CAS and the F35- Scathing report on F35

35 Program Office: Gun Remains On Schedule
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Courtesy F-35 Joint Program Office
An F-35B model shows off its external GAU-22 gun pod during a test flight. The GAU-22 remains on track to go operational in 2017, the Pentagon said Wednesday. less
WASHINGTON — The gun on the F-35 joint strike fighter remains on schedule to go operational in 2017, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The Daily Beast reported on Dec. 31 that the gun would not be able to be used until 2019, but in a statement F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe DellaVedova described that story as a "misreporting" of the facts.

The gun in question is a 25mm system known as the GAU-22, developed by General Dynamics. It is internal on the F-35A model and carried in an external pod of the F-35B and F-35C designs. GAU-22 testing for all three models is scheduled to start this year.

Since 2005, DellaVedova said, the GAU-22 was planned to go operational with the block 3F software. That software is scheduled to go online in 2017, with low-rate initial production lot 9.

"Delivering the gun capability in 3F software is well known to the military services, International Partners and our foreign military sales (FMS) customers," DellaVedova said. "That has always been the stated requirement and plan and it hasn't varied since the technical baseline review in 2010."

DellaVedova did acknowledge a "minor low-level issue" with the gun's software, but said that issue was identified as part of testing and would be resolved by spring of 2015, without affecting the timetable for the gun's fielding.

While the gun is currently on schedule, that does leave a gap between when the first F-35 squadrons go operational and when the gun can be used. The F-35B jump-jet variant is scheduled to go operational for the Marines in mid-2015, while the F-35A conventional take-off and landing model will go operational for the Air Force in the fall of 2016.

The Navy's carrier variant F-35C is scheduled to go operational in 2018, with a more up-to-date software package.

In the meantime, the F-35 will conduct close-air support (CAS) operations with a mix of air-to-ground precision weapons, including the AMRAAM, JDAM and GBU-12. Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria, who commands the USAF Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and is developing tactics for the jet, told reporters in a December interview that the plane will rely much more on its precision guided munitions (PGMs) than the gun for close air support.

"I think, so far, it looks like the PGMs will be more useful in the CAS role," Silveria said, before noting "we have not really completed all of the operational testing on the CAS."

While the use of PGMs in CAS is significant in recent operations, those in the CAS community favor the A-10 Warthog and its 30mm cannon for close-in support of ground troops.

UPDATE 1/8/2015: After this story went online, The Daily Beast published a story calling DellaVedova's statement a "misstep" and defending its reporting that the cannon would not be operational for frontline units until 2019.
 
I have a question. This is coming from an 18 year old kid who knows next to nothing about AF, having just viewed it from the outside, so please pardon the stupidity of the question. But here it is:
What happens to A-10 pilots now? Are they retrained for other jobs?
Just would like to know for my own personal education.

Depends

If they are young enough, transition into another airframe

Transition into nonflying positions, if available and qualified.

Retire

Separation
 
I have a question. This is coming from an 18 year old kid who knows next to nothing about AF, having just viewed it from the outside, so please pardon the stupidity of the question. But here it is:
What happens to A-10 pilots now? Are they retrained for other jobs?
Just would like to know for my own personal education.

The A-10s are still going strong, but there have been noticable assignment changes. Ops to Ops tours are more difficult to get and usually are for guys PCSing from a CONUS base to Korea or vice versa. Several young guys are transferring to F-16s. The weapons officers are being picked up for the F-35 program. For the mid-senior Captains through Major, a large proportion are going back to AETC (training) to teach the T-38. My husband just got to Randolph to start training to be a T-38 PIT IP. Between the T-38 PIT and IFF squadrons, there are something like 15 A-10 pilots. I know here at Laughlin there are a ton of A-10 guys teaching T-38s as well. There seem to be greater flying opportunities for A-10 pilots in AETC than in the A-10 world now. Also, Laughlin rarely has A-10s in the students drops. I can't even remember the last time I saw an A-10 drop here. When the day comes that the A-10 is retired, there will be a rush to find flying assignments since the alternative is usually a staff job.
 
Huh. Totally missed that entire conversation. Anyhow, back to the live action.
 
I never knew AMRAAMs were air-to-ground weapons...
Learn something new every day! :rolleyes:
 
That sounds like logistic mess to deal with. I know we don't retire planes that often but often enough. Is this the normal expectations or is this due to delays in the 35 program?

Hornet I know you got delayed in the pipeline did you get put back in and what do you think will be there at the end?
 
Scout - you are a few years behind the curve there. hehe.

Boozebin - There have been a few drops that had some awesome fighter options....but those are so rare to see. Most of the time, I see 1 fighter per drop, maybe 2. Given the public statements by the AF about the need to get more fighter pilots, the reality at Laughlin is....odd.

As for me, I was never reinstated. That's the short version. At a later (but not much later), I'll post a more detailed account and where I'm going next.
 
As for me, I was never reinstated. That's the short version. At a later (but not much later), I'll post a more detailed account and where I'm going next.

Sorry to hear that Hornet looking forward to your post. We always hear second hand accounts of what you've gone through it would be great and informative post for those on here.

Sorry for Hijacking the thread just wanted to put that out there. Back on topic.

If the Air Force is saying they need more pilots but the drops don't really show thats the case is it more just a political move to garner support for all the programs?
 
Hornet, that's a bummer. Sorry to hear that.

As to Boozebin's question, I'll hazard a guess that it's a combination of available training slots for fighters and/or some oddity within the AF personnel system. You can want all the fighter pilots you can get, but if you can't train them fast enough, it doesn't really matter. The training squadrons can only handle so many students at a time. AF manning appears to be really reactionary in nature. It's sad because you can often predict shortages and overmanned fields years in advance, but AFPC can't seem to balance them.
 
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