10 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
By: Mark D. Faram
The Navy will deactivate the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron 101, consolidating all Joint Strike Fighter operations and training at California's Naval Air Station Lemoore, officials confirmed on Friday.
The squadron has been based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. It was reactivated in 2012 as the Navy's initial F-35C fleet replacement squadron. At the time, the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Joint Strike Fighter replacement squadrons were located there as well.
The move of the Grim Reapers' 15 aircraft is slated to be effective on July 1, according to OPNAV notice 5400.
“The Navy is moving forward with the deactivation of VFA-101 at Eglin AFB next year, and the re-alignment of F-35C assets into Strike Fighter Squadrons to support VX-9 Detachment Edwards AFB, Air Warfare Development Command (NAWDC) at NAS Fallon and maintain Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) production at VFA-125, while transitioning Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadrons to the F-35C Lightning II,” wrote Lt. Travis Callaghan, a Naval Air Forces spokesman, in an email to Navy Times.
The shift to California should see the Grim Reapers' 29 officers and 239 enlisted personnel replace their patches with those of the “Rough Raiders” of Strike Fighter Squadron 125, Lemoore's F-35C replacement squadron.
“This will co-locate the fleet replenishment squadron production of pilots directly into the operational squadrons scheduled for transition to F-35C,” according to a note in the directive ordering the move.
The extra aircraft, pilots and maintainers at Lemoore are expected to help the Pentagon meet its testing and evaluation requirements for the the Navy's first operational fleet F-35C squadron, VFA-147,
That major milestone for the Navy's JSF program is still slated to happen in 2019. The maiden overseas deployment of VFA-147 is anticipated in 2021 while embarked on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.
Deactivating VFA-101 wasn't the Navy's original plan.
Officials wanted to move the squadron to Lemoore in early 2017. Then the Navy decided to keep VFA-101 at Eglin and stood up a second training squadron, VFA-125, at Lemoore.
At the time, officials told Navy Times there was “no plan in the foreseeable future for VFA-101 to be stood down” because “the requirement is for two FRS while we are transitioning squadrons.”
The Grim Reapers could be resurrected if the Navy chooses to have an F-35 replacement squadron on both coasts. The OPNAV note requires the Navy to “maintain VFA 101 squadron lineage (name, UIC, insignia, call sign, etc.) for future reactivation.”
But bringing the Grim Reapers back to life likely won't happen for at least a decade. That's because the Navy has yet to start the process of naming a home base for its East Coast F-35Cs. It requires extensive environmental impact studies before senior leaders make the final decision on where the squadrons will go. And that, Navy officials say, isn't expected to start until the mid-2020′s at the earliest.
20 avril 2021 | International, Terrestre
The Army has picked five innovative small businesses to help improve the rate of fire in artillery systems as it continues to work on an internally funded and developed autoloader for its future Extended Range Cannon Artillery system.
11 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
December 9, 2020 - Rheinmetall has won an order from the German Bundeswehr to inspect, maintain and repair Sikorsky CH-53G transport helicopters. Starting in March 2021, the Düsseldorf-based Group will be operating two maintenance and repair bays belonging to the German Air Force's 64th Helicopter Squadron at Diepholz in Lower Saxony. Worth a figure in the lower two-digit million-euro range, the contract with Rheinmetall Aviation Services GmbH runs for five years, with an option for a one-year extension. In Diepholz, the 64th Helicopter Squadron is responsible for larger maintenance operations in a separate remote squadron, with a total of five Bundeswehr-owned maintenance and repair bays for the CH-53G – an aircraft that has been operated in the Bundeswehr since 1972. An integrated high-tech enterprise dedicated to security and mobility, Rheinmetall's proposal won the tender, so that its subsidiary Rheinmetall Aviation Services GmbH (RAS) will soon be in charge of maintaining and repairing Bundeswehr helicopters in Diepholz. RAS will draw on organizational and aeronautical regulatory support from its sister company Rheinmetall Technical Publications GmbH, an approved aeronautical company located at Bremen Airport. About Rheinmetall Aviation Services: Rheinmetall Aviation Services GmbH, which is also based in Bremen, was founded at the beginning of 2019 as part of the Group's strategic cooperation with Sikorsky in the Heavy Transport Helicopter (STH) procurement programme, with responsibility for maintenance, repairs, training and documentation. Rheinmetall and Sikorsky have been cooperating together intensively in various procurement projects since 2009. Thanks to the new order, expertise gained through this partnership will now be profitably put to work on behalf of the Bundeswehr in Diepholz. Looking ahead, the Bundeswehr also stands to benefit in the long term from the partnership between Rheinmetall and Sikorsky in the STH procurement programme, coupled with experience accumulated at Diepholz Air Base. Rheinmetall AG Corporate Sector Defence Press and Information Oliver Hoffmann Rheinmetall Platz 1 40476 Düsseldorf Germany Phone: +49 211 473-4748 Fax: +49 211 473-4157 View source version on Rheinmetall Group: https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/rheinmetall_ag/press/news/latest_news/index_22144.php
2 octobre 2019 | International, Naval
September 30, 2019 - Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology and management services, announced today that the Company has been awarded a contract to continue its support to the U.S. Navy's Amphibious Warfare Program Office (PMS 377) with a full range of professional support services including Test & Evaluation Program Support, Technical Management Support, Acquisition & Life Cycle Management, and Integrated Logistics Support. This is the first contract award announcement for the Naval Systems business that Serco acquired from Alion Science & Technology Corporation. The recompete contract has a one-year base period plus four one-year option periods and is valued at $162 million, if all options are exercised. The business began providing direct program support to PMS 377 in 2009, and since then the program has grown from 8 personnel to approximately 220 today. Under the contract award, Serco will continue providing services that support the new construction and delivery of Navy amphibious ships and crafts, as well as the entire program lifecycle of four classes of craft, including multi-purpose (LHAR Class) ships, Landing Craft Utility (LCU 1610 and LCU 1700), Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and Ship Shore Connector (SSC). Services provided range from concept design and engineering; to program management for production and ship/craft delivery; to fleet support including Ship Life Extension Program (SLEP), regular overhauls and vessel retirement. Work will be performed at both CONUS and OCONUS locations. “This was a critical recompete win for Serco, as it reinforces our ability to deliver the Design, Integrate, Support lifecycle for the U.S. Navy,” said Dave Dacquino, Chairman and CEO of Serco Inc. “Serco is now one of the largest providers of naval modernization services in the U.S. and winning programs like PMS 377 will continue to be a strategic priority for the Company going forward.” The Company's services under this contract enable these vessels to be deployed on amphibious missions including airborne/and seaborne assaults on hostile shores, as well as a very important humanitarian support role for natural disasters as demonstrated during the critical recovery responses to hurricanes Katrina and Dorian. https://www.serco.com/news/media-releases/2019/serco-awarded-162-million-contract-to-support-us-navys-amphibious-warfare-program-office