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Study suggests JSF could threaten Navy, Marine carrier policy
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
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With its touchy radar-absorbing surface and short take-off capability, the Marine jump jet version of the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter could cause headaches for carrier flight deck commanders, according to a recent military study.
The challenges of coordinating a flight deck populated with the new short takeoff aircraft and older catapult-launched Navy fighters could lead to the Navy and the Marines to dissolve their 2002 "tac-air integration" policy, which calls for Marine and Navy fighters to both deploy from Navy aircraft carriers, according to the study.
The policy could be even harder to maintain once the Navy's own JSF variant, the F-35C, replaces the older F/A-18D Hornets. The Navy F-35Cs are heavier, broader winged aircraft that will require a catapult launch. The Marine F-35Bs use a vertical thrusting engine to reduce takeoff space, but the engine produces intense heat and a strong downdraft.
However, experts warn that abandoning the integration policy could leave Navy carriers low on fighter jets as the F/A-18s are expected to retire faster than the F-35Cs are deployed to replace them.
