Beaufort. Brits at UK F-35 TRAINING

Transcription

1 UK F-35 TRAINING Brits at Beaufort Lon Nordeen looks at the increased tempo of training for UK aircrews working up on the F-35B JSF alongside the US Marine Corps in South Carolina. ARINE CORPS Air Station Beaufort in South MCarolina is the site for the training of pilots assigned to fly the US Marine Corps short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B Lightning II variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). It is also the base where many international pilots start their transition training to fly the type. Today, the USMC and UK are training support personnel and pilots to achieve their goals of standing up operational F-35B squadrons. Italian pilots will soon be arriving to attend the same transition programme. The training is conducted by Marine Fighter Attack Fighter Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT- 501) The Warlords, which formed at Eglin AFB, Florida, in February 2010 and moved to MCAS Beaufort in August With 16 F-35Bs, four simulators and more than 250 assigned military personnel, plus many contractors, the unit is one of the largest at the base. UK Presence The UK has a significant presence at MCAS Beaufort, including experienced RAF and Royal Navy pilots and more than 40 support personnel. USMC, RAF and Royal Navy pilots and support teams operate side-by-side every day (see MCAS Beaufort Base Tour, July 2015 p50-56). The goal of the UK contingent operating with VMFAT-501 is to train the initial groups of pilots and expand the skills of support personnel for their fleet of F-35Bs. Squadron Leader Jonathan Smith became the first UK pilot to graduate through the formal pilot syllabus at Beaufort after training alongside USMC pilots. Additional British pilots, the ninth and tenth from the UK, are now training here with a mix of simulator and F-35B flights. The first UK squadron, No 617 Dambusters, will be established at Beaufort this year and operate as an integral part of VMFAT-501, continuing until it moves to its permanent UK base at RAF Marham, Norfolk, which will become the home of the UK JSF force after its Tornado units close down. A second Lightning II squadron, 809 Immortals NAS, a long-established Royal Navy unit, will later be stood up at RAF Marham. Eventually, pilot training for the UK F-35B Lightning II will also be conducted there. The Warlords will, under current plans, also start training Italian pilots at Beaufort from next year to fill out units to fly the 15 STOVL F-35Bs replacing the AV-8B Harrier II for operations from Italy s aircraft carriers. Today, most of the fighters operating from Beaufort are F/A-18 Hornets. Marine Air Group 31, 2nd Marine Air Wing, includes six Hornet squadrons although in the past two years the number of aircraft and personnel assigned to the F-35B fighter training squadron, and the training hours being undertaken, have been expanding. Major Ethan Thurston Howell, VMFAT-501 pilot/maintenance officer, has around nine years experience, most flying the legacy 32 MAY 2016 #338

2 Top: The arrival of the F-35 at MCAS Beaufort has been generally welcomed in the area, but some local residents have remarked about the additional noise caused by the new aircraft. All photos, Vince Powell unless stated Above: Most F-35 pilots have come from other front-line types, but the Marine Corps is now training its first ab-initio crews direct from the T-45 Goshawk, and the UK will follow suit during From left to right, Lt Cdr Adam Hogg (RN), Major Ethan Howell (USMC) and Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols (RAF). Hogg and Nichols will go on to become flight commanders on 617 Sqn, Howell is an instructor on VMFAT #338 MAY

