to see that national security, not
politics, stands victorious in the latest Pentagon’s review,” said Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-
Jacksonville.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla, said the decision is big for the north Florida economy.
"This is something Ander and (Rep.) Corrine Brown and I have been fighting for for almost 10
years," said Nelson, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "This will cement
Jacksonville's and Mayport's place in our nation's defense."
It's not clear if Mayport would get an older carrier or the newly commissioned USS George H.
W. Bush, which is currently homeported in Norfolk, Va.
Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., said the announcement marks a historic day for the Jacksonville
Naval Station.
"A nuclear carrier homeported here is the right decision for the right reasons," LeMieux said.
"In addition to strengthening the fabric of our national security, this will mean thousands of jobs
and families for this region."
LeMieux said members of the Navy and local officials were elated by the announcement.
LeMieux said the next step is to look at what will be necessary for Mayport to serve in its new
role.
"What President (Barack) Obama includes in his fiscal year 2011 budget due out next week will
give us a clearer picture of that schedule," LeMieux said.
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Carrier  Bush  Returned  To  Navy  After  7-­Month  Maintenance  

(NORFOLK VIRGINIAN-PILOT 30 JAN 10) ... Robert McCabe
The nation's newest aircraft carrier, the George H.W. Bush, has been redelivered to the Navy,
Northrop Grumman Corp. announced Friday.
The Newport News shipyard has completed the carrier's "post-shakedown availability," a seven-
month period of maintenance and modernization after its initial sea trials last spring.
"Bush is a testament to the teamwork between the Navy and Newport News," said Mike
Shawcross, vice president for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's aircraft carrier construction
programs. "We worked closely with one another during this availability to return the ship with
high quality and within budget."
Work performed on the vessel included reconfiguring compartments, upgrades to combat
systems and radar equipment, and minor repairs.
The carrier left Newport News for final sea trials Wednesday and was redelivered to the Navy
on Thursday evening in Norfolk, where it is homeported.
The George H. W. Bush is the 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Its keel was laid Sept.
6, 2003; it was christened Oct. 7, 2006; commissioned Jan. 10, 2009; and delivered May 11,
2009.
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Navy  Copter  Unit  Gets  New  Leader  Commander  

(NORFOLK VIRGINIAN-PILOT 30 JAN 10) ... Kate Wiltrout
NORFOLK --
It doesn't usually get much attention, but one of the Navy's most battle-tested helicopter
squadrons will be in the spotlight this weekend.
Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, is scheduled to speak today, weather
permitting, at a change-of-command ceremony for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 84 at
Norfolk Naval Station.
Cmdr. Scott Butcher, who has led the 330-person reserve squadron since September 2008, will
turn over control to Cmdr. Scott Gootee, the executive officer.
HSC-84, known as the Red Wolves, is a reserve squadron under an active duty wing with a
joint operational commander. It has flown more than 11,000 hours in support of special
operations missions in Iraq since 2003.
The squadron's primary mission is supporting special warfare units overseas.
Unlike the Army and Air Force, the Navy does not have dedicated special operations aviation
units.
The Red Wolves fill that gap by inserting and extracting special operations teams, performing
combat search-and-rescue, and flying surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The unit typically has four HH-60H Seahawk helicopters and about 60 personnel deployed to
Iraq at all times, Butcher said.
Maintainers spend four months deployed; pilots and air crew work in three-month rotations.
Most personnel are reservists, although some have been mobilized since 2003.
"We just know how to do it now, we've been doing it so long," Butcher said.
The unit has flown more than 4,700 combat sorties and its members have received 1,100 air
combat medals, according to Lt. Cmdr. Phil Rosi, a Navy spokesman.
Butcher said he's gotten a lot of questions about how he managed to get Roughead, the Navy's
top officer, to speak at the ceremony.
"I wrote him a letter," Butcher said.
There may be larger forces at work, too.
Next week, the Department of Defense is expected to release its quadrennial defense review, a
congressionally mandated analysis of defense priorities and strategies.
Draft copies circulating in recent days have made reference to the Navy forming two permanent
helicopter squadrons to support special operations troops.
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Indian  Navy  To  Induct  MiG-­29K  Fighter  Jets  

(ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA) 31 JAN 10)
NEW DELHI -- The Indian Navy will induct on Feb 19 the first four Russian-made MiG-29K
combat jets for deployment on the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.
"The aircraft will be formally inducted Feb 19," a senior Indian Navy official told.
The fighters are operating offshore Goa in the absence of aircraft carrier Gorshkov, which is to
be commissioned as INS Vikramaditya. The combat jets had arrived in the country in knocked
down condition last year Dec 4.
"The jets have been assembled and the Russian pilots are flying them. It is a standard procedure.
Very soon Indian Navy pilots will take over from them," the official added.
The jets were purchased by the Indian Navy as part of a $1.5 billion deal signed with Russia in
January 2004 for Admiral Gorshkov. Of this, $740 million was meant for the aircraft and the
balance for refitting the carrier. The Russians have now upped the price to between $2.2 billion
and $2.9 billion and negotiations are currently under way.
The navy will eventually be getting 12 MiG-29K single-seater aircraft and four MiG-29KUB
twin-seat trainer aircraft, some in flyaway condition. The trainer version is similar to the single-
seater but with a slightly reduced operational range.
The navy has named its MiG-29K squadron the "Black Panthers".
The jets will undertake shore-based sorties from Goa as the 45,000-tonne Kiev class aircraft
carrier is scheduled to be delivered by 2012.
The contract for the jets also stipulates the procurement of hardware for pilot training and
aircraft maintenance, including flight simulators and interactive ground and sea-based training
systems.
Indian Navy pilots were sent to the US for deck landing training and qualified flying instructors
(QFIs) to Russia for conversion flying (converting to different aircraft).
The pilots will do the conversion flying in Goa under the supervision of QFIs. Four to five
batches comprising four pilots each had gone to the US for deck landing training.
The navy's MiG-29Ks have arrester gear and stronger landing gear for carrier landings, folding
wings and rust-proofing to prevent corrosion from salt water.
The aircraft features a fully digitised glass cockpit, improved engine protection against
ingestion of foreign particles like birds, a multi-mode radar and increased range. The contract
ensures that the navy gets the entire spectrum of services, including a full mission simulator.
The MiG-29K will provide aerial cover to the carrier's battle group, acquire air superiority and
destroy sea-borne and ground-based targets with guided high-precision weapons during the day
and at night and in any weather condition.
The aircraft, the first bought by the navy after the Sea Harriers, will also be capable of playing
the role of midair refueller.
In a bid to revamp its aviation capability, the Indian Navy will also be inking a contract to buy
29 more MiG-29Ks worth nearly $1.2 billion from Russia. A Russian team arrived here in
January to finetune the contract terms.
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Lockheed  Strengthening  Fuselage  In  Navy’s  F-­35  Model    

