Naval aviation progress comes in fits, starts: The Navy is in the midst of sweeping changes in aviation, particularly in the future carrier air wing.
As engineers continue to develop the F-35C Lightning II, the carrier variant of the stealth aircraft that has suffered repeated delays, service officials are trying to ensure an adequate number of F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets are available to operate at sea. In addition, the Navy is bringing on a new early warning aircraft and beginning the shift from a twin-engine cargo aircraft for carrier onboard delivery to the tiltrotor aircraft now flown by Marines.
Meanwhile, the helicopter community is retiring two older H-60 aircraft and shuttering some squadrons while transitioning others to newer models.
The first-in-class carrier Gerald R. Ford, with its impressive array of technological advancements, appears to be on pace for its March 2016 delivery, but nagging issues with the launch and recovery systems continue to produce headaches.
