Mr. SIKES. I understand the need to conserve time and I do not quarrel with your decision. I do feel where there are variances, as General Canedy suggested, that we hear that portion of their state

ments.

Mr. EDWARDS. I agree with that. I was planning at some point to ask him to elaborate on what it was he is talking about.

I am almost at a point now where I am prepared to say to the chairman we need another day. I have enough questions for a week of hearings.

Mr. SIKES. I think we should take the time.

Mr. EDWARDS. The statements that we have had and the statements we will have been very beneficial, but at some point along the way we have to shut this off.

Mr. SIKES. The statement we have just heard is a very valuable, a very good statement, Mr. Secretary, but this is such an important area that I think we should take extra time if you need to.

May I ask if we plan to meet on Friday?

Mr. MURPHY. No, sir, we do not.

Mr. SIKES. Why will we not meet on Friday?

Mr. EDWARDS. I see in the Secretary's statement what I presume, if given the chance to discuss in open and free session, some conflict with the Navy on the carrier task force. So I do not want to shut anybody off. But if we have extensive statements to be heard, and I am not opposed to that, then I am going to ask for another day somewhere so that we have a shot.

Mr. SIKES. I would support that.

Mr. BURLISON. Let me yield to the staff man, Mr. Murphy, to analyze what problems might be inherent in scheduling another day for the hearings.

Mr. ROBINSON. Mr. Chairman, before you do that

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Robinson.

Mr. ROBINSON. I make a suggestion that, due to the fact that it is a quarter of 12:00 and I presume we are going to recess at 12:00 or thereabouts. Due to the specific concerns and the problems involving each of the service areas that are particular to that service, and much more generally covered in the Secretary's comments, that we allow each of our witnesses to at least touch on those points between now and 12:00 and not start our questions until after we come back from lunch.

Mr. BURLISON. Is there any objection to that suggestion? If not, we will proceed as suggested by Mr. Robinson. This would allow each of the uniformed supporting witnesses at the head table five minutes each.

Mr. BURLISON. Mr. Secretary, you may designate the order in which the gentlemen should proceed.

Mr. MOORE. Start with General Miller, if you are ready.

Mr. ADDABBO. The Marines always lead the attack.

STATEMENT OF GENERAL MILLER

General MILLER. I do not have a prepared statement to add to the Secretary's. The only area where the Marine Corps has expressed concern was in the slowdown of the AV-8B V/STOL development. This

is based on our some seven years of experience with the only V/STOL aircraft that is operable, and it was our opinion that this experience has proven to us, primarily from the military and the Marine Corps' viewpoint, that it was a system that we should continue at a rapid pace and get on with the further development of it.

Other than that, the programs as outlined by the Secretary we are in total agreement with, sir.

Mr. SIKES. All right.

Mr. Secretary, next?

Mr. MOORE. Admiral Turner.

STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL F. C. TURNER

Admiral TURNER. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I will submit my prepared statement for the record.

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Statement of Vice Admiral F. C. Turner, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air
Warfare)

Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee:

It is a privilege to appear before you today and present the Navy Aircraft Procurement request. Assisting me are Lieutenant General Miller, Marine Corps Deputy Chief of Staff for Aviation, and Vice Admiral Petersen, Commander Naval Air Systems Command.

Before describing our request for FY 1979, I would like to recap for you what is ongoing in the current year, FY-78. Our FY 1978 Naval Aviation Program is first a balance of procurement of new aircraft, secondly modification to improve existing aircraft, and thirdly support in both management and materiel to enhance the material readiness of existing and planned aircraft. The procurement program needs no elaboration: force levels must be achieved and procurement is the primary means by which that is accomplished. The modification program involves a number of items. Conversion-in-Lieu-of-Procurement (CILOP) is one of them and contributes to the maintenance of force levels by extending the service life of aircraft which would otherwise need to be retired. Then there are Weapons System Modifications which improve the capabilities of our aircraft with respect to the increasing sophistication of the threat facing us. There are also modifications which enhance the reliability and maintainability of our systems.

With regard to our third ongoing effort support for our aircraft we have invested considerable attention and effort toward improving the material readiness of our aircraft and weapon systems. In the past twelve months the total force material readiness has increased five percent to a level of 63.3 percent as of November 1977. This increase is due to increased funding support, management improvements, and readiness improvement programs directed at specific aircraft with low readiness. Noteworthy in this regard are the F-14 and CH-53 aircraft. During the past 2 years, the material readiness of these two aircraft has improved by 21 and 32 percent respectively. We have also examined the results of the recent tests in Nevada known as AIMVAL/ACEVAL as they relate to F-14 material readiness. We found that certain efforts, such as dedicated transportation and logistic personnel, contributed to sustained material readiness rates well in excess of fleet experience. We are attempting to quantify that experience in order to develop similar programs to support all F-14's as well as other fleet aircraft.