(BLOOMBERG NEWS 29 JAN 10) ... Tony Capaccio
Lockheed Martin Corp. is fixing a structural weakness in the Navy version of the F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter that limits the jet’s ability to launch from aircraft carriers, according to a
company spokesman.
Engineers in July discovered a “strength shortfall” in an aluminum structure in the aircraft’s
center fuselage that helps absorb stresses during a catapult takeoff, Lockheed spokesman John
Kent said today in an e-mailed statement.
“U.S. Navy and program office engineers were apprised immediately and have been directly
involved in approving design updates,” Kent said. “A modification is already approved and
ready to incorporate early this year prior to any catapult testing planned for 2011.”
The modification doesn’t affect the aircraft’s progress toward first flight and is expected to have
“little or no impact” on the plane’s shipboard testing, he said.
“There was never a problem with landing -- only catapult launch,” Kent said.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed plans to build the fighters in three variants for the U.S. Air
Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The current estimated cost is $298 billion.
The carrier version is the last of the three variants to go into operation and is scheduled to be
used on carriers operating with Boeing F/A-18E/F fighters by 2015. The first development
model is scheduled for its maiden flight by August 30, Kent said.
Ashton Carter, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, and Michael Gilmore, director of
operational test and evaluation, declined to comment through Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl
Irwin.
Pentagon Report
The issue wasn’t disclosed in Gilmore’s annual’s report released last week. That report said F-
35 testing so far raised concerns that engine blasts from the carrier model and Marine Corps
short-takeoff and vertical-landing versions could cause deck damage and injure personnel.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s largest weapons program. The fiscal 2011 defense budget set for
release Feb. 1 requests 42 fighters, up from 30 this year. As many as 20 jets are Navy and
Marine Corp versions.
Kent said all design changes to strengthen the center fuselage will be incorporated before parts
are made for the first production F-35Cs in the fourth initial production contract now under
negotiation for 30 aircraft.
This is only a development-phase issue “and a minor one at that,” Kent said. “This is part of our
normal airframe development process, and is not a concern for the Navy.”
Cheryl Limrick, a spokesman for F-35 military program manager Marine Corp. Major General
David Heinz, didn’t return an e-mail seeking comment today.
The Navy plans to buy as many as 680 carrier and short-take- off versions of 2,456 planned jets.
Deck Damage
The Pentagon’s Gilmore said in his report that the engine and power-systems’ exhaust on the
Navy and Marine versions is powerful enough to pose a threat to carrier personnel. The blasts
also may damage shields used to deflect heat on the deck, including on the CVN-21 carrier, the
Navy’s most expensive warship.
“Early analyses of findings indicate that integration of the F-35 into the CVN-21 will result in
damage to the carrier deck environment and will adversely affect hangar deck operations,”
Gilmore wrote.
The Navy model’s exhaust area is larger than the Boeing planes’, making the jet-blast deflectors
used during launch “vulnerable to warping and failure,” he wrote.
Exhaust from the Marine Corp version’s integrated power system deflect downward and may be
“a hazard to flight deck refueling, munitions, personnel and equipment” located on catwalks,
the report said.
Lockheed spokesman Chris Giesel said tests conducted with the JSF Program Office and the
Navy “are showing positive results regarding compatibility of the F-35’s exhaust with carrier
decks and tarmac surfaces. The study will conclude in spring 2010.”
RETURN TO INDEX

Justin Fishel
- FOXNews.com
- February 01, 2010

Gates  Fires  Head  of  F-­35  Fighter  Jet  Program  

A senior manager is being removed and Lockheed Martin penalized for missing targets on a
new generation of fighter jets currently in production, the secretary of defense said Monday.

A senior manager in charge of procuring the next generation of military fighter jets known as F-
35 Joint Strike Fighter has been fired and the Department of Defense has been instructed to
withhold money that would pay bonuses to the lead contractor, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
announced Monday.

In a briefing at the Pentagon on the 2011 defense budget, Gates said inefficiencies and budget
overruns within the costly fighter program forced him to take action.

Gates said Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor responsible for producing the F-35, is in
agreement with his plan to withhold bonuses, calling it a burden "the taxpayer should not have
to bear."

In 2009 a Defense Department review concluded the Joint Strike Fighter program had
significant cost overruns and its production dates were far over schedule.

Gates did not announce a replacement to head up the Joint Strike Fighter program, but he said
the new position will be elevated to that of a three-star officer.
Gates has a reputation for firing his senior staff, and he was quick to point that out.

"One cannot absorb the additional costs that -- that we have in this program and the -- and the
delays, without people being held accountable. And I think if -- if I've set one tone here at the
Department of Defense, it is that, when things go wrong, people will be held accountable."

In 2008 Gates fired Air Force Secretary Michael Wynn and forced out the Air Force Chief of
Staff, Michael T. Moseley in wake of the "loose nukes" scandal earlier that year.

In 2009 he removed Gen. David McKiernan from his position as the commanding general in
Afghanistan after it became clear that the Taliban had reversed the momentum of the war. Brig.
Gen. David Heinz, now the former Program executive officer for the F-35, has become the
secretary's latest casualty.

The new project manager for the Joint Strike Fighter will be announced in a matter of days, and
he'll have heavy burden to bear. The Joint Strike Fighter is currently the Pentagon's most
expensive weapons project ever, with defense officials putting the price tag for all the jets
requested at nearly $300 billion.

The F-35 fighter is called the "Joint" Strike Fighter because it's designed for use across the
Navy, Marine Corp, and the Air Force. The Pentagon also has plans to sell it to allies overseas
once production needs within the U.S. military have been met.

