Both services will not have their requirements met with a common aircraft, both have set out from the beginning to run their own
independent programs.
That's one of the principal reasons why so many Americans are unhappy with the F-35 program.
It's "kind of hard," if not
arguably impossible to design an aircraft or even three versions of an aircraft based on a common platform that
fully satisfy the USAF, USN and USMC.
Regardless, we'll find out soon enough if the DoD has possibly, finally learned its lesson when it comes to compromising divergent service requirements in the name of cost savings.
They’ve publicly said they want F/A-XX to focus more on strike in hearings to congress. I don’t know how much clearer that can get
Unfortunately for the USN, Congress and the White House rarely give them everything they want.
In fact, sometimes, the DoD will even
exaggerate threats and requirements hoping or thinking that will convince elected officials to give them a little more, or at least satiate minimum requirements set forth internally by appointed officials.
