Air force modernization among 2nd tier nations is a long-standing problem facing the US and our allies. As time goes foward, so does technology and the aquisition of advanced fighters by countries we don't necessarily invite to Christmas parties.
One of the bigger problems being much of the US fighter inventory is made up of designs many decades old only still in service due to modernization upgrades. While some remain in service being the best suited to their tasks like the A-10 others wont be able to compete against newer designs being deployed even now for much longer.
And the USAF has to deal with the F-35 Lighting II, that is a failure in many people´s opinion. That replacement for the old planes makes it just worse.
$1.5 trillion (with a 'T') for that pos over 10 years.
You mean just for the development of the Lighting II?
"The United States Navy is simply not into the F-35 Stealth Fighter manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). The fighter is beautiful crafted aircraft, so why is the Navy not attracted?
The F-22 Raptor stealth fighter and the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters are now active in the United States Air Force, Marine Corp. and Navy. The United States military has bragging rights of having the largest fleet of fifth generation stealth jets around the globe. But these bragging right may be premature and short lived.
The F-22 stopped production in 2012, but there is still a line for thousands of F035s to be made and awaiting purchase. The Pentagon plans to purchase over 2,400 F035 for all branches of the armed forces, from Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). This program can cost upwards to 1.5 trillion dollars.
One problem is that the F-35s is only stealth when the aircraft is not full. When filled to capacity, the F-35 can carry about 3,000 pounds and an addition 15,000 pounds on the winds, but this extra weight makes the aircraft vulnerable to radar. To be fully stealth, the craft can only be loaded with weapons that are 17% of the full capacity and this is a huge problem for the Navy.
The Pentagon says that the next step may not include any stealths.
Jon Greenert, the chief of naval operations was quoted in saying that stealth may be overrated and not worth the expense of 1.5 trillion dollars. He continued to say that stealth is not the same as invisible because if something generates heat when disrupting molecules in the air, it will be detected.
China already has technology that can detect F-35s from a distance ranging between 240 and 360 miles. If this is true, then any advantage that stealth technology had is now voided.
This lack of enthusiasm from the United States Navy could have Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) facing a drop in revenue, to the tune of a 9.2 billion dollar loss."
Lockheed Martin Corporation NYSE LMT Loses Navy Attention