The first F-35s are expected to be operation in 2012 if all goes according to plan. The Marines
will be the first to get them and the defense community will be watching closely. From the day
an F35 rolls off the assembly to the day it's retired, it's total production cost is valued at $69
million

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Navy  Seeks  Boost  To  Shipbuilding  Fund,  No  Money  For  F/A-­18E/F  Multi-­Year  
(DEFENSE DAILY 02 FEB 10) ... Geoff Fein

The Navy's $16 billion FY '11 budget request for shipbuilding includes funding for two
Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), two Virginia-class submarines and two Arleigh Burke-
class destroyers.
The shipbuilding request marks an increase of $1.1 billion from the FY '10 budget.
The Navy will buy 17 LCS over the FYDP, according to a budget document. The
service will buy two in FY '11, three in FY '12 and four every year beginning in FY '13,
'14, and '15.
The Navy's plan was to buy 10 ships by FY '14 under the new acquisition strategy
introduced last year. Teams led by General Dynamics [GD] and Lockheed Martin
[LMT] are vying to build the LCS. Both teams just received the Navy's request for
proposals last week. Responses to the RFP are due back on March 29.
While the Navy's new acquisition plan eventually calls for two yards to build a single
LCS design, Rear Adm. Joseph Mulloy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for
budget, told reporters during the service's briefing yesterday there has been talk
about the impact of rapidly buying out LCS and then facing the issue of block
obsolescence.
"[There is a] chance you couldn't change them again. There are a number of
competing factors in this," he said. "The bottom line is to have two sources and
maintain a steady pull to develop the ships."
The Navy plans to build eight DDG-51s over the FYDP, beginning with two in FY '11.
Mulloy noted the plan calls for a build rate of two in FY '11, one in FY '12, two in FY
'13, one in FY '14 and two in FY '15.
"We continue to build these ships for a wide variety of missions they bring," Mulloy
said. "But primarily for the BMD needs as laid out by the president's initiatives."
In addition to buying LCS, Virginia-class submarines and DDG-51s, the Navy will also
buy one LHA-R, one Maritime Landing Platform and one Joint High Speed Vessel.
The Navy will also continue with the service life extension of the LCACs and buy its
first Ship to Shore Connector, the eventual replacement for the LCAC, according to
budget documents
Boeing [BA] will see the Navy procure 12 of its EA-18Gs in FY '11 and another 24 in
FY '24.
The Navy will also buy seven of the company's P-8 Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft.
However, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will see its numbers fluctuate over the FYDP.
The service will buy 22 of the tactical fighters in FY '11 but only one in FY '12 before
increasing to 25 in FY '13 for a total of 48 aircraft over the FYDP.
There is no money in the budget for a multi-year buy of Super Hornets, Mulloy said.
He added, however, that the Navy is evaluating opportunities given that the F/A-
18E/F and EA-18G are built on the same production line. And Mulloy also noted the
Navy's acquisition shop is in negotiations on this.
"But there is no money for a multi-year right now," Mulloy noted.
Additionally, the Navy will buy 13 F-35B short takeoff vertical landing variants of
Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter in FY '11, and seven of the Navy variant, the
F35- C.
DoD is restructuring the JSF program office making it a three-star billet, Defense
Secretary Robert Gates said earlier in the day.
"There were more problems than we were aware of," he told reporters.
"We can't absorb the cost we have had in this program and the delay without people
being held accountable, Gates added.
The service will buy 100 rotary aircraft in FY '11: 28 of Bell Helicopter Textron's [TXT]
AH-1Z/UH-1Ys, 30 MV-22B by a Bell-Boeing team, 24 Lockheed Martin MH60Rs and
18 MH-60S
The Navy will also buy three Fire Scout unmanned vertical takeoff unmanned air
vehicles.
All told, the Navy will buy 206 aircraft in FY '11, one less fewer than in FY '10.
The Navy will increase its buy of Raytheon's [RTN] SM-6 from 11 in FY '10 to 59 in FY
'11. However, the service will end its buy of SM-2s, only procuring eight of the
missiles in FY '11. Buys of the SM-2 Mod IIIB will also decline from 91 in FY '10 to 32
in FY '11.
 The Navy will buy fewer torpedoes in FY 11, dropping to 46 of the MK 48 heavyweight
torpedoes (from 85 in FY '10) and buying none of the MK 54 lightweight torpedoes,
after buying 120 in FY '10. The Navy will resume purchasing the MK 54 LWT in FY '12,
according to budget documents.
The Navy will enter a three-year decline in the purchase of the AIM-9X, dropping to
146 in FY '11 and not seeing the number bought increase until FY '14.
On the other side, the Navy will increase its buy of Raytheon's Advanced Medium-
Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) from 79 in FY '10 to 101 in FY '11. The Navy will
continue to increase annual purchases of the missile through the FYDP.
Raytheon's Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) C will also see a one-year decline in
procurement, dropping from 357 in FY '10 to 333 in FY '11.
BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) will experience a
two-year decline, dropping from 818 in FY '10 to 575 in FY '11 and 281 in FY '12. The
Navy will then significantly increase the number of APKWS to 1,000 in FY '13,
according to budget documents.
The Navy will steadily increase its buy of ATK's [ATK] Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided
Missile (AARGM), going from 36 in FY '10 to 44 in FY '11. The Navy intends to buy
719 of the missiles over the FYDP.
The Hellfire missile will also see a jump in procurement, from 325 in FY '10 to 600 in
FY '11. The Navy intends to buy 4,600 over the FYDP.
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Navy  Requests  Nine  Ships,  206  Aircraft  in  FY-­11;  New  Command  Ship,  EFV  Delayed  
(INSIDE DEFENSE 01 FEB 10) ... Zachary M. Peterson

