The maker of the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet would like to convince the Navy that its should buy more of the E/F models of the Hornet to fill its shortage of carrier strike aircraft until the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter comes on board, reports Roxana Tiron of The Hill. Boeing plans to push the issue with Congress and the sea service, which projects a shortfall of some 226 strike aircraft over the next 10 to 15 years, for the next budget. Boeing’s F/A-18 vice president, Bob Gower, told the Congressional newspaper that a new Navy analysis could set the stage for a Super Hornet multiyear buy.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.