Originally Posted by Farva01

I know the Charlie fleet is on its ass, but the future of the fleet is the Super Hornet so taking away 8-10 of them is not going to help the problem. Give me a LRIP Rhino to augment my tanker fleet on the boat.

Originally Posted by FlewNavy

Its not really a "fleet" term but more acquisition speak. LRIP is a phase of the cycle. First articles are Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), then System Development Test Articles (SDTA) followed by Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and then Full Rate Production. LRIP jets are likely the oldest articles ever to get time in the fleet and usually never see significant time in fleet squadrons.

The super hornet program is very unique as our LRIP jets were used to "sell" the super hornet program to congress as an "upgrade". Most of the LRIP jets were just new airframes with legacy avionics/radars. The next set of jets after the program was started has all new avionics and is essentially a "new" airplane that congress never would have approved if the Navy had asked for a "new" airplane at the time.

Either way - the blues flying EF jets will likely not change anything from the perspective of the audience. Solo pilots will have to adjust but otherwise they are the same. The software will require a couple of tweaks but the blues have had their own software for awhile.

Originally Posted by Farva01

I am sure the devil is in the details i.e. parts support, but a LRIP Rhino still has some use especially training and adversary support. VFA-122 is usually on their ass. At NAWDC there is one up Rhino for 60 aircrew, and they are sending one to replace the VFA-211 jets (106 is replacing the other one). CVW-2 showed up to SFARP with each squadron bringing 3 to 5 jets (and were augmented with LRIP jets). We are getting rid of Charlie squadrons so the Rhinos at Boeing that were alluded to above are for those squadrons or Australia.
I know the Charlie fleet is on its ass, but the future of the fleet is the Super Hornet so taking away 8-10 of them is not going to help the problem. Give me a LRIP Rhino to augment my tanker fleet on the boat.

Originally Posted by BDGERJMN

Farva, giving NAWDC or 122 more LRIP jets would only make their problems worse. Let's not air dirty laundry here about the lack of leadership 122 has had for years with the number of aircraft they have. Let's fix the issues with their maintenance department and leadership, 106 has been maintaining more aircraft and producing more CAT Is for years to include 122's mess when they couldn't produce. In terms of NAWDC and the number of 'up' airplanes they have or don't have, let's hold the maintenance contractor to the contract and/or supplement with fleet maintainers. Adding more jets to that mix will help for about 2 months, until they break. I understand the Strike Fighter Inventory Mgmt issues, but again, the blues transitioning has always been part of that plan.

Originally Posted by Grumble

Shack. When the Navy dumped L3 in NFL and went with an even lower cost maint provider, they got what they paid for. Kept the talent (that would stay) for a 30% pay cut. Obviously more to it, but it's a systemic problem.

Originally Posted by Farva01

Write a crappy contract get crappy results. But they have both been hamstrung by supply issues. The entire fleet is suffering from the same thing so those organizations are at the end of the whip. That's why I think it is a supply issues for the switch in the long run.

Originally Posted by BDGERJMN

Adding a few more used up LRIP jets to the mix doesn't help the supply system or fix a broken contract, it only makes the problem worse by giving L3 more jets to maintain in Fallon while putting a bigger drain on the supply system; in the end it hurts the fleet and fleet production both at the FRS and in the squadrons. I suppose one could argue that it puts a few more 'rob birds' on the line; I'd invite anyone who hasn't been to Lemoore in a bit to go see all those rob birds under the sun shades, its sickening.