In sum, FY-78 is a continuation of low-quantity aircraft procurement and major programs to adapt aging aircraft to current requirements. Noteworthy activity is also being directed towards material readiness improvements.

To keep our Navy and its aviation forces preeminent requires a balanced force in order to carry out the basic functions of sea control and power projection. This balance means varied kinds of aircraft in diverse functions. For example, Carrier Air Wings, Marine Corps Air Wings, land-based anti-submarine aircraft, logistic aircraft and training aircraft all play significant roles in these missions. They contribute directly to mission success. Principal among these are our carrier Air Wings. These integrated forces of fighter, attack, anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning, electronic counter-measures and reconnaissance aircraft have unequaled fighting capabilities which make the aircraft carrier the foremost naval ship of the world. Marine Corps Air Wings likewise possess a careful balance of fighter, attack aircraft and helicopters in order to carry out the Marine mission of amphibious assault and battlefield support of ground troops. The Navy also has land-based patrol aircraft for the protection of our sea lines of communication, and to provide ASW support to our ships at sea and to maintain vigilance against surface threats. In-theater airlift support responsive to the fleet commanders and to the ever-changing needs and mobility of the fleet is integral to the success of fleet operations. And of course, training aircraft are fundamental to all missions. Clearly we have many different kinds of aircraft and many missions to perform with naval aircraft. I think from the foregoing you can see why. The collective versatility and mobility of these forces enables the Navy and the Marine Corps to be successful instruments of U.S. national policy and to respond to national objectives and requirements while accommodating to fiscal constraints.

Before starting to describe our procurement request, I would like to touch briefly on our vertical and short take off or land aircraft (VSTOL) program. I

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recognize that it is not part of the APN budget but it is a subject of considerable interest to future Naval Aviation. We have initiated a coordinated program of in-depth studies into the effectiveness and affordability of undertaking a transition to a VSTOL aircraft force in the 1990s. These studies address the aircraft which could be considered as well as the various kinds of

ships to be involved. We have ample time within which to examine these issues and the feasibility of VSTOL aircraft as a means of putting more manned tactical aircraft at sea. In the meantime, we will continue to rely on our conventional aircraft.

So much for on going activities. I will now describe briefly the types of aircraft requested for FY 1979 and other significant features of the FY-79 budget request.

The mainstay in our Carrier Air Wings is the F-14 TOMCAT. Its unequalled performance in the maritime air superiority role assures the successful accomplishment of the sea control mission. Capable of multiple simultaneous attacks with the PHOENIX missile against hostile aircraft and anti-ship missiles, the F-14 provides the protective umbrella under which all fleet ships, friendly commercial shipping, and military/commercial air logistic flights can operate. Material readiness has improved during the past year but we still have a way to go to reach the CNO standard. We have incorporated interim vulnerability/ survivability fixes in all of our operating aircraft and engine-caused aircraft losses have been reduced significantly.

An important teammate of the F-14 is the E-2C HAWKEYE; its airborne early warning and control function ably complements the F-14 in the maritime air superiority mission. Additionally, the E-2C participates actively in all missions of the Air Wing providing the coordination and "eyes" so necessary to successful fleet operations. Possessing state-of-the-art electronics systems such as the Advanced Radar Processing System, Passive Detection System and data link, the E-2C represents the state of the art in command and control.

The A-6E INTRUDER all-weather attack aircraft gives the fleet and fleet Marine forces an offensive capability against all targets in any weather conditions. Equipped with the Target Recognition and Attack Multisensor (TRAM), this aircraft can detect and identify targets passively and execute attack under all conditions. It is equally capable against land targets. Conversion of the remainder of our older, less capable A-6As to A-6Es will be completed in FY 1979 under our modification program.

Airborne tactical electronic warfare for the Navy and Marine Corps is performed admirably by the EA-6B PROWLER. Its suppression of hostile electronic systems is crucial to the success of any mission in view of the increasingly sophisticated anti-air threat faced by our tactical aircraft. The EA-6B is in the forefront of such weapons systems and receives increased emphasis from all commanders. We are conducting an evaluation of our posture to determine the adequacy of assigned UE; initial indications are that an increase will be required. Programs to upgrade and modernize its capabilities are continuing and shall be pursued in ways to ensure that the aircraft stays ahead of the threat. Development of the F/A-18 HORNET is continued in FY 1979 and procurement of production aircraft is commenced. This aircraft is planned to replace all Marine Corps F-4s, some Navy F-4s and all Navy A-7s. The HORNET embodies our philosophy to have reliability and maintainability designed into the system from the very beginning. Arrival of the F/A-18 in the fleet will mark the first new airframe introduction to our carrier air wings in over ten years. We are looking forward to its joint introduction by both Marines and Navy.

