George, that previously successful mode was studied and rejected out of hand by the imperative of the JSF concept of "one size fits all will surely save us money." Never forget the political climate of the late Bush 41 and early Clinton Administrations: peace dividend, save money, reduce military size by about 40% or more from Cold War levels. That underwrote everything (and IMO, it's amazing that Osprey survived that.)
Between Roles and Missions battles, and the Goldwarter Nichols sledgehammer from Congress, that family of studies were either unfunded, or defunded in a hurry. ( This info is second hand from a few Pentagon vets involved in the requirements development of JSF ... my god, it's been over two decades since that conversation. I are gettin' old.)
About the term
Deployed: some of you need to stop with your semantic horseapples and get a freaking grip. The Squadrons in Iwakuni are Forward Deployed just as I was Forward Deployed to NAF Atsugi in support of support Seventh Fleet ships home ported in
Yokosuka (albeit a quarter of a century ago).
Hey, look an E-2D squadron has forward deployed to Iwakuni. Deployed means deployed, and if you don't like it, go to the back of the bus. (OK,
cantankerous old salt mode is now secured).
F-35B's in Iwakuni are Forward Deployed aircraft squadrons .... iIf they are only an 80% all up round, as it were, so be it. ( We didn't have Penguin on our Seahawks, but somehow we managed to get our mission done .. but wait, some of you cry, you can't have been deployed, you didn't have Block I upgrade!)
The Marine Aviators will do what ever they are called on to do, and if it ends up like Task Force Smith, some heads will roll only after some of our people die. See also submarines being sent on patrol with torpedoes that didn't f@!@ing work, WW II. An old habit in the Department of the Navy.
Real life isn't a video game.
PS: at last, the f@!@ing gun works. All saints be praised.
Systems integration is like a turtle: slow and plodding but it's eventually get there.