I might also point out the topic of the weapons that are on board our Navy aircraft (and others, such as USAF.) When I was a crew member of USS Enterprise, I was assigned the “billet” of “Ordnance Officer.” That means that I was the officer most responsible for all of the munitions, including the weapons loaded on the aircraft. Thus, you might credit me with solid knowledge of aircraft weapons and weapon systems.
The weapons and the weapons systems that were used during the Vietnam War on Navy aircraft are obsolete. Same for weapons that were used in later conflicts. Some of the elements are the same, but mostly, the weapons systems have a very finite life. We had “good stuff” and really lethal weapons in 1970, but they are much better now. This also requires new acquisition, guidance, arming, and fusing devices and systems. What I am saying is that it is not entirely an issue of aircraft design. Without bombs, rockets, missiles, and other munitions, military aircraft are useless. And such systems have life and technology limits. Weapons designs are separate for aircraft design. Weapons and aircraft are “married” but they are also separate. Bob Ditchey From: Robert Ditchey via Mifnet <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 12:13 PM To: [email protected] Cc: 'Jack Keady' <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75272] Re: new fighter? It is also interesting to note that the Navy’s aircraft carriers also have a limited life, which is basically 50 years. Of course, Navy aircraft are almost useless without the carriers. I have recently looked back at the types of aircraft that USS Enterprise operated since its initial service, which dates to the early 1960’s. It was similar to a tour through a Navy museum. There were about five or six completely new generations of aircraft during the ship’s lifetime. Enterprise is now being born again in a new hull, but the one I served aboard is being scrapped. Maybe with the new Enterprise, there will be only three generations of aircraft types. But I do not expect that there will be only one. What I suggest is that Naval aviation is a very large and complex system that includes much more than a single aircraft’s design. We might compare this to what happens to a typical transport aircraft over its total life span. Almost all Boeing aircraft types since the B-727 have been in service at one place or another for fifty years. I think that it was only recently that the DC-3 exited active passenger service. Navy (and other military) aircraft usually have only one “owner”, i.e., USN, USAF, or USA service. In my lifetime, Navy fighters did not normally reach their life limit. They were grounded by technology. But that is changing. We sell new military aircraft to foreign “owners,” but very rarely do we sell old, used fighters to a foreigner. They go to the Reserve, then they are re-cycled to new metal. Stress, Strain, and Moment of Inertia matter to the ultimate limit. Same with we humans. F = Ma Bob Ditchey From: Robert Ditchey via Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 11:39 AM To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Cc: 'Jack Keady' <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >; [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75270] Re: new fighter? Technological Advancement is only one parameter, and arguably not the most important. One must remember that all aircraft including fighters have a finite life, measured in flight hours or cycles. Everything about these aircraft has a limited life. It takes decades to develop and introduce a new fighter. In the meantime, the existing aircraft get older. The current use of our fighters is burning out our fleet at a higher than rational rate, IMO. As an example, our civilian passenger aircraft have an average age of something like 15 years. We don’t come up with new designs exactly, but we do have to continue the manufacture of new metal. Time and flight hours march on. Navy aircraft live a tough life. Carrier landings (as well as catapult launches) are stressful. >From the web: The U.S. Navy is extending the service life of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets from 6,000 to 10,000 flight hours through the Service Life Modification (SLM) program . This extension adds roughly 4,000 flight hours (or 13+ years) per aircraft, allowing them to remain in operation alongside the incoming F-35 Lightning II. Key details regarding the F/A-18 service life include: * Initial vs. Extended Life: The original design life was 6,000 hours, but SLM upgrades are raising this to 10,000. * SLM Program: This process involves inspections, repairs, and upgrades, including converting older Block II jets to Block III capabilities. * Growler Fleet: The EA-18G Growler (based on the F/A-18F) is also undergoing, or expected to undergo, life extension initiatives. * Older Hornets: While the "legacy" A-D models are being phased out, some were previously extended to roughly 8,000 hours. Bob Ditchey From: Jack Keady via Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 11:21 AM To: David Wardell via Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Jack Keady <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75268] new fighter? keady: how do we feel about this? is it that much more advanced than the expensive F-35? <https://mzpjmp.clicks.mlsend.com/tf/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjk5MTQyMCxcImxcIjoxNzc5NTUzMjIyODM5NTE4NzgsXCJyXCI6MTc3OTU1Mzc2NzAzOTk3MDg0fSIsInMiOiI2MjJkZGQyYjM2Y2YzMGFjIn0> U.S. Navy CNO Warns F/A-XX Must Launch Now to Face Future Air Defense Threats 2026-01-29 <https://mzpjmp.clicks.mlsend.com/tf/cl/eyJ2Ijoie1wiYVwiOjk5MTQyMCxcImxcIjoxNzc5NTUzMjIyOTEyOTE5MTIsXCJyXCI6MTc3OTU1Mzc2NzAzOTk3MDg0fSIsInMiOiIwYmNlYmIzZjRhMjBkZjVjIn0> Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle warns F/A-XX must launch now as Iran and other adversaries field advanced air defenses, ending the era of flying with impunity. The U.S. Navy’s next-generation carrier-based fighter, known as F/A-XX, appears to be still stuck in a limbo, almost a year after Boeing was selected to start building […]
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