3 FEATURE HEADING UK F-35 TRAINING HERE 1 1: Sgt Ian Walsh is an experienced RAF maintenance technician at MCAS Beaufort who was previously based at RAF Waddington and RAF Marham. MCAS Beaufort 2: The F-35s operate from sun shelters, which are part of the specially built VMFAT-501 training complex that is now being expanded. 3: This underside view of an F-35B shows the wide fuselage, which contains the vast Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, and two weapon bays, along with the lift fan. 4: British pilots are fully embedded into VMFAT-501 working closely with their Marine Corps colleagues here Royal Navy Lt Rich Pavie completes his first flight in the F-35B. The First Squadrons THE UK s force will be flown be operated by both RN and RAF pilots, and aircraft deployed to provide carrier strike capability will be flown by aircrew from both services. The RAF s 617 Dambusters Squadron will stand up as the UK s first operational Lightning II squadron in 2016 in the US. The unit, which has a long and distinguished history, disbanded as a Tornado GR4 squadron on March 28, 2014 and will move to RAF Marham in The Navy s 809 Immortals Naval Air Squadron will meanwhile be the second UK Lightning II squadron (For more see The Way Ahead, Jan, p34-37.) The type will be based at Marham from Three heat-resistant landing pads are being built at the base to enable Lightning IIs to land vertically. They will land conventionally at other suitable RAF airfields. Marham is currently home to three frontline Tornado squadrons. The planned out of service date for the Tornado GR4 fleet is The UK will also host the first American F-35 squadrons to be based in Europe. The US Department of Defense announced on January 8, 2015 it is to deploy two squadrons of F-35As to RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, from Industrial Benefits THE UK is the only tier-one partner in the JSF programme, a commitment that dates back to 1995 when the US and UK Governments signed an MoU with the US. Subsequent agreements led to the UK s participation in the Systems Development and Demonstration phases of the JSF programme, with a total investment of some $2 billion. While there s been considerable debate in the UK about the benefits versus the costs of the JSF programme, the government has continued to be an active supporter of the programme and remains committed buy a total of 138 F-35s. From an industrial standpoint, Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for all elements of the JSF programme. However, with the UK as the only Level 1 partner, major investments and early involvement have brought significant benefits for British companies. About 15% of the programme is made up of UK content and several British firms, including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation, MBDA/Raytheon, EDM, Sterling Dynamics, Moog, Ultra, Martin-Baker, have significant industrial work share in JSF construction and development. The F-35B, known in UK service as the Lightning II, will give the Royal Air Force an advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter to complement its squadrons of Typhoons. UK F-35Bs are STOVL multi-role fighters capable of operating from the new Queen Elizabethclass aircraft carriers as well as land bases. The RAF is the lead service for the deployment and operations of the F-35B, and the initial concept will see the Joint Lightning II Force operating like the earlier Joint Force Harrier, manned by a mix of RAF and RN personnel MAY 2016 #338

4 FEATURE HEADING HERE Hornet with USMC squadrons. In 2013 he was given an assignment to train with VMFAT-501 Beaufort and transition to the F-35B. Our goal is to develop a cadre of instructors, senior leaders and maintenance crews to stand up front line squadrons, he explained. We also have a large group of experienced UK pilots and support personnel integrated with our Marines here at VMFAT-501. We ve found that the US and UK groups work together very well and we learn a lot from each other. Italian pilots will be coming to MCAS Beaufort next year for training. Up to now all the F-35 pilots have been experienced fighter pilots. Transition pilots with fighter experience fly a programme running four to six months, with 50% simulator and 50% flying hours. Royal Navy Lt Cmdr Adam Hogg, who is currently converting to the F-35B at Beaufort, noted: This is an exciting time in the development of F-35B and therefore a great privilege to be chosen to fly the aircraft here at VMFAT-501 and to work alongside the USMC. It s fantastic to see the development of the aircraft and be a part of the UK and USMC path to operational service. The role of VMFAT-501 is to prepare and train pilots and maintainers for F-35B operational service in both the USMC and when the aircraft returns to the UK in It will operate alongside RAF Typhoons to form the UK Combat Air element and will deploy around the world onboard the Royal Navy s new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, designed specifically for F-35B operations. It s likely these carriers will embark both UK and USMC personnel and aircraft in the future, which brings extra relevance to the work being undertaken at VMFAT-501 right now. The UK personnel based here at MCAS Beaufort will soon form the backbone of 617 Dambusters Squadron when the unit stands up at RAF Marham in 2018, and of 809 Naval Air Squadron in 2023, ready to deploy on operations around the world from sea and ashore. Lt Cmdr Hogg added that, on approaching the aircraft, climbing into the cockpit and starting up the jet up, it looks and feels like a 21st century multi-role combat aircraft. Its systems are integrated and connected, and tasks that previously required the pilot to dedicate a lot of concentration and skill are now made to feel easy and routine. The pilot s helmet and large panoramic screens do away with the switches and gauges of old and provide an impressive amount of awareness and information from the aircraft s many sensors. Vertical landings and STOVL flight are accurate and rock-steady and far less demanding than my previous days with the Harrier. This is great news for UK pilots of the near future who will soon be bringing the jet back to a pitching deck at night and in poor weather aboard the UK s new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. My early impressions are that deck landings will #338 MAY

