In warfare, versatility is critical to gain the upper hand.
So when a capable fighter like the F-35 comes to light, all military services strive to
test it to the limit.
Footage of the US Marine Corps conducting trials at sea to demonstrate the aircraft’s
V/STOL capabilities shows precisely how the machines are pushed to the extreme in an effort
to compete with the Navy’s CATOBAR system.
Indeed, each method has inherent benefits and shortcomings.
But in the never-ending arms race, it is yet to be seen which will pave the way for the
future of warfare…
ABC
The multi-role F-35 fighter has several variants, starting with the conventional take-off and
landing F-35A.
And as a versatile machine that serves across several US military branches, the aircraft
is, more often than not, tested to its limits.
Similar in size to the basic version, the B variant is capable of short take-off and
vertical landing and, as such, is not equipped with a landing hook.
Instead, its STOVL/HOOK control can switch between regular and vertical flight, and the
aircraft can execute vertical and/or short take-off and landing or V/STOL.
In turn, the C variant is specialized in catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery operations
or CATOBAR, conducted onboard aircraft carriers.
The F-35C differs from the other variants in that it features a larger wingspan, though
the wingtips are foldable.
Even so, the larger control surfaces allow for improved low-speed control and decreased
landing speed while also increasing range and payload.
Likewise, the third variant is equipped with sturdier landing gear that can withstand the
stresses of carrier arrested landings, including a twin-wheel nose gear and a reinforced tailhook
for use with carrier arrestor cables.
Indeed, the CATOBAR system offers greater flexibility regarding carrier operations.
And while it is costlier than alternative methods, such as STOVL, the catapult-assisted
system notably diminishes the demand for troublesome design elements and enables a larger payload.
As such, even V/STOL cable fixed-wing aircraft sometimes use a ramp to ski-jump and reduce
the amount of thrust required to lift an aircraft from the ground - especially a fully-loaded
one.
Combat Effectiveness
In 2020, the US Marine Corps and the Royal Navy collaborated to test the F-35 B's abilities.
Footage from the joint exercise shows the exhaustive process aimed at determining how
well the fighter could operate from an actual flight deck using a ski-jump ramp.
The variant had successfully passed simulated tests five years earlier and underwent the
final Development Test III on USS America, where it would have to operate in high sea
states without the aid of a ramp.
As an amphibious assault ship, America lacks many essential flight deck gadgets found in
an actual carrier, and thus the F-35 B's vertical and short take-off capabilities were thoroughly
tested.
For the versatile Marines, it was crucial to prove the combat effectiveness of the fighter.
In contrast, the US Navy embraced the F-35C version, which has been operating from carriers
since 2019.
High-speed operations demand proper equipment, like the CATOBAR system, for safe and efficient
deployment and recovery.
It is imperative that the aircraft reach the needed speed to lift off in a few seconds,
given that waterborne runways are notably shorter than those on land.
For such purposes, the US Navy has leaned on catapults to prompt its aircraft into the
skies as far back as World War 2.
As the footage shows, the vehicle is positioned before the catapult and is attached to a shuttle.
Then, to protect the crew and the equipment, a blast shield is raised.
When the catapult is launched, the engine releases pressurized steam, shooting the shuttle
at high speed, which in turn tows the aircraft toward the end of the runway.
Using the CATOBAR system, the F-35C can reach a speed of 165 miles per hour.
And for recovery, a series of arrestor wires are stretched out across the runway at the
stern, waiting to engage an incoming fighter.
Forward
The footage also shows the exact moment the pilot catches one of the wires with the tailhook
at the aircraft’s rear.
A precise nose-up angle is required to hook the aircraft with the arresting system.
Afterward, the structure absorbs the fighter's kinetic energy and transfers it to a hydraulic
system underneath, bringing the aircraft to a full stop.
Not for nothing, the CATOBAR system is preferred by the US Navy; its primary advantage is the
amount of power and control it provides.
However, the Marine Corps is a versatile force with unique requirements to go with its unique
capabilities.
Although V/STOL aircraft usually use a runway if available, the method does allow fixed-wing
aircraft to reach otherwise inaccessible corners of a battlefield.
Notably, V/STOL was developed to enable fast-flying jets to operate from clearings in forests.
They can also deploy and land in tiny carriers, previously available only to rotary aircraft.
Hence, aircraft with V/STOL capabilities bring the fight closer to the enemy and allow a
more strategic basing due to reduced response time - not to mention tanker support.
The Marine Corps first deployed the F-35B in combat in September of 2018 from the amphibious
assault ship USS Essex in a strike against Taliban forces in Afghanistan.
But beyond amphibious assault ships, the Marines plan to disperse the fighters in so-called
distributed STOVL operations or DSO, so the F-35Bs can operate from temporary bases in
allied territories.
By allocating aircraft to austere forward-deployed bases -though concealed for survivability
purposes- fighters can remain close to the battlespace within hostile missile engagement
zones.
The fleets can then displace inside the enemy's targeting cycle, enabling a rapid response.
Such operations play a key role in the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations, or EABO, concept.
Tiebreaker
In the summer of 2021, the United States Marine Corps announced that its first squadron equipped
with F-35s was ready for service - before both the Air Force and the Navy.
It was the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 of Miramar, California, that achieved
full operational capability with its F-35 C jets.
Notably, as experts ponder, the advantage could be due to the fact that the Marine Corps
purchased fewer examples of the variant than the other services, which might have accelerated
the breakthrough.
Unsurprisingly, the Marines planned to buy 67 F-35 Cs in 2019, but they still favored
the F-35Bs and planned to buy at least 353 of them.
An anonymous congressional staffer remarked: (QUOTE) "It speaks to the more limited roles
the Marines expect to use the plane for.
[They] now have enough experience with the jet to understand what it can and can't do
and how they have to operate it."
Meanwhile, the Navy is more interested in an intriguing new system for launching its
aircraft- the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System or EMALS.
Currently, the sea service is looking into the concept and has installed the first one
on the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier.
Videos from the trials carried out on the flight deck show the simulated weight dummies
being catapulted off the board with the innovative linear induction motor.
So far, the machine has proven to accelerate the aircraft more smoothly than its steam-driven
counterpart.
Moreover, it is lighter and expected to be more affordable while requiring lower maintenance.
Plus, it could possibly launch both lighter and heavier aircraft than the older piston
system while reducing the carrier's fresh water requirement.
Even so, the Navy stated in the summer of 2022 that EMALS is not expected to reach reliability
goals until sometime in the 2030s.
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