[Magnum44]

...One of their main jobs is CAS. Close air support). ...the notion of "stealth" is meaningless to a ... when providing CAS and when those on the ground need your as$ staying around in clear view to the badguys.

Your argument against F-35 is that it cant do CAS like the A-10????

The Marine CAS aircraft today is the F-18 and it does quite well. An F-35 is a stealthy F-18 on steroids. You dont think thats a good thing?

[SevenMinusOne]

I can tell you guys on the ground would take a Warthog (10) providing CAS over an 18 just about every time (outside of a few specific situations).

As for an USN F-35. One engine aircraft while flying mainly over water.....Don't like the concept...Nor do most in the Navy that I've spoken with.

Furthermore, yes! When the idea is for the F-35 to replace the A-10....That it can't do the job of CAS as well....I most certainly am against it. CAS has saved thousands of U.S.lives in the last several years alone...and killed thousands more of our enemy. The F-35 simply cannot fill the role that the A-10 currently does (Thankfully more and more are admitting this reality).

And to make the F-35 carry the payloads that 18's typically do on CAS....Doesn't the 35 have to then go to the wing pylons (thus eliminating a large % of its stealth advancements over 18s).

Plus, how many 18F's can we put out at the cost of these 35s (that don't provide that much more of a benefit).

The USN would have been much better off going to a F-22 Naval version....While keeping the F-18Fs for CAS & Attack roles....