NFO experience on EP-3 vs Intel O?

[gparks1989]

Another question:

How beat up are the EP-3's in comparison to the P-3s? Could they just SLEP the current airframes while upgrading the systems inside?

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Another question:

How beat up are the EP-3's in comparison to the P-3s? Could they just SLEP the current airframes while upgrading the systems inside?

That is currently happening, when they come in they get checked top to bottom nose to tail and worked. Some are getting new wings and center wing box others are not.

 

[Flash]

The issue is not whether or not the capability that a manned ISR platform brings is desired/advantangeous...the issue is at what cost? The Navy has numerous bills to pay: F-35, P-8 and last I checked...about 300 ships. When you are given $200 to spend...you can't buy $350 worth of toys.

So the CNO has to make some really hard choices...if they proceed with an EP-X like platform...what get cuts to allow the Navy to afford it?

If I were a betting man (and I really don't have any more insight than anyone else on this site)...I'd lay money on the replacement looking a lot a Global Hawk.

Can it fully replace an EP-3? Probably not...but it costs a great deal less to build and operate...and the cost savings might be worth the loss of capability/flexibility.

That being said...I'd still select EP-3 again and roll the dice.

I think you are right on, I think they are going to milk the current EP-3 fleet for all it's worth before they put them away though. A couple boxes on the P-8's or a mission package on the Global Hawk is my guess. Some of the S-3 guys I worked with bragged about the shiny new/old box they had was a great replacement for the ES-3, and they really believed it. We may be wrong, a lot of people thought they were going to go away in the 90's but got a new lease on life, some of the old farts said they thought they were in a dying community when they were starting out.

Another question:

How beat up are the EP-3's in comparison to the P-3s? Could they just SLEP the current airframes while upgrading the systems inside?

They may be a bit tired but they don't get beat up nearly as much as regular P-3's with a flight profile more like an airliner than an ASW plane.

 

[wink]

. When you are given $200 to spend...you can't buy $350 worth of toys.

Really? Why don't those rules apply to the Congress and the appropriations/budget process.

 

[gparks1989]

This is kind of related to UAV's and the SIGINT realm:

How successful has the MC-12 been peforming? Given the USAF's push towards constant ISR support and UAV's, why'd they end up ordering so many manned MC-12s? Possible future for the MC-12 in the Navy?

 

[fred_flintstone]

Here's the current outlook for the community:

Aircraft - All will soon be headed to the boneyard as they hit their service life. EP-3's are the oldest operational P-3 airframes in the fleet, the "newest" one is scheduled to head to the desert around 2020ish. They can't be SLEP'd any more, either. EP-X is officially cancelled, there is no replacement follow-on aircraft. Currently the plan is for the capabilities of the EP-3 to be absorbed by BAMS, P-8, and other assets yet to be determined.

Squadrons/personnel - VQ-2 is scheduled to be merged with VQ-1 sometime this coming spring, so there will only be one EP-3 squadron after that. This is not guaranteed; it's awaiting the official message from Big Navy, but is pretty much a done deal. There's already VQ to VP transitions in the works for NFOs, and the word from higher ups is that our community personnel will be transitioned in the same manner as when S-3's disestablished.

I recently finished my tour in the squadron, and am still in the community, so that's where we sit at the moment. As always, everything is subject to change.

 

[P3 F0]

Thanks for the update. Not sure what would be worse--going up for the next DH board, or submitting a VQ to VP package. Some lucky guys will probably be looking at both.

Any idea what the end state squadron size will be? I'm assuming the same number of planes will be there, so it's not like they can just chop half the people.