[The National Interest] The U.S. Marine Corps arguably is the biggest champion of, and the most important user of, the F-35 stealth fighter.
But Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger has made it clear that the Corps could scale back its planned, 420-plane F-35 buy as it reorganizes for naval warfare against China. Berger long has said he wants Marine battalions to be lighter and faster-moving.
"Right now, the [F-35] program of record plows ahead as it is," Berger told reporters on April 1, 2020. "But I’m signaling to the industry, we have to be prepared to adjust as the operating environment adjusts."
The possibility of F-35 cuts probably wouldn’t surprise Raymond "Chip" Dudderar, a retired U.S. Navy aviator and test pilot. For nearly three decades Dudderar flew Navy A-7s and F/A-18s — and also Marine Corps AV-8 Harrier jump jets as an exchange pilot.
In his capacity as an airpower consultant, in 2010 Dudderar penned informal, unclassified analyses for Navy admirals outlining problems with the F-35. Years later Dudderar released his analysis to the public.
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