LOW-RATE INITIAL production of the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-18E/F was expected to be approved on 28 March, after new US Defence Secretary William Cohen dropped objections to proceeding with production before completion of the Quadrenniel Defence Review.
A Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) meeting was expected to approve three LRIP lots of 12, 20 and 30 aircraft, respectively, and decide whether the programme can proceed into full-rate production without another DAB review. MDC has already cut metal under the first LRIP contract, funded in 1997, and funds for the second lot have been included in the US Navy's 1998 budget request.
LRIP approval will help MDC offset a possible halt in production of the F-18C/D. The company has no orders in hand for the current F-18 beyond 1997. The last of the aircraft now on order will be delivered in 1999, and includes eight for Thailand.
F-18E/F programme manager Jerry Daniels says that MDC plans to shift workers to E/F production if the C/D line shuts down. He says that the company "-has not given up hope" of securing C/D orders this year, and has made offers of additional aircraft to a "couple" of existing F-18 customers. MDC is protecting its position on long-lead items, but needs a contract "within a few months" to avoid idling the C/D line, say officials.
The F-18E/F programme, meanwhile, continues to run on schedule and budget, says Daniels. All seven development aircraft are now in flight testing and some 700h have been accumulated on around 450 flights.
Weapons testing has begun, with the release of external tanks, Mk82 bombs, and MDC Harpoon and SLAM air-to-surface missiles. The first launch of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile was due for late March.
A second phase of sea trials has been planned for July. Daniels says that no flight-control changes resulted from the initial sea trials in January. He says that about 85% of the flight envelope has been cleared so far.
Source: Flight International