Always fighting the last war

[there4eyeM]

"Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Friday grounded the F-35 fighter jet due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California.

The Pentagon said in a statement that it was too early to assess the impact on the fleet of jets designed for use by the Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system. It is currently being tested.

The program has been beset by cost overruns and various technical problems during development.

Currently, there are 51 planes in the F-35 fleet."

What a wonderfully absurd example of the grotesque lengths to which our money has gone for ridiculous things. $400,000,000,000.00 for fifty one planes that are now grounded? This makes the 'Volt' look like a very cheap deal!
Seriously, it would have been much cheaper, for example, to develop a compact anti-aircraft missile that every soldier could carry that would sweep the skies of enemy planes and let our 'old' ones fly without challenge. But the thinking is always 'more, bigger, expensive'. Like aircraft carriers, this type of project is spectacular, but it is dubious that they assure victory in 'the next war'.

 

[Sunni Man]

The are always unseen problems that occur during the development stage of any product.

btw No hand carried anti-aircraft missile would have the range to even come close to shooting down an F-35

 

[there4eyeM]

$400,000,000,000.00 for this? Over one hundred dollars per US citizen? And it doesn't even work correctly?

Of course, many people made a lot of money on the project, and I'm sure those government dollars trickled down in an equitable fashion.

 

[Sunni Man]

The F-35 is the world's only 5th generation international mulitrrole fighter jet.

And gives the U.S. a huge technological edge over every other fighter fielded by any nation.

 

[there4eyeM]

The F-35 is the world's only 5th generation international mulitrrole fighter jet.

And gives the U.S. a huge technological edge over every other fighter fielded by any nation.

Until the day after tomorrow.

All these dearly-bought high-tech systems are soon yesterday's news (or merely copied). Simple and numerous (and much cheaper!) is often the answer in this age of 'asymmetric conflict'.

When people talk about government hand-outs, this sort of thing needs to be vetted as well.

 

[Sunni Man]

^^^ Are you psychic?

If so, then please post tomorrows winning lottery numbers.........

 

[there4eyeM]

If seeing the obvious makes one 'psychic'.

As for the lottery, all the winning numbers will be between one and one hundred.

Good luck!

 

[Sunni Man]

Maybe you are right.

The money would be better spent on food stamps, housing, medical, and free college tuition, for illegals.

 

[there4eyeM]

Neither right nor left, a bad deal should be easy to recognize for anyone.

I think that's correct.

 

[Sunni Man]

The F-35 shows that the U.S. is still #1 in technology and innovation.

And all Americans should be proud of this achievement...........

 

[there4eyeM]

I think the true next generation of combat aircraft won't even have people in them.

 

[KissMy]

We now have HAARP, Laser Weapons, laser missile defense, drones & cyber war. All conventional war toys are obsolete by comparison, in battle & in reality.

 

[dadsgm]

"Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Friday grounded the F-35 fighter jet due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California.

The Pentagon said in a statement that it was too early to assess the impact on the fleet of jets designed for use by the Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system. It is currently being tested.

The program has been beset by cost overruns and various technical problems during development.

Currently, there are 51 planes in the F-35 fleet."

What a wonderfully absurd example of the grotesque lengths to which our money has gone for ridiculous things. $400,000,000,000.00 for fifty one planes that are now grounded? This makes the 'Volt' look like a very cheap deal!
Seriously, it would have been much cheaper, for example, to develop a compact anti-aircraft missile that every soldier could carry that would sweep the skies of enemy planes and let our 'old' ones fly without challenge. But the thinking is always 'more, bigger, expensive'. Like aircraft carriers, this type of project is spectacular, but it is dubious that they assure victory in 'the next war'.

Such naive thinking based upon an article appearing in the news. Of course they were grounded for obvious safety reason. The introduction of new equipment from tanks to planes to aircraft carriers will always undergo a shakedown in their first few years of use. testing prior to fielding cannot and never will mimic the actual use of the equipment in a field environment. Your idea of a 'compact anti-aircraft missle, which every soldier would carry is rediculous. Once the missle is fired how do the soldiers replace the munition? There will be a mass need for manufacturing and a logistics nigtmare to resupply immediatly . Your naive thinking and short-sightedness is exactly what gets us into trouble whn the military is called upon to perform its mission. In the Gulf Wars and Afganistan there were/are shortages of personnel (that is why so many personnel have multiple repeat tours of duty) and shortages of equipment necessary to the mission (remember the shortage of body armor and the need to up-armor the HUMVEES to potect from explosions). It is that shortsightedness and unwilling ness to fund the military for the intended mission/strategic plan which gets us into trouble and results in huge military personnel losses.

