"Mike" wrote in message
ups.com...
War is Boring

More Marine Aerial Antics
Tuesday April 03rd 2007, 5:32 am
Filed under: Up in the Air

Finding itself cornered by a vicious confluence of policy and
circumstance, the Marine Corps tactical air force is struggling to
transform from today's diverse but depleted fighter fleet - flying
three models of Boeing F/A-18 Hornet plus Boeing AV-8B Harrier jump
jets - to tomorrow's flying just one
type: the forthcoming Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, formerly
Joint Strike Fighter. And questions persist about the Lightning's
suitability to replace all the older designs.

Of course, part of their problem is leadership's diversion of procurement
funds to put lipstick on the pig that is the V-22. The Corps abandoned the
F-18E/F and is in a crunch waiting for the F-35 (which will make the AV-8
maintenance nightmare appear like a fond dream). The ultimate cost of the
grunt's affection for high speed vertical envelopement might be the loss of
Marine TACAIR.

The F-35B is designed to land vertically like the Harrier by way of a
heavy lift-fan. That plus its single seat mean it's perhaps less than
ideal for replacing both two-seat Hornets, which are optimized to
support ground forces, and the nimbler single-seat Hornets that make
Marine aviators some of the most feared dogfighters in the world.

I love that last line. Obviously originated in the USMC PR department where
they have no clue as to what the current op tempo is doing to training. If
you're not deployed to the cutting edge, proficiency and training hours are
at a minimum. And in most MAW's, the perversity is to shortchange the JO's
on flight time and training in favor of the field grade O's.

The Marines want to buy around 300 F-35Bs beginning with six in 2008,
but lawmakers have threatened to delay the purchase in order to save
money and to make more time for development. Lieutenant General John
Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, says the 2008 purchase is
"very important" if the Corps is going to field the first F-35B
squadron by 2012. He said delays would result in a massive fighter
shortage in five years.

But the shortages, exacerbated by wear and tear from relentless
operations in Iraq, are a problem now. The Marines are shuttering
several fighter squadrons and even borrowing Hornets from the Navy in
a desperate attempt to keep its remaining squadrons fully equipped
with airplanes.

Yep, you can pay now or later. All services face a similar problem. Tempo
of operations has been high ever since we "won" the cold war. We had a
procurement holiday to celebrate that peace dividend and now find ourselves
in an extended low-grade war which gnaws away at our material and manpower
assets.

R / John