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Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

armed-services.senate.gov

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Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#171

Post by reality_hacker »

1812Overture wrote: post #152
reality_hacker wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> he F-35 is a 1.5 Trillion black hole; a stark lesson on the sunk cost fallacy. The F-22 exists, and works. You compare fleet of 3k aircraft + operation costs for 80 years with fleet of 180 F-22 jets. Also F-22 can't fly from aircraft and amphibious assault ships, and do most of the ground attack missions.

This aircraft is never going to be risked on a ground attack mission. It was dumb for them to think it could fill that role.

They can drop JDAMs, small diameter bombs from 30 miles away and turn back. You are probably saying about Close Air Support role. It can be fulfilled by high precision weapons, which can be applied from many miles distance, but also Air Force consider replacement for A-10 for this role, which will not be F-35. And some other cases of CAS can be covered by apaches and drones.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#172

Post by tmaly »

johngalt wrote: post #8

The F-35 is becoming the definitive example of how scope creep destroys a project. A system designed to do everything for everyone. When it should be designed to do one thing better than everything else. Divide the F-35 into three different attack aircraft. Single engine CAS with STOVL capability. Big/fast/stealthy twin engine bomber. Carrier based attack drone. All three would likely fulfill their roles better for l…

Just making some small improvements in this process would save the country a ton of money. I cannot believe the cost of the F-35 program has exceeded 1 trillion.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#173

Post by toomuchtodo »

smitherfield wrote: post #134
johngalt wrote: post #8

The F-35 is becoming the definitive example of how scope creep destroys a project. A system designed to do everything for everyone. When it should be designed to do one thing better than everything else. Divide the F-35 into three different attack aircraft. Single engine CAS with STOVL capability. Big/fast/stealthy twin engine bomber. Carrier based attack drone. All three would likely fulfill their roles better for l…

>Carrier based attack drone Drones were science fiction back in the early 90's when the F-35 program was started. Even today they can't even come close to outperforming a skilled human pilot in a combat scenario. (Although perhaps if it were Google working on the hardware and software it'd be doable).

> Even today they can't even come close to outperforming a skilled human pilot in a combat scenario.

The Navy's X-47B "Salty Dog" got pretty damn close (before the program was cancelled). It can take off, on-air refuel, and land back on a carrier with no human input.

http://dronecenter.bard.edu/chronicle-of-the-salty-dogs-x-47...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twdCdlo3BtA

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