"A Glimpse At How the F-35 Will Help the Marines Storm ..." Topic

…the Beach.

"six F-35B Joint Strike Fighters took off from the deck of USS America, a Navy amphibious assault ship off San Diego, California. Four of the Marine Corps aircraft attacked a simulated integrated air defense system on San Clemente Island, while the other two escorted a pair of Boeing V-22 Ospreys that simulated landing Marines on an enemy beach. The Nov. 20 demonstration was a unique "proof of concept" strike/assault support escort mission that also included a Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopter, a Bell AH-1Z Viper, and a Sikorsky MH-60S helicopter. This was a test of the so-called "Lightning Carrier" concept, an aircraft carrier loaded with F-35s and Ospreys. The goal: to show how the Marines would use the F-35B during the first, critical stages of expeditionary fighting, perhaps at the start of a major conflict…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Assuming they ever get deployed in real numbers, and are finally, operationally ready.

IIRC, the Marines have certified them to be, but apparently that's just window-dressing from what I've read, and they are far from ready to be used in combat.

Still a number of years yet, IIRC, before the gun software coding is written and debugged, not to mention all the other problems and delays with them. There was another one that cropped up recently, but I can't recall what it was, since there've been so many issues.

biggest waste of money ever in the history of military procurement.

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Mako,

Apparently the Marines disagree with you. This was DTIII, the third and last at sea Marine deployment test prior to committing aircraft onboard ships for combat duty.

They deployed 12 F35b and delivered live ordinance from sea for the first time, flew the 3F software for the first time in real world conditions, did a full engine replacement at sea for the first time, and even carrier qualified a British pilot (the first of many) so that day one the British navy will have the ability to deploy F35s on the new Queen Elizabeth carriers should they need to.

From this article: link

"USMC Lt. General Jon Davis, Deputy Commandant for Aviation Marine Corps captured that experience,

I'd deploy tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

The commanding officer (CO) of VFMA-211 is chomping at the bit, he would deploy them.

So would the CO of VFMA 121.

They are ready.

These airplanes are highly capable and ready to go."

The F35 has now achieved over 60,000 flight hours in testing without a single crash. Compare that to the more storied and beloved aircraft in US history. Hell, the F14 had a fatal flight crash on the very FIRST test flight.

There have been two engine fires in the aircraft. (The latter more recent, and likely the incident you are referring to) on October 27. After 60,000 flight hours, that's an amazing flight record. How many pilots died in the operational testing of the Harrier? The F16? Remember that the F16 deployed at the height of the Cold War with no ability to fire sparrows or amraams and with strict flight control laws in place because they hadn't yet been cleared.

Then add the multiple tests this year where the F35 did amazingly well and won simulated air-to-air engagements. Where were the David Axe's of the world after these tests? Did they report these successes? After the one test for air control laws that David Axe mistakenly heralded as proof the F35 couldn't fly in combat, he won't publicly eat crow.

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Meanwhile, the pilots are enthusiastic about the aircraft. The maintainers are enthusiastic about the aircraft. The first Italian, Dutch, UK, Israeli and soon Japanese aircraft have been delivered for flight and operational testing.

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I'm sorry, Mako. You are wrong on the F35. What will it take for you to finally accept that? Seriously, will you continue to harp on this plane forever, or will there come a time when you will accept that it's just not the you think it is? The plane is ready. It's capable, and by most accounts is going to mark a whole new generation of capability in air combat.

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Additionally, the Navy just ran their own DTIII tests for the F35C on the USS George Washington.

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That's a gunpod they are mounting on the bottom of the F35C. The story that the gun won't be fully deployed until the 2020s is bogus. It should be capable for in flight use as part of the rollout of the 3f software in 2017.

You're still right on the LCS, however. It's a gold plated . And I say that living in a state that is building half of the LCS ships and depends on the jobs it has created. The LCS is junk.

Here's a wrap up video of the DTIII tests on the USS America.

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Thanks boys!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Well, if I'm wrong, I'm glad about that.

However, IIRC, from official development sources (Lockheed), they weren't even going to start writing the gun software until 2018 – 2020.

Perhaps it can fire it's gun, but that doesn't mean it has the software linked in with the HUD to help it hit maneuvering air targets with it, which I think is what the gunnery software is meant to aid.

Have they come up with a workaround for the vertical nozzles melting tarmacs and/or aircraft carrier decks (presumably) yet?

I imagine that may be an important issue to address as well.

"Have they come up with a workaround for the vertical nozzles melting tarmacs and/or aircraft carrier decks (presumably) yet?"

The videos I linked to are proof positive that this has been resolved. Does that deck look melted? With 12 aircraft taking off and landing for over a week, it sure doesn't look like it.

This is a link about how they solved the issue back in 2011-

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You need to start reading primary sources and stop reading the clickbait from people who don't design, fly or fight the vehicles they write about.

You have to remember many of these generals go to work for defense contractors after they get out. They make important decisions for military hardware based on their future employment. Ask the NCO's and enlisted what they think. They will be the ones facing the bullets.