by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
Tactical vehicles such as Humvees and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, M777 towed Howitzer artillery, weapons and ammunition and even some unmanned systems can all be “sling-loaded” and carried beneath US military helicopters and aircraft. This is a well-established tactical reality of great significance to the US military services, as a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter can, for example, vertically lift and transport combat critical supplies, platforms and weapons systems.
What about an F-35? This is much less heard of or expected as an operational reality, yet the US Navy and Air Force have recently combined forces to demonstrate that indeed an inoperable F-35 can be air-transported beneath CH-53K heavy lift helicopter.
This was recently demonstrated by F-35 Integrated Test Force, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, wherein a Marine Corps CH-53K transported a Navy F-35C Lightning II from Pax River to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
“The inoperable airframe, without mission and propulsion systems, outer wings, or additional equipment, is being transported to the Prototype, Manufacturing and Test Department of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst for use in future emergency recovery systems testing,” a US Navy essay on the transport said.
Tactical Advantages of Transporting an F-35
Beyond the initial operational concept of supporting manufacturing, testing, development or maintenance for an F-35C not able to fly, there are additional tactical advantages associated with an ability to vertically transport an F-35 airframe. Should an F-35 be damaged or rendered inoperable by enemy fire, it may need to be quickly destroyed or removed from anywhere where an enemy might get to it. A damaged F-35 could be recovered from a combat incident, transported from a ship to another vessel or land location where it can receive maintenance and necessary parts.
Perhaps a damaged F-35 needs to be removed from a combat zone, or perhaps a damaged F-35 needs a part which is not available on its host ship. In this case, an inoperable F-35 may need to be air lifted to a location where it can receive the necessary maintenance.
F-35 Interchangeability
An ability to establish ways to re-arm, repair and sustain F-35s across a multi-national coalition of bases and forward locations is something the Pentagon, Lockheed Martin and all F-35 countries are now working on. JR McDonald, Vice President, F-35 international sales, told Warrior that all F-35 partner nations are working with Lockheed and many governments to establish what he called “interchangeability.” This, McDonald explained, would enable an F-35 from one country or ship to land at another station, base or location across a global network of F-35 partners and receive necessary maintenance, repairs or combat preparations. This is increasingly possible from a logistics point of view, yet it requires policy alignment among F-35 member nations as well. These efforts are currently underway and, once implemented, would massive increase operational readiness across an entire network of F-35 nations in Europe and Asia.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
