"Henry J Cobb" wrote in message
news
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123007285
Lockheed Martin originally contracted with the U.S. Marine Corps to
build the STOVL variant of the F-35 to replace the aging AV-8B
Harrier. The Air Force will take over the program in June, as part of
the service’s commitment to improving close-air support.

Who ya gonna FARP with?

Will there be AF units attached to Army "flying columns" to setup ad hoc
Foward Area Refueling Points for Air Force F-35Bs alongside the Apaches?

FARPs are not your specialty, are they? If they want to do a FARP, they have
a number of options, just like those in the Army aviation community have a
number of options. Use of helos is one option, or use of helos in
combination with assets sent forward by ground transport, or indeed by
ground assets only. They could in some cases eben use C-130's operating from
a designated FLS. What, you think the USAF has nobody capable of driving a
truck? In most cases, though, you could expect them to set up a FOB (forward
operating base) instead of a FARP. The USMC manages to do this kind of
thing--why do you think it beyond the ability of the USAF and Army?


Doesn't it make more sense to transfer Tac Air back to the Army so the
Generals can shuffle funds between helicopters and fixed wing CAS as
needed?

No, it does not make sense, much less *more* sense. Which means that you are
shooting par, as usual. Think "joint", Henry.

Brooks


-HJC