The scream of the new F-35B Lightning II is a cause for concern, and so is the lone engine used to power the Joint Strike Fighter.Nearby residents nervous about F-35sBy Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 16, 2009 15:43:28 EST
The Corps’ air stations have long asked nearby communities to pardon the noise, but the sound of freedom isn’t the only thing worrying people these days.
The scream of the new F-35B Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is a cause for concern. But so is the lone engine used to power the jet.
The Navy launched a series of public meetings in February detailing proposals for 25 squadrons of F-35Bs at four Marine Corps air stations. The Corps plans to replace its aging fleet of F/A-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers and EA-6B Prowlers with F-35Bs, the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing model.
The Navy is buying F-35C models for carrier ops, while the Air Force is buying F-35As for conventional flight operations.
From coast to coast, people living near the Corps’ air stations turned out to discuss the pending arrival of the new aircraft. In the East, the service plans to divide 13 squadrons — 10 operational, two for pilot training and one Reserve — between MCAS Beaufort, S.C., and MCAS Cherry Point, N.C.
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http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/marine_jsf_021609w/%2euhc comment:The F-35 push is on. (It's still $239 million a pop.)