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| The F-35 Lightning II executed its first live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over a military test range off the California coast on Oct. 30, 2013. The AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) was fired from an F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant test aircraft. Test data and observers confirmed the F-35 identified and targeted an aerial drone target with its mission systems sensors, passed the target "track" information to the missile, and launched the AIM-120 from the aircraft to engage the drone. After launch, the missile successfully acquired the target and followed an intercept flight profile. Moments before the missile was about to destroy the target, a self-destruct signal was sent to the AIM-120 in order to preserve the aerial drone for use in future tests. |
NO ONE IN THE PROGRAM OFFICE OR MARINE CORPS HAS EVER TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS PLANE WILL PROVIDE ENHANCED CLOSE AIR SUPPORT TO THE GROUND FORCES.
Plenty of talk about "sensor fusion."
Plenty of talk about an intelligence node.
Nothing about close air support. At one time in Marine Corps history, we strong armed the Brits into turning the Harrier into a bomb truck when they wanted a fighter. Now we're getting a deep strike platform when we need a 21st century bomb truck.
Amazing and sad.
