NFOs Phasing out?

[NapalmRat]

This may be entirely scuttlebutt, but I was wondering what you all had heard. I'm slated to be going through NFO training next year and heard that with the F-35 being brought in in the next few years that the NFOs would start to get phased out in favor of the one seated jets.
Anyone heard anything about this? Or heard that NFOs will be around till the end of time or anything?
Thanks

 

[TheBubba]

NFO's will be around for a while... the MMA (replacement for the P-3), E-2C, E-6, F/A-18F and the EA-18G (replacement for EA-6B) all need NFO's...


I also wouldn't be suprised if they start looking at a 2-seat variant of the JSF a few years after it hits the fleet...

 

[Steve Wilkins]

No, it's true. NFO's as we know them are going away. By 2014, all NFO's will be forced to transition to SWO.

 

[TheBubba]

No, it's true. NFO's as we know them are going away. By 2014, all NFO's will be forced to transition to SWO.

And at that time, my Naval experience will come full circle... *eep*

 

[HeyJoe]

No, it's true. NFO's as we know them are going away. By 2014, all NFO's will be forced to transition to SWO.

What's a shoe doing in this forum anyway? Don't youse guys have a 15 knot forum somewhere?

BTW, JSF replaces a single seat aircraft in Navy so it doesn't affect NFO population. I'd be more worried about Growler reducing the number of ECMOs needed. Besides, there's the greater danger of UCAVs transitioning pilot seats to video game seats.

 

[TheBubba]

So I now have something intelligent to add to the thread. Don't worry, its on topic.

Napalmrat is worried about the JSF taking NFO's out of cockpits, it being a single-seater and all. Well, heres something I've noticed. The Navy gets a shiny new single-seat aircraft and heralds it as the greatest thing since sliced bread.. and that it makes the pilots job easier so no NFO in the platform. Then, a little down the road, BAM!!!, a two-seat variant and a new NFO job.

Now assuming my observations have some validity to them, two questions:
1. Why does this happen? More specifically, why don't they just design them two-seater from jump?

AND

2. Do any of you forsee that phenomenon occurring w/ the JSF (and why/why not)?

 

[Road Program]

And at that time, my Naval experience will come full circle... *eep*

Ditto

I see your full circle and raise you an early retirement.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

What's shoe doing in this forum anyway?

I just wandered in here one day. They tried to kick me out, but I just keeping coming back.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

1. Why does this happen?

$$$$ and wishful thinking. Costs more to train a second person and put a second cockpit in.

The Navy may have thought with digital technology and HOTAS that APG-73 could be run front seat only (while AWG-9 needed a dedicated RIO), so there was a thought that the Super Hornet could be single-seat only.

Just doesn't work that easily... we saw in Allied Force and OEF that Tomcats were doing a ton of FAC(A) work... a mission that just can't be done by one dude. Also consider that with HARM, CIT, RWR, ATFLIR, AESA, MIDS... this isn't your old-school jet with just a radar and couple beeps and squeeks. Sure, the technology is more user-friendly, but there's more you can do with it and you can't fully exploit it single seat.

Will JSF go two seat? Doubt it. There's not a lot of cross-pollinating between two-seat and single seat types... although VF-143, -31, and -14 went to -18Es, while VFA-22 is going -18Fs. Maybe some of the other guys can talk about earlier, but it seems the A-7 guys went to Baby Hornets are going to JSFs.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

No, it's true. NFO's as we know them are going away. By 2014, all NFO's will be forced to transition to SWO.

You shouldn't joke about such things

 

[Schnugg]

that the NFOs would start to get phased out in favor of the one seated jets. Anyone heard anything about this? Or heard that NFOs will be around till the end of time or anything?

I'll start practicing now...

"Would you like fries with that???"

"I pledge allegiance to the Arches...."

 

[ip568]

No, it's true. NFO's as we know them are going away. By 2014, all NFO's will be forced to transition to SWO.

No, but the Navy does plan to have at least 1/3 of its aircraft UAVs by 2011. Pilots will have to transition to BM.

 

[eddie]

So when do we get to kill off the SWO community? When the CNO is a brown shoe?

My friend told he he wanted to go to the Academy to drive the submarine-aircraft-carriers that would comprise the whole of our future Navy. Those should replace everything else (in other words "kill off the SWO community") by 2050.

 

[goplay234]

I can speak for E2's...We are getting a brand new a/c in about 5 years and not only are there still three FO's in the tube, one of the pilots will actually have to be a controller...That's going to be a fun day...

 

[SteveG75]

Replacing single seat F/A-18C's with single seat F-35C's. Where do you get your info?????