sheepfilms
Andulka
Misplaced Lens Cap
taylor price
YOU ARE THE REASON
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
cherry valley forever
@theartofmadeline
Keni
PR's Tumblrdome
One Nice Bug Per Day
occasionally subtle
★
Sade Olutola
ellievsbear
RMH
#extradirty
Cosmic Funnies
DEAR READER
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from Vietnam
seen from Japan
seen from Singapore
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
@boeingspotter
R.I.P. F-15E1
The first production F-15E Strike Eagle (serial 86-0183) departed Boeing St. Louis in December for her final resting place at AMARG. She spent 11 years at Edwards AFB and another 17 as Boeing's corporate test bed.
May a museum snatch her up at the last minute. "What a Waste".
The actual fleet of Strike Eagles are due to serve the USAF until the late 2030's! Every month, a new export Eagle is rolled off the St. Louis production line.
A visual of her life:
Follow Me!
A face behind the hobby. Follow me for news about Boeing, aviation, marketing, music, whatever.
@Chaser__22
Growler Shakedown!
F-22A Raptor aerial refueling inbound to ISIS strikes
via The Aviationist
BRUH
Awesome!
200-hour inspection on an F/A-18E Super Hornet
More than half of the Boeing machinists at its St. Louis fighter-jet plant have signed up to take voluntary buyouts, union leaders said.
Qatar.. Kuwait.. Navy... Somebody help.
Boeing's Next Generation Platforms- Conclusion
While the sky's the limit for Boeing Defense, many factors still remain about the future health for this dominant player. It's facing a time with reduced budgets, increased competition from overseas, and stronger competition from it's own soil thanks to the high priority faced on Lockheed for the fast-jet industry. While some say the writing has been on the wall since they lost the JSF bid in 2001, other's say it was a matter of keeping industry alive. If Boeing does indeed exit the fast-jet/air defense business over the next decade, the commercial division, which is currently riding an all time high, keeps the company afloat. If Lockheed didn't have the JSF, they would not be in the major manufacturing business outside of the C-130 and Skunk Works.
Vast opportunities do exist in the UAV department, it's only going to grow in the coming decades. While Boeing is competing for the Navy's UCAS program, Northrop undoubtedly has the lead thanks to it's X-47 trials. While we don't know much about the black world, Boeing has made strides in this field thanks to the Phantom Ray, ScanEagle, and X-51 trials over the last decade.
Interestingly enough outside the C-17 production line, the majority of air platforms being produced has been geared toward the Navy/Army almost exclusively. The last USAF delivery from Boeing was an F-15E Strike Eagle almost a decade ago. With the KC-46, NGB, and T-X, Boeing is competing to become one of the biggest defense suppliers to the United States Air Force. Navy ties still run thick, outside the Super Hornet, T-45, and P-8, Boeing has already began to develop a sixth generation Naval fighter to replace the F/A-18E/F known as F/A-XX.The focus now is stretching the F-15 and F/A-18 platforms long enough to win orders from the current ongoing contests. It won't be easy, the market for twin engine fighters at the mid and high level price ranges (50-60 million per Super Hornet, 85-100 per Eagle) is vastly shrinking. The high market belongs to Lockheed, F-35 problems aside, while the low is being given to Saab from Lockheed slowly phasing out the F-16.
However even if Boeing never produced a stand alone defense design again, the defense industry's overall switch to space and cyber-warfare in the coming decades will keep the company well positioned to compete and stay relevant. While I would list the many innovations coming within the space, cyber, and drone fields that is not this Tumblr's cup of tea.
The whole point of these write-up's is due to the media and aviation specialties becoming more inclined to declare Boeing as 'dead' in the fast-jet market. While struggles and uncertainty exist, the bigger picture and future trends show that the company will survive within the air-defense sector as a whole while less reliance is put on traditional fighter aircraft in the coming decades.
View Part 1.
View Part 2.
View Part 3.
Boeing's Next Generation Platforms- Part 3
View Part 1.
View Part 2.
Boeing/Lockheed Next Generation Bomber
Not much is known about what's actually going on with the USAF's Next Generation Bomber. New buildings have already been built at Groom, crazy triangles have been spotted over Texas and Kansas, and the initial submissions for proposals are being kept sealed tight. All the public really know's is that it's supposed to make use of already established technologies and that around 80-100 are wanted to be built. Only this year did Boeing and Lockheed announce that they would be teaming up for the project. This comes after a break-up around 2010 where they decided to go solo, only to reverse the decision come more requirement changes. Boeing will be getting final assembly rights making this a very lucrative project for them. While it's widely known that the basic agreement of rivals Boeing and Lockheed teaming up defeats a common enemy in Northrop Grumman, it's also the new reality. Contractors are unable to risk or afford solo projects because of the high costs associated. While Northrop automatically has the lead because of it's experience with the B-2, the Boeing-Lockheed team brings much more industry and resources to the table and threatens a company that has already complained about being over-looked due to politics and favoritism.