The A-4M attack aircraft is used by the Marines for close battlefield support of engaged ground forces and its weapons system is keyed to the accuracy required to perform this visual mission effectively.

The CH-53E SUPER STALLION will give the Navy a unique, heavy-lift, vertical on-board delivery (VOD) capability which will enable the delivery of logistics to almost any ship and from ship to shore. For the U. S. Marine Corps, the heavy lift capacity of the CH-53E provides the ability to deliver men and firepower over the beach directly to where it is needed to respond rapidly to the dynamic character of amphibious operations. The ability of this helicopter to lift or recover any aircraft in the naval tactical inventory adds to the flexibility of Naval and Marine commanders.

The worlds premier land-based maritime patrol aircraft, the P-3C ORION, is

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essential to our sea control mission.

Its systems capabilities coupled with its long range and endurance provide for the coverage of wide areas of the open ocean as well as direct support to the fleet. The addition of a Forward Looking Infra-Red sensor, a Sonobuoy Reference System and the Harpoon missile further enhances the capabilities of the P-3C.

Destined to

This is the second year of our procurement program for the CTX. replace older, obsolete administrative support aircraft at an almost one for two ratio, the CTX should improve operations and reduce maintenance costs.

One EC-1300 is being procured to replace one lost in 1977 from our TACAMO force. These aircraft fulfill a strategic mission and are the only Navy aircraft so employed.

The Aircraft Modification program, also referred to as the Operational and Safety Improvement Program (OSIP) consists of Conversions-In-Lieu-Of-Procurement (CILOP) and other modifications. CILOPS, necessitated by fiscal constraints and the high unit costs of new procurement, are an alternative means of achieving force level requirements. A prime example is our F-4J to F-4S CILOP program designed to maintain Navy and Marine fighter force levels until introduction of the F-18. initial spares,

Aircraft spare parts are procured in three categories: replenishment spares, and modification spares. The FY-79 program represents a continued emphasis on this aspect of readiness; spares availability will improve and, consequently, aircraft downtime while awaiting parts will be reduced. The management of our spares inventory has been improved and continues to receive attention.

There are six categories in our Aircraft Support Equipment and Facilities activity. The largest financially is Common Ground Support Equipment (CGSE), which finances aircraft system trainers for out of production aircraft, training aids and devices, and support equipment for avionics, components or aircraft which are common to more than one aircraft including automatic test equipment such as VAST. Replacement equipment for the CGSE are also procured in this category. In addition, it supports maintenance management initiatives.

Under

The Component Improvement Program is required to provide aircraft engine improvements for reliability, suitability, durability and maintainability. Aircraft Industrial Facilities, we procure calibration equipment and provide for capital improvements, maintenance and protection of facilities which are government owned but contractor operated.

War Consumables cover those ancillary aircraft equipment which we anticipate will be expended in wartime, such as external fuel tanks and bomb racks. Other Production Charges encompass quality control activities related to ensuring specification compliance by a new contractor, avionics support to the U. S. Coast Guard, special support for some aircraft, procurement of Air Combat Maneuvering Range (ACMR) pods and aerial camera equipment and liquid oxygen generators.

Finally, Transportation provides for shipment of material procured under APN to its first destination which is the point of initial Navy acceptance.

I am pleased to report that in the operation of those aircraft entrusted to our care we have, for the forth consecutive year, established a new all-time safety record. A rate of .64 accidents per 10,000 flight hours was established for the reporting period ending 31 December 1977. The previous low was in 1976 when the rate was .65. This progress is a continuation of improvements in training and equipment reliability that has reduced the accident rate almost five fold from the 3.05 rate of 20 years ago in 1957. Of particular interest is the accident rate of 1.55 established by the F-14 aircraft for the 1977 reporting period. There has been much publicity concerning F-14 accidents and, while I would not attempt to minimize the significance of any accident nor indicate a lack of concern, this record is considered excellent for an aircraft so newly integrated to fleet carrier operations. Overall this aircraft has a rate of 1.60, which is a significant improvement over the 4.94 rate which the F-4 had at a comparable time in its development.

To summarize, Mr. Chairman, we are requesting $4,078.8 million in FY 1979. The following is a more detailed breakdown of the aircraft and programs I have discussed. The data sheets will be provided to the recorder for the record.

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