Originally Posted by Willard Whyte
What are they going to do with all the (virtually) factory fresh '35s, I wonder.
Use them as planned.
The USN has made it very clear that this is to partner with the UCAV program as the replacement for F/A-18E/F... NOT F-35C!
F-35C has, for the last 5 years or so, been scheduled to only replace F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornets, not Super Hornets.
The USN staked its bet on a UCAV only" SH replacement some 5 years ago, and there was not supposed to be another manned carrier-fighter bought, but the USN has backed off this.
Of course, journos with: an axe to grind/desire to "sex the story up" to boost sales/complete ignorance/refusal to believe they are being told the truth, and random internet posters with the same issues, are blathering on about how this is actually a substitute for F-35C... but they are very wrong.