Page 16 - F-35B and USMC

The Integration of the F-35B into USMC Operations

Can you describe what the F-35 allows you to do from a tactical perspective that the 4th Gen platforms
could not do?

Mo: The sensors on the airplane are our center of gravity. Our ability to know what’s going on around us in the
battlespace and then push that to everybody we are working with.

Not just air to air (A2A), but air to ground (A2G) as well. Add our ability to operate in areas that we have
never been able to before such as contested environments.
Physically flying the airplane is extremely easy, that’s the beauty of it, so you just focus on the tactical
employment.

It makes you much more lethal.

Is it fair to say that your missions can become more dynamic than with Gen 4 platforms, such as loiter,
gather information, be more flexible as a pilot with your mission?
Mo: The F-16 and F/A-18 are extremely capable platforms and they do the swing role /multi role mission very
well.

However, they are going to struggle vs Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) or IADS, and in those cases they will
be on a dedicated mission. We do have a lot more flexibility to flip flop missions, and we do it a lot in
training. We will escort a package on a strike mission and then we will break off do some A2G, or suppression
of enemy air defenses (SEAD), perhaps some Combat Air Patrol (CAP) or dynamic targeting in the target area –
then we’ll rejoin the package and come out with everybody.

Especially along with the F-22, we’ll open the door, wait while everyone else comes in and completes their mission,
then come out with the package and close the door behind us.

We do some different things.

As Marines we are on call for a number of different missions, close air support (CAS) etc. that we could not have
done in one airplane.

FIGURE 3 F-35B HOVERING OVER THE USS AMERICA DECK. CREDIT: TODD MILLER

Second Line of Defense

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