Compare this loadout to the legacy F/A-18 Hornet below...
If the USAF, USMC, Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin weren't being so obvious it would be funny.
They're scared shitless and are trying desperately to build momentum for the program going forward. Unfortunately for them, too many people know the truth and won't be impressed by the first pic. That is far from impressive and if I tossed in a few pics of what the Super Hornet, Rafale, Eurofighter or even SU-35 carries then it would look even worse than my comparison of the Hornet vs. F-35.
But I've finally hit on why the USMC is pushing the IOC so hard for this year. Again, its all about budgets. They're trying desperately to clear the train wreck that is the Marine Corps budget and the easiest way to do it is to get items off the table. The F-35 is the most expensive so its going first. They'll take a break from the MV-22 (and that's why getting the Navy, Israeli and Japanese buys were so important...they take the Marine Corps place in line) and focus all program dollars on that airplane. That also explains why the CH-53K was again "slowed down" and the push to make the Marine Corps the seagoing 101st.
Reports have already stated that (as I suspected) the JLTV is going to be canceled and with the latest from Marine Corps officials you can look for the Marine Personnel Carrier to either be slow walked so much that it should be canceled (the defense industry won't take the project seriously...I think General Dynamics senses this) or they'll bite the bullet and take the public relations hit and do it outright.
This will be an interesting year. Failure on all fronts is floating from the Pentagon.
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