This is interesting - see pp 14-15...
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP...G-20150226.pdf
Today, there are a multitude of high risk regions where a crisis response operation would require large Joint strike packages to soften or blind the threat.... Such strike packages require coordination across services and combatant commands and take weeks and months to assemble.
This same kind of access can be attained with a single detachment of 4 to 8 F-35s.
It seems those aircraft would be pretty busy supporting CAP, doing ISR and generating strike packages - that's about the same number of SHARs that the Invincibles carried, just for hack-the-shad and a few other missions. Not to mention you still don't have AEW&C.
The sensors and communications equipment of our F-35s allow pilots and forward air controllers to see through the clouds to exchange high fidelity pictures in environments we would consider a no go today.
You what? Through the clouds = SAR/GMTI from a fighter radar. That doesn't sound like a source of "high-fidelity pictures" in a CAS context. And still no Rover yet.
Comments? GK121? Spaz? Anybody?