Page 32 - F-35B and USMC
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The Integration of the F-35B into USMC Operations
The deployment comes at a crucial time, given ongoing developments in the Pacific, and the opportunity
to be combat operational with F-22s in Pacific Defense.
The F-35B will continue with this new generation of a V/STOL aircraft to work its flexibility with regard to
ships and landing bases, which do not necessarily have to be regular airfields.
The flexibility, which the B provides, is an inherent advantage in the Pacific, with its rich tapestry of
islands from which to operate to have the unique “F/A/E -35B” integrate into the emerging Kill Webs as
expressed by Rear Admiral Manzer.
http://breakingdefense.com/2016/10/rear-adm-manazir-speaks-on-allied-force-transformation-a2ad/
We had a chance to talk with Lt. Col. Bardo, the CO of the squadron, who is taking the squadron to Japan
but will soon thereafter transition from the squadron.
But Bardo has been with the squadron during its IOC and work up with the Marine Corps for its deployment to
Japan.
He and his squadron are performing key historical tasks as the cutting edge operational F-35 squadron in the
world.
This is an unusual situation for the Marines to find themselves in terms of combat air, but the flexibility
of a combat information dominance aircraft fits right in with the evolving concepts of operations of the
Marines.
Lt. Col. Bardo underscored the importance of Close Air Support for Marines and the role which the F-35 can
play in significantly expanding the scope and nature of close air support.
FIGURE 10 THE SQUADRON AT RED BEACH. CREDIT:USMC
“CAS is considered doctrinally a function which operates only in a permissive air environment.
We can expand CAS to deal with a much wider range of situations than when we would simply operate in a
permissive air environment.
And we can provide greater assurance to Marines as they deploy on the ground that we can deal with a
much wider array of pop-up threats than we could do with legacy aircraft.”
Second Line of Defense
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