I'm a F-35B supporter (still extremely concerned about Marine Armor and think that it needs to take priority...a delay won't hurt the program)but today should give Lockheed Martin and supporters pause.
The Navy found a legit reason to skip the F-35 and go directly to the 6th gen stealth fighter. The X-47 taxied, launched and the only thing left is for it to land on a carrier. No pilot. Greater endurance. Good to great payload. No worries about conducting combat rescue of pilots...just a determination of whether you're going to destroy the plane in place or recover it. The X-47 probably changed combat aviation in a way that other drones never could. The X-47 is a threat that must be taken seriously by technologically advanced forces. Its stealthy, its fast and its a threat...to the enemy and the F-35. What follows is a sequence of photos from taxi to getting set up on the catapult to launch.
The Navy found a legit reason to skip the F-35 and go directly to the 6th gen stealth fighter. The X-47 taxied, launched and the only thing left is for it to land on a carrier. No pilot. Greater endurance. Good to great payload. No worries about conducting combat rescue of pilots...just a determination of whether you're going to destroy the plane in place or recover it. The X-47 probably changed combat aviation in a way that other drones never could. The X-47 is a threat that must be taken seriously by technologically advanced forces. Its stealthy, its fast and its a threat...to the enemy and the F-35. What follows is a sequence of photos from taxi to getting set up on the catapult to launch.
