Airwolfhound, Flickr
US Marines are deploying the tech-heavy fighter to
potential combat zones.
After a very
long and problematic development
process, the F-35 Lightning II is about to serve on the front lines. The US
Marine Corps is deploying the
F-35B (the short takeoff and vertical landing variant) to ships in the Central
and Pacific Command theaters in the spring and summer of 2018. The 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit is traveling aboard the USS Essex, which is headed to the
Middle East, while the 31st will be attached to the USS Wasp and might head to
the coast of North Korea.
While it wouldn't exactly be heartening news if the
F-35 did have to see combat, it would put the multi-role
stealth fighter's many technological systems to the test. The B's clever STOVL
system is its centerpiece, letting it operate from Marine ships and bases that
don't have the space for conventional aircraft. It's also a pioneer inside
the cockpit, with giant touchscreen displays and an in-helmet display that
replaces the conventional HUD. Basically: where the F-22 is a relatively familiar
design in some respects, the F-35 is more of a clean break.
The Marines will eventually field 420 F-35s, 67 of them
being the carrier-oriented F-35C. They should eventually replace combat
aircraft ranging from the Harrier (the original VTOL combat jet) to the Hornet.
Not everyone is as thrilled with the design, though. Its development was
plagued by numerous glitches, including software bugs and hardware design flaws
(including one that led to a pre-takeoff accident). Also, cost overruns and
high prices have led to scaled back orders. The F-35 may be a technical marvel,
but there were many, many sacrifices involved in putting it into service.
Original post: engadget.com
Related articles:
F-35 Lightning II: Details
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