this is why the defense budget is a sacred cow

[ProblemAgain]

This Map Shows Why The F-35 Has Turned Into A Trillion-Dollar Fiasco

By Jeremy Bender, Armin Rosen and Skye Gould August 19, 2014 10:53 AM

The Pentagon has stuck with the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter program despite dozens of technical problems and delays, strategic concerns, and massive cost overruns that have nearly doubled the initial cost estimate, raising the cost of building the planes to around $400 billion with a lifetime cost of up to $1.5 trillion.

One reason why the project has become such a boondoggle is that many states and countries are significantly invested in the plane, relying on its production for income and jobs.

Every U.S. state but Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Wyoming has economic ties to the F-35, with 18 states counting on the project for $100 million or more in economic activity, according to primary contractor Lockheed Martin. All told, the project is supposedly responsible for 32,500 jobs in the U.S.  Globally, another nine countries have major ties to the F-35.

One way or another, America's multirole fifth generation fighter is coming — though it was most recently delayed to September 2017.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Ct.G5K.t7V_ea6ibZystFg--/YXBwaWQ9e...

[LoveLife&Laughter]

Unlike the F-22, the F-35 comes in several different flavors, NAVY and AIR FORCE.

[exedir]

L3, that is why it is called, "Joint" strike fighter.

Question is, what does it do?, the F-35 that is.  It is the projection of what is the most advanced technology and weaponry available and to be developed, an it is to be developed that is key as to how the money is spread around, and it will, that's politics.  

What is interesting is the Chinese have taken the design and some of the technology, mostly of it hacked, and have put together an airframe designated the J20.  Though looks can be deceiving,  the J20 airframe can be as much as decoy as it is a reality,  The Chinese are years away and going to be hard pressed to match the engine technology and engineering, much less fabrication of the US to challenge the performance of either the F-22 or F-35.

And of course, the war on terrorism does not require a F-22 or F-35, a variant of the A10 and/or a C130 gunship is more appropriate, and much cheaper by the kill, just saying....,  

[ProblemAgain]

but the a10 or the c130 would be much less profitable.......and when is the defense department going to actually require contractors to justify their cost overruns and justify their failure to deliver upon their contracts. essentially they end  up with no fault and no penalty contracts since they never get called to account.

[exedir]

Profits are only part of the economic equation of military spending, what is waste to some while to others it is vital and sustain incomes.  And that is the conundrum when talking about government spending, any government spending.  Is it an income for those that work because of the program, or is it the outcome and results that is the most vital?     

As to military spending, history says, both.

[LoveLife&Laughter]

Let's discuss a little bit of reality.  As I understand it, that is ...

These "modern" weapons, planes, ships, subs, and artillery, all rely on satellites which provide us with our gps and the military with the "same" but more accurate technology. China has already demonstrated their ability to shoot down our satellites, as have we, any time.

We should have just kept the warthogs and the frigates, the new stuff can't do any better. Although my new gps does work a lot better then my old one.

[exedir]

They have and it created a mess of debris that has and continues to cause trouble for other satellites to avoid, which might have been what they intended the first place.  

As to GPS they could take out the system but with great difficulty as there 30 or so that make up the capability of which some are specifically for military purposes.  In fact the military is process to add a new series of ultra-sensitive satellites to refine and replace prior capabilities.  

It is interesting that as technologies within only a few decades, both GPS and the Internet are irreplaceable to sustain modern life as we know it.... 

[LoveLife&Laughter]

As far as the modern military goes, it doesn't just sustain, they are completely dependent.

F-35's etc. are great for air shows etc., but in a first class conflict with modern industrialized countries the first thing to go will be the satellites.  Should take only ~1/2 hour or so ...

I know that's what we're going to do.

BTW, did you see the movie "Gravity" and my latest big crush Sandra Bullock?