USMC to blame for F-35's failures? USMC needs to get out of Fixed-wing Aviation.
First of all, let me make it absolutely clear that I have the utmost amount of respect for the Marine Corps. They do the most with the least amount of resources.
However, that being said, I have to blame the USMC for the F35's delays and cost overruns. The USMC in search of a replacement for Harrier lobbied for a VSTOL version of the F35 and that is what is causing most of the delays and the cost overruns.
I do see the need for the Marines to have attack Helos, but the USMC needs to get out of Fixed-Wing aviation.
Yes, we do need a new VSTOL platform to replace the Harrier aboard the LHDs, but it should not be the F35 and the Navy should run them, not the Marines.
The F35 should have only two versions: A normal F35 for the Chair Force, and a Naval Version (not VSTOL or STOL...especially not with the downward thrust mechanism required for VSTOL) with arresting gear like the FA-18.
Looking forward to comments from Eddie and others.
you know this is WallStreetOasis, right?
why not just develop out space to land missles, nothing says protection then a hydrogen bomb floating around in space
Except if the satellite malfunctions, that bomb is gonna drop back to Earth and hit whoknowswhere.
I don't know. Having a VTOL version of the F35 shouldn't impact the non VTOL version. Plus the Marines needed something to replace the ancient Harriers.
I take offence to this,
Minus the USAF Security Forces (and other Spc. Ops), of course.
thanks for the edit!!
The Marines have a tradition of fixed wing aviation that spans nearly a century now, so the VMFAs aren't going anywhere. That said, we've had some horrendous luck when dealing with replacement aircraft over the past two decades. It's no wonder the rotary wing hasn't changed much since Vietnam (or Korea, for that matter, in the case of frogs and shitters). The Osprey was an unmitigated disaster in the early offing, and there's still not enough money on planet Earth to get my ass on one of those.
For me, fixed wing Marine aviation has always been the F-18. The time I spent on gator freighters in the presence of Harriers just convinced me of what a nuisance they were. They weren't particularly agile, and there were better airframes for the mission. Missile technology also improved to the point where you really no longer needed an aircraft to shit-and-git and then stop on a dime.
I have to admit that I don't know a great deal about the JSF (or X-35 or F-35 or whatever they're calling it this week), but the F-18 has been around for 20 years now so it's getting a little long in the tooth and probably needs to be replaced. Who better to drive an experimental aircraft that will probably crash a lot than a disposable Jarhead pilot?
not to derail, but Osprey deserves another screed on its own. this is another example of how we as americans stopped innovating for the good once we ran out of german scientists from Paperclip to pilfer good ideas from.
it is a fundamentally aerodynamically unstable aircraft from the get go. this is the worst example of the philosophy of function dictating form with total disregard about the soundness of the form for even the most basic considerations of operator safety. they claimed to have made a lot of fixes over the past decade, but it is still extremely susceptible to pilot-induced rolls, is susceptible to wake vortices from other aircraft and causes brownouts on the ground with the highest downwash velocity of any aircraft of its type. in essence, this is a deathtrap vehicle which actually detracts from on-ground operations in its most dangerous moments.
same hare brained philosophy that greenlighted this monstrosity was the one that did so for the JSF though. to paraphrase, you go to war with the pentagon you have, not with the pentagon you want.
...you mean their ideas on creating a human-alien hybrid?
F-35 will go down in history as a boondoggle on par with the Seawolf or the Crusader. the USMC didn't fuck anything up. the key to making big $$$ as a contractor is to lock in cost-plus contracting and always leave it 90% ready so you can keep adding options and extensions. government COTRs as a rule have their heads inserted completely up their asses but you can bet that the beltway bandits do not.
Side note, F35 variant is expected to replace the A10. NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo
It better be ugly. The F35 is too pretty to be a dedicated ground attack aircraft. "Go ugly early!"
The VSTOL version has been flyable since at least before 2001 I know for a fact. I am surprised that it isn't done yet. In RE to the Harrier/F18 --- I thought that the whole point was you'd have 1 jet serve both roles. At any rate, the Chinese are still bolting together Russian leftovers to create their new fighters so we've got plenty of time.
James, why do you always want to talk about shit related to the military and on a finance forum no less?
Rest assured the marine corps has a much better grasp of what it's doing than you do.
I'll accept your 2/3 of your points. I'm just a U.S. military wannabe who had the misfortune of not being born in the U.S.I know there are no excuses, so I'm waiting until I get my citizenship to apply to OCS. I don't want to enlist, neither do I want to be a grunt. So calling the AF that is a just a reflection on me. I am trying to become a Finance/Logistics Officer. (Guess I have been reading too much military humor)
And yes, I am aware that this is a finance forum, but there are topics on god knows what in these boards. I don't see what is wrong with starting a discussion about the military.
I do not accept your point about the Marines Corps (or whoever is in the charge of the F35 program) knowing what they are doing. In fact it seems like they have no fucking idea of what's going on with the F35. In every way, it is becoming the biggest acquisition failure in the history of the U.S. military.
And the Marine Corps looks after its own interests as a branch. They are not trying to make a program the most efficient way to acquire weapons, they want the new toys for themselves.
Joining the military with the goal of working a finance clerk role is like trying to gain combat experience by being a security guard at Goldman, Sachs.
You should seek out some informed advice about what you're getting into before you sign the dotted line.
I thought it was STOVL? What's this VSTOL crap?
U are right, F-35 is STOVL. V/STOL is is what the harrier is. Same words attached to the letters in each case, but obviously materially different due to the differing order.
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