September 18, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval
WASHINGTON — A rash of technical and safety problems has left the U.S. Navy's fleet short by about 90 fighter pilots. Fixing the issue is an uphill battle, a top aviator said last week.
The Navy has seen a slew of issues, including problems with the oxygen flow to the pilots causing negative and unsafe physiological responses in pilots and trainees, as well as readiness and engine trouble with aircraft. All of this has extended the time it takes to create a fighter pilot from three to four years, and the issues have created a gap in the number of pilots in the fleet, naval air training chief Rear Adm. Robert Westendorff said at a virtual Tailhook symposium on Saturday.
“We can't just snap our fingers and produce those immediately. The time to train of a strike fighter pilot is about three years; due to the bottlenecks we've had, its getting closer to four years,” Westendorff said. “We're doing everything we can to get that back down to the three-year mark. But the recovery plan is a three-year plan. And if we stay on track, it should take us about three years.”
An issue with the T-45′s engines “dramatically reduced” the availability of the aircraft this year, but the program is getting back on track, Westendorff said.
Additionally, the general shortfall of F/A-18 Super Hornets throughout the fleet has impacted training, but Naval Aviation has been focused on bringing those numbers back up in recent years by fixing jets unable to fly for mechanical reasons.
Naval air training has been beset in recent years with controversy over the so-called physiological episodes, the cause of which has been very hard to pin down.
The Navy now believes it's a complex issue involving air flow and air pressure related to the breathing apparatus, and measures have been put in place to mitigate it, USNI News reported in June.
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/09/17/the-us-navy-is-short-almost-100-fighter-pilots/
January 27, 2023 | International, C4ISR
An Air Force official said the military must "automate more" in order to remain dominant in a world of advanced computing and quick decisions.
July 6, 2020 | International, C4ISR
July 2, 2020 - Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) has signed a contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency for a new Flexible High Capacity Radio Link (FHCL) for the Norwegian Armed Forces. Deliveries will start in May 2021. The contract is valued at 128 MNOK and requires the delivery of a complete communications solution with KONGSBERG's RL542A as the core component. The radio platform itself was developed by KONGSBERG and will be the centerpiece of the system that also includes antennas, cables, portable equipment and other accessories adapted to the Norwegian Armed Forces' need for use under demanding conditions. The radio is a NATO Band IV radio link with supreme ECCM capabilities and high data rates providing multiple waveforms for both point-to-point as well as point-to-multi-point operations. KONGSBERG has delivered more than 3,800 radio links to 21 countries worldwide and is considered a leading provider of tactical radio communications. KONGSBERG's radio link systems are a key component of NASAMS and Patriot air defence systems, among others. The deliveries under this contract will contribute to a significant capacity boost for the Norwegian Armed Forces, as well as increase the export opportunities for the product. “KONGSBERG is proud to be selected by the Norwegian Armed Forces for the FHCL program. KONGSBERG is currently providing the NATO Band III radio link to Norway as well as the complete communications network for the KONGSBERG/Raytheon NASAMS ground based air defence system in Norway and numerous international customers. The Band IV radio link provides a highly capable and flexible supplementary communication capability“, says Pål Bratlie, Executive Vice President Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS. For more information: Jan Erik Hoff, Group Vice President Investor Relations, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, tel: (+47) 991 11 916. Ronny Lie, Group Vice President Communications, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, tel.: (+47) 916 10 798. KONGSBERG (OSE-ticker: KOG) is an international, knowledge-based group that supplies high-tech systems and solutions to customers in the merchant navy and oil & gas, defence and aerospace industries. KONGSBERG has almost 11,000 employees in 40 countries. Follow us on Twitter: @kongsbergasa View source version on Kongsberg: https://www.kongsberg.com/newsandmedia/news-archive/20202/norway-selects-kongsbergs-nato-band-iv-tactical-radio-link/
November 12, 2024 | International, Aerospace