Editor's corner.

An impending consolidation of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy tactical aviation units has sparked a heated debate as to who really benefits from the combination of both services' tactical fighter squadrons. Top defense officials have touted the merits of the integration, claiming it will enhance joint war fighting and increase efficiency.

Four Marine F/A-18 squadrons already operate from Navy carriers. The plan is to shift maybe six more squadrons, for a total of 10 Marine squadrons, one for each carrier wing. The transition would take place over the course of the next five to six years.

But critics claim that the integration is nothing but an easy way for the Navy to shift its unfunded aviation procurement requirements to the Marine Corps. Not only do both services collectively face $30 billion in unfunded long-term aviation requirements, but they also are struggling with the rising cost of operating bases and maintaining aging aircraft. The consolidation of tac-air squadrons seems the only way out. The expectation is that future Marine and Navy buys of the Joint Strike Fighter could be downsized significantly.

The Marines, meanwhile, fear that the reorganization may result in ground commanders no longer receiving the same level of tactical air support from Marine air squadrons as they are used to. Some Marine aviators believe that the integration plan may be going too far, stripping Marine tac-air of its long-standing role in support of the commander on the ground.

You can read more about this in our cover story, starting on page 16.

Of interest to many in the defense industry will be a commentary piece by Harvard Business School professor J. Ron Fox, on the topic of the A-12 cancellation and subsequent lawsuit. This case already is nearly 12 years old, but it remains in the news, because the government and the...

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