Netherlands Flag:
Posted on 07/01/2010 4:23:23 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program office is developing options to allow the Netherlands to withdraw from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter initial operational test and evaluation phase.
A Dutch delegation recently met with U.S. officials to discuss the issue. The Dutch participation in the IOT&E phase is in limbo as a result of a combination of factors: a parliamentary move prior to recent general elections and the uncertainty over the country’s leadership owing to no clear election outcome.
Prior to the election, parliament voted to end its participation in the IOT&E phase, but program supporters say the vote should not have come up. They argue that a prior agreement by political parties not to take major program decisions until after the elections, which was decided after the fall of the elected government in February, means the JSF decision should not have been taken.
Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop told legislators that he has notified U.S. officials of the current situation and asked to prepare options to cancel the already placed order for the one IOT&E aircraft and for long-lead funding for a second. Devising those options will take several weeks, he says in a June 30 letter to parliament. One of the main issues to sort out is what the costs of such a move will be.
He also says he expects to update parliament on JSF cost figures during the summer to help inform a decision on the path forward for the F-16 replacement program
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationnow.com ...
Ping
Plane costs to much!!!
Plane costs tooooooo much!!!
>>Plane costs to much!!!<<
Mission creep+cost creep=creepy plane.
I really had hopes for the F-35, but once the bureaucrats got involved, it was doomed.
Netherlands Flag:
What is it? a deep penetrator? they could build 2 F-16s for the price of one of these. Its not like anyone has had much success shooting them down.
Ping
>>What is it? a deep penetrator? they could build 2 F-16s for the price of one of these. Its not like anyone has had much success shooting them down.<<
You put your finger on the problem. There was never any question about what the F-16 (and F(/A)-18) should be. A high-performance, low-cost true multi-role milcraft than can be selected for any number of missions.
It isn’t designed for air superiority but absent the very best (F-15s and of course F-22s) it will kick pretty much any other craft’s butt.
It might not CAP and Loiter overwhelmingly like an A-10 (another favorite of mine!) but it can be deployed with the right load and I can tell you the guys underbelly will get all the protection they need and Johnny Jihad will be busy with his 72 virgins shortly thereafter.
And a bombing run? With today’s technology, the F-16 (and our sister the F(/A)-18) will hit a tack on a bulletin board in the planning basement with all them raghead potential destructionists.
All at a reasonable cost.
The F-35 folk really lost the concept of Multi. Role. Fighter.
They have built an Abrams Tank with wings.
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