[DManA]

Odd use of the word “search”. As if the plane exists out there somewhere and they just have to find it.

[GonzoGOP]

New fighter will complement the F-35

That statement assumes that the F-35 actually enters service. Since it turns out the carrier version of the F-35 can't actually land on a carrier that is going to be a problem. With its massive budget overruns and no planes in squadron service the F-35 looks like a prime candidate to get it's budget cut to 0 by either a Romney or second term Obama administration.

They should have built both the built the X-32 along with the F-35. Sure the F-35 was the only one with VTOL capability, but if, as it turn out it did, Lockheed Martin can't build the F-35s at least there would have been a fall back position for land bases and big deck carriers. Kind of like how the F6F Hellcat was a fallback for the F4U Corsair.

[Rannug]

All we hear are the shortfalls of the F-35. How about some good news?

[FreeAtlanta]

autonomous - Humans can't handle the G-s that the machines can.

[jmax]

Bring back the F-4 Phantom ............

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I think the best bet would be to go for a ship redesign, with the idea of creating a “drone aircraft carrier” to complement our manned aircraft carriers. Some things that may be wanted in such a design include:

1) Three operational modes. Semi-submersible (SS), surface (S) and elevated (E) modes. The SS mode is for “semi-stealthy” operations, with little or no radar profile. S operational mode for rapid movement. And an E mode for both drone launch and recovery and for torpedo evasion, especially against the Russian “wake homing” torpedoes, which are a serious threat.

2) The drones themselves can be of several types, all brought to the launch deck by elevator. The smallest would be light reconnaissance and asub drones, the largest number; then high performance fighter drones, faster and more maneuverable than manned fighters; and finally medium range bomber drones, somewhat like the latest version of the Reaper, called Altair, that has a 3,000lb payload.

3) The actual size of the ship is a good question, and there could be two or more sizes, used as part of a traditional carrier group.