The USMC is the smallest part of the buy, but the most important one to the future of the service. As has been said many times, the JSF is the last manned fighter. The Nav and AF just need about 10-15 years of stopgap until our future robot overlords are up to the task of defending us. They could conceivably survive on SLEPs of existing aircraft or upgrades (F/A-18E/F, F-15SE, etc) until that time.
Over on the green side, there is not going to be a Harrier III. I've also seen no concepts of V/STOL strike UAVs. The Marine Corps has (rightly) staked its future on being expeditionary. If we don't get the JSF, the overall utility of Marine TACAIR is going to be called into question as part of that mix. Unlike the V-22, we're not going to be able to pull this entire program on our own. We have got to get this program in line.
This sort of thought leads me to wonder when there will ever be an amphibious operation important enough to require taccair but not important enough to allocate a carrier or land based forces to. Just how many JSFs are they planning on putting onto an LHA/LHD? And if they are thinking of land basing them for support, why not use a SH???
IMHO, cank the V/STOL version, buy 18F/Gs to replace your legacies and Prowlers and plus up our airwings to 5 strike fighter squadrons... use the remainder as expeditionary. I see that as working better than throwing all your eggs into a basket. It would essentially retain all the capability the Marines need while making the overall force more streamlined and efficient. Let's be honest... you're never going to conduct an opposed amphibious operation against any nation with modern IADs/5th gen fighters without carrier or AF support.
Open source on the state of China's military industry. Pretty damn transparent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/24/AR2010122402788.html
Open source on the state of China's military industry. Pretty damn transparent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/24/AR2010122402788.html
Is it just me, or is a place lined with an apartment buildings not an optimal place to do something in "secrecy?"
Are there pictures of this thing flying - or is it just taxi tests/for show?