 

[there4eyeM]

"Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. military on Friday grounded the F-35 fighter jet due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California.

The Pentagon said in a statement that it was too early to assess the impact on the fleet of jets designed for use by the Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The nearly $400 billion Joint Strike Fighter is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system. It is currently being tested.

The program has been beset by cost overruns and various technical problems during development.

Currently, there are 51 planes in the F-35 fleet."

What a wonderfully absurd example of the grotesque lengths to which our money has gone for ridiculous things. $400,000,000,000.00 for fifty one planes that are now grounded? This makes the 'Volt' look like a very cheap deal!
Seriously, it would have been much cheaper, for example, to develop a compact anti-aircraft missile that every soldier could carry that would sweep the skies of enemy planes and let our 'old' ones fly without challenge. But the thinking is always 'more, bigger, expensive'. Like aircraft carriers, this type of project is spectacular, but it is dubious that they assure victory in 'the next war'.

Such naive thinking based upon an article appearing in the news. Of course they were grounded for obvious safety reason. The introduction of new equipment from tanks to planes to aircraft carriers will always undergo a shakedown in their first few years of use. testing prior to fielding cannot and never will mimic the actual use of the equipment in a field environment. Your idea of a 'compact anti-aircraft missle, which every soldier would carry is rediculous. Once the missle is fired how do the soldiers replace the munition? There will be a mass need for manufacturing and a logistics nigtmare to resupply immediatly . Your naive thinking and short-sightedness is exactly what gets us into trouble whn the military is called upon to perform its mission. In the Gulf Wars and Afganistan there were/are shortages of personnel (that is why so many personnel have multiple repeat tours of duty) and shortages of equipment necessary to the mission (remember the shortage of body armor and the need to up-armor the HUMVEES to potect from explosions). It is that shortsightedness and unwilling ness to fund the military for the intended mission/strategic plan which gets us into trouble and results in huge military personnel losses.

Totally off the mark as a response to the post.

First, it is misspending that is criticized, not all spending.

The (sic) 'missle' idea was noted as only an example, not proposed as a solution.

$400,000,000,000.00 should provide a fully perfected product. It is scandalous that any weapons system cost so much without being absolutely needed, viable and effective.

Any naiveté is on the part of those who believe spending in this way significantly protects American interests.

As pointed out, this surely profited some very much, but the rest of us, probably not.

 

[longknife]

If it's a rinky0dink product that constantly breaks down - it was probably built in a union shop!!!

 

[there4eyeM]

If it's a rinky0dink product that constantly breaks down - it was probably built in a union shop!!!

Yeah, because union workers lost WWII.

I've never belonged to a union, but this gratuitous denigration is contemptible. How is it that some people think business organizing is good and worker organizing is bad?

 

[longknife]

If it's a rinky0dink product that constantly breaks down - it was probably built in a union shop!!!

Yeah, because union workers lost WWII.

I've never belonged to a union, but this gratuitous denigration is contemptible. How is it that some people think business organizing is good and worker organizing is bad?

Tweeked a bit are we?

 

[there4eyeM]

If it's a rinky0dink product that constantly breaks down - it was probably built in a union shop!!!

Yeah, because union workers lost WWII.

I've never belonged to a union, but this gratuitous denigration is contemptible. How is it that some people think business organizing is good and worker organizing is bad?

Tweeked a bit are we?

We? Are you? How many are you? Speak for whom you wish except for me.

 

[Swagger]

The F-35 shows that the U.S. is still #1 in technology and innovation.

And all Americans should be proud of this achievement...........

The F-35 is a collaboration between the U.S. and the UK. And it faces stiff competition from the Eurofighter.

 

[there4eyeM]

The F-35 shows that the U.S. is still #1 in technology and innovation.

And all Americans should be proud of this achievement...........

The F-35 is a collaboration between the U.S. and the UK. And it faces stiff competition from the Eurofighter.

And what percentage of $400,000,000,000.00 did the Eurofighter (flying in airforces since 2003 I believe) cost?