Posted on 09/14/2020 11:12:10 AM PDT by cba123
On the one hand, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is the arguably the most lethal and versatile aircraft of the modern era. Three unique variants have been produced so that the aircraft can fit the needs of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps. It is an agile aircraft that has radar-jamming abilities, supersonic speed and stealth capabilities. It has been widely adopted by American allies and partners and could remain in service well into the 2070s.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-35-stealth-fighter-now-costs-less-boeings-f-15ex-168848?amp
When the F-35 retires in the 2070s, the B-52 will be there to do the flyby ceremony. :)
It only costs less when playing funny with the numbers, such as claiming a lower number of aircraft for the F-15EX and a larger number for the F-35, or claiming unrealistic maintenance costs.
>>On the one hand, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is the arguably the most lethal and versatile aircraft of the modern era<<
On paper.
Get it in the sky and it just shoots itself down.
Operational costs?
Maintenance?
The JSF project was an effort to turn US defense budget funds into to bribe money for defense lobbyists on a massive scale.
The production of a flight-worthy airframe, while not unwelcome, is incidental to the process.
Since we are $160 Trillion in debt & our living stanards will be plummeting in the next few decades, this is as relevant as how many hairs are on someoe’s head.
Strap one bomb on the jet and there goes your stealth.
Cost-per-unit driven by foreign military sales. More sales, less cost per jet. . . . .build one and the cost is astronomical because all the R&D and testing and development, retooling manufacturing lines to make the item. . .all rolled into one jet. More jets sold, cost for R&D, testing and development and retooling the manufacturing facility is spread over thousands of jets and the cost is reduced.
Strike Eagle is the most versatile and can carry heavier and more diverse A/G and A/A loads than the JSF.
Like the F-111, designed for all services. . .you end up with mediocre products.
IMHO, of course.
F-35 has proven itself in combat with the IDF. So actual performance is not just theoretical.
Clinging to the F-15 is like pining for the Phantoms when the Eagles first came out.
Utter nonsense. I'll take 2 F-22s over 10 F-35s any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Likely the first idea the F-35 pilots would have that they had encountered the F-22s is when they got missile lock warnings. "Oh, I guess they're here!"
The F-35’s “stealth” was never anything to write home about to begin with. Since the program was designed to be shared with partners around the world right from the start, the only stealth technology that was ever put into it was what the entire world already knew about.
There’s a reason we continue to refuse to let even our closest allies touch a B-2 or an F-22. But we’ll happily hand them F-35s all day. At least, for those foolish enough to buy them.
I know the AF COL who flew the last F-111 to the one yard... cira 2003/4 time frame. He was serving in Nato Brussels at the and was flow back to do thd honors.
Not sure how they got the costs for the F-15EX, go to:
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/84/documents/FY20/PROCUREMENT/FY20_PB_3010_Aircraft_Vol-1.pdf?ver=2019-03-18-152821-713
Then go to page 69 or 324:
“Appropriation / Budget Activity / Budget Sub Activity:
3010F: Aircraft Procurement, Air Force / BA 01: Combat Aircraft / BSA 3: Tactical Forces”
Total cost per jet: $98.238 million per jet. . .
“Appropriation / Budget Activity / Budget Sub Activity:
3010F: Aircraft Procurement, Air Force / BA 01: Combat Aircraft / BSA 3: Tactical Forces”
Page 55 of 324
Total cost per jet: $131.518 million
Probably more recent info but out of time for now (getting back to work, telecon coming up).
JSF cost a heck of a lot more per jet than the F-15EX
Completion, LM won the competition. They over-promised and were caught.
Thanks for posting and to all posters. Interesting. Many years ago, a co-worker told me her son was test piloting the JSF in Florida. I looked it up, but haven’t paid much attention to it since then. I haven’t seen her in at least 5 years. Thanks to Gordon and all who are serving, all who have served and all who will serve in the future.
Why don’t you explain, please?
F15-EX
what is that
Post 14 for cost data. F-15ES way less costly than JSF.
Strap one bomb on it and stealth “disappears.” Can’t haul enough freight to perform deep strike.
Way reduced A/G load, and needs to strap external missiles for A/A and also stealth disappears.
Can’t do CAS very well, can’t do multiple passes and doesn’t have a gun like the GAU-8.
Other than that, it’s a fine jet, IMHO.
Yes, and for the B-2 and F-22, and the original budget/legislation for those products prohibited foreign sales of those jets.
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