Cool pix!

And then the Brits gave it a go…



.

 

And after a few false starts…the Americans gave it a go…

 

Is that a Russian Tsaplya-class LCAC. If so, South Korea has the only operational ones left (3), all the Russian ones (10 total built) have been scrapped or decommissioned.

 

It’s a BEAST! Who’s ever it is…

 

Actually, there is a direct link between #2 (Hawker Siddeley Harrier, actually the Harriers in the picture look like BAe GR-5/-7/-9's Harrier II's) and #3 (F-35B). McDowell Douglas took the British AV-8 manufactured by Hawker Siddeley and extensively redesigned it to produce the AV-8B Harrier. The Brits were originally supposed to partner in the project but dropped out early on due to budgetary restraints. The McDonnell Douglas AV8-B served extensively with the US Marine Corps, Italy and Spain with about 600 built between 1981 and 2003 (still serving in some Marine Corps squadrons BTW). The British BAe Harrier II GR-5/-7/-9 were British built AV-8B's (70+ units) with British specific avionics fit, armaments and equipment, plus a stainless-steel leading edge to the wing (McDonnell Douglas was the subcontractor on the GR-5/-7/-9's). In 2011 the US Navy bought the entire British GR Harrier II fleet, 72 aircraft, to provide spares for Marine Corps Harriers until they can fully convert to F-35B's.
The tie in is that from 1983 on, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing were involved in a DARPA project that in its final iteration was called the CALF (Common Affordable Light Fighter) program, that was looking at a replacement for the AV-8B in USMC and British service. In 1993 the JAST (Joint Advanced Strike Technology) was formed by rolling in the research from CALF, the Air Forces cancelled MRF (Multi-Role Fighter) and the US Navy's cancelled A/F-X (Advanced Fighter-Attack) programs. The program was renamed JSF from JAST in 1995. The F-35A (Air Force), F35B (Marine Corps-VSTOL) and F35C (Navy/MC carrier version) were the result of the JSF program. The F35B benefitted from McDonnell Douglas' expertise in the design, research and manufacture of the AV8-B via CALF.

 

.

 

In another Universe…

 

Aaaand…We’ll take these…