via Navy Times (Feb 9, 2015).
The top officer of one of three services projected to spend tens of billions of dollars on stealthy new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, now says "stealth may be overrated."
During a speech last week to a Washington audience, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert described what he's looking for in the next generation of strike aircraft — and it doesn't look like the controversial F-35.
"What does that next strike fighter look like?" Greenert asked the packed forum. "I'm not sure it's manned, don't know that it is. You can only go so fast, and you know that stealth may be overrated. ... Let's face it, if something moves fast through the air, disrupts molecules and puts out heat — I don't care how cool the engine can be, it's going to be detectable. You get my point."
Greenert was speaking about the next generation of fighter aircraft, but his comments could just as easily be applied to Lockheed Martin's F-35C, the carrier-based version of the joint strike fighter. Aviation analysts who watch the F-35 program closely say Greenert's comments reflect ambivalence among naval aviators about the F-35 as a strike fighter, especially compared to the tried-and-true F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets.
"It's not just Greenert, it's across the naval aviation community: They're just not that into the F-35," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group.
Story here.
The story speaks for itself but I want to touch on something else.
Greenert was the right leader at the right time for the US Navy. His "payloads over platforms" mantra was set during his tenure and it is the philosophy that is leading the US Navy into the future.
Mattis pushed forward a "lethality" mantra that has been embraced across the force.
Think about the last two Marine Commandants.
What are they remembered for? What was their guiding light that continues to shine, leading towards the Marine Corps future?
I don't want to throw stones but what will Neller be remembered for? I thought long and hard and the only thing that comes to mind is when he lowered his head while a female Congress Critter talked to him like he had a tail.
Do you remember anything from Dunford's tenure? Not throwing stones but what was the big thing that came from his time in office?
Before him was Amos. Won't even go into that except to say that he had a rocky time. I don't know if he deserved all the hate in hindsight (and I was tossing it at him full bore), but I don't remember any enduring ideas that worked. He pushed the aviation centric Marine Corps but that is AT BEST incomplete and trending negatively.
Before those guys we had EXCELLENCE in action....from PX Kelly to James Conway we had studs at the top.
Am I wrong and we actually had visionaries over the last 12 years or am I onto something?
