Joint Strike Fighter: The Latest Hotspot in the U.S. Defense Meltdown

Center For Defense Information (CDI) ^ | September 8, 2008 | Pierre M. Sprey and Winslow T. Wheeler

[MindBender26]

Center for Defense Information =
Far left lobbying cabal in DC

[Menehune56]

Definitely on the Obama hit list. Does anyone know what McCain’s track record is on this program? It has huge Fort Worth implications.

[A.A. Cunningham]

CDI is staffed by inept buffoons many of whom were former commissioned officers in the US military.

[Red6]

Cold War ended 1989, one would hope the the defense budget is greater than before then in absolute dollars not adjusted for inflation, seeing how inflation on average devalues currency by 50% over 20 years.

This article isn't even worth reading. Out of context, shocking words, and the rest of the typical hype and sensationalist crap these idiots write. All that matter is that you have a “cool sounding name.” You have lots of these experts in the field of politics/policy, defense, and environmentalism. They basically make a living by gossiping.

[Mr Rogers]

This is embarrassing to read. The F-35 is in trouble because the F-111 - in the mid-60s - had problems? Our fighters are bad because they use radar, and these dimwits think we’re likely to return to dogfighting? There is a problem because it ‘only’ carries 2 2000# bombs internally - more than a 111 and obviously with enough room to carry plenty of the smaller bombs?

This is pre-Vietnam analysis applied to a cutting edge fighter in 2008.

It is stupid.

[Blood of Tyrants]

I think that before we shoot the messenger, we should examine the message. Is the F-35 going to be all that they claim or is it going to be a boondoggle?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

After all O bama wants to scrap our " un -proven " missile defense system and take that money and give to the poor.
The Robin hood mentality.

[WaterBoard]

With factual errors like this:

"Ask the pilots of the two 'stealthy' F-117s that the Serbs successfully attacked with radar missiles in the 1999 Kosovo air war."

It calls into question the whole article.

The USAF only lost one F-117 -- not two.

The reason for loss ranged from flight paths/times being given to the Serbs by a French officer assigned to NATO to aircraft malfunction.

The USAF pilot managed to eject safely and was rescued by helicopter. Surely, the rescue helo was less stealthy and more exposed than the F-117 to Serb 'radar missiles'. Why wasn't it also 'shot down'?

[ravingnutter]

When the first official cost and quantity estimate for the F-35 showed up on Capitol Hill in 2001, the Department of Defense (DoD) predicted 2,866 units for USD226 billion. That is a not inconsiderable USD79 million for each aircraft. The latest official estimate is for a smaller number of aircraft (2,456) to cost more (USD299 billion)

Well, duh...like any bulk purchase, the more you buy, the bigger the discount.

[GLH3IL]

Ok, interesting read. What to experienced, competent, technology-savvy, combat-experienced pilots think?

If they say its a mutt, then it is. If they say it’s too early to tell, then there needs to be patience about this project. If they say it’s a viable program with significant benefits to our war fighting capability then build the damned things.

We could easily afford just about anything we want to afford IF we would get earmarks and enetitlment spending under control.

[bmwcyle]

Every military system has problems. Usually they don’t work correctly until they are deployed. All the systems used in Gulf War One had a hit piece on 60 Minutes Sunday show as a failure. They all worked very well.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" Definitely on the Obama hit list. Does anyone know what McCain’s track record is on this program? It has huge Fort Worth implications. "

If any one who does not believe that Obama wants to make America weak and venerable of attacks from our enemies, are those who try explain away and give Obama the benefit of the double that he didn't mean what he said " if you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig ". or do not believe that Obama is a Muslim of the worse kind when he said " My Muslim Faith " and had to have George Step to correct him in a futile attempt of damage control and then reminded him " My Christian Faith " ...

[Red6]

“The F-35 is a bad deal that shows every sign of turning into a disaster as big as the F-111 fiasco of the 1960s.”

LOL, The F35 shows every sign that like the F16 it will become the most successful fighter built in the West. From the get go: Great Britain, Netherlands, Italy, Norway, USMC, USAF, USN, Australia, Denmark, Canada, Turkey, and probably many many more over the next years will procure this plane. It will be built in volume like no other Western fighter AND will deliver bang for the buck like no other. It is nearly on schedule, and nearly on cost, and these people are screaming fire in the theater. While these experts are screaming doom, NG is already rolling the first **production** fuselages from the line. Where do they come up with this stuff? I guess it has to be in color, use shocking words and be controversial to make the news or grab anyones attention nowadays.

[oldsalt]

With a payload of only two 2,000 lb bombs in its bomb bay – far less than US Vietnam-era fighters – the F-35 is hardly a first-class bomber...

It doesn't need more.As an old aviation fire control tech I am keenly aware of the quantum improvement in weapons delivery since Vietnam.

We used to load every ounce of ordnance a plane could carry to sort of "shotgun" a target.That's not needed now...something these yahoos apparently don't understand.

[DariusBane]

This reminds me of the mid 80’s 60 min. expose of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. They pronounced it underpowered, under armored, flammable, immobile and impotent.

The Bradley developed to be Fast, Mobile, and the main Gun lethal beyond expectation actually penetrating the turret ring of T-55 tanks at 1000 meters.

[Tallguy]

Pierre Spey was involved in the development of the F-16 & A-10. 2 very successful programs. I don’t dismiss his criticism lightly. I only hope that he’s far enough removed from the F-35 project that his criticism is wrong.

[Camel Joe]

Aside from the fact that this bird can drop “smart” ordinance which even to me suggests it would not need to carry as much. I also think it has the capability to slow down enough to hit its target, oh and also land if it needed to. I won't take anything away from the new A-10c but they are certainly mutually exclusive in their mission roles.

[zek157]

No, it has the same poor lift ratio as the POS F-105.

If we are not returning to dogfighting why do we need a MANNED fighter?

[Yo-Yo]

The last tri-service, tri-mission "fighter" the US built, the F-111,

Tri-service? I know that McNanumbnuts and his Whizzed-on Kids tried to saddle the Navy with an overweight, underperforming, sorry excuse for a Fleet Defense Fighter in the F-111B. But, I'm sorry, I don't recall the Marine Corps ever being part of the TFX program.

As for tri-mission, I don't recall the F-111 ever being used or contemplated for use as a close air support aircraft.

It was a deep-penetration, precision, all-weather tactical strike aircraft in F-111A, -C, -D, -E and -F form, and a strategic nuclear bomber in FB-111A form.