Posted on 01/27/2016 3:01:44 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The F-35 is an absolute disaster, and it needs to go. The scandals around it are legion.
The supersonic stealth plane called F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was supposed to be the greatest and best military plane the world has ever seen. While the United States' stealthy F-22 is an "air superiority" plane, ensuring the country's dominance over the skies, which is why exporting it is illegal, the F-35 was supposed to be able to do everything, and be the standard fighter-bomber of the U.S. and most countries with which the U.S. has friendly relations. It was supposed to be stealthy, to be able take off and land vertically, and to know everything about everything thanks to its amazing software and sensors. It can't do any of those things so far.
The program has cost $1.3 trillion so far. By comparison, the Apollo Program, which actually sent people to the moon, cost about $170 billion in 2005 dollars. The F-35 is literally the most expensive military project in history. By 2014, the program was $163 billion over budget, and seven years behind schedule.
From the beginning the F-35 was practically designed to be a horrendous boondoggle. First, there was the idea to make just one plane that would fit every service branch's needs. The Marines wanted a vertical takeoff and landing plane that could bomb things on the ground. The Navy wanted a carrier-borne plane. The Air Force wanted a plane that could shoot other planes.
The original "Joint Strike Fighter" program, from which the F-35 grew, started out in the early 1990s. The goal was to replace most of the country's Cold War era fighters and bombers, including the F-16, the F-18, the A-10, and the AV-8B. The problem with this approach is that it lead to design by committee
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
The U.S. Army does not want the Air Force’s fleet of A-10 attack planes, even if it would save the venerable Cold War-era aircraft from the bone yard
http://dodbuzz.com/2015/02/25/army-not-interested-in-taking-a-10-warthogs-from-air-force/
“Run of the mill F-16s eat it for lunch in a dog fight.”
When I was in tech school back in 80 I remember a poster of the F16 turning ratio compared to other aircraft. It was astounding. I still believe today you take a run of the mill F15/16 and put it against East block systems and they will still be far superior.
Then you get an F22 and throw everything into a tizz. We were better off building another 200 or so F22’s, sending a couple of dozen to Israel and South Korea and tensions would quickly deescalate.
They supposedly stored the F-22 tooling after production ceased but maybe gone now. Don’t know. Australia would buy F22s all day long.
Happy BRRRRRRRRTTTTT-day to me, Happy BRRRRRRRRTTTTT-day to me.....
All hail corporate welfare.
“A camel is a horse designed by committee.”
I think that’s supposed to be weaselzippers rather than weaselzappers. I’ve heard of the former but not the latter.
The Marine Corps offered the Air force the same deal.
..The Marine Corps offered the Air force the same deal...
And, the Marines actually have an air arm.
What does it say when the only guys who want to keep them are the ones that the A10s are flying over giving them close air support with a 30mm Gatling gun.
The Air Force runs on Air force time. When I was in the Corps we spent many hours on the tarmac waiting for Air Force transports only be told that the transports were not coming. We never had that problem when we were using Marine C 130s. They would there waiting for us.
.. Told...the transports were not coming. We never had that problem when we were using Marine C 130s. They would there waiting for us...
Marines never forget their own.
Coffee pot was broke. Can’t make mission without coffee.
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