USAF STOVL Fading

The case for the Air Force buying some number of F-35Bs—the short takeoff and vertical landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter—definitely seems to be waning, as we reported earlier this year. Gen. Michael Moseley acknowledged that one reason is that the revamped A-10 “will be a significantly different airplane than it was before.” He said that with the A-10 close air support “force structure intact,” there simply is less need to buy another “inherent CAS airplane.” Moseley said the STOVL version is less maneuverable and has less range than the conventional takeoff F-35A that the Air Force will buy in bulk and “costs 32 percent more.” However, Moseley hedged that he and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne are still “wrassling” with the issue. “Inside our world, we’re still thinking about the STOVL,” he said.