The decrease in the strike fighter community's readiness correlates directly to the increase of missions for the F/A-18 since 1992. The strike fighter community, operating the F/A-18 C/E/F, must maintain a balance of missions across a full spectrum to meet future challenges. The difficulty lies in achieving balance across missions historically dedicated to specialized platforms. Over the last 20 years, the strike fighter-training program gravitated towards more air-to-ground operations, which reflected the combat environment of the post-Cold War era. The current training and readiness matrix reflects the importance of air-to-ground missions yet also maintains critical air-to-air skill sets. The effectiveness of the training is dependent on the prioritization of air-to-ground missions, a direct reflection of the culture in the strike fighter community. Air-to-air centrism characterizes the overarching mindset of the strike fighter community. Two key programs exemplify the focus on air-to-air: TOPGUN and the Strike Fighter Weapons and Tactics program (SFWT). These programs create a culture in which greater emphasis is placed upon air-to-air, which contradicts critical mission tasks and overall delineation of the training and readiness matrix. A TOPGUN syllabus more closely reflecting the multi-role capability of the F/A-18 will ensure that the 'graduate level' program reflects the full spectrum of operations and ultimately will balance the underlying culture of the strike fighter community. A revision to the SFWT syllabus with robust air-to-ground flights will more accurately reflect the operating environment and better prepare aircrew for current and future conflicts. Additionally, minor revisions incorporating joint close air support, maritime air strike, unmanned aerial systems integration, and robust surface-to-air counter tactics into training will better prepare strike fighter aircrew for future battlefields.


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    Joint Strike Fighter

    Online Contents | 1998


    Joint Strike Fighter

    Online Contents | 1997


    Joint Strike Fighter

    D. W. Avance / R. E. Clay / D. S. Grantham et al. | NTIS | 1996


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    Bavitz, Paul C. | SAE Technical Papers | 1981