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the U.S. navy. It is about moving from the limits imposed by the current air wing, and
getting on with the innovation suggested by Rear Admiral Manazir to fight more effec-
tively in the extended battle space.

The US Navy cycles operational pilots into the test program and back again. One oper-
ational carrier squadron fighter pilot who is now in his test pilot tour at Pax in the F-35
program will go back to the fleet and he put it very bluntly about the impact of the
F-35C:

With the current air wing (i.e, with the Super Hornet and Hornet as the tip of the spear), we are
wringing out our tactics for a tactical advantage, which is also, at the same time, at the edge of
the envelope for survival.

We are spending a lot of time making sure that we have the right tactics and the mastery of those
tactics by pilots to survive and succeed.

It is about keeping a level of competence and capability where you’re not going to die.

There are points where you have a twenty second window. You miss that window and you might
be blown up.

When you’re traveling at those speeds, we are talking really only a couple of seconds that you
have.

And, if you’re not performing tactics exactly as they’re prescribed, you put yourself in a kill
zone.

With the F-35, we are jumping a generation in tactics and now looking at the expanded battle-
space where we can expand our impact and effect.

You need to take a generational leap so we are the ones not playing catch up with our adversaries.

And looking forward with regard to the F-35 and its evolving capabilities, Ninja high-
lighted a number of key aspects.

This is one of the first aircraft that you can take off and after about two flights dropping bombs,

and firing weapons. Lessons Learned at Pax River
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Second Line of Defense
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