The Defense Department should not have decided to develop three distinct variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, former Chief of Naval Operations retired Adm. Gary Roughead said, because the Navy version could have been adapted to handle the Air Force mission. With development efforts now well under way, however, there could be no turning back, he said. The Marine Corps needs the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) version of the fighter jet, but distinct Navy and Air Force variants are unnecessary...
