The F-35 Critics vs. the Facts

American Thinker.com ^ | July 4, 2017 | Chet Richards

[Kaslin]

The people working on various aspects of the F-35 fighter program must be very frustrated. The program is still highly classified, so that much that is taking place within the program is simply not available for discussion. And yet, the F-35’s critics are baying and howling and often deliberately misrepresenting the program and its products.

The F-35 program is not one program. It is several. Its products are three different aircraft and several brand-new, and highly innovative, technologies. It provides quantum leaps in aviation technology in many different areas. Simultaneously achieving all these technical breakthroughs has obviously proved difficult. But that is not surprising -- it is the norm in innovative engineering.

The program is producing three very different aircraft: the F-35A is a conventional takeoff aircraft for the Air Force. The F-35B is a vertical takeoff and landing capable aircraft for the Marine Corps. The F-35C is a catapult takeoff and carrier landing aircraft for the Navy. From a distance, the aircraft look alike and inside they share much avionics and the core of the engine. But don’t be fooled. These are very different aircraft.

The F/A-18 Hornet and the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet also look like they are the same aircraft. But they are really two completely different aircraft. The Hornet was developed in the 1970s and was manufactured in the 1980s. The Super Hornet was developed in the 1990s and was in production after 2000. The Super Hornet is 20% larger, up to 15,000 pounds heavier, has 40% greater range and 50% greater endurance. They look alike simply because the Super Hornet borrowed excellent aerodynamic design from the Hornet. Time and money saved.

[zeestephen]

Re: As I recall, you can’t reach a $100,000 pay check until you get promoted to general.

Thanks for the update.

I see that a L.C. now tops out at $108,000.

And, a full colonel starts around $120,000.

I have a college friend who retired about 10 years ago as a full colonel with 30 years of service (Air Force - Intelligence).

As I recall, his pay ceiling was under $100,000.

I also recall, perhaps mistakenly, that officers used to be paid for the length of time at their grade, not their length of service.

[zeestephen]

Thanks for the comments, Red.

My “8 month” comment was specifically about Raqqa, in Syria, because I don't think the USA should be doing anything in Syria, except target ISIS and Al Qaeda leadership with drones and carrier aircraft.

I think Trump's cruise missile attack on Assad was bizarre.

Virtually all the public evidence for Assad's alleged chemical attacks can be sourced to anti-Assad organizations.

I agree with all your sentiments about recent USA involvement in the Middle East.

However, I did support the USA involvement by G.H.W. Bush in 1990 after Saddam invaded Kuwait.

I am also a life long Friend of Israel, and I would have no problem with the USA killing Palestinian leaders and destroying Hezbollah's 40,000 missiles in Lebanon.

[Redmen4ever]

No problem, zee.

Regarding doing nothing in Syria, etc. I don’t think Trump can go back in time and make that happen. He basically has to play the hand he inherited from his predecessors.

But, moving forward, doing nothing seems usually to be the winning idea.

[jpsb]

One plane to fulfill multiple roles? We should have learned our lesson with the F-111. The F-35 is a very expensive pig, we better hang on too our A10s’, F22s’, F15s’ and F18s’.