As far as industry goes, it was recently revealed that Northrop had fought and successfully gotten the same tax credits given to Lockheed for building the new bomber in California. A small but soon to be brewing discussion is coming in the form of Missouri tax credits for building the NGB in St. Louis. However the local government is surprisingly being quiet in contrast to it's quick and massive 777X bid earlier in 2014. Perhaps they know something that many other's don't? While St. Louis is Boeing's defense HQ, it's not equipped to build something in the size of a bomber aircraft. New hangars, some production buildings, paint shop, and flight ramp would all most likely need to be built just to support the program. With only 80-100 ever being delivered the investment may not be worth the return. In addition the U.S. may want the bomber being built in California because it has close access to an ocean, ranges, and airfields that bring much less visibility to the public. While the possibility exists (if Boeing wins) that St. Louis would be the home of the NGB due to already constructed ties and airspace negotiations, it's unfortunately more likely that only sub-assembly will occur.
Regardless, Boeing (and Lockheed) will fight hard to capture one of the biggest defense contracts of this generation.
Boeing's Next Generation Platforms- Part 2
View Part 1/Intro.
Boeing/Saab T-X Trainer
While no official tender has begun, in the next few years the USAF will put a request for information and concepts to replace the aging and multi-purpose T-38 fleet. After a year of rumors, it was confirmed earlier this year that Boeing and Swedish manufacturer Saab would team up to design a clean-sheet concept. Saab brings experience to cheaper air platforms with it's widely successful Gripen while Boeing brings the industry and marketing power.
The idea is a major risk, as the USAF wants to minimize risk/cost and the other competitors will be pitching 'off the shelf' designs that can be easily modified. Lockheed/KAI's T-50 is the front-runner competition while Northrop/BAE Systems will be proposing an advanced Hawk. Alenia Aermacchi/General Dynamics (who after selling its fighter soul to Lockheed in the 90's) will also be competing the M-346 but that will most likely falter early in the program. Interestingly enough Boeing did not team up with BAE's Hawk program again as it did with the Navy's T-45 trainer program that ended in 2009; most likely because they assumed the Air Force would not except a non supersonic trainer.
Will Boeing's risk pay off? It is interesting to think that the trainers currently being built and competed now are not a great leap forward from the T-38's that they are replacing. As these trainers will be needed for the next 30-50 years for F-22, F-35, NGB, and F-15E aircraft a broader technological reach would need to happen for adequate training. The role of the T-X may also be expanded to aggressor squadrons, science/research, and some speculate extra airframes for the Air National Guard. Boeing and Saab are betting that a clean sheet would be the only way to fill the void. While no concepts have been given since the team-up, a Boeing only image was released a few years ago (above) that pictures, among other things, a modified Pelikan tail.
The T-X is another crucial program to the company, as it offers the closest option for keeping it's large St. Louis production facility open. While the F-15/F-18 lines have potential for continuing into the early 2020's, beyond that timeframe the only main production programs that would remain in St. Louis would be the small Phantom Works division. With recent closings of the T-45 and C-17 work, the former McDonnell Douglas world headquarters fate has been looking dimmer. Boeing already has the industry and facilities to support the T-X, all it needs is a winning bid.
Boeing's Next Generation Platforms- Part 1
While Boeing currently has a large portfolio of older but relevant platforms, it's crucial that it develops and wins orders for a new line of air defense projects if it wants to stay relevant in the market beyond the 2020 timeframe. One of these, the KC-46 has already been achieved and while delays will happen the company will eventually end up building hundreds to the USAF and a few export customers over the next twenty years. Still, another commercial platform modernized for defense will not actually expand the talent base and industry it currently needs to retain. In an era of shrinking budgets the new norm is having multiple companies team up for their bids. Boeing is currently developing three new platforms:
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
This is said to be a 50/50 partnership but it's currently unknown where final assembly rights would go, unless they were split for different variants. Boeing currently has two primary helicopter assembly sites. It's Mesa, Arizona site builds the Apache's while it's Ridley Park site in Pennsylvania builds the long-standing Chinook and is home to its Phantom Works Helicopters department. The SB-1 is only part of a planned four variant 'Future Vertical Lift' program. However without it Boeing's Rotorcraft division may not stay relevant as the Apache, Chinook, and Osprey collaboration with Bell-Textron will all most likely end production within the next ten years. It's yet to be seen if two helicopter production sites can be maintained in the future, three counting Sikorsky's. The Mesa plant was the original home to McDonnell Douglas Helicopters and grandfathered in along with the rest of its facility's with the merger. The proposed 'Defiant' will directly replace the Army's Apache, Chinooks, and Black Hawk fleets with the several planned variants.
