In the battle to save the F/A-22, the Air Force and Army are squared off against the Marine Corps and Navy. The Marine Corps is the big opponent. It wants F/A-22 money for its own use, and now, said an insider. The Navy, though less overt, sees F/A-22 as a rival to carrier air, especially in a China scenario. The Army, meanwhile, has come to regard USAF as a reliable battlefield partner, one which does not leave engaged Army units without air cover.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…