Yes, A Spare F-35 Engine Can be Delivered to an Aircraft Carrier

March 20, 2021 Topic: F-35 Blog Brand: The Buzz Tags: F-35Aircraft CarrierU.S. NavyMilitary

Yes, A Spare F-35 Engine Can be Delivered to an Aircraft Carrier

The tests successfully demonstrated a “proof-of-concept” that a deployed carrier could still receive the critical parts to successfully maintain the Navy’s carrier variant of fifth-generation jet.

One of the problems with operating an aircraft carrier in distant waters is that while the warship may be huge, it can only carry so many replacement parts for its air wing. On these floating cities, space is actually at a premium, and it isn’t cost-effective to carry more than what is needed for a deployment.

Instead, when something goes wrong with an aircraft, parts need to be flown in from a supply vessel. For small components, that isn’t always a problem, but for things such as aircraft engines it is a much more complex undertaking.

This month, the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated its ability to deliver an F-35C jet engine onto the deck of an aircraft carrier. Given the cost of the F-35’s engines, a real one wasn’t used in the test. Instead, a pair of helicopters transported a load simulator that matched the weight of the F-135 engine power module successfully from the cargo and ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) to the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), according to the U.S. Navy.

The transporting of engines might not seem that important in the grand scheme of things, but the tests successfully demonstrated a “proof-of-concept” that a deployed carrier could still receive the critical parts to successfully maintain the Navy’s carrier variant of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II at sea.

The vertical replenishment is not actually unique, but in this case, it required employing slings that descended from a EurocopterAS332 Super Puma and a CH-53E Super Stallion to vertically transport the 9,350-pound simulated engine. The USNS Richard Byrd delivered the power module to a transfer area where the two helicopters picked it up and then transferred to the carrier before returning it back to the Byrd.

“Being able to deliver the F135 module is one more thing the T-AKE platform can handily accomplish to support the fleet,” said Capt. Lee Apsley, Byrd’s civil service master. “This operation is another MSC first on Byrd. As always it was a pleasure to work with Carl Vinson and the Marines.”

By successfully completing this test, it reaffirmed that it would be possible to replace an F-35 engine at sea without the need for an aircraft carrier to return to port.

“This exercise confirms the Navy’s ability to maintain maritime operations in a new generation of jet fighter aircraft,” said Capt. P. Scott Miller, Vinson’s commanding officer.

“What we’ve accomplished here ensures that our fleet will be capable of utilizing the latest in cutting-edge, warfighting technology in future joint strike fighter deployments,” Miller added. “With every success, we improve our readiness and maintain our capability to defend our nation and allies against any adversary.”

Capable of embarking both the F-35C fighter jet and the CMV-22B OspreyVinson became the first aircraft carrier equipped to support fifth-generation aircraft. This month’s vertical replenishment exercise follows more than six months of successfully integrated operations between the carrier and air wing in support of the unique maintenance and tactical operations functions of the advanced aircraft.

This month’s replenishment exercise follows a previous one that was conducted in February by Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 and members of Carrier Air Wing Two using the new CMV-22B Osprey to deliver an F135 from a shore-based location to Vinson.

“Using the Osprey, and now a vertical replenishment from a supply ship, ensures we are prepared to quickly and easily deliver these parts to our ships in the fleet, giving us one more tool in our toolbox in support of a high operations tempo,” said Cmdr. William Gray, Vinson’s maintenance officer. “Today’s success provides an additional option when replenishing parts to maintain the F-35C Lightning II while underway.”

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He regularly writes about military small arms, and is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com.

Image: Reuters.