I do not think it would make sense. The F-35C, is going to be a capable Stealthy strike fighter for the Navy. Could it have been made better had it been an exclusive navy project. Sure. But it adds a ton of capability compared to any upgraded SH, and the pilots know this. Only thing that is against the F-35C is cost, but with only a handful produced, its early days yet.

It’s probable we will see an enhanced 35 ten years from now. Let the threat mature and I am sure something would be drawn around the C to counter it.

Forget Cuba, Angola is closer and does not require huge detours to avoid neutral parties’ sovereign airspace! The civil war raging there simultaneously might have been a nuisance though.

Yes i was thinking the same. But I doubt they would hve bothered overflying en masse Venez, and Brazil departing from Cuba. They could hve drop some bombs on this major naval base south of Buenos Aires on the way (a nice place to relax btw).

Totally agree.

One should never draw lines in the sand unless they intend to back them up with strong action.

In this case a throwaway line in a public statement has put the US in a position where it has to go to war. That’s quite insane by any standards.

Yes it seems as it was a bad sentence. Two point: either Obama didn’t expect Assad and Co would hve pushed the atrocities that far either he was in needs of a revenge and pull a carrot out of his pocket for the donkey.

Btw the way Assad’s wife is pushed frwd in the media tells me that he clearly knows what is going on.

And I don’t believe Holland will retract. He is a fine politician too.

Those photos are both stock images, both a long way from Cyprus. Forward deployment B-2 seems unlikely. That guy on Twitter also thinks an Arleigh Burke carries 450 TLAMS!

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Hum hum… Still Nobody hve discussed the fact tht we are talking of a Growler mod.

More fuel for more system grow ( increased heat sink Effect)?

Two short remarks also :
1.The venting at the rear of the CFT is in line with the engines and cover a linear surface roughtly similar than the row of so called AESA’s vents
2. The internal structure (frames) doesn’t happear to be symetrical, what is odd.

Last but not least, the CFT are profiled like a wing. Their intended effect is similar than a centro-plane ala Su/Mig.
The extended LERX act more like a flat surface on the SH (see the Teja prob). Increasing the thickness of that surface, decrease drag at a specific point (Mass and speed) by lowering the AoA,

Also, the doc tell explicitly that the eng blocker and inlet will be modified. Other docs of GE suggest that part of the advent tech will be piped down to the present fleet of fighter. Hence we can expect a better eng efficiency in regard to stealth requierments, hence more power. However the doc made certain that the new engine is part of the deal when I made my mind (by reading) that the Navy was firm on that point ( no 414). Something is wrong here…

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This is real porn

There is one incredibly useful utility.
On a landing spot beyond reach of land based tactical a/c, you will still want to reserve the ability to pick down patrol a/c,
before they spot the amphibious fleet and call down a strike of long range bombers.
A few F-35B can handle this, but without them you’re stuck to keep an entire CBG bogged down to stop a single patrol a/c

No. Sorry to disagree. But the B is the dream of every admirals: a carrier force multilplier that allow you to extend your zona of influence without ressorting to a double CV force in front line.

On its infancy the Sea Harrier just created that.