Off topic: More on America’s worst plane ever: The F-35
Apologies to readers of this blog. I know this has nothing to do with the EMF issue but it is relevant to a book I am writing on the revolving door between US government agencies (including FCC, EPA, the Pentagon, etc.) and corporate America. The F-35 may be the worst plane ever to attempt getting off the ground, with massive problems and cost blow-outs but it is a great financial success for the corporations building the thing. For them, the money just keeps rolling in as they keep on finding problems then and charging the US Government and taxpayer to fix it – and on and on it goes.
And then there are the senior military officers and some congressmen with vested interests in continuing to keep the F-35 project alive for their own benefit, such as getting a plush job with a corporate military contractor after retirement. No wonder why the US deficit is in the order of $17 trillion dollars with the Pentagon now wanting a budget of $1 trillion to pay the corporations to upgrade all their weapons systems.
The author of the below article concludes with a question: “Can someone tell me why we”™re building this thing?” This is the answer….
Meanwhile, Australia patiently waits for its massive F-35 order to be filled.
Don
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From the war-is-boring blog.
For America”™s F-35 Stealth Fighter, the Best Case Is Still “¦ Bad
Excerpt:
by DAN WARD
Forget the enormous cost overruns.
Excuse the epic schedule delays.
Overlook the disturbing performance limitations.
Let”™s assume the Pentagon somehow comes up with enough money to pay for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Suppose further the F-35 eventually passes all its test and evaluation milestones and the appropriate authorities make the appropriate Initial Operational Capability and Final Operational Capability declarations.
Let”™s imagine a future in which the various services have patiently waited long enough to finally take ownership of their respective fleets, totaling some 2400+ aircraft, allowing the Pentagon to retire the F-16, A-10, F-18 and AV-8. And maybe the F-15 and F-22, as well.
Let”™s also assume our allies get their stealth fighters too, replacing whatever old jets they”™re currently flying. While we”™re on a roll, why not assume our adversaries don”™t make any hostile moves that would require a JSF-based response before we”™re ready, and that no new threats or technologies emerge which would render the JSF obsolete or irrelevant.
Let”™s assume everything works out in JSF-land and things go as well as they possibly can.
Despite these optimistic assumptions, this best case scenario for the F-35 still contains a rather significant flaw, an elephantine turd in the proverbial punchbowl.
SNIP
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