What is there for a replacement for F-35 if it is dropped?
the FA-18 should have a long life ahead of it. I think the F-16 is still being produced. What was the F-35’s competitor? Of course folks will say: “why produce it, it lost the competition.”
And it is past time to restart the F-22 production line, although it is an air superority fighter, we’ll need more of them.
Thanks for the boondoggle ping. I agree that we need more F-22’s — and A-10’s for close air support.
Odd thing about the F22, when they are flying slow they play “tones”, they sound like a huge pipe organ, you can hear them for miles. WOOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEEEEE WAAAAAAAAAA...
Real design error if you ask me. Must be horrendous for the pilots, its the oddest thing to hear from the ground.
There was only one competing model, the Boeing X-32, which lost a performance shootout.
The X-32 had the distinction of being one of the ugliest aircraft in recent times and, given the times (1999-2000) was given the nickname, "Monica." See below.
The poor aircraft was both fat and ugly with an open orifice that, ahem, only a Clinton could love.