After Shocking Failures, F-35 Could be Long Gone by New Defense Chief

[SR-91]

The world’s most advanced and expensive multi-role fighter program could come short of the US Department of Defense (DOD) and Pentagon hopes, as years of weak development saw cost overruns and perpetual delays.Problems with design and computer systems made the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program even more frustrating; for thirteen years Pentagon has defended its position on the F-35, but it looks like now could be the right time to shift priorities.

Let’s look the truth in the eye: the overall cost of developing and purchasing the jets amounts to $400 billion while operating and maintenance costs are skyrocketing upwards of $1.5 trillion. And why have we not seen any positive outcomes yet?

The Lockheed-Martin F-35 was billed as the US Department of Defense’s “focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies.”

Moreover,the most expensive weapon in history lost to a 1970s-designed F-16 during a mock aerial dogfight last January.The Pentagon claimed that they would need exactly 2,443 combat F-35s, plus 14 development aircraft, to restrain and battle with potential military rivals like China. The question asks itself: the US, country with alternate number enemies from without, which sees threats lurking in almost from every corner, shouldn’t it reconsider the role F-35 plays in its defense?

Marine Corps commandant General Joseph F. Dunford, the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nominee, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the F-35 development and purchasing plan is under review.

“Until the analysis is complete, we need to pursue the current scheduled quantity (2,443 aircraft) buy to preclude creating an overall near-term tactical fighter shortfall,” said Dunford.

“The jet fighter lacks the sensors, weapons and speed that allow a warplane to reliably detect and shoot down other planes in combat. At least not compared to modern Chinese- and Russian-made jets?-?the planes the F-35 is most likely to face in battle in some future war,” said War is Boring report.

Recently the Australian military canceled plans to purchase the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter landing aircraft.

The United Kingdom’s former defense chief, Nick Harvey, criticized the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, saying “You could argue it was already one of the biggest white elephants in history a long time ago.”

US military and intelligence officials expressed concern over Russia’s PAK-FA fighter jet noting “It has greater agility with its combination of thrust vectoring, all moving tail surfaces, and excellent aerodynamic design, than does the F-35.”


After Shocking Failures, F-35 Could be Long Gone by New Defense Chief | idrw.org


Not a good news for US and its Allies, if true.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

'affordable' next generation aircraft costs the size of India's GDP for development and maintenance.

 

[That Guy]

It's too big to fail. The US has no choice but to follow through, as the alternative is far FAR worse.

 

[airmarshal]

'Affordable'???

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Marine Corps commandant General Joseph F. Dunford, the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nominee, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the F-35 development and purchasing plan is under review.

After Shocking Failures, F-35 Could be Long Gone by New Defense Chief | idrw.org

.

The article above originated on Sputnik.

But of course...
Dunford Says F-35 Fleet Size Under Review; Supports F-35 Buy « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

 

[Gufi]

An unrealistic portrayal of events. The American position is rather that the platform will evolve with time, can maintain air superiority and will be inducted in large numbers. Even if the jet is at par with other 5th generation fighters, just the sheer numbers that the American armed forces can deploy is something which other armies will find difficult to match in the foreseeable future.
Also platforms which are 4th generation can and probably will be upgraded as a stop gap till the F 35 is complete in its air dominance. 2400 planes will maintain a clear edge in numbers while also carrying technological advantages that are not disclosed. To judge the fighter as a failure is wrong, to call it a very expensive endeavour which had too much tinkering on the other hand is something that should be accepted
and I quote here
The prospective chairman calls the F-35 a “vital component of our effort to ensure the Joint Force maintains dominance in the air.” But there is a big but. He discloses that the requirement for the size of the fleet is being reviewed: “Given the evolving defense strategy and the latest Defense Planning Guidance, we are presently taking the newest strategic foundation and analyzing whether 2,443 aircraft is the correct number. Until the analysis is complete, we need to pursue the current scheduled quantity buy to preclude creating an overall near-term tactical fighter shortfall.”

(A source close to the program was comfortable with the need for review and said nothing has changed strategically enough to change the need for 2,443 planes.)

 

[C130]

'affordable' next generation aircraft costs the size of India's GDP for development and maintenance.

over it's entire life time of 55 years

'Affordable'???

early 2000s they was claiming the cost of F-35 would be $40 million

 

[Luca1]

And why is this news in Indian defense section. Does India have any tech that can help out F-35?

 

[macnurv]

It's too big to fail. The US has no choice but to follow through, as the alternative is far FAR worse.

Oh yeah where we have heard this before? And it never failed, right!
US putting all its faith in one jet to be used by all the different forces with different roles and requirements is a good idea to begin with, sure it shouldn't fail. But leave it to the fan boys who believe that it can not fail. The sooner it is get rid, the better it will be.

 

[That Guy]

Oh yeah where we have heard this before? And it never failed, right!
US putting all its faith in one jet to be used by all the different forces with different roles and requirements is a good idea to begin with, sure it shouldn't fail. But leave it to the fan boys who believe that it can not fail. The sooner it is get rid, the better it will be.

