Lockheed's F-35 Fighter Makes Successful Test Fligh

[davepc]

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, the largest U.S. weapons program ever, successfully completed its first test flight, which may help pave the way for foreign sales of the aircraft.

After a five-year development effort, the Lockheed-built F- 35 completed a 35-minute flight under Chief Pilot Jon Beesley at 1:19 p.m. local time today in Fort Worth, Texas, Lockheed spokesman Thomas Jurkowsky said in a phone interview.

Only half of the eight international partners working on the plane with the U.S. have signed an agreement that provides a 40-year business framework that may result in the sale of about 745 aircraft. Canada, Australia, the U.K. and the Netherlands have agreed, and Italy, Turkey, Denmark and Norway are expected to sign by the end of the year.

...

Lockheed, the world's biggest defense contractor, won a $19 billion development award in October 2001. It was then known as the Joint Strike Fighter. The Pentagon estimates the total cost to develop and produce the aircraft at $276 billion. The eight U.S. allies had pledged more than $4.5 billion to help develop the jet, in return for the right to buy it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=abNFG..Go5Ik&refer=canada

[formercia]

1. and the insurgents whup our butts

with a cheap AK-47 and even cheaper IED's.

[Sherman A1]

2. Well,

there is that pesky little fact, but gee golly these planes are just soooooo sexy....... Must spend more and more money on Air Dominance (even though we have yet to see Al Qaeda's Air Force arrive on the scene).

[RC]

3. Conservative means 'stay the course'

Nothing has changed for them. The cold war is still going on.
There can be no peace as long as these sociopaths are allowed to roam free.