Author militaryonline

The Corps’ jump jet version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter flew faster than the speed of sound June 10. For the first time in military aviation history, supersonic, radar-evading stealth comes with short take-off vertical landing capability,” said Bob Price, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Marine Corps program manager, in a press release. “The supersonic F-35B can deploy with small ships and austere bases near front line combat zones, greatly enhancing combat air support with higher sortie-generation rates.” Marine Lt. Col. Matt Kelly, the pilot of the test aircraft known as BF-2, climbed to 30,000 feet above Naval Air Station Patuxent…

The Corps will start testing possible replacements for its standard ruck this summer, a top acquisition officer said at a recent conference outside Washington. The Individual Load Bearing Equipment pack, which was approved in 2004, not only clashes with the existing body armor, but Marines also complain that it causes chaffing and pain in their knees, back and shoulders, causing them to rate it “completely unacceptable” in a survey conducted last year, said Lt. Col. A.J. Pasagian, program manager of the Corps’ infantry combat equipment at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. The new pack will be designed with an adjustable…