Marines want to replace F-35B with drone.
DOD Buzz, Jun 23 -- The Marine Corps wants a jumbo-sized drone that can take off and land on amphibious ships, and the list of requirements for the aircraft is daunting.
It needs to escort the MV-22 Osprey and have comparable flight range, carry the same weapons as an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, and execute missions ranging from electronic warfare, command and control, airborne early warning, and airstrikes — just for starters.
Too much to ask?
No way, said Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, deputy commandant of Marine Corps Aviation. Davis, who is set to retire next month, sat down with Military.com this week at the Paris Air Show.
“V-22, impossible? Nope. F-35B, impossible? Nope. Very possible, very doable, very good,” he said. “Bottom line, the engineering — this is not a pie in the sky. This is very doable.” . ..
https://www.dodbuzz.com/2017/06/23/marines-prepare-impossible-ship-launched-combat-drone/