That is the plan. The
USN has and will be receiving
"new build" F/A-18E/F HORNETS for the air superiority role as my Marine "buddy" has pointed out.
As it currently stands,
VMFA-533 Beaufort, S.C. is planned to be the
first USMC air unit to reach
FOC with their
F-35B jets in the last quarter of
FY 2025 (JUL-SEP 2025) providing there's no "
hiccups" for
any one.
And that's
straight from the
USMC.
So here's a recent "
hiccup" for all three services...
"
February 17/21: Engine Shortage
F-35 fighter plane engines are in short supply external link, with the solution
months away, causing the
Defense Department to reduce its schedule of exhibition flights and to
start planning for a shortage as soon as 2022. The
Defense Department’s F-35 office has advised that about
five to six percent of the
US. F-35 fleet could be without useable engines by 2022, and
up to 20 percent of the plane’s fleet could be sidelined by 2025. According to Defense News external link, the F-35 Heavy Maintenance Center, located at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma,
has been unable to process engines for repairs and maintenance, and catching up will take months."
https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com...m-edit-037947/
I couldn't make this up if I tried.
Regards,
Pat
