More on the money now being poured into the F-18 pot instead of the F-35 pot.....
U.S. Navy Budget Underscores Need To Extend F-18 Use
THE PENTAGON – With F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) delays and continued expanded reliance on F-18 aircraft, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are working hard to make the legacy Hornets last much longer than they were meant to, budget documents show.
“Until the F-35B/C aircraft are available in required numbers, the Navy plans to mitigate the inventory challenge with service life extension of the legacy F/A-18A-D airframes to 8,000-10,000 hours (over original design of 6,000 hours),” the Navy notes in documentation supporting the fiscal 2017 budget request submitted this week...............
The services contend, “Continued investment in the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), the High Flight Hour (HFH) inspection program, and Air Systems Support (i.e. Program Related Engineering and Program Related Logistics) is crucial to our flight hour extension strategy. In order to maintain warfighting relevancy in a changing threat environment, we will continue to procure and install advanced systems such as Digital Communication System Radios, Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS) and the Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD), High Order Language Mission Computers, ALR-67v3, ALQ-214v5, Multi-Function Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS-JTRS), APG-73 radar enhancements, Advanced Targeting Forward looking Infrared (ATFLIR) upgrades, and LITENING targeting pods for the Marine Corps on selected F/A-18A-D aircraft.”...................