5 FEATURE HEADING UK F-35 TRAINING HERE be far more accurate and less nerve-wracking than previous operations of old with the Harrier. We joke about how Brits and Americans speak the same language but both sides are quickly picking up on each other s nuances. There s a lot of flying at VMFAT-501 and [it is] impressive to see the line of F-35 aircraft every morning. Even in my relatively short time here I ve seen many similarities between the way the USMC and UK operate with a professional and expeditionary mindset, focused on getting the most out of training and out of the aircraft. The training itself covers a broad range of mission sets, from support of ground forces and air defence to aerial reconnaissance. Much of the pilot training is spent in the simulator prior to live flying in the aircraft and, with the F-35 programme not building any two-seat trainer aircraft, this is of particular importance in early sorties. That said, the simulator provides excellent preparation for flying the aircraft itself and means that pilots are more prepared than ever for the sortie they re about to perform. The F-35 s appearance at UK airshows this summer will be a great opportunity for the public to see the jet first-hand and help to understand the flying operations taking place every day down here at MCAS Beaufort. It won t be long before UK aircraft and personnel leave South Carolina and fly back to Marham to stand up the Lightning Force and declare operational service. Sergeant Ian Walsh, an experienced RAF maintenance technician, is among the team working at Beaufort. He said: I ve spent many years supporting RAF fighters, stationed at RAF Waddington and RAF Marham. It s a great opportunity to work as a team with the Marine Corps on the F-35B and prepare for the future. To date the UK has taken delivery of four F-35B Lightning II. They have been flying, supported by UK military personnel, at (now MCAS Beaufort) and Edwards AFB, California, carrying out initial operational test and evaluation, in addition to training at MCAS Beaufort. Below: Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols performs a lowspeed rolling vertical landing, displaying the complex array of doors which hide the lift fan and swiveling engine nozzle. Above: A VMFAT-501 F-35B taxies out to Runway 14 at MCAS Beaufort. The airfield infrastructure has been modified for F-35 operations to include new hover pads and a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) dummy deck for training. The British F-35Bs will be armed with UK-specific weapons such as the Paveway IV guided bomb and AIM-132 ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missile. They can carry a maximum weapon payload of six Paveway IVs, two AIM-120C AMRAAMs, two AIM-132 ASRAAMs and a 25mm gun pod. In the future, F-35B integration is planned for the Storm Shadow and the new SPEAR Capability 3 air-to-ground guided missiles, Current UK F-35Bs Serial Build No First flight ZM135 BK-01 Apr 13, 2012 ZM136 BK-02 Jul 11, 2012 ZM137 BK-03 Apr 1, 2013 ZM138 BK-04 Dec 2, 2015 Delivery date Jul 23, 2012 to Oct 19, 2012 to Jun 25, 2013 to Not yet delivered On order: Four more aircraft for the UK (ZM139/BK- 05 to ZM142/BK-08) were ordered from Lockheed Martin on November 21, 2014 followed by another three (ZM143/BK-09 to ZM145/BK-11) on June 5, 2015 and six more (ZM146/BK-12 to ZM151/BK- 17) on November 3, Most recently, an award on December 21, 2015 covered long-lead items for the next UK F-35B, ZM152/BK-18. together with the Meteor air-to-air missile. Training in the USA The UK has developed an extremely close relationship with the US Marine Corps during the development of the F-35B. All aircraft evaluation, testing and pilot training is currently taking place in the United States. Pilot training will switch to the UK in 2019 when the operational conversion unit stands up at Marham. The two operational test and evaluation aircraft ZM135/BK-01 and ZM136/ BK-02 are based at Edwards AFB, having moved from in They come under the control of the RAF s No 17 (Reserve) Test and Evaluation Squadron and represent the British component in the Joint Operational Test Team led by the United States. The third jet, ZM137/ BK-03 is for training and operated in a pool arrangement at MCAS Beaufort. It s expected that ZM138/BK-04, ordered in September 2013 and now test flying, will be delivered in 2016 to join the other two at Edwards AFB. RAF and RN pilots have been training with the USMC under a partnering agreement between the UK and the US. Previously based at Eglin AFB, they have now moved to Beaufort, alongside the Marine Corps VMFAT-501. afm 36 MAY 2016 #338