The Navy plans to buy nine ships and 206 aircraft with its $160.6 billion fiscal year
2011 budget request, released this afternoon. The budget terminates the CG(X)
cruiser and EPX spy plane efforts and delays the purchase of a new command ship
beyond FY-15, pushing the procurement of the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Fighting
Vehicle back by one year to correct developmental issues.
The request includes $15.7 billion in shipbuilding, including the purchase of a Joint
High Speed Vessel for the Army. The nine ships the Navy plans to buy in FY-11 are
two DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers, two Littoral Combat Ships, two Virginia-class
attack submarines, one amphibious assault ship replacement (LHA-R), one Mobile
Landing Platform and a Joint High Speed Vessel.
The $18.5 billon aircraft request would purchase 13 short-takeoff and vertical landing
(STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the Marine Corps, seven carrier-variant JSFs,
22 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, 12 EA-18G Growler electronic attack planes, four
E-2D Hawkeyes, seven P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, 28 AH-1Z/UH-1Y helicopters, 30
MV-22 tiltrotors, 24 MH-60R helos, 18 MH-60S helos, three MQ-8B Fire Scout
unmanned helicopters and 38 T-6A/B training jets.
Marine Corps procurement totals $1.3 billion in the request, down from $1.5 billion
requested in FY-10. Other Navy procurement in the request totals $6.5 billion. The
request also includes $17.7 billion in research and development funds.
Further, the proposed spending package includes nearly $26 billion for active-duty
Navy personnel and approximately $13.3 billion for active-duty Marines.
Today's budget announcement officially disclosed the cancellation of the CG(X)
cruiser program, for which the Pentagon cited “affordability concerns.”
 “Instead of procuring CG(X), the Navy is considering other options including maturing
the air and missile defense radar program and using technologies from other similar
kinds of ships such as DDG-1000 and DDG-51 destroyers,” states the service's FY-11
budget highlights book.
Budget justification documents published by the Office of Management and Budget
outlined delays in the Marine Corps' EFV program. “Delaying procurement one year
while maintaining [research and development funding] gives the Marine Corps more
time to correct the EFV's problems before making large investments in procurement,”
the OMB document states.
Similarly, the Navy will wait until after FY-15 to move forward with plans to replace
its fleet of amphibious command ships. “The Navy is proposing to delay LCC-R
because the service life of the two command ships currently in operation can be
extended,” the justification document states.
The budget request includes $18.5 billion in Navy and Marine “overseas contingency
operations” funding to support the ongoing war effort in Afghanistan.
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Proposed  Defense  Budget  Paves  Way  For  Carrier  Base  In  Florida  
(NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS 01 FEB 10) ... Hugh Lessig
As Florida lawmakers celebrated, Virginia leaders on Monday girded for another attempt
keep an aircraft carrier and its thousands of jobs from leaving Hampton Roads.
The Defense Department is moving closer to building a permanent aircraft carrier
base in Florida, a move it justifies on strategic grounds but one that endangers
thousands of jobs in southeastern Virginia.
The Quadrennial Defense Review, formally released Monday, suggests that the Navy
plans to move a carrier out of Virginia to fulfill its plan.
"To mitigate the risk of terrorist attack, accident or natural disaster, the U.S. Navy
will home-port an East Coast carrier in Mayport, Fla," states the QDR.
All East Coast carriers are based at Naval Station Norfolk. If a carrier strike group
were to leave Hampton Roads, the job loss would be akin to a major factory
