XBradTC

I’m gearing up for a long weekend out of town, so posting will likely be pretty light, on my end at least, for the next few days.

Those who know, know.

The Royal Australian Air Force, in addition to operating the SuperHornet, has also decided that operating the EF-18G is a wise move. And it probably is. And so, they’ve send crews to NAS Whidbey Island to undergo the normal transition course operated by VAQ-129.

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. (NNS) — Five Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircrew personnel graduated from basic training at Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler Fleet Replacement Squadron, during a ceremony Feb. 27 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island.
The graduation marked a milestone in the RAAF-U.S. Navy partnership in airborne electronic attack as it was the first time RAAF aircrew completed basic training in the EA-18G.
The five RAAF aircrew will be assigned to U.S. Navy expeditionary units for approximately two years, deploying and operating the EA-18G under the Personnel Exchange Program.
One of the five graduates already deployed and is operating in the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of responsibility.

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Is the Air Force really open to designing a new plane to replace the A-10?

ORLANDO, Fla. — A future close air support-specific platform to replace the A-10 remains a possibility, the head of Air Combat Command said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Air Force is planning a joint-service summit in March to work out options for the mission, frequently referred to as CAS.

“We’re thinking about it,” Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, told reporters at the Air Force Association Air Warfare symposium here when asked about a future close air support system that could replace the venerable Warthog.

Yeah, I just don’t see it. The key problem with the A-10 as a future CAS platform is its low speed. Higher speed greatly reduces vulnerability to missiles and gunfire. The effective engagement zone of a SAM or gun looks something like a hot air balloon, when graphically displayed. Obviously, the faster aircraft spends less time inside that balloon shaped area. And, of course, longer ranged stand off weapons mean you either penetrate less into the balloon, or don’t enter it at all.

I have a sneaking suspicion any future CAS jet with the speed to justify replacing the A-10 would end up looking an awful lot like an F-16. Or maybe the YA-7F. Which, neither option would ever get produced, particularly not in this budget environment.

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When an investigation turns into a witch-hunt.

Nearly two years ago, a Coast Guard executive officer reported an alleged sexual assault between two E-3s aboard his ship. The victim filed a complaint and the perpetrator confessed within days, but when the investigation was over, so was the officer’s career.

Cmdr. Ben Strickland, a nearly 20-year officer with three years in the Navy before transferring to the Coast Guard, says he’s the victim of overreach by Coast Guard investigators who dredged up years-old private messages that were inappropriate but unrelated to the criminal investigation.

I think CDR Strickland is just screwed. If his boss decided to relieve him, that’s about all there is to say about that. The service is often harsh, and fair where 4H kids display their goats.

But the part of the article that is disturbing comes a bit further down. From a relatively open and shut case of sexual assault involving one victim, and one perpetrator, the CGIS manages to expand to this:

Still, the investigators mounted a full-court-press, pulling email and instant message logs for the Munro’s entire 170-person crew.

That’s not a search for justice. That’s a search for scalps. And it provides a perverse incentive for leaders to not aggressively pursue justice for members who are victims of sexual assault. Way to go, guys.

Also from Navy Times, here’s another XO getting hammered.

I know SWOs live by “we eat our young” but c’mon!

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