Is an all STOVL JSF Force the Right Choice for the Marine Corps?

Abstract

In the Marine Corps' quest for a short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the Marines have sacrificed needed capabilities and performance that past conflicts have proven a necessity and that future conflicts will confirm are essential. The Marine Corps has decided to acquire an all STOVL aviation force and thus has ignored the benefits of conventional take-off and carrier capable jet tactical air (TacAir) platforms. Limiting itself to a single jet aircraft diminishes the force as a whole by reducing flexibility and combat power. The Marine Corps has prided itself in doing more with less and being able to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield, but an all STOVL JSF force will be a detriment to that effort. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) should purchase the carrier variant (CV) JSF, in addition to the STOVL JSF, because a mixed fleet will allow greater flexibility in employment, will continue TacAir integration with the U.S. Navy, and will bring more firepower to the fight.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA506895

Entities

People

  • Matthew E. Halbert

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Jet Aircraft
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • Marine Corps
  • Naval Aviation
  • Navy
  • Space Systems
  • United States
  • Vertical Landings
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Naval Engineering and Maritime Security