NAVAIR begins F-18E Production Shutdown

[ORAC]

https://x.com/airpowernew1/status/1807027463664324758?s=61
NAVAIR beginning production line shut down efforts on the FA-18E/F program.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x627/image_2046225e2deeecd28c2b79a72a7d25a46eb52479.png

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x630/image_c6d3c43b2fb0d1db62c5b8b2b378b51623dccd6d.jpeg
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[SpazSinbad]

ASLO (yes I know) :} Boeing Completes F/A-18 Super Hornet Upgrade Ahead of Schedule 27 Jun 2024
https://seapowermagazine.org/boeing-completes-f-a-18-super-hornet-upgrade-ahead-of-schedule/
"– Boeing delivers first two Service Life Modification (SLM) Block III fighters from two locations – St. Louis and San Antonio

– Public-Private Partnership agreement with Navy opens third Block III SLM production line

ST. LOUIS, June 27, 2024 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] has completed the upgrade and life extension of the first two service life modification (SLM) F/A-18 Block III Super Hornets, delivering them to the U.S. Navy one month ahead of schedule from St. Louis and two months ahead of schedule from San Antonio. The upgraded jets have the same capabilities as Super Hornets being delivered from Boeing’s new-build production line.... said Mark Sears, Boeing Fighters vice president. “These are just the first of many deliveries, with around 15 years of SLM deliveries to go.... The work is being done at Boeing sites in St. Louis and San Antonio, and at the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego...."

[golder]

That was ASLO a good thing for Australia. That Trump gave Boeing, a gift of BK lll funding and orders. The update includes a life extension from the now 6,000 to 10,000 hours. This enables us to push out the decision, of the super Hornet replacement platform.

[Commando Cody]

That was ASLO a good thing for Australia. That Trump gave Boeing, a gift of BK lll funding and orders. The update includes a life extension from the now 6,000 to 10,000 hours. This enables us to push out the decision, of the super Hornet replacement platform.

I thought the reason Australia purchased the Super Hornet was because the F-111s were being phased out and its replacement, the F-35 was experiencing lengthy delays. So Super Hornets were purchased as a gap filler because of their supposed similarities to Australia's A/Bs. As Australia is now getting their F-35s, it would seem the replacement for the Super Hornet would be the 72 F-35s already planned with possibly a follow-on order if deemed necessary. Not sure what's intended to replace the 14 Growlers, though.

[rattman]

I thought the reason Australia purchased the Super Hornet was because the F-111s were being phased out and its replacement, the F-35 was experiencing lengthy delays. So Super Hornets were purchased as a gap filler because of their supposed similarities to Australia's A/Bs. As Australia is now getting their F-35s, it would seem the replacement for the Super Hornet would be the 72 F-35s already planned with possibly a follow-on order if deemed necessary. Not sure what's intended to replace the 14 Growlers, though.

Yes it was a decision by the then defence minister to buy the super hornets as they were a relatively simple support upgrade from our already classics. We got them as 2 seaters and they were pre wired with growler wiring to future proof them in case we decided to return them and get them upgraded to growlers in the future. This didn't happen.

The current govt has left it up to future governments to make the decision of when and what to replace them with. I would personally goto boeing and see if what the knock down price of another 24 super hornets with conformal tanks would be.

[ORAC]

I would personally goto boeing and see if what the knock down price of another 24 super hornets with conformal tanks would be.
Bit difficult with the production line being shutdown for major airframe components.

The service life extension/mid-life upgrade lines are open - but you’ll have to find someone willing to sell you their current airframes to make use of those.

[rattman]

Bit difficult with the production line being shutdown for major airframe components.

The service life extension/mid-life upgrade lines are open - but you’ll have to find someone willing to sell you their current airframes to make use of those.

No the line for center section is going to be shut down 2026, the final assembly line is going to be 2027.

[SpazSinbad]

... The current govt has left it up to future governments to make the decision of when and what to replace them with. I would personally go to boeing and see if what the knock down price of another 24 super hornets with conformal tanks would be.
Navy Halts Plans To Give Its Super Hornets Conformal Fuel Tanks (Updated) 25 Aug 2021
"The U.S. Navy appears to have all but scrapped its plans to equip its future Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornets with conformal fuel tanks, or CFTs, at least for the time being. Boeing says it is not presently expecting to deliver any Block III jets with CFTs to the Navy. The service itself has also revealed that it issued a formal stop-work order to Boeing with regards to the continued development of the CFTs back in January [2021]...." [then lots of blah blah blah - who knows now if conformal tanks are worthwhile]
https://www.twz.com/42141/navy-halts-plans-to-give-its-super-hornets-conformal-fuel-tanks
_______________

