How many hundreds of billions will be skimmed by the MIC oligarchs who will be doing most of the maintenance?
Don’t let Elon near this vital weapon system. It’s the only thing keeping the Soviets at bay.
If the flying Moon pig is the only thing between us and the erstwhile Soviet union, we were screwed anyway.
Isn’t the F-22 Raptor a better plane?
I spent a career in defense. The problem with every system is once it’s funded everyone jumps on it to convert it to the thing “they” need.
Soviets? Where have you been?
Agree. One of the worst platforms ever.
Why do we even need it? We won’t be fighting any NATO countries and we’ve all been told that Russia and China make sub standard aircraft.
“And manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway.”
Manned fighter jets are going to be with us for a long time.
Oh yeah. You can count on the Russian news company, Sputnik, to provide a full and logical evaluation of one of America’s premier weapon systems. Sheesh!
Maybe now we can finally junk this monstrosity and go back to specialized aircraft to do specific things.
Ah yes...the mighty F35. That the leadership of the AF and the DoD state is the proper replacement for close air support and will replace the A-10.....
Iran Says It Destroyed Israel’s F-35 Fleet. Israel Disagrees. January 16, 2025
How Israel foiled Iran’s ballistic missiles as they headed to an F-35 airbase 4-24
F-35 Stealth Defeated by Unknown Russia/Iran Radar Nov 1, 2024 ...Back in April, the Russians and Iranians mapped the entire Israeli and coalition air defense network (see Iran’s drone strategy to map Israeli air defense), paving the way for Iran’s successful October 1 missile swarm attack. Rest assured the Israelis and Americans, who are no slouches, collected data on the Russians and Iranians on October 25/26. They are now going through that data with a fine-tooth comb, analyzing the Russian and Iranian capabilities.
Israeli Airstrike Falters as F-35 Adir Locked On by Iranian Air Defense Radar
The Only Problem with Israel’s F-35I Adir Is Not Having Enough Stealth Fighters 34 seconds ago
“It’s the only thing keeping the Soviets at bay.”
Your Cold War mentality is showing.
Lots of drones being used in the Ukraine war: small ones drop one pound of explosives on attacking soldiers (instead of artillery) and big drones can do what missiles can do but on a smaller scale, but a lot cheaper.
And those kids playing videogames in the basement could be retrained to direct the drones.
Its too bad they made the ‘22 so expensive.
I thin some of the fault are with the idiots at the DOD who come up with the bid specifications that are over the top and are not even logical or practical. You just can’t get a total all in one plane that do all they want the F-35 to do.
Back in 1955 the CIA and Air Force wanted a Spy plane. They went to Lockheed and gave them the job, The legendary Skunk Works department designed and built the U2 in 18 months and it was approved. That is the kind of can do engineering we need now. And they did it all with Slide Rules.
I don’t pretend to know much of anything about military matters, but just as a matter of common sense, it seems like thousands upon thousands of cheap, fast, highly maneuverable drones are going to be a better bet than a few hundred extremely expensive airplanes that require highly skilled pilots on-board.
And, from my work experience and passion for aviation, I know that the F-35 will be around for a long time and will continue to improve, while doing things that no other aircraft can do as well as it can.
That is the nature of these things and with every aircraft in our inventory. All hated and highly criticized at first, but then and now they are the world standard that others try to emulate and beat. Same for the F-35, as “confirmed” by this article and the comments to it.
A plane that had to be everything to everybody? Isn’t that what made the F-111 a failure? It’s not like this mistake has never been made before. The government was just not paying off the media as much before.