Lt. Gen. Jon “Dog” Davis, USMC Ret., the US Marine Corps’ former deputy commandant for aviation, says the readiness rates of F-35B Lighting II fighters based in Iwakuni, Japan, exceed the availability of legacy aircraft like the AV-8B Harrier II and the F/A-18 Hornet during a recent interview with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian in Paris. Davis — who was succeeded as the Marine Corps’ aviation chief on July 10 by Lt. Gen. Steve “Stick” Rudder, USMC — also addressed causes of the accidents during his tenure, light attack aircraft needs and high points of a distinguished 37-year career as he retires from active-duty. Defense & Aerospace Report’s Paris Air Show coverage is sponsored by L3 Technologies and Leonardo DRS.
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