Hmm. I think I’d rather spend the extra dime on carrier based F-35s. If anything, I’d can the non-carrier based F-35 and adopt F-22s instead, but alas, Pelosi & Friends say no.
I have been suspicious about the F-35 for a long time. It just seems to me that they are trying to demand too much from that airplane and in doing so are making it too complicated to work.
Having said that, I do not think the F-18 has too many more years in it, despite all the upgrades, so it’s a bit of a pickle.
Not my area of expertise but I do know the Marines are right at the point of deploying their vertical takeoff version. Wouldn’t this put a real crimp in their plans if the Navy scrapped their plans?