I don't think you understand the phrase. There is a reason why it's manufacturing plants are so wide spread. Lockheed Martin deliberately spread them out to almost all the US states, so they provide a ton of jobs everywhere, making the project a political issue, rather than just a military matter. LM is so damn greedy, they've trapped foreign buyers in their web of lies.

It's one of the biggest scams in history, and there is nothing the US gov can do about it.

 

[jhungary]

The world’s most advanced and expensive multi-role fighter program could come short of the US Department of Defense (DOD) and Pentagon hopes, as years of weak development saw cost overruns and perpetual delays.Problems with design and computer systems made the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program even more frustrating; for thirteen years Pentagon has defended its position on the F-35, but it looks like now could be the right time to shift priorities.

Let’s look the truth in the eye: the overall cost of developing and purchasing the jets amounts to $400 billion while operating and maintenance costs are skyrocketing upwards of $1.5 trillion. And why have we not seen any positive outcomes yet?

The Lockheed-Martin F-35 was billed as the US Department of Defense’s “focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapon systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies.”

Moreover,the most expensive weapon in history lost to a 1970s-designed F-16 during a mock aerial dogfight last January.The Pentagon claimed that they would need exactly 2,443 combat F-35s, plus 14 development aircraft, to restrain and battle with potential military rivals like China. The question asks itself: the US, country with alternate number enemies from without, which sees threats lurking in almost from every corner, shouldn’t it reconsider the role F-35 plays in its defense?

Marine Corps commandant General Joseph F. Dunford, the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nominee, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the F-35 development and purchasing plan is under review.

“Until the analysis is complete, we need to pursue the current scheduled quantity (2,443 aircraft) buy to preclude creating an overall near-term tactical fighter shortfall,” said Dunford.

“The jet fighter lacks the sensors, weapons and speed that allow a warplane to reliably detect and shoot down other planes in combat. At least not compared to modern Chinese- and Russian-made jets?-?the planes the F-35 is most likely to face in battle in some future war,” said War is Boring report.

Recently the Australian military canceled plans to purchase the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter landing aircraft.

The United Kingdom’s former defense chief, Nick Harvey, criticized the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, saying “You could argue it was already one of the biggest white elephants in history a long time ago.”

US military and intelligence officials expressed concern over Russia’s PAK-FA fighter jet noting “It has greater agility with its combination of thrust vectoring, all moving tail surfaces, and excellent aerodynamic design, than does the F-35.”


After Shocking Failures, F-35 Could be Long Gone by New Defense Chief | idrw.org


Not a good news for US and its Allies, if true.

Fake News, I knew after it mentioned this

Recently the Australian military canceled plans to purchase the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter landing aircraft.

The Australian Never Cancel any F-35B order as they HAD NOT ORDERED any. The "Cancel" is refer to the 2015 white paper rejecting the idea of buying F-35B and operate in RAN Canberra Class, reason? We did not have a mind to get the F-35B to begin with and the Canberra and Adelaide was designed WITHOUT the need of launching F-35B, the white paper reject the idea because if we are to buy F-35B and operate them on the 2 Canberra Class, they will have a huge associated cost with modification.

How can we cancel something we did not even thinking of ordering before? lol While all F--35 commitment to Australia are always F-35A for the Air Force?

That is how I knew this article is BS, with or without knowing it is from spuntik

 

[The_Sidewinder]

And why is this news in Indian defense section. Does India have any tech that can help out F-35?

I have the same question to the op.

Robin Lawley still fat & ugly

 

[anant_s]

I don't think you understand the phrase. There is a reason why it's manufacturing plants are so wide spread. Lockheed Martin deliberately spread them out to almost all the US states, so they provide a ton of jobs everywhere, making the project a political issue, rather than just a military matter. LM is so damn greedy, they've trapped foreign buyers in their web of lies.

It's one of the biggest scams in history, and there is nothing the US gov can do about it.

reminds one of F 104 story all over again.

 

[macnurv]

I don't think you understand the phrase. There is a reason why it's manufacturing plants are so wide spread. Lockheed Martin deliberately spread them out to almost all the US states, so they provide a ton of jobs everywhere, making the project a political issue, rather than just a military matter. LM is so damn greedy, they've trapped foreign buyers in their web of lies.

It's one of the biggest scams in history, and there is nothing the US gov can do about it.

I fully understand the word and its meaning, aren't big banks too big to fail as well? But yes, its nothing more than a scam but this one had put the whole of US air superiority at stake, can't believe a country such as US puts its fate in hands of such a incapable fighter.

 

[airmarshal]

To a non technical person like me, the reason for failure could be that airframes and technologies have matured to an extent that newer technologies are either redundant or just not applicable to current challenges.

From 1940s up until 1970s, the Cold War era was the time of greatest evolution of military technology. Think progress made from F-86 to F-104 to F-4 and then F-16. In each decade there was different plane and each plane a generation ahead from the previous iteration.

The evolution of airframe and related technologies has been such that it has been almost 4 decades now and there has been no new platform except newer version of the older platforms.

The Cold War was an era where airplanes were developed with contemporary and very much tangible threat in front. The F-35 is being developed seeking that threat, without one being present.