Air Force Materiel Command’s Post

80 years ago yesterday, 31 August 1943, the Grumman F6F Hellcat made its first combat flight. The Hellcat replaced the earlier F4F Wildcat as the main carrier-based fighter aircraft for the US Navy. The F4F was inferior in most respects to Japanese aircraft such as the A6M2 "Zero," but the F6F was a huge improvement. It was faster than and could outclimb the Zero, and was also more solidly built and more heavily armed. In addition, the US Navy (and Air Force) has far more robust pilot training programs than the Japanese. So the balance of pilot skill shifted too: initially the Japanese had the advantage due to their combat experience in China, but by 1943 the US was churning out well-trained pilots at a high rate, while the experienced Japanese pilots were dying and being replaced with poorly trained rookies. Between this first combat mission and the end of the war, Hellcat pilots would claim 5163 air-to-air kills, against 270 Hellcats lost in aerial combat - a "kill ratio" of 19:1

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Robbin Laird's latest book with Ed Timperlake (former USMC fighter pilot) captures the evolution of the USMC Marine and Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). Australian Army Aviation's history too has overlapped with MAWTS. https://lnkd.in/gUU2dZxU Like US Navy's 'Top Gun' school, MAWTS grew out of air experiences in Vietnam. Commissioned in 1978 in Yuma Arizona, MAWTS sought to provide a cadre of USMC fighter and helicopter instructors specialist in weapons and tactics. While Red Flag is well known for pitting RAAF fighters against modern threats, Australian Army has built on the relationship established through MRF-D rotations in Darwin - with further USMC exchanges and exercises. Notable was a 2021 deployment Ex Griffin Eagle, which put Tiger pilots through the MAWTS Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course. https://lnkd.in/gB_sDgz9 (hint: ignore the title alluding to 'RAAF Tigers') USMC and Australian Army share a similar expeditionary construct when it comes to operations across Australia or in the maritime IndoPacific. Army pilots have flown exchange tours on the AH-1Z 'Viper' attack helicopter. The WTI provided further exposure to 'complex scenarios and large-scale, aviation-focused mission sets incorporated into the ground force scheme of manoeuvre'. Like the USMC, Australian Army is increasingly preparing for amphibious operations, as part of an ADF Joint Force similar to the USMC MAGTF. Working with USMC units provides insights on how to more effectively integrate attack helicopters off a sea-borne platform such as the LHDs. Of course, the Tigers are in their twilight now, to be replaced by AH-64E Apache from 2025. Whilst USMC will continue to rotate through Darwin with H-1 and MV-22B aircraft, we might expect to see more US Army deployments downunder, with Blackhawks, Apache - and ultimately US Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). The training conditions in Australia and the littorals will be increasingly important as US Army pivots alongside USMC to a more maritime battlespace.

Another 8 service members losing their life in a V-22 is a tragedy. I was an avionics technician for the CH-46E helicopter that was replaced by the V-22. The Marine Corps has manipulated the accident statistics for the V-22 since at least the late 90's. The plane's development was never driven by a combat need for the Marine Corps; it was driven by the want of Marine generals to be different from the Army. Being in a V-22 squadron was highly sought after by CH-46 maintenance students such as myself because it meant you had no work to do since the planes were always in safety standowns. In the sand storms of the far edges of the Al-Anbar province, Iraq, we could keep 80-100% of our helicopters mission ready at any time. Even after 35 years of development, V-22 squadrons can barely keep 50% of its planes ready to fly in peacetime conditions. The concept of vertical takeoff for troop transport looks great on paper, but the V-22 implementation just doesn't work. Here is the litmus test that I have used for the last 20 years to know whether the V-22 is safe. The presidential helicopter squadrons uses them to transfer everything and everybody except the president. When the president flies on a V-22 replacement for Marine One, then you'll know it's safe to fly on. As long as the Pentagon and White House keeping looking for a Marine One replacement other than the V-22, you'll know it's safe to fly on.

#Tiltrotors changed the way the #USMC and #USAF operate. While challenges remain, the #USN is starting to see the benefits of runway independence in its carrier onboard delivery mission. When the next generation Future Long Range Assault Aircraft takes shape for the #Army, we’ll see even more change and innovation, and a step change in combat capability. #military #aviation

In the head-on photograph of the MH-60M from Polar Dagger, the things that stand out the most immediately are the helicopter's terrain-following/terrain avoidance radar on the center of the nose and its AN/ZSQ-2 sensor turret right underneath. The terrain-following/terrain avoidance radar is an essential tool for the 160th's Black Hawks, allowing them to safely fly extremely low altitude nap-of-the-earth flight profiles, even in poor weather and at night. This helps keep the helicopters away from enemy air defenses and avoid detection in general. The MH-60Ms that took part in Polar Dagger appear to be fitted with the AN/APQ-174 radar, which is steadily being replaced by the newer and more capable AN/APQ-187 Silent Knight radar, SKR. This radar is also being integrated onto Night Stalker MH-47G Chinook helicopters, as well as U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors and MC-130J Commando II special operations tanker/transports.

History of Aviation: During World War I, airplanes were used for the first time in a big way for battles. Airplanes were just coming into military use at the outset of the war. Initially, they were used mostly for reconnaissance. Pilots and engineers learned from experience, leading to the development of many specialized types, including fighters, bombers, and trench strafers. www.piloting2wellbeing.com #aviation #aviators #aviationhistory #pilots

Spotted on a recent RAAF post on this platform. I really wanted the Spartan to work out better. It would have been nice to have something that got close to the venerable Caribou. We didn’t make it. Maybe we were never going to get there. That kind of capability has been largly replaced in other militaries by fancy tilt-rotors or big capable helicopters. Maybe the days of twin engined “battlefield airlifters” were over before AIR8000 really got going ? Whilst we can’t put them in harms way (for reasons that haven’t ever really been explained) they seem to be doing great work in remote and island communities. If ever there was a capability and an organisational structure that was just screaming to be transitioned into a Reserve capability it’s the C-27. We need to give our Reserve Units things to actually do. Real Defence capability and real tasking (across all domains). Let’s start with Airforce. Let’s start with the Spartan squadron. Something to consider…

Not many can say their day job consists of asking fighter pilots about aircraft air conditioning. ❄✈ As a #communications professional in the #defence industry, I’ve had the opportunity to interview so many talented people. From emerging engineers to senior decision makers and even fighter pilots. #Storytelling is the heartbeat of what I do. In the 🌏 of business, stories forge connection. They give potential talent a glimpse of the people and projects that define our company but they also breathe life into our brand, values and contributions. 🎥 From showcasing our involvement in programs like the #HawkLeadInFighter, to highlighting how we empower our people, every video we create is a window into the impactful work we undertake. It’s not just what we do; it’s how we talk about it. 📣

B-52, F-117, F-16s. In the past, military aircraft were categorized as either fighters or bombers. Now, many have dual roles. Strike aircraft are designed for both attack and air superiority. Attack aircraft, like the Warthog, conduct operations targeting the surface and generally not equipped for air-to-air combat. There's overlap in aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Fighter aircraft can engage ground targets, but they are equipped with air-to-air weapons and can fly farther, faster and at higher altitudes than strike aircraft. Which aircraft in this picture would you want to fly...? (Photo: Aviation Likers) #aviation #aviationhistory #militaryaviation #airplane #aircraft #fly #flight #fighters #fighterjet #pilot #Pilotlife #learn #knowledge #achickinthecockpit #information #share #military #warthog #superhornet #engineering #manufacturing #conversation #linkedin