Ready on arrival: Super Hornet joins the fleet

Sea Power, Jun 2002 by Peterson, Gordon I

Lt. Cdr. Daniel Van Orden, NAVAIR's site-activation coordinator for the Super Hornet, continues to help fleet warfighters and maintenance personnel at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore adjust to a new airplane and the requirements associated with its integrated logistics support-training, manpower, publications, technical data, and computer-resources support. Van Orden meets with Super Hornet squadron personnel at Lemoore periodically to ensure that fleet-customer needs are being met.

"I thank my lucky stars that we have a new aircraft in production," said Vice Adm. John B. Nathman, commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC). "With the age of our force we need a new airplane and all of its warfighting gains. Super Hornet brings about a revolution in strike warfare's capability and capacity on our flight decks-its combination of range, payload capability, and survivability will give a carrier air wing 10 times the striking power that an air wing had during Desert Storm."

Four squadrons assigned to AIRPAC are now flying Super Hornets. In addition to VFA-115 and VFA-122 (the Super Hornet fleet replacement squadron based at NAS Lemoore), VFA- 14 and VFA-41 (flying the two-seat "F' model) were certified "safe for flight" on 1 April and 1 May, respectively. VFA- 102-following its wartime deployment on the nuclearpowered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and a homeport change from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., early this spring-entered the training pipeline at Lemoore on 29 April.

Although the Super Hornet represents an evolutionary extension of the Hornet's basic design, it is a new aircraft incorporating a larger airframe, upgraded engines, greater survivability features, and a more powerful sting in its improved combat systems in both strike and fighter profiles. Throughout its development, the Navy-industry team responsible for its design went to great lengths to meet the needs of the warfighter and the maintenance personnel tasked to keep their aircraft in an "up" status at peak readiness.

Ask any individual associated with the Super Hornet to describe the program and the phrase "teamwork" inevitably arises. Nathman praised the cooperation displayed by Super Hornet program managers in industry and at NAVAIR in developing such a highly capable aircraft, on schedule and within budget, without excessive risk. Built by the industry team of The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman, General Electric, and Raytheon, the aircraft won the Department of Defense's 1996 Acquisition Excellence Award.

"New Levels of Effectiveness"

A handful of NAVAIR officials played key roles throughout Super Hornet's development. Characteristically, retired Rear Adm. Jeffrey A. Cook, the program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs (PEO-T) during much of the Super Hornet's early years, deflected praise to the program's three program managers during the 1990s-Rear Adm. Craig E. Steidle, Vice Adm. Joseph W. Dyer Jr. (NAVAIR's current commander), and Rear Adm. James B. Godwin III (now NAVAIR's PEO-T)-and retired Vice Adm. John A. Lockard, NAVAIR's commander at the time.