thedrifter
03-04-09, 06:50 AM
Super Hornets scheduled for Cherry Point delayed
Comments 2 | Recommend 0
March 3, 2009 - 6:24 PM
By DREW C. WILSON
FREEDOM ENC
HAVELOCK - Two squadrons of Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets scheduled to be based at Cherry Point beginning in 2010 have been delayed.
John Gumbel, public/private partnering lead for Boeing, manufacturer of the aircraft, said the latest version of the Naval Master Aviation Plan shows the arrival of the squadrons at Cherry Point has been shifted to August of 2013 and April of 2014.
"I'd say I was a little surprised and disappointed that the Super Hornets are not coming to Cherry Point soon," said Gumbel, who works in Boeing's Havelock office. "It would be good to have them here."
Havelock Mayor Jimmy Sanders, president of Allies for Cherry Point's Tomorrow, a civilian base lobby group, said he had heard rumors that the planes had been delayed.
"I'm not surprised. I'm disappointed," Sanders said. "It's anywhere from $50 million to $100 million a year of economic impact for Havelock. It increases our military value. Yeah, I'm disappointed."
Sanders said he immediately began to doubt the arrival of the planes by 2010 when the Navy announced last year that it would to begin the outlying landing field process over again after pulling out of its preferred site in Washington County.
"At that point I became very pessimistic that those F-18s would ever land here, but maybe they will," Sanders said. "That remains to be seen."
Pilots of the new jets would use the OLF to practice aircraft carrier landings and takeoffs. The Navy is now targeting sites in northeastern North Carolina and Virginia for the OLF.
Havelock and ACT officials had been pushing for an OLF in eastern North Carolina, believing that placing the Super Hornet squadrons at Cherry Point were based somewhat on an OLF being in the area.
In 2002, Havelock commissioners passed a resolution in support of locating an OLF in western Craven County, but the Navy rejected the site for environmental reasons.
Sanders said his focus is on making sure Cherry Point gets as many squadrons of new F-35B Joint Strike Fighters as possible.
The Navy is deciding where to base 13 squadrons of the new jets, which will eventually replace Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers, EA-6B Prowlers and F/A-18 Hornets. Cherry Point could receive as many as 11 of the squadrons or as few as two, with other squadrons to be based at Beaufort, S.C.
Sanders said getting the majority of the 176 new jets would help ensure economic prosperity in the area for decades to come.
"It is all the more reason that we in North Carolina need to get those F-35s," Sanders said. "That's the future of Cherry Point. If the delay of these F-18s is anything, it's a wake-up call for the people in our region."
He said South Carolina and Virginia are working just as hard to entice the squadrons to stations in their respective states.
"North Carolina needs to be out front and in the fray trying to get those planes into our area," Sanders said. "We can't sit back and just wait and think that these planes are just going to come here by themselves."
The new jets could arrive at Cherry Point as early as 2012, according to the Navy, but more than likely, the planes would not arrive until at least a couple of years later. Implementation of whatever basing option is selected is expected to take 11 years, according to the Navy.
Havelock Commissioner Danny Walsh said the current economic crisis may push those dates back as well.
"Reality tells me that we're not going to be able to afford it for a real long time," Walsh said.
Walsh said he also believes the new Obama administration's inclination to cut defense spending played a role in delaying the Super Hornets.
"I'm sure this is an economic decision with all the things that are happening in the economy, the wars in Iraq and (Afghanistan) and the change in the administration," he said. "Spending money for new airplanes is not high on their priority list."
Ellie
Comments 2 | Recommend 0
March 3, 2009 - 6:24 PM
By DREW C. WILSON
FREEDOM ENC
HAVELOCK - Two squadrons of Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets scheduled to be based at Cherry Point beginning in 2010 have been delayed.
John Gumbel, public/private partnering lead for Boeing, manufacturer of the aircraft, said the latest version of the Naval Master Aviation Plan shows the arrival of the squadrons at Cherry Point has been shifted to August of 2013 and April of 2014.
"I'd say I was a little surprised and disappointed that the Super Hornets are not coming to Cherry Point soon," said Gumbel, who works in Boeing's Havelock office. "It would be good to have them here."
Havelock Mayor Jimmy Sanders, president of Allies for Cherry Point's Tomorrow, a civilian base lobby group, said he had heard rumors that the planes had been delayed.
"I'm not surprised. I'm disappointed," Sanders said. "It's anywhere from $50 million to $100 million a year of economic impact for Havelock. It increases our military value. Yeah, I'm disappointed."
Sanders said he immediately began to doubt the arrival of the planes by 2010 when the Navy announced last year that it would to begin the outlying landing field process over again after pulling out of its preferred site in Washington County.
"At that point I became very pessimistic that those F-18s would ever land here, but maybe they will," Sanders said. "That remains to be seen."
Pilots of the new jets would use the OLF to practice aircraft carrier landings and takeoffs. The Navy is now targeting sites in northeastern North Carolina and Virginia for the OLF.
Havelock and ACT officials had been pushing for an OLF in eastern North Carolina, believing that placing the Super Hornet squadrons at Cherry Point were based somewhat on an OLF being in the area.
In 2002, Havelock commissioners passed a resolution in support of locating an OLF in western Craven County, but the Navy rejected the site for environmental reasons.
Sanders said his focus is on making sure Cherry Point gets as many squadrons of new F-35B Joint Strike Fighters as possible.
The Navy is deciding where to base 13 squadrons of the new jets, which will eventually replace Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers, EA-6B Prowlers and F/A-18 Hornets. Cherry Point could receive as many as 11 of the squadrons or as few as two, with other squadrons to be based at Beaufort, S.C.
Sanders said getting the majority of the 176 new jets would help ensure economic prosperity in the area for decades to come.
"It is all the more reason that we in North Carolina need to get those F-35s," Sanders said. "That's the future of Cherry Point. If the delay of these F-18s is anything, it's a wake-up call for the people in our region."
He said South Carolina and Virginia are working just as hard to entice the squadrons to stations in their respective states.
"North Carolina needs to be out front and in the fray trying to get those planes into our area," Sanders said. "We can't sit back and just wait and think that these planes are just going to come here by themselves."
The new jets could arrive at Cherry Point as early as 2012, according to the Navy, but more than likely, the planes would not arrive until at least a couple of years later. Implementation of whatever basing option is selected is expected to take 11 years, according to the Navy.
Havelock Commissioner Danny Walsh said the current economic crisis may push those dates back as well.
"Reality tells me that we're not going to be able to afford it for a real long time," Walsh said.
Walsh said he also believes the new Obama administration's inclination to cut defense spending played a role in delaying the Super Hornets.
"I'm sure this is an economic decision with all the things that are happening in the economy, the wars in Iraq and (Afghanistan) and the change in the administration," he said. "Spending money for new airplanes is not high on their priority list."
Ellie