The new billion dollar 5th Generation Fighter isn't living up to the hype.
In another example of the money pit our Military Industrial Complex has become comes this report on the newest, toughest and, incidentally, most expensive fighter program to date:
Durability testing of the F-35A, the Air Force’s version of the plane designed to take off and land on conventional runways, and the F-35B, the Marine Corps’ model that can take off like a plane and land like a helicopter, revealed “significant findings” of cracking in engine mounts, fuselage stiffeners, and bulkhead and wing flanges, according to the document. A bulkhead actually severed at one point, it states.
And the solution?
“All of these discoveries will require mitigation plans and may include redesigning parts and additional weight,” Gilmore wrote in the report.
Translation: Give Lockheed Martin Corp. billions of dollars more to make the Joint Strike Fighter program pass the bare minimum safety standards. Oh, and making it combat worthy will cost ANOTHER billion.
More below the Orange Squiggle...
The problems of the F-35 as detailed by the report is amazing. Pretty much EVERYTHING doesn't work!
But don't worry! Lockheed is on the case! To make sure they get it right, the Pentagon will spend more money hiring other experts to study the issue!
I like this quote:
The Pentagon plans to spend $391 billion to develop and build 2,457 Lightning II aircraft, according to budget documents. That’s $4.5 billion, or 1.1 percent, less than a projection from last year due in part to revised labor rates.
Cause you KNOW the Department of Defense will stay on budget this time! Not like practically every other weapons program they ever managed in the past.
But hey... no matter what happens, Lockheed will still get a massive profit since most of our rich allies are buying the plane. No doubt our generous government will have all the problems solved by then.
After paying for all of it ofcourse!