TVIP – I did not say it would only make one trip. But it’s going to be a busy little bee to sustain any kind of sortie rate over any kind of distance.

Ok. But it’s probably not on the model of a Temporary Frwd replenishing base for the Apaches and Cobra. It’s more a shore based rotating deployment with aircraft armo, maintenance crews and parts only being flown directly from the carrier. Fuel and support infrastructure might be more rolled-in with the bulk of the Marines projection.

That’s why I compared it to the early Harrier type of operation (in which the USMC was a partner from the early days). The idea being to shorten the transit time and boost sortie rate with a carrier orbiting now far from shore to be more survivable with less support.

Distributed Stovl Operations (DSO):

DSO Defined
Distributed short take-off, vertical land (STOVL) operations (DSO) is a threat-based limited objective operation which occurs primarily when the entire
MAGTF cannot be brought to bear against the enemy. DSO asymmetrically moves inside of the enemy targeting cycle by using multiple mobile forward arming
and refueling points (M-FARPs). Using existing infrastructure (multi-lane roads, small airfields, damaged main bases), DSO provides strategic depth and
operational resiliency to the joint force.
DSO, coupled with the 5th generation low observable forcible entry capability of the F-35B, provides the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with gamechanging
strategic access inside of the enemy weapons engagement zone (WEZ). The ability to operate inside of an A2/AD environment from multiple austere
locations enables the joint force to have operational depth while simultaneously providing a strong deterrence to adversary aggression.

Source:
The 2015 Marine Aviation Plan Chap 2.3

Do you really think a facility large enough to accommodate an F-35B force is not going to be vulnerable to artillery?
The F-35B is not a Harrier GR1 hiding in a German forest clearing. It cannot operate in such an environment, it requires an element of established basing.
The opposition don’t need to shoot down the F-35B, they just obliterate its base and the aircraft on it with sustained artillery fire.
[…]
If you need stealth and supersonic capability the likelihood is the opposition have kit that makes STOVL capability pointless, so why is it needed?”

As a matter of coincidence, the USMC have shown a renewed interest for the doctrine of fwd basing their 35B (like the old days of the GR1/3 with 4 F35 sustained by a single osprey).

I agree Confucius.

If someone wonder why Dassault does not Lend the Raf just like Saab does with the Grip… Now you know… Why bother when all the risks are happily swallowed by the taxpayer?

Exemplary business practice…

he big question isn’t why Typhoon uses the BK27, but why US aircraft don’t.

It’s a diff philosophy/approach of air combat. You know that Swerve.

1 F-35B is cheaper than 1 F-16+ 1 F-117 +1 AV-8B

Don’t forget to factor 1 Prowler that most nations buying the 35 even don’t have.

The F35 (that will see in the next two years the highest production ramp-up ever seen in the aviation industry since long (F4?)), will allow their buyer to operate independently and sustain operation.

This is a huge political advantage for the next trouble decade.

so the KAI-Airbus LCH isn’t going to be a dedicated gunship?

No… Really disappointing given the amount of money put in that contract.

Airbus, KAI to build light armed helicopter for South Korea

Wrong link.

Bellow an illustration of the expected design:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]236053[/ATTACH]

Notice that it will need a higher landing gear and the landing stability might be poor