Plan to outline aviation needs through 2040

[unhappycamper]

The Navy will release a 30-year aviation plan in April, which is likely to reveal whether officials plan to purchase more F/A-18 Super Hornets or wait for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which could join the fleet as early as 2015.


Plan to outline aviation needs through 2040
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 11, 2009 13:58:40 EDT

The Navy for the first time will unveil a 30-year aviation plan when it sends the annual budget to Congress next month.

The document will layout the Navy’s long-term procurement plan for aircraft, said Lt. Clay Doss, a Navy spokesman.

The document, which was required by Congress in the 2009 defense authorization act, will answer some key questions about the Navy’s future aviation fleet — in particular its fighter jets.

“The biggest thing to look at will be whether there’s going to be another multi-year procurement contract for the Super Hornets,” said Richard Aboulafia, a defense analyst with the Teal Group in Virginia.

Navy officials for months have declined to say whether they plan to purchase more Boeing-made Super Hornets or wait for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which will be made by Lockheed Martin and could join the fleet as early as 2015.


Rest of article about the $239 million dollar JSF at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/03/navy_aviationplan_031109w/%2e