FY2009 Naval Aviation Update

We have previously discussed the fighter gap for carrier aviation, and that it looks like the Navy will ask for more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as an inexpensive gap filler until the Joint Strike Fighter is brought online. The big problem is that the war has worn down the older F/A-18ABCD models faster than expected, and the Navy doesn't want to pay more for Joint Strike Fighter production to increases when the Super Hornets can be purchased at a more affordable price.

Congress welcomed the option to fund the less expensive platform, and the Navy Times is reporting the naval aviation budget in FY09 has sailed through Congress.

Congress has agreed to the Navy’s request for 23 new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets at a cost of about $1.6 billion for fiscal year 2009.

Last year, the Navy planned on requesting 20 Super Hornets for fiscal year 2009, but it added three fighters to the request when the budget proposal was submitted in February.

Congress recently released its conference report on next year’s budget, which had not been signed by the president as of Oct. 2.

Lawmakers granted many of the Navy’s other aircraft budget requests. They included:

• $2.1 billion for 30 V-22 Ospreys
• $1.6 billion for 22 EA-18G Growlers
• $474 million for 20 UH-1Y/AH-1Z helicopters
• $470 million for 18 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters
• $496 million for three E-2C Hawkeyes

The most common complaint is the Marine Corps desire to keep pushing the MV-22. Not for me, I like the MV-22. I am well aware of the history of the CH-46, and I'm not discouraged by the development problems of the MV-22. The cost is frustrating, but the cost of everything is frustrating.

My big concern is the small replacement numbers for Navy vertical lift. The Navy is placing a tremendous amount of pressure on the H-60 fleet to handle a number of operational challenges, including ASW and MIW, but one wonders if the Navy is shorting themselves regarding the number of helicopters available.

We are shrinking the numbers of of strike aircraft on carriers but are not increasing the number of vertical lift platforms on carriers. More veritical lift platforms is cost effective way to add more flexability into the Carrier Strike Group to insure it has more capabilities for requirements below the threashold of major war.