F-35B comes into its own as Marines develop new tactics

When the Marines declared IOC last year, for the F-35B, they did it with a stacked deck. The Squadron was heavy with Top Gun and Weapons School graduates who have been developing new tactics for the aircraft, and watering eyes while doing it.

Before declaring IOC, an Operational Readiness Inspection was ordered. As part of the ORI, an armed reconnaissance was ordered of a target valley. As a curve, a SAM battery was put in the target area. Normally, it would take F-18 or AV-8B aircraft most of the day to perform the mission, with an escort to kill the SAM. The F-35s killed the battery, found all their targets, and hit them all far faster than any other aircraft could have.

news.usni.org...

Awesome news.

There is a whole lot of crow about to be eaten by a few noteworthy individuals, as there is in the wake of any high profile defense system that proves itself a game changing design.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I hope they are helping us Brits, I see our armed forces akin to the Marines, I know we have Marines and Air Force, Navy and Army, but just the size and expeditionary nature makes me feel like the Marines are our Partners in Crime (so to speak).

a reply to: Zaphod58

The Marines have always done more with less so IMO if anyone can get the most out of the machine it is the Marines. I have flown with all the services and the Marines are usually the best stick and rudder guys you will ever fly with. Since they are Marines first and aviators second their loyalty to ground forces matches the army aviators...again just my opinion..

a reply to: Forensick

We're planning to buy over a hundred for our new aircraft carriers. No doubt the US are going to work with us very closely in perfecting strategies to overcome potential threats. I hate war but i'd rather be on the winning side!

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Initial pilot training for UK pilots will be at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina, until they can get a training program stood up in the UK. It'll be hard to not pick up at least some of what the Marines have developed.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Our guys will pick it up alright, if not improve it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

sorry to be the guy, but i see my tax money spent on # here.. #! how about the VA office? oh wait they buy art... how about the homeless that lost their jobs due to the economy? oh they are higwash.. screw these planes and anything to do with the research.. sorry I am that guy.. i read through 44 pages of your Imma defend astro thread.. lol here's a button.. comon man get with the times..

a reply to: lighter78

And just how much of that technology that you take for granted today came from that #?

a reply to: Zaphod58

i do induldge to get on the internet do to family and ats when i found it I won't lie, i do not own a phone or tv.. sooo it's my only source of ties, with anything tech (besides a toaster hell i don't even own a microwave).. prob the most tech out of all i guess but that's not the point here mate.. My TAX money is the point..... sorry to say but all of these planes do not keep me safe in reality.. What would happen if all tax money stopped? would we need these planes?

i'm not being hostile i just want a straight answer of where my tax money goes i'm tired of being raped over all of it. that's all..

a reply to: lighter78

As long as people need resources the possibility of war will be there. If we get rid of them do you think the world will suddenly song khumbaya and set aside all our differences suddenly? Get rid of the military and people will stop killing each other? It would be nice, but we were killing each other long before there was any kind of military force.

a reply to: Zaphod58

i agree with you there, i just see my money that i make vanish in the hands of "what happens" then see new planes, advances in warfare and i question it all.. to be straight i've paid taxes for about 25 years and have been shown nothing except chaos from it..

a reply to: lighter78

you can't sit there and tell me that thing is a "hey lets go see my father this weekend type if craft" very straight forward question....

a reply to: lighter78

Again, how much technology do you think we've gotten from those tax dollars that you say vanish and we only get new planes. Thousands of new technologies have come from military programs over the decades. Things that we take for granted today came from those military programs your money "vanishes into". And more will come from this and other programs in recent years.

a reply to: Zaphod58

again i agree, i just wonder where my taxes go and this shows me.. something i'll never need the use for.. thanks for your time and sorry to bring your thread of balance.. it is a nice plane.

a reply to: lighter78

Your tax dollars go to the technology in the plane. It's not one solid piece. And that technology will make its way to the shelf where people not in the military will take advantage of it. Just as it has in the past.

a reply to: lighter78

Ha. That's always the argument. "Look what good came of our weapons".

Like that's a defence for weaponising everything.

You still made a killing machine before you entertained the idea of social infrastructure.

BS like, "We'd be in the stone ages if we hadn't developed so and so tech", as if no tech is viable until they kill someone with it.

Weapons aren't a precursor to invention. That's just what the money is spent on first. But, we can turn a blind eye to that because, well, because MRI or Fusion or summat.

Presumably the new tactics include conducting operations with a total lack of any effective air support.

a reply to: Ohanka

The scenarios included counter air, armed recon for other F-35s, high value targets with self SEAD and recon, and CAS with other F-35s flying SEAD.

There were no aircraft besides F-35s involved except for the Red Air.