The first perceptive response on this thread.
That is what we have C-130 variants and A-10's for. It sounds like we have a plane without a mission and they are trying to backfit one onto it (a mission requirement, I mean).
Neither of which can operate from a LHA/LHD. Not very perceptive of you to fail to take that into consideration.
But those aircraft don’t operate from amphibious assault ships. The requirement for the gun pod has always been there on the F-35B. The aircraft will provide close air support as well as being available for first day of the war stealth scenarios with internal payload only. I fail to understand why people can’t get their heads around such a concept?