Prez asks for 148 new Navy aircraft

President Trump released his FY 2020 Defense budget March 11, which includes several Naval Aviation readiness and aircraft purchases, as part of $718B in requested funding. The requests include for the Navy to spend $18.6B to buy 148 aircraft, including but not limited to, 20 Navy F-35Cs; 10 Marine F-35Bs, a 10-plane decrease; 24 F/A-18E-F Super Hornets; six CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters for the Marines; 10 CMV-22B Ospreys to replace the Navy’s C-2A Greyhounds; 32 Advanced Helicopter Training Systems; two MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft, a decrease of one from FY-19’s plan; and three MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aircraft for the Marines to begin training its unmanned aerial systems operators to work with large Group 4/5 UAVs. The Navy’s spending plan shows further decreases to aircraft procurement in the out years. The F-35B program for the Marines was also cut by five in 2021, three in 2022, and one in 2023. The Navy’s Super Hornet program is kept steady with last year’s plans in 2020 and 2020, but cut by nine in 2022 and five in 2023. The Navy’s F-35C procurement totals remain steady with last year’s plan from 2020-23, but eight aircraft are shifted from 2021 to later years. Air operations funding would increase 4.2 percent or about 25,000 flight hours, Secretary of the Navy for Budget Rear Adm. Randy Crites told reporters, in a nod to having more ready aircraft available for pilot training and operations. The Navy is also requesting to spend $23.8B on shipbuilding and conversion, including $22.2B to buy 12 ships. Under this proposal, the Navy request includes, but is not limited to, the lead ship for the guided-missile frigate (FFG(X)) program (Est. cost $1.28B); and two T-ATS towing, rescue and salvage ships that was contracted recently to Gulf Island Shipyards of Louisiana. (Source: USNI News 03/11/19) More funds for pilot training would be good news for NAS Meridian, Miss.; NAS/JRB Belle Chasse, La.; and Naval Air Stations Pensacola and Whiting Field in Florida.