via Flight Global...
Julie Praiss, Boeing's Aircraft and Weapons Support vice-president, says the USMC and the company are contemplating adding upgrades such as a Link 16 enhancement and variable message format datalinks to the aircraft.In an earlier post I didn't name the upgrades that might be possible.
Later additions might include expanded weapons capability, such as adding the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile to the jet's arsenal and a helmet-mounted cueing system. Other possible upgrades include updated sensors, with particular emphasis on the aircraft's Raytheon APG-65 radar, Praiss says.
The USMC originally planned to keep the Harrier in service only until 2015, but in the past few years decided to keep the aircraft in use for far longer. The majority of the Harrier fleet will now remain in operation until 2027.
I didn't need to. Its already in the works. AIM-120, helmet mounted cueing, updated sensors with an emphasis on the radar...not that surprising.
The purchase of the Brit Harriers was the deal of the century and will see these planes flying for more than another decade...easy.
JHMCS, is such a amazing system for air to air and more importantly to me as a JTAC, CAS. Its something the Harrier should of received when we put it inside of the F-18.
ReplyDeleteThese upgrades really need to get going now and not later, and again it shows our emphasis on the Wing and not the ground side. my Tracker brothers will still be waiting for their vehicle or upgrades by the time the AV-8B fleet has started getting these upgrades
you're spot on. even though i disagree with an air assault Marine Corps, if you're gonna go in that direction then you owe it to the Marines on the ground to have done these upgrades long ago. you can't afford to wait on a capability that will probably never show up ....
Deleteyou're also right about tracks still waiting for vehicles and upgrades while the Harrier fleet gets these upgrades in four or five years.
did i read the service extension date right ?......2027 is a long time. Is that when they are expecting the Vertical version of the F-35 to be available ?
DeleteJohn, from former JTAC to JTAC, aren't you worried by the absence of ROVER on F-35 till (at best) block 5?
DeleteThe thought of the missed opportunity of RN FAA AV-8x makes me feel a bit angry. :)
ReplyDeletewell this points to another issue with the F-35 that i haven't covered but will REAL soon. the F-35 is a big, fat airplane! we're talking about going from something the size of the Harrier 2...not that much bigger than the A-4 Skyhawk and going to an airplane that is the size of the F-15...as a matter of fact the plane weighs 6000 pound more than a F-15C!
Deleteno big deal you say? we're talking about going from dealing with an airplane that weighs 23000 pounds fully loaded to one that will weigh almost 70000 pounds!
as big as the America Class LHD is, i wonder if its big enough!
I am waiting for my "oh fuck that is big" moment when I see one in the metal. It has no place on the decks of LHx. It is like going from 5.56 to .50bmg. The Harrier was clever as you say because of the size it did so much, but within the bound of what was needed. That is underneath the overall umbrella of fast air from the fleet, not competing with it! Air power is expensive. Effects such trickle down not up. F35b should have gone on other systems to increase organic USMC firepower (AH to guns to new amphib' vehicles) and gone to keep CBG numbers up as bases for USMC squadrons.
DeleteI can't wait to get aboard our new Queen Elizabeth class carriers for a look around. I am really looking forward to it. I hope to be in Portsmouth the day QE enters her home port for the first time. But do I think the QEC and F35b are good idea? Not any more.
Cool to see the Harrier getting these upgrades, although a little puzzling. I thought the platform was mainly for CAS these days. That sounds like, to my untrained ears anyway, some fairly significant improvements to the air to air capability. Is it just for taking out other CAS platforms, or are they going to act as interceptors for the amphib's when the carriers aren't around.
ReplyDeletei'm not sure. i'll have to find out!
DeleteI'm also slightly confused. Why is USMC considering upgrading the Harrier with capabilities that are inherent in F-35B? Are there problems at VMFAT-101? The Marines have been very good about staying on message about F-35, and avoiding anything that might call into question their full fidelity.
DeleteMaybe they are planning to use the F-35B as advanced sensors and the Harriers to launch stand off missiles and bombs, as the USNavy will do with the Super Hornets and F-35C. In that case they should consider to operate Growlers to cover those Harriers.
DeleteHere is an interesting article about the indispensable function of the electronic fighters along history.
A must to read.
http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/when-hornets-growl-78870605/?page=1
this is a guess, but i'm betting that it has to do with the legacy Hornets wearing out and a gap developing because the F-35B won't really be certified for work until around 2018....
Deletethe hornet issue is going to be front page news and no one is on it.
If they do that upgrade it won't be to use them for few years. I doubt the Harriers in the next wars will be able to do the same heavy duty work as the Hornets did for 30 years, the F-35B either.
DeleteAs I mentioned in a previous topic, it will be better to combine the F-35B with Growlers and the Heavy Duty, all weather multi purpose Silverado ( Super Hornet), to do the nasty job.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op3dupMZfz4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I wonder if the upgrade could include the use of the advnced Jammers spots as the Growlers.
ReplyDeletewell something has got to give. the dirty little secret that Marine planners aren't talking about is the fact that the legacy Hornets are wearing out faster than the Harriers.
Deleteif the Commandant was being honest then he's be pushing to get the F-35C FIRST. why? so he can replace worn out Hornets and still have Marine aviation on Navy carriers.
the other secret is that we're looking at a glut of naval aviation if the Navy goes down to 10 or even the rumored 8 carriers. if the worst happens and we end up with 8 carriers then the Marine mission goes away, the need for the F-35C goes away and everything changes.
My comment was thinking on the possibility for the Marines to create a mix force of "Harriegrowlers" and update "Super Harriers" like the ones you described commanding a fleet of STOVL UCLAS like they ones are in development now.
Deletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeQ0T4VyeU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTRqvNsDpKU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
ReplyDeleteHave always wondered if the BRU-55a/57a twin smart rack was doable on that aircraft? For example on the middle wing hard-point, a BRU-55a/55a holding two 500-pound-class smart-weapons, for example: laser-JDAM.
ReplyDelete