Beyond.

This is coolbert:

Beyond PoC!

Again as extracted from the "Aviationist" article the Italian air force deployment of F-35B warplanes to Iceland

"The Italian Air Force Has Deployed Its Two F-35Bs To Iceland For The First Time"

That Italian air force contingent now guarding the skies over Iceland as part of NATO mission consisting of a mix of F-35 Lightning warplanes, the A and B variants. That B version having the STOVL [short take-off vertical-landing] capability.

AS CURRENTLY ENVISIONED THE INTENTION OF THE ITALIANS IS TO HAVE ONE-HALF TO ONE-THIRD OF THEIR F-35 LIGHTNING AIRCRAFT THE STOVL VARIATION. [depending on who is doing the counting and budget constraints!]

Advantages of the F-35B to use expedient airstrips [or less than normally favorable] for operations recognized as a MAJOR [?] plus! A mixed air fleet of A/B warplanes F-35 desirable!

A PoC [proof of concept] exercise as has been previously tested by the Italians with the now on-going follow-up Icelandic air policing mission as a real-world test.

“This capability is extremely important to face new scenarios or situations like the one we had during the Gulf War. Our Tornado jets were deployed to an airbase [Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE] that was far away from the area of operations: this implied that our aircraft had to fly several hours and carry out several aerial refuelings before reaching their targets. The ability to operate from shorter runways can allow the selection of a closer airbase and solve the problem. In terms of flexibility, just think that in Africa there are about 100 runways that have a length between 2,800 and 3,000 meters but there are 20 times as many runways between 1,000 and 1,500 meters in length. Being able to use short runways allows you to multiply your ability to deploy where needed, in a more convenient and faster way, especially closer to the area of operation. Having an aircraft that is capable of taking off from shorter runways allows incredible flexibility even in those scenarios that are currently only barely conceivable. In case of conflict, aircraft that are able to operate from shorter runways can also be dispersed to increase their survivability. This flexibility to operate from bare/austere runways or even highways makes the air power more unpredictable and represents a fundamental capability in any scenario. For this reason, after carefully studying all the scenarios and costs, the Italian Air Force has identified, as done by other air arms, a mixed fleet of F-35A and B aircraft, as the most economically convenient and effective configuration.” - former ItAF Chief of Staff, Gen. Alberto Rosso.

Forward thinking Italian combat aviators as THINKING of aviation war fighting capability in the manner of a Douhet!

Does the United States Air Force [USAF] have such forward thinking commanders? USAF too will have a mix of F-35A and F-35B warplanes? I must consult with authority on this.

And thank you as usual "Aviationist"!

coolbert.