Interesting Tac-Air Article

This is an interesting article from Navy Times on Navy-Marine Tac-Air. I think the issue of putting the F-35B on big deck aircraft carriers is going to be a big one before this is all said and done, and unless they make magic carpets that absorb the heat and protect the deck... I say no.

The US Navy needs to push 10 CVNs to Congress - which should be easy.

Then they need to push for 33 amphibious ships for the Marines - which should also be easy because I assume Congress doesn't want to look stupid agreeing to increase the size of the Marines only to reduce the number of ships (I think this should be 8 LHDs and 25 LPD-17s)

Then comes the tough part... the Navy and Marines need to push for 4 LHA(R)s to meet the Marine Tac-Air requirement and keep F-35Bs off big deck carriers.

If that can be sold, both the Navy and Marines are well positioned to meet tactical aviation requirements from the sea in the first half of the 21st century. No doubt the problem remains finding the escorts for that force.