Top Marine Air fast jet advocates are nuts

The Marines’ Stealth Jump Jet Plan Is Wishful Thinking is a new article by Bill Sweetman.

He does a good effort in dumbing down the article for a general audience.

Interesting in the comments section, you will still find those sold on the Harrier myth.

First off, I suggest if we want STOVL jets for the USMC, we are building the wrong aircraft. We need to build a Harrier III.

Because DJ Marky-Mark in the USMC and the F-35 program don't have their shit sorted.

At all.

As for the concept of STOVL jet ops, let us look at some history.

Marine amphib organizations? I think for the small-wars we end up with and the need for real low-level littoral combat, they are great. They bring a good variety of capability.  I don't expect red-beach in the Pacific in WWII as that kind of forced-entry method is outdated. The F-35B and Cs plan of record for the USMC is well over $50B in acquisition money.

Money best spent on Marine things instead of poorly thought out pet theories. Marines are not defined by a shitty tac-air RICO Statute candidate.

We do need to protect those USMC amphib groups. This is becoming more difficult with an obsolete-to-the-threat carrier air wing and a broader spectrum of red threats that a "fifth-generation fighter" meme... will not stop.

If we are unable to protect those USMC groups in higher threat scenarios (which I do think is the case), they have no place in high-end, massively destructive warfare.

And for years, maybe they never did.


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