And that's why the F-35B (or should it be F/A-35B) is such a waste of money for the Corps.
Our reliance on PGM munitions and A/A missiles is going to bite us in the future.
Serious question, how well does that strap-on 25mm work for you guys? You guys ever use it for A/A?
and finally, once again, the Air Force is doing it right with the F-35A, while we are punting it.
S/F
I agree in that regard. The service that can break a rubber mallet is not the best suited for a low-observable, high maintenance platform that is compromised when the paint is chipped, so to speak. I've heard all kinds of rumors about maximum time in chocks before you have to get it to altitude so you don't overheat the fuel-cooled avionics, limited time below certain altitudes, and what-not. How this will work out in warmer places like Yuma or the conflict theaters du jour, I don't know.
I don't necessarily agree with the PGM/missile assertion. They are the future, but an over-reliance on either does come at a cost. I think the biggest rub is their success in a relatively benign OIF/OEF scenario leads to the belief that one bomb/missile = one kill, and in any larger scale threat-heavy environment, that will not be the case.
The larger argument for VSTOL/STOVL is the fact that it's the main reason for keeping the Marine Corps' TACAIR side of the future at all, and getting rid of it costs a small chunk of the US' strategic power projection. Without a VSTOL/STOVL platform, the FW strike assets of the MAGTF are limited to land-based and CVW assets only. With 100% commonality between USN and USMC TACAIR, what's the incentive for keeping a USMC air arm at all? What do we really bring to the table that justifies a separate entity from the USN/USAF if we demand the same support structures? I'm not a blind proponent of VSTOL though - a lot of those above points were brought to my attention by a former MAWTS Hornet guy-turned F-35 aviation-hallway guy (you probably know who I'm referring to).
Our GAU-12 works fine more or less. We don't often keep them on the jets unless we're preparing for something. Initially, we often have issues with them due to the bleed air drive system (the F-35's is supposed to be electric drive), but after a few iterations of shooting the gun, our maintainers often get it worked out. The gun is not optimized for the A/A arena like the Hornet's as our's is depressed 2-degrees to optimize it for strafing. It packs a pretty good punch over 20mm, but not on par with 30mm. It does take a little away from the lateral stability of the jet over the strakes though.
I don't know what the right answer is for Marine Air in the modern times of tight budgets and desired commonality. Thankfully, I don't have to make that decision, and my platform will be around till about 2025 anyhow.
/a bit rambling, but hey, I've got a few beers in me.