Navy Chief: We Must Build F/A-XX "Immediately"

By Kris Osborn, Warrior

The U.S. Chief of Naval Operations says the seriousness of the growing threat environment requires that the service acquire its F/A-XX as soon as possible, a view fortified by many at the Pentagon and in Congress who recognize that most major threat contingencies will require “maritime” attack.  Certainly the F-35C is a formidable and upgradeable asset, yet there is still a need to move beyond a “multi-role” fighter in the realm of 5th-and-6th-generation carrier launched attack.  Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle says there needs to be a replacement for the soon-to-be-extinct F/A-18 … extremely soon. 

“This is an ever-evolving theme, and when you’ve got partnerships … well coupled with each other across China and Russia and Iran and North Korea, and terrorist groups that are getting that kit from all of those through back-channel ways, our ability to fly with impunity with our existing airframes is fleeting,” Caudle told a group of reporters, as quoted in TWZ.com . “So, if I don’t start building that [F/A-XX] immediately, you’re not going to get it for some time.” 

Need to “Mass” Ocean air power

One initial question can be simply understood in terms of the issue of mass, meaning the US Navy would likely be at a significant fleet-size deficit compared to China in the event of a conflict in the Pacific.

China is now believed to operate as many as 300 J-20 5th-generation fighters, and many resorts now speculate that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force could operate close to 1,000 J-20s within ten years. China is expected to increasingly operate a sizable available force positioned to defend China’s coastal waters up to several hundred miles offshore.Although it is a land-launched fighter, China cannot launch the J-20 from a carrier.

Still, the fighter can certainly reach the waters around Taiwan and extend several hundred miles offshore toward the first island chain. Hundreds of J-20s could form a perimeter formation in a semi-circle off the Chinese coast, positioned to defend a sphere of PLA influence and security. Indeed there are many places in the world where the Pentagon would need to leverage maritime strike to achieve a given conflict objective, and in many cases the Navy is often the first to respond. 

“I hate to say it, sounds cliche, but you know, when things heat up in Iran, guess who steamed over there? Right? It was the United States Navy and the Abraham [Lincoln Carrier] Strike Group,” Caudle said. “So you can imagine what that looks like 10 years from now, with a different Iran, with different capability, that can go against F-18 capabilities of today.”

End of the F/A-18

The question of mass also significantly pertains to the F/A-18 because the classic Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft have already flown thousands of miles beyond their expected service life. As the F/A-18 sunsets, there will be a fast-growing need to replace  the kind of“mass” air campaign attack capability the Super Hornet supported. A special US Navy Service Life Extension Plan reinforced the F/A-18 airframe, added new sensing and avionics, conformal fuel tanks, digital cockpit displays, and specially engineered carrier-landing software, known as “magic carpet.”

The F/A-18s have also been equipped with Infrared Search & Track targeting technology, designed for high-fidelity imaging and the ability to operate in an electronic warfare (EW) jamming environment. Despite these many innovations and successful upgrades, the F/A-18 has exceeded its capacity and can no longer fly for much longer.

China Threat

Perhaps the largest reason why the Navy would be well-served to “fast-track” the F./A-XX is to ensure the service is prepared for a potential maritime conflict with China in the Pacific, a scenario which would rely heavily upon carrier-launched aircraft. 

This is increasingly pressing given that China is fast acquiring carrier-launched 5th-Gen stealth attack capability. Therefore, the Chinese threat equation extends far beyond the J-20, as well, given the rapid emergence of the now-operational carrier-launched J-35 stealthy 5th-generation aircraft and China’s emerging 6th-gen stealth fighters. 

Previously known as the J-31, the carrier-launched J-35 5th-generation stealth jet is already flying from PLA Navy carriers. Given China’s well-known civil-military fusion in weapons and platform production capacity, a sizable fleet of J-35s is expected to arrive in the coming years. The J-35 resembles the F-35C and may rival its capabilities, depending on the performance of its computing, sensing, fire control, weapons, and agility.

Perhaps of even greater concern to the Pentagon, the PLA appears to be accelerating the development of two new, previously unseen 6th-generation aircraft: the Shenyang J-50 and the triple-engine stealth fighter-bomber hybrid Shenyang J-36.the Pentagon’s emerging 6th-generation stealth fighters are being built with the ability to fly much longer ranges than existing 5th-gen aircraft.

F/A-XX Range Advantage

This is of great tactical relevance in the huge expanse of the Pacific, as the Pentagon has indicated that the F-47 will likely operate with a range of 2,000 miles. Should the F/A-XX operate with a similar range, it would introduce new tactical and strategic considerations as it is considerably longer than an F-35C’s overall combat range of 1,300 nautical miles. This means the F/A-XX could strike from greater distances, operate with more dwell time, and attack from carriers further offshore without needing a refueler.

Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University