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By Hunter Keeter
WASHINGTON--DoD is considering the elimination of short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) requirements from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program in order to reduce costs and speed up the schedule of the tri-service, multinational attack aircraft, according to Pentagon sources.
Boeing (BA) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) are competing for the JSF program, which is expected to be worth more than $200 billion. Cutting the STOVL variant could save a considerable amount of money in the JSF program, leaving only the conventional take-off and landing or aircraft carrier suitable variants to be procured. However the budget victory could prove Pyrrhic, should STOVL be lost, other officials said.
The importance of STOVL JSF has thus far been touted by the U.S. Marine Corps and Britain's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, all of which now operate variants of the Harrier jump jet. For the Marine Corps, STOVL is a key part of current and future doctrine. According to the operation plan called "operational maneuver from the sea" (OMFTS), the Marine Corps requires its own deployable, fixed-wing fire support aircraft to facilitate the movement of Marine rifle companies ashore.
So far, the Marines' Boeing-built Harriers have provided that fixed-wing fire support through their ability to carry heavier ordnance loads than the attack helicopters that also form part of the OMFTS concept. Having those aircraft co-located with the Marine helicopter wings aboard amphibious transports has been a comfort to service leaders who express concern about the loss of control over their own fire support.
But the Harriers are aging and without a STOVL fixed-wing aircraft to carry on, Marines moving ashore would look to Navy aircraft carrier air wings or ground-based squadrons from the Marine Corps or the Air Force to provide close air support. Relying on others organizations or platforms, in lieu of their own STOVL jets, gives the Corps pause to consider that air power may not be always at their beck and call.
"Years ago when we (the Marine Corps) rolled up our heavy artillery...we made a commitment that the Marine air wing would be our flying artillery," Marine Corps Commandant Gen....