shutdown.
Virginia lawmakers have vowed to fight the move.
"This is not a done deal," said Sen. Jim Webb, a member of the Senate Armed
Services Committee.
Webb and others have pointed to the cost of upgrading Mayport, which has
accommodated older carriers but not one from the nuclear-powered fleet. Dredging
and other improvements could cost up to $1 billion, according to some estimates.
They say the strategic value of dispersing the fleet is overstated and the Navy has
more pressing fiscal needs.
Webb said he looks forward to questioning Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm.
Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during today's meeting of the
armed services panel.
"I would be curious to see where the Navy believes that it can take a billion dollars
away from shipbuilding, weapons procurement, ship maintenance and repair, and
building a fleet in order to construct an alternate port which, on all accounts, doesn't
seem to be needed," Webb said.
Sen. Mark R. Warner added, "In a time of concern about federal spending and budget
deficits, I will be asking tough questions about this Pentagon plan to divert $700
million to $1 billion — or more — to reassign an aircraft carrier from the Norfolk naval
station."
"It would be fiscally irresponsible to spend any money on a redundant East Coast
homeport," said Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk. "The Navy has never demonstrated a
risk-based, strategic need to relocate a nuclear aircraft carrier out of Norfolk, and
with the national debt skyrocketing, the American people simply cannot afford
redundant, unnecessary projects like this."
Rep. Randy Forbes, R- Chesapeake, questioned the spending on Mayport in light of a
$1.3 billion shortfall in public shipyard infrastructure and the growing size of China's
Navy.
"I intend to demand full transparency into the decision-making behind the proposed
use of up to a billion of taxpayer dollars on a move regarded as duplicative and even
'scandalous,'" he said in a statement.
However, the language in the QDR is a clearly setback to Virginia's argument.
"It's definitely more significant than if it was just a budgetary statement, because the
QDR is supposed to be the basic strategy document for a number of years," said Bill
Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation.
Florida lawmakers have already hailed the carrier move as a done deal and a coming
boon to the Jacksonville-area economy.
"The reason for moving one of the nuclear carriers from Norfolk to Mayport is so
they're not all lined up in one place like sitting ducks," said Sen. Bill Nelson, R-Fla.
Job loss will hurt
The reaction began Friday when CongressDaily, a political newsletter, posted the final
draft of the Quadrennial Defense Review on its Web site.
"This is an historic day for Mayport," said Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla. last week. "A
nuclear carrier home-ported here is the right decision for the right reasons. In
addition to strengthening the fabric of our national security, this will mean thousands
of jobs and families for this region."
If a carrier strike group were to leave Hampton Roads, it would hit the area much
harder than the 2007 shutdown of Ford Motor Co.'s truck factory in Norfolk, which
employed 2,400 people.
That's according to the 2009 State of the Region report from Old Dominion
University. It said the gross regional product of Hampton Roads drops by 1 percent
each month a carrier task force is away from Hampton Roads. That translates into a
$900 million loss over one year.
Another opportunity for debate is the 20-person panel announced by the White House
last week to analyze the merits of the QDR and report back to Congress in the spring.
What's a QDR?
The Pentagon prepares the Quadrennial Defense Review every four years. The
document is intended to be a longer-term forecast of the nation's defense needs.
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F-­35  Issues  

From AFA –

Thursday February 04, 2010

More Realistic: Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged

Wednesday on Capitol Hill that the F-35 program office was "too
optimistic" in its cost and schedule estimates for strike fighter program,
leading to a sweeping restructure reflected in the Pentagon's Fiscal
2011 budget proposal and costing the job of the program manager. But even with the
extra 13 months being tacked onto the F-35's development, Gates said the projected
in-service dates for the first Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy combat-ready units will
not change (Fiscal 2012, Fiscal 2013, and Fiscal 2014, respectively) The new program
profile is "much more realistic" as it reflects the conservative estimates of the
independent Joint Estimate Team that had warned that the program was facing
challenges. Gates asserted, even with the changes, "by 2020, the US will have 20
times more fifth generation fighters than the Chinese and about 13 to 15 times more
than the Russians."

Nonstealthy Maneuver: Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday laid down

the same line in the sand as he did on Monday at the Pentagon and on Tuesday
before the Senate Armed Services Committee, telling House lawmakers that he would
"strongly recommend" that President Obama veto any Fiscal 2011 legislation that
sustains the F136 engine for the F-35 strike fighter. Appearing before the House
Armed Services Committee, Gates said the focus should be on getting the F135, the
other engine type for the F-35, done right. Keeping the F136 engine program alive for
the next five fiscal years would end up costing the Defense Department another $2.9
billion that is needed elsewhere on top of the $1.8 billion that the Congress has already
pumped into the project in the past several years over the Pentagon's objections, he
said. The Pentagon's Fiscal 2011 budget proposal seeks to cancel the F136.
Boiling it Down: In a renewed effort to end the F-35 strike fighter alternate engine
program (see Nonstealthy Maneuver, above), Defense Secretary Robert Gates
offered a somewhat different argument against the F136 engine. He told House
lawmakers Wednesday that spending extra billions to maintain two engines for the
F-35 just doesn't make sense since only one of the planned F-35 operators—the Air
Force—might potentially reap some gain. He told the House Armed Services
Committee that he doesn't think any other F-35 customer at home or abroad really
wants to have two engine types for its F-35s since that entails a larger logistics
footprint for all, but especially for ship-based F-35s. And so the issue really comes
down to whether it is worth it to spend the extra billions just so the Air Force can
choose from the two engines. For Gates, the answer is no.
 RETURN TO INDEX

U.K.  Backs  BAE  Carrier  Project  

(BLOOMBERG NEWS 03 FEB 10) ... Robert Hutton
Britain remains committed to building two new aircraft carriers even as it considers cuts in
military spending, Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said.
Ainsworth said a strategic defense review after this year’s election is unlikely to cancel the
carrier project, for which BAE Systems Plc is the lead contractor. He spoke as he published
a consultation document that asks whether Britain should integrate its forces more closely
with other European countries and whether there are too many senior military personnel.
“We’re already cutting the steel” for the carriers, Ainsworth told reporters in London today.
“That, to some degree, cuts down our options.”
The Ministry of Defense won’t be able to afford as much as half of the equipment it plans to
buy in the next decade, according to a report into procurement last year by Bernard Gray, a
former government adviser on defense. With no party guaranteeing defense spending, major
projects may fall victim to efforts to cut the country’s budget deficit.
Companies working with BAE on the carriers include Thales SA, Electronic Data Systems
LLC, Lockheed Martin Corp., Qinetiq Group Plc, Rolls-Royce Group Plc and VT Group
Plc.
The two carriers will cost about 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) more than the planned 3.9
billion pounds because of delays and changes in design, the ministry said in June.
Shares of BAE fell 8.3 pence, or 2.4 percent, to 338.8 pence at 3:25 p.m. in London.
Trident Plans
Ainsworth refused to guarantee other projects, such as the Joint Strike Fighter currently
planned to fly off the carriers. He did say there’s “no plan to revisit” the 2006 decision to
renew Britain’s Trident nuclear-weapons system.
Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defense staff, confirmed that one option in
the review is the abolition of one of the three arms of U.K. forces, the Army, the Royal Navy
and the Royal Air Force. “It’s plausible,” he said, when asked if the U.K. might only have
two services in a decade, without giving more detail. That may mean the integration of the
RAF into the Army and Navy.
The ministry later said in an e-mailed statement that Stirrup had been saying the idea of the
three services remaining separate was plausible, not the idea of abolishing one.
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