And the winner for best looking F-15 goes too.. Singapore!!!
Photo by user IL_NY
More Growlers, Denmark is a waste of time?
The U.S. Senate approved an additional 12 EA-18G Growlers for the FY2015 Budget, a month after the House approved the dozen and a 100 million lump sum to keep production running on the Hornet line in St. Louis. While the Navy originally wanted 22 (or 36...) Boeing says 12 is enough to stretch the line through 2017 by slowing production to a snails pace of 24 a year. Most likely the company is confident that it will capture another dozen or two Growlers in the 2016 defense budget, the latest reports are hopeful.
In other news, the company submitted its bid to supply 30 F/A-18F Super Hornet's to Denmark, a day after SAAB pulled it's Gripen out of the competition and claiming it was pulling a South Korea and shamming for the F-35. This could easily be true, and if so Boeing should cut their losses and focus on countries it could make a sale in like Belgium, Canada, or Malaysia. The company just recently completed a month long promotional tour in Europe.
The Super Hornet demonstration from the 2014 European promotional tour. Unlike previous years where Boeing Company test pilots conducted the routine, this year's flight demos were conducted by U.S. Navy pilots.
Boeing in midst of European promo tour
Boeing is right in the middle of a massive European promo tour, with the primary focus being the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Essentially a last ditch attempt at capturing orders and extending the production line past 2016. Two new Super Hornets (accompanied by the Omega Tanker) have already done performances in Delmark and Belgium before heading to the U.K. for demonstrations at the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough airshow.
They should probably stop at Kuwait and Qatar too.. just saying.
The company is also busy promoting the P-8 Poseidon, 767 Air Refueling tanker, and vertical lift portfolio to prospective customers.
Best of luck!
Boeing Alters Super Hornet/Growler Strategy
Boeing's 'Advanced Super Hornet' has been slow to gain a lot of real traction since its introduction last fall, however the company has now announced a new focus for capturing more orders.
The company plans to offer a Hornet/Growler hybrid that would include the electronic awareness of the Growler and weapons of the Super Hornet. Tangibly this would look like a Growler with weapons on the pylons instead of jamming pods. The company hinted at this some years ago when announcing a 'Growler LITE' option focused exclusively on awareness over attack. While conformal fuel tanks have been strongly considered by the Navy, no plan of action has been announced yet on pursuing the modification/upgrades necessary for them to be carried. The hybrid hornet is aimed at existing legacy fighter air forces who need an affordable upgrade with increased capability.
New Super Hornets will be built for another year, while 60 Growlers remain on order (including the recent 12 proposed for FY2015) for the U.S. Navy and Australia, which will keep production going through 2016.
Qatar Fighter Buy Heats Up
Latest reports suggest that Qatar will by France's Rafale fighter platform for their upcoming contract of 72 next generation fighters. However speculation is high that the country will split the order into two different aircraft, and that Dassault will only be getting a 36 airframe order. While Qatar is loyal to France for many things, they have been buying many American and European aircraft over the last few years as the country seeks to rapidly expand it's military.
Dassault has yet to find an export order for the Rafale, as a 124 airframe deal with India has been in troubled negotiations for years now, with no sign of finishing soon. Latest reports suggest than the only other contenders left are BAE's Typhoon and Boeing's Eagle.
With the Super Hornet being eliminated (as previously speculated), this brings the perfect opportunity for Boeing to add Qatar as the sixth nation in the F-15E family. The aircraft has immense experience in Israel while Saudi Arabia is currently ordering 84 aircraft (4 currently flying in Palmdale) which will extend the line for an additional four years.
As with everything, politics and lobbying will decide what Qatar decides, including holding out for Lockheed's F-35.
F-15SA 12-1002 on it's first flight before getting the orange markings now seen at Palmdale.
The F-15 is in a unique but odd position, nothing has or will replace what it offers but many countries that can afford them already have sufficient numbers. Perhaps other countries will follow Saudi Arabia's steps and just replace/upgrade the fleet with new airframes? It remains to be seen whether the aircraft will become Boeing's 'C-130', though at 42 years and counting maybe it already has?
