The Marines fly F-18s from Navy carriers, and presumably they will continue this with the F-35. The problem is that the whole program, which is the biggest military procurement program ever, to provide the principal combat aircraft for the entire U.S. military, has been totally compromised by this niche requirement of a VTOL version.
If the problem is not enough Marine firepower from the full deck carriers, the Marines should just buy more CTOL aircraft and put them on the carriers. All of the carrier air wings have been downsized since the cold war, and carriers are only going to sea with 65 or so aircraft, when they can hold 90. I'd much rather have 8 fully capable CTOL fighters on the full-deck carrier that is definitely going to be around in any amphibious landing than 8 low-performance (range and payload) VTOL fighters from an LHA/LHD.
Instead, we get a seriously compromised F-35A and C as far as I can tell because of what happened at Guadalcanal 70 years ago.
Well said. Also, its not as if the Marines have been doing a lot of amphibious landings lately. And honestly shouldn't be doing any without carrier or land based cover.
Its interesting though, the LHA/LHDs are bigger than most other countries aircraft carriers...
If the problem is not enough Marine firepower from the full deck carriers, the Marines should just buy more CTOL aircraft and put them on the carriers. All of the carrier air wings have been downsized since the cold war, and carriers are only going to sea with 65 or so aircraft, when they can hold 90. I'd much rather have 8 fully capable CTOL fighters on the full-deck carrier that is definitely going to be around in any amphibious landing than 8 low-performance (range and payload) VTOL fighters from an LHA/LHD.
Instead, we get a seriously compromised F-35A and C as far as I can tell because of what happened at Guadalcanal 70 years ago.