Good overview of deeztanks and whyswherefors etc. from Billie Flynn.
Conformal Fuel Tanks – No Free Lunch 21 Oct 2021
https://billieflynn.com/conformal-fuel-tanks-no-free-lunch/

[SpazSinbad]

This little conniption from 2008 about the "SUPER DOG squared SUPER HORNET" by CRISS amuses me to this day. :}
Australia’s multi-billion dollar defence dilemma ABC TV 18 Feb 2008: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2165833.htm
“MARK BANNERMAN (ABC TV interviewer): ...Last year, the then Defence Minister Brendan Nelson made a decision to purchase 24 Super Hornet jet fighters. It left defence experts stunned. Last year, you effectively said this plane was a dog. Have you changed your view in any way about that?

PETER CRISS: I said it was a super dog and it's a super dog squared as far as I'm concerned. As we found out more and more about it, it's abysmal in every area that is so critical to buying a fighter strike type aircraft. It cannot perform.

MARK BANNERMAN: The former chief of Australia's operational Air Force isn't just worried about the choice of the Super Hornet that he believes is slower and more vulnerable than the plane it replaces, what really concerns Peter Criss most is that no one inside the Defence Force or the department was prepared to stand up and argue against the decision.

PETER CRISS: I know there's a bunch of them that know the Super Hornet is a dog, alright. They've told me, they've told acquaintances of mine, friends of mine that they are terribly concerned about it. But it was the decision taken by the Minister at very short notice for whatever reasons and foisted on them....”

[LowObservable]

The US now has two open fighter lines currently delivering 50-year-old designs, one that is shutting down, another that can't deliver combat-ready aircraft until 4Q25, and no new aircraft in development.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1485x1047/thisisfine_d927a8c00b6a399b3298552e02d17b54b17dfb4b.jpg

[rattman]

Navy Halts Plans To Give Its Super Hornets Conformal Fuel Tanks (Updated) 25 Aug 2021
"The U.S. Navy appears to have all but scrapped its plans to equip its future Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornets with conformal fuel tanks, or CFTs, at least for the time being. Boeing says it is not presently expecting to deliver any Block III jets with CFTs to the Navy. The service itself has also revealed that it issued a formal stop-work order to Boeing with regards to the continued development of the CFTs back in January [2021]...." [then lots of blah blah blah - who knows now if conformal tanks are worthwhile]


The USN chose not to have conformal tanks because they caused issues on carriers. Aus doesn't have and carriers and have never landed on one


OH damn SpazSinbad (https://www.pprune.org/members/267875-spazsinbad) and LowObservable. Just need golder and they can **** up this thread like they did with the F-35 thread (https://www.pprune.org/members/81203-lowobservable)

[golder]

OH damn SpazSinbad (https://www.pprune.org/members/267875-spazsinbad) and LowObservable. Just need golder and they can **** up this thread like they did with the F-35 thread (https://www.pprune.org/members/81203-lowobservable)
Too late she cried. Did you miss my post? Looking at this thread, I can only see one person at fault. Correct me if I'm wrong. As to CFT, The USN briefly looked at it. We wouldn't be prepared to pay the development costs, The Air frame would also need engineering modification. On a fleet of 36, the cost would be exorbitant. It would make another tanker look cheap.
That was ASLO a good thing for Australia. That Trump gave Boeing, a gift of BK lll funding and orders. The update includes a life extension from the now 6,000 to 10,000 hours. This enables us to push out the decision, of the super Hornet replacement platform.

[Lonewolf_50]

Too late she cried. Did you miss my post? Looking at this thread, I can only see one person at fault. Correct me if I'm wrong. As to CFT, The USN briefly looked at it. We wouldn't be prepared to pay the development costs, The Air frame would also need engineering modification. On a fleet of 36, the cost would be exorbitant. It would make another tanker look cheap. Are there KC-46s on order? :}

[ORAC]

Why would you buy KC-46 when you already have 7 x KC-30A?

[golder]

Are there KC-46s on order? :}
Crickets chirping...I try not to pick on the afflicted and that aircraft is. :}
Even a B-21 tanker could be cheaper

[rattman]

Too late she cried. Did you miss my post? Looking at this thread, I can only see one person at fault. Correct me if I'm wrong. As to CFT, The USN briefly looked at it. We wouldn't be prepared to pay the development costs, The Air frame would also need engineering modification. On a fleet of 36, the cost would be exorbitant. It would make another tanker look cheap.


