MARINES * AIRCRAFT

Sea Power, Jan 2004

AV-8B HARRIER Il

BRIEFING: The mission of the AV-8B Harrier II is to attack and destroy surface targets under day and night conditions and to escort assault support aircraft. The Harrier's primary tasks are to: (1) conduct close air support; (2) conduct armed reconnaissance and interdiction operations; (3) conduct armed escort of assault support operations; and (4) conduct air-defense operations. The short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) capability of the Harrier provides greater basing flexibility and sortie generation rates than those of any other tactical jet aircraft in the world. A Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine developing 23,400 pounds of vectored thrust enables the Harrier to perform a short takeoff using 300 to 1,200 feet of ground/shipboard roll and then return from the mission to perform a vertical landing. This STOVL capability proved itself in Desert Storm, where the Harrier was the most forward-deployed strike aircraft in theater while operating from amphibious ships and expeditionary airfields. Locating and fighting with the Marine ground combat element gave it the fastest response time of any aircraft. Additionally, AV-SBs flew combat missions over Kosovo during Operation Allied Force and, due to the advanced GPS integration, were one of the few aircraft permitted to deliver ordnance from above the weather. The number of aircraft per squadron has been reduced from 20 to 16 in accordance with procurement and personnel limitations. The desired inventory end state is to remove all day-attack variants from service and achieve a squadron mix of 12 radar variants and four night-attack variants. In September 2003, a Boeing remanufacturing program completed converting 74 older day-attack variants to the radar/night-attack standard by adding the APG-65 radar, navigation FLIR, digital moving map, night-vision-goggle (NVG), compatible cockpit, and tripling the capacity for expendable countermeasures. By re-using the wing and other major components, the cost of a manufactured AV-8B is held to approximately 80 percent of the cost of a new aircraft. Moreover, the existing Pegasus F402-RR-406 engine is being replaced with the more powerful and reliable RR-408. Additional upgrades installed in fleet aircraft include the ARC-210 radio with HaveQuick/SINCGARS, GPS, and the Automatic Target Hand-off System (ATHS) digital modem. Continued growth for the AV-8B is ensured by the Open System Core Avionics Requirement (OSCAR) that will provide an Advanced Mission Computer and Warfare Management Computer. OSCAR provides the necessary architecture to allow streamlined integration of such advanced weaponry as the Joint Direct-Attack Munition (JDAM) and the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The two-seat TAV-8B trainer is also being modified with the RR-408 engine and an NVG-compatible cockpit. As of October 2002, six TAV-SBs had been upgraded. The recent acquisition of the Litening II targeting pod provides the AV-8B with the most advanced precision targeting pod currently fielded in the DoD. Litening II incorporates a third-generation FLIR, television camera, laser rangefmder/tracker/designator, infrared pointer, and VHS recorder. This system will greatly increase the Harrier's lethality and survivability while reducing the potential for fratricide and collateral damage. As of june 30,2003, there were 144 AV-SBs and 18 TAV-SBs in the Marine Corps inventory. Detachments of AV-SBs are continually deployed on board amphibious assault ships as part of the aviation combat element of a Marine Expeditionary Unit. One squadron, VMA-513, has maintained a detachment in Afghanistan for one year, and flew combat missions in support of U.S. forces operating against the Taliban. Several Harrier squadrons provided close air support to coalition forces in during Operation Iraqi Freedom; two amphibious assault ships operated in the Persian Gulf as dedicated "Harrier carriers."

F/A-18 HORNET

BRIEFING: The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II in all of the Marine Corps' fighter-attack squadrons. The two-seat F/A-18D also has assumed the tactical and forward air-control missions formerly carried out by OV-IO and OA-4M aircraft in addition to the all-weather attack missions formerly carried out by the A-6E Intruder. In 1999, with the delivery of the ATARS (Advanced Tactical Air Reconnaissance System), the F/A-18D assumed the tactical reconnaissance mission previously carried out by RF-4B aircraft. ATARS permits transmission of real-time imagery to joint commanders via digital data link. The Corps now has two active squadrons of F/A-18A+S, six of F/A-18Cs, six of F/A-18Ds, and four reserve squadrons flying F/A-18As. A fleetreplacement squadron operates F/A-18A/B/C/D aircraft. From 1995 to mid-1997, F/A-18D squadrons made rotational deployments to Aviano Air Base, Italy, providing support to NATO forces in Bosnia. Two F/A18D squadrons were staged in Hungary in early 1999 and flew strike and reconnaissance missions over Serbia and Kosovo in Operation Allied Force. Four Marine F/A-18C squadrons have been integrated into Navy carrier air wings; one of these Hew strikes against Iraq in Operation Desert Fox in 1998 and against terrorist targets in Afghanistan in 2001. Marine Corps F/A-18s continued to support the global war on terrorism in 2002 with missions flown by two forwarddeployed squadrons in Southwest Asia and one squadron embarked aboard an aircraft carrier. During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, several Marine Corps Hornet squadrons based on carriers and ashore flew strikes against Iraqi targets and close air support for advancing coalition troops. The Marine Corps is presently upgrading all the F/A-18As to F/A-18C capability (as F/A-18A+) through Engineering Change Proposal-583. The Corps will continue to operate F/A-18A+/C/Ds until they are replaced by F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs). The last Hornet to be manufactured (an F/A-18D) was delivered to the Corps in August 2000. As of june 30, 2003, the Marine Corps operated 79 F/A-18A, 4 F/A-18B, 96 F/A-18C, and 94 F/A-18D versions. (See Navy Aircraft section for F/A-18 specifications.)