Posted on 04/26/2013 1:50:53 PM PDT by Yo-Yo
The US Marine Corps' VMFAT-501 training squadron, which is assigned to the US Air Force's 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, launched its first F-35B eight-ship earlier today. The unit flew one mission and then conducted a hot pit refueling before going back up again.
</sarc>
pardon my lack of military knowledge: what’s an “eight ship” ?
We should buy up a bunch of them Ruskie ships with our electronics.
.. and burned their training budget til FY'14
8 aircraft airborne at the same time and flying in formation
Looks like an amateur blogger mistake. It apparently refers to “eight ship-qualified” VTOL planes, the first batch being put into service.
That F-35 turkey is going to have a short career. The days of politicians risking combat pilots is rapidly closing thanks to more and more capable drones.
No. It is pretty normal in military parlance to refer to aircraft as ships, particularly in reference to missions such the way they are here.
They said the same thing in the 60’s. We had drones back then too.
The DEW Line is hardly an amateur blogger.
Thank you. I have in fact heard ‘ship’ used that way many times. Didn’t put two and two together.
A total combined IQ of about 320. ;)
USAF usually does 4 ship flights, with a combined IQ of 160.
Not that I don't like pilots... They do an important job, but enlisted are allowed to poke fun at the orificers sometimes.
/johnny
They have put enough money into it that it damned well better fly.
Not to mention the drones are far cheaper to buy and operate than piloted aircraft.
Interesting since I thought this the "Harrier" style was the hold-up on development.... Also, the US Marine Corps' VMFAT-501 training squadron will get 20 F-35B.
Cool fighter, but too expensive.
Actually the F-35B became operational right around
‘Live Free or Die Hard’ 2007. See movie.
/sarc
STOVL
the first batch being put into service.
VMFA-121 in Yuma stood up in November of 2012.
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