CFT on F-18E are already developed and certified. Boeing were shopping then around as options on the last few sales attempts (india / canada)

[SpazSinbad]

CFT on F-18E are already developed and certified. Boeing were shopping then around as options on the last few sales attempts (india / canada)
Back in late 2021 Billie Flynn did not think said 'development & certification' had been done as per below quote from his article. Do you have any links about this testing/certification please? TIA.
Conformal Fuel Tanks – No Free Lunch 21 Oct 2021 https://billieflynn.com/conformal-fuel-tanks-no-free-lunch/
"...if the US Navy is not going to pay for CFT integration to be fixed, who would? The testing would involve the complex work done at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, require a full time, dedicated test aircraft, control rooms for each flight full of many different engineering disciplines, chase airplanes and the ground tracking stations to monitor how the aircraft is behaving. All told, that means a test program which is enormously complicated to coordinate, takes years to execute and funding for the jets, people, facilities and support needed, which means lots of $$$…lots of $$$. Canada certainly is not going to dish out that money. The expectation as a customer is that this work has been done already and certainly not a cost to be added to the price of the jet. Paying for CFT development would be the ultimate sticker shock. Knowing this and based on the news releases from the US Navy, CFTs, for all intents and purposes, are dead in the water...."

[ORAC]

IIRc XV-23 and VX-31 already did an awful lot, if not all, of that work, including arrested landings.

https://stratpost.com/boeing-to-offer-f-a-18-cfts-to-intl-customers/

Boeing to offer F/A-18 CFTs to Intl’ customers

Block III Super Hornet Conformal Fuel Tanks will be available to international customers even after the U.S. Navy passed on the extra earlier this year

Boeing confirmed last week that it would offer Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) on the Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter to international customers even though the U.S. Navy has declined the option for their order of the aircraft.

F/A-18 program manager and vice president Jennifer Splaingard told media in the run-up to the Dubai Air Show next month that the company would continue to offer the capability to international customers.

“Yeah they will be (available to international customers). All of the Block III Super Hornets that we’re producing are plumbed for Conformal Fuel Tanks and we’re working with the navy still on the decision of how we go forward or not with building tanks, but I guess the short answer is yes, they will be available for international (customers),” confirmed Splaingard.….

[SpazSinbad]

IIRc XV-23 and VX-31 already did an awful lot, if not all, of that work, including arrested landings.
https://stratpost.com/boeing-to-offer-f-a-18-cfts-to-intl-customers/
Boeing to offer F/A-18 CFTs to Intl’ customers
Block III Super Hornet Conformal Fuel Tanks will be available to international customers even after the U.S. Navy passed on the extra earlier this year....….
Now you have two USN test squadrons, one of which VX-23 is at PAX River. However the post you quote (similar to many other articles around that time of the airshow in 2021) says the CFTs will be available to other customers. As Billie Flynn has suggested the testing of these CFTs had not been carried when he wrote his article in 21 Oct 2021. He suggests testing needs to be done and it would take time and expense and 'who would pay'? My question is: Has suitable testing of the CFTs been carried out (as defined by Billie Flynn test pilot)? IF you have links to the testing carried out by VX-23 & VX-31 I would appreciate these please. TIA
____________

Perhaps irrelevant because we converse about land based Super Hornets; however I found this tidbit interesting:
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/chief-petty-officer-explains-why-the-us-navy-gave-up-plans-to-fit-conformal-fuel-tanks-on-its-f-a-18-super-hornet-fleet/#google_vignette
"...Squidley [Chief Petty Officer] concludes;
‘What Boeing and the USN discovered was that the CFT’s were too cumbersome for carrier squadrons to store, maintain and mount while at sea. Furthermore, on the very first trap (on a land-based arrestor system) VX-23 discovered the CFT’s were heavily damaged.’..."

[SpazSinbad]

OK. This quote from 2019 indicates that CFT testing was carried out by VX-23 with the above result. Otherwise what does their CFT testing mean for KUWAIT? Did VX-23 carry out the FLYNN tests?
‘DUST 35 ‘DUST DEVILS’ Jamie Hunter 2nd May 2019 https://www.keymilitary.com/article/dust-35-dust-devils
"...Gephart says VX-31 is also gearing up for a ‘good look’ at the new Block III Super Hornet. Indeed, the ‘Dust Devils’ have been tasked alongside VX-23 to embrace development test work on the new Kuwaiti Super Hornets. ‘We are receiving three Kuwaiti jets for DT [in April 2019] and VX-23 will have one aircraft for flight sciences work. We’ll cover the systems testing with an F/A-18E and two F-models.’ VX-23 is expected to cover the required test work with the new conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), while VX-31 will be heavily engaged with the new large area cockpit displays...."