Program Cuts

[milky-f18]

Milky, Junior and Jarhead,

If we had this discussion in person, I assure you my demeanor wouldn't be so "squashing" or belligerent sounding. I applaud all JOs/CGOs that tell the boss' that their baby is ugly or that he's wearing no clothes. But I'm big on the facts and not launching the first LFE wave on "...they said". I wish I had the mouth when I was a JO. Instead, I only spoke up when I thought not doing so would get me killed. Keep it up, your comments are going to get me to walk down the hall and ask what's going on with VMTS and downloading.

It may be just what it seems, stagnant at this point.

If the FRS community is balking at the thought of downloading, then we need to hear it at the next FRS summit, ACOL conference, etc. Fact is, someone there in pointy-nose land asked for it and now you guys, two to three generations down the line don't want it. FWIW, it was just in the research proposal phase when I saw it anyway. Could have run it's natural course already. I don't know.

Actually, it has been a topic of discussion around the OPS office the past few weeks. It sounds like they are seriously considering downloading or adding hops in T-45s. Many of them like mentioned here with synthetic radar and tactical bombing instead of circle the wagons. Those were the hops I was railing against since I think that if those are added at the expense of a Hornet flight, you will definitely see a worse product leaving the RAG. The other options I heard were starting goggles in the T-45. I personally think that is overload for a guy just learning to fly, but I guess it wouldn't make that big of a difference. Probably just see a few more mishaps over the years with NVGs involved.

 

[mb1k]

Latest info. Downloading is always going to be talked about, fact of life. The T-45 is cheaper, and if you can do it for cheaper and get the same perceived value...

WRT to Virtual Mission Training System (VMTS), it's still alive and going to be seen in the T-45C @ Wing Six. It's a neat system and the most visible change will be the radar control stick mounted on the right panel of the aft cockpit. Bottom line, right now it's being sold as a NAV/WSO/RIO trainer. That makes sense. I don't have the any information on whether or not it's to be fielded in the TS pipeline.