Tactical Air's Gloomy Future

[unhappycamper]

Tactical Air's Gloomy Future
Winslow Wheeler | November 09, 2009

The Defense Authorization bill just signed into law by President Obama pretends a bright future for the Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter. The program is fully funded, and Congress even added separate authority for the alternate GE engine, advice sure to be taken when the definitive DOD Appropriations bill is enacted later this year. Meanwhile, in the real world, the F-35 program continues to fall apart. The latest - but hardly last - shoe to drop is a new internal analysis (breathlessly refuted by Lockheed) that the cost growth stage for this airplane is just beginning.

Lockheed's refutation of the Joint Estimating Team (JET) analysis of cost growth and delays in the F-35 program borders on the hilarious: new computer aided design, simulation, and desk studies (un-validated by empirical testing) make cost growth in truly modern defense technology a thing of the past, they assert. Indeed, just like in DDG-1000, LCS, FCS, VH-71, etc., etc., etc.....

How pathetic.

Even sadder than Lockheed's desperate grasp for reasons to do nothing to fix the self-dismembering F-35 program is the fact that the future of Western combat aviation relies on it. The 2,456 models of it on order for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps will ultimately replace almost all tactical aircraft now in our inventory, except for the F-22, for which production beyond 187 aircraft was cancelled this past summer. Major allies, including Britain and much of the rest of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Israel have all made commitments to buy the aircraft. Sales to many others (there's a long list) are postulated, and those who do not intend to buy the F-35 will probably copy it to the extent their treasuries, government bureaucracies, and technological development permit.

Unfortunately, the F-35 is unaffordable, and it is a technological kluge that will be less effective than airplanes it replaces. It will undo our air forces and our allies', not help them.


Rest of article about this $239 million dollar wonder at: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,205499,00.html?wh=news



unhappycamper comment: This POS is even worse than the $70 million Osprey. Three times worse.

[SergeStorms]

1. We rail against bailing out banks and Wall Street..........

but very little is said about the corporate welfare our government heaps upon the defense industry. So much money is wasted on these "new and improved" implements of destruction, but Congress keeps throwing good money after bad to keep them afloat.

The United States has more than enough firepower at the moment to annihilate anyone even thinking of challenging us (except those with IEDs). Why the constant push to waste more money on programs that do little or nothing to add to our already bloated arsenal of futuristic weapons?

A few Congressmen with defense industry companies in their districts would be the answer to that, I suppose. :banghead:

Until this country changes it's outlook on life -and death- nothing will ever change. We'll forever be the neighborhood bully, ready to blow some third world country back into the stone age for looking cross-eyed at us (while our own citizens die of starvation and inadequate medical attention). America: dog shed it's grace on thee. :sarcasm:

[unhappycamper]

2. If you read this forum you'll see I agree with you. BTW,

welcome to DU. :hi:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. ah yes, the f35... just in time for the cold war

oh, wait... is that over?

wow, who knew?