Dudderar is obviously extremely qualified and makes some good points. However fact is the AV8 was obsolete in the 90s and it's 1960s airframe no longer made it worthwhile to develop further. F35 will give USMC capabilities they've never had before, not only air superiority but especially in regards to deep strike missions.
Combined arms USMC is the worlds best at mobility and speed, best trained and equipped force of it's kind no other nation has anything like it each Marine "expeditionary unit" is configured as a self-contained military, with sea, land and air elements . F-35 will extend that capability even further.
Dudderar is forgetting the Marine key doctrine of being "self-contained" they need to maintain the capability of being able to complete missions without additional US Army,Navy,Air Force support when ever called upon.
