If the Pentagon doesn't get its Joint Strike Fighter just right, the U.S. military is screwed. Which is why its a such serious, serious problem this stealthy, all-purpose jet has had such a "troubling performance record," according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Things have gone so wrong that Gates just announced he's sacking the head of the star-crossed, nearly $350 billion program and is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in performance fees to JSF-maker Lockheed Martin. "When things go wrong, people will be held accountable," Gates told reporters. The Air Force, the Marines, and the Navy are all counting on the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to serve as its aircraft of the future, replacing everything from the A-10 to the F-16 to the F/A-18. It's meant to knock out the most advanced missile sites, spot the most elusive terrorists, and win dogfights with the most sophisticated jets from Russia or China -- all at a fraction of the price of the much-ballyhooed F-22 Raptor. Gates calls it the "backbone" of "American air superiority." Without the promise of the JSF, Gates would've never convinced Congress to stop production of the Raptor, the Air Force's most advanced dogfighter. By the time the program ends, there are supposed to be more than 2,400 of the planes in the American inventory, flying off of aircraft carriers, taking off from a conventional runway, or zipping straight up into the sky.
The Air Force, the Marines, and the Navy are all counting on the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to serve as its aircraft of the future, replacing everything from the A-10 to the F-16 to the F/A-18. It's meant to knock out the most advanced missile sites, spot the most elusive terrorists, and win dogfights with the most sophisticated jets from Russia or China -- all at a fraction of the price of the much-ballyhooed F-22 Raptor. Gates calls it the "backbone" of "American air superiority." Without the promise of the JSF, Gates would've never convinced Congress to stop production of the Raptor, the Air Force's most advanced dogfighter. By the time the program ends, there are supposed to be more than 2,400 of the planes in the American inventory, flying off of aircraft carriers, taking off from a conventional runway, or zipping straight up into the sky.
There's always the Eurofighter... En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Well there's a navalised version of the Rafaelle isn't there? Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
