Other viewpoint

I'll take the other view. The Navy has always been a maritime force that resisted the adoption of air power even during WW II. The carrier forces were still considered to be a novelty even while dealing the Japanese severe blows in several campaigns. It was always the battleship that would win the war. During Korea, the Navy insisted that they could shell North Korea into submission and only used their air wing because the Air Force was using theirs to great success.

During Viet Nam, the Navy finally "wised up", but were only peers with the Air Force.

Today, the Navy reluctantly uses their "air power" to attack land forces. For the most part, they view their air wings as interdiction forces and to attack enemy carrier groups, which seems contradictory. Look at where they Navy is investing its R&D. Not into carriers, they now seem settled for the next 50 to 60 years. Instead they're going after destroyers and cruisers.

Sadly, the USAF has decided to go with the one platform fits all missions approach. The F-35 won't work as a low CAP/ground support/missile suppression/anti-tank aircraft. The F-16 does low CAP. I don't know that we have a ground support. The Weasel did missile suppression and we don't have a single effective aircraft for that role. The A-10 is the premier tank killer and the J-35 is hopelessly outclassed in that field. The F-15 is an excellent high CAP/air superiority fighter and I can only hope that the same will be said for the F-22.

Capt USAF(ret) and former EWO