2016-07-22 When we recently visited the Air Combat Command, we were informed that at RIAT 2016, a session with four pilots had been held at RIAT 2016, which provided a perspective from the squadron pilot’s perspective.
The pilots came from the USAF, the USMC, the RAF, and the Norwegian Air Force.
The ACC later sent us a video and we created two video slices from the overall video.
The first provides an update on the USMC and the F-35 with a very good overview on USMC thinking about the aircraft, and its role in the evolution of the joint and coalition force.
USMC Perspective on F-35 from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.
The Norwegian Air Force pilot discussed the importance of the situational awareness for the pilot from a Norwegian perspective.
He pointed out that with their High North operations and challenging whether overall, an all-weather capability was crucial.
And because Norway operates a small fleet without a lot of specialized aircraft, they welcomed a multi-tasking ISR/EW/C2 combat aircraft as a centerpiece for their force.
And building coalition commonality and interoperability from the ground up at USMC Air Station Beaufort, at Luke AFB, at Nellis, at Edwards, at Pax River and so on is a key part of shaping the future of airpower.
Norweigian Persepctive on F-35 from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.
What one can see in the videos is at the heart of Ed Timperlake’s argument that the squadron pilots are the drivers of combat innovation.
https://sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Squadron-Fighter-Pilots-and-the-F-35.pdf
The videos are credited to Lockheed Martin and were shot during the recent RIAT airshow.