USAF goes STOVL
Looks like the UK/Marine Corps F-35s are safe.
JDW: - US Air Force to buy STOVL variant of fighter
The US Air Force (USAF) will buy the short take-off variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and upgrade a portion of its 30-year-old A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet in order to bolster the service's ability to provide support for ground forces, according to senior USAF leaders. Secretary of the Air Force James Roche made the announcement at the Air Force Association's 20th Annual Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, on 12 February.
Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen John Jumper said they have not determined how many F-35 short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) aircraft the service will procure. They will tackle this issue, along with the number of A-10s to upgrade, as the service prepares its spending plan for Fiscal Year 2006 later this year........
Overall, the air force expects to buy about 1,760 F-35 aircraft to replace the F-16 fighter and A-10. Until now, it had only committed to acquiring the F-35 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant. However, operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated the need for next-generation aircraft, like the F-35 STOVL variant, that can operate from austere landing strips at forward bases, said Gen Jumper.......
Roche said modifying some A-10 aircraft would provide a transitional capability until the F-35 enters service....... The air force currently operates about 270 A-10s and about 95 OA-10s that